What Are Different Types Of Hair Extensions & Which One Is Best For You?
We all know that great feeling when having a good hair day. The big question is, how do we achieve that look every single day? Hair extensions are one of the best places to start for adding effortless glam and envious volume & length to your daily style with minimal maintenance.
Better yet, when investing in Spectrum One Hair Extensions we can guarantee with the correct home and after care that they will last up to twelve months or longer! We know what you’re thinking, how can they be that long lasting?
Spectrum One proudly work with only the highest of quality, premium human hair. All hand-picked, double-drawn and rigorously quality controlled each and every time to ensure your hair will be beautifully blended and looking nothing but the very best.
Thinking of trying hair extensions but not sure where to start?
We totally understand that it can be overwhelming not knowing where to start when choosing the best extensions method for you. That’s why we’ve created this handy Spectrum One Guide to walk you through the variety of application types, the benefits of hair extensions and the pros & cons of each type.
We’ll also cover if professional human hair or synthetic clip in hair extensions are best suited for you, your lifestyle and budget. So let’s deep-dive in and learn all things hair extensions, method types, maintenance and more..
The difference between synthetic & human hair extensions
Both human hair and synthetic extensions come in various styles, colours and different forms of applications. The quality of synthetic hair can vary from brand to brand but it is generally made from stiff fibres which makes it move and style differently in comparison to human hair, so some people find that they don’t blend as well with their natural hair.
Human hair looks and feels real (because you guessed it, it is!) and therefore looks more natural and is available in a much wider range of colours.
The pros of choosing human hair extensions
There’s so many reasons but lets start with they can be treated & styled exactly as you would your own natural hair! So there’s no need to over think about them girls; you can straighten, curl, blow dry, colour them and apply the majority of all professional hair products.
Although unlike our natural locks, human hair extensions obviously don’t get the oil and nutrients needed to look shiny, healthy and full of life. So always ensure to pamper your extensions with the TLC they deserve to keep them looking and feeling at their absolute best.
With synthetic hair extensions, you can’t colour them as most hair dyes contain ammonia or bleach, which will either destroy the hair or leave it looking in bad condition and we all know that nobody wants a bad hair day!
Always remember when wearing synthetic hair extensions..
We can’t stress how important it is to remember that you can’t style synthetic hair extensions in the same way that you can with your human hair, as heat from straighteners and hair dryers cause unrepairable damage, the hair will likely melt or severely damage.. so step away from that heat!
Other factors to remember on hotter days is that over exposure to sun, friction or harsh hair products can also really damage synthetic hair extensions.
Tape In Extensions
Tape In hair extensions are quickly becoming one of the most popular hair extension methods in the industry. Why, we hear you thinking? Well they’re the fastest and easiest way to achieve amazing hair transformations, they’ve been carefully designed to suit all hair types and to match almost any colour.
The extensions are pre-taped and then firmly clamped together on each side of your own hair. A hairdresser would apply your tape-ins for you as you need to align them with your roots. Another reason to love Tape In Extensions are because they pretty much suit all hair types!
Tapes are 4cm long and when evenly distributed onto the hair they should always feel flat and light on the head, meaning you can create all your favourite hair styles without the worry of your extensions feeling heavy or causing any pain.
Great hair should never feel uncomfortable! Better yet, tapes can be easily removed with tape adhesive solutions causing no damage to the natural hair.
Tapes are one of the quickest extension methods, which is fab as no one wants to be in the salon all day long for their next hair glow up! The process usually takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour to apply and when you take the best care of your extensions keeping them in good condition, they can be re-used & re-fitted.
Nano Extensions
Nano Tip Hair Extensions are another favourite method for many people wanting to add length & volume to their natural hair. So what are they and what are the benefits?
Nanos are small wefts of pre-bonded hair that are attached to the natural hair using Nano Rings which are 90% smaller than most micro rings, the best way for ensuring a seamless bond.
Nano tip hair extensions don’t require any heat in the process, making them one of the most discreet and kind to your hair applications as no nasty glue is needed.
The Application Process
When applying Nanos, the natural hair is simply threaded through a nano ring at the tip of the nano extension before being clamped into place. Nanos reduce the risk of damage to any natural hair, making them a best selling choice!
Another reason we love them so much is that they are super thin and lightweight, meaning there’s no stress or weight on your natural hair making them a perfect method for thin or fine hair types.
What’s the correct aftercare for Nano Extensions
We always suggest that Nano Tip hair extensions should last around six to nine months. At Spectrum One, our Nano Tips are made from the finest premium quality human Remy hair in 16” at 0.7g per strand and 20” at 0.9g a strand with 30 strands in a pack and each strand is carefully bonded with our finest Italian Keratin. We know, what’s not to love right!?
Nano Extensions are perfect for a client who loves a natural look and likes to wear their hair in multiple styles due to their lifestyle or hobbies. It’s also a great alternative method for anyone that wants low maintenance hair as you won’t need to visit the salon for your refit for around ten to twelve weeks.
Nano Tips are fab for creating beautiful, bespoke colour blends and at Spectrum One we only use none silicone copper beads for the best application.
I Tip Extensions
I Tip hair extensions, or other wise known as micro bead hair extensions or micro loop hair extensions, are applied and secured with non-damaging copper beads by attaching very small wefts of hair to small sections of the natural hair. A special tool, most commonly known as a loop thread, is used to secure the bead to the hair and then safely tightened to secure it in place.
Things to keep in mind when choosing I Tips
Although this method does not use any heat or nasty glue, if not installed correctly by a professional, I Tip hair extensions can be damaging to the hair.
This would be from the bead being tightened with too much pressure, causing tension and pulling at the roots, and most importantly if not removed properly, the hair can be pulled out. It’s worth mentioning that this is a more timely method taking approximately two to four hours to apply, so not one for all the girls that are looking for a quick flying visit to the salon.
Weave Extensions
Weft hair extensions are applied via a non-damaging method of sewing onto aluminium screws that are threaded into the hair by using a needle and thread to sew the weave on to a soft ribbon to ensure maximum comfort and wearability.
Weaves are perfect for people with normal to thick hair because of the way in which they are applied. It’s a much longer process, usually several hours and with the correct after care they can last up to nine months or longer.
The ultimate hair investment that you won’t be regretting! However, this method is a little more high maintenance as weaves need to be tightened every 6 weeks and rotated every 12 weeks.
The Application Process
We’re sure you already know but as a reminder, weaves can only be applied by professional hairdressers due to the technical and at times slightly difficult application that requires the weft pieces to be sewn into the hair.
This type of hair extension is becoming more and more popular because it’s the most permanent and seamless, Spectrum One weaves can be transformed into invisible pieces easily.
Did you know..
At Spectrum One we also hate waste! So to offer a more sustainable approach to wearing this extension method, we’ve proudly made our luxury wefts also available in 40 & 50 gram pieces so that you can mix colours to create bespoke beautiful blends if you or your client doesn’t want a full 160 gram weave.
Clip In Extensions
Clip in hair extensions come in a strand of contoured pieces, attached at the base with either fabric or silicone. The easy to use clips are attached to the base and come ready to use so are super effortless for anyone to wear and perfect for adding a little length, thickness and overall glam to your everyday hair.
Clip Ins are also great as no matter what your budget, you can invest in more affordable synthetic clip in hair extensions or if you’re looking to spend that little but more you can create the ultimate hair statement with stunning real human remy hair clip ins, the choice is yours!
How long does it take to apply Clip Ins?
It couldn’t be easier! This effortless method usually takes five to ten minutes to easily apply at home. The clip in pieces sit comfortably to your natural hair, each small clip snaps open and closes and should never feel heavy on the hair.
So you can quickly whip them out and put them back in whenever you fancy, unlike our professional hair extension applications that we’ve mentioned throughout this guide.
Clip In hair extensions are also a go-to favourite as they are the least damaging due to not involving any chemicals, heat, pressure or technical installation that we may have mentioned above, they simply clip in and out of your hair with ease so we promise zero damage to your natural hair.
Conclusion
So there you have it! We hope we've given you all the information you need to make the best decision on which type of hair extensions will be right for you, your hair type, budget and your hair goals. Discover our full range of professional Spectrum One Hair Extensions here or if the synthetic pieces sounded more your thing, explore the full collection of easy to wear pieces here.
Here at Spectrum One we love to hear from you and to be at hand to help in any way that we can so feel free to DM us on our social channels, email us at sales@spectrumonehair.com or call our award winning Spectrum Salon on 01706 216808 to find out more about our free consultations, colour matching services & registering for one of our trade accounts.
