There are different reasons why people want to get hair extensions. While some want to remedy an illness that causes balding, others want to wear different hairstyles. Regardless of your reason for wanting hair extensions, it’s important that you purchase and use high-quality hair extensions.
When you use premium hair extensions like the human hair extensions by Perfect Locks, you’re not just buying something that lasts for a long time. Instead, you’re also honoring yourself by investing in something you deserve. Remember, high-quality hair extensions are made of 100% human hair, so they are pricey but they tend to be more natural-looking too.
How do you know if what you’re purchasing will give value to your money? Here are some tips hair extension experts suggest you should try. These are proven and tested methods to help you choose wisely:
Scrunch test
This test is one of the simplest ways to check your hair extensions’ quality. All you have to do is hold the extensions by the top and place your hand beneath the ends. After that, push both sides until you see them meeting the roots.
Start slight friction by rubbing your hands while still holding your hair. After a few rubs, release the strands. Slide through your fingers and feel it. If it’s smooth and snag-free, then you’re guaranteed to have purchased a high-quality extension. The more snags you feel. The worse the hair quality.
Grip test
As the name of the test suggests, this method involves gripping the hair extension a quarter of your way down. First, you need to hold the strands firmly at the top. Position and secure it using a hair tie next to the weft banding. After that, slide through your fingers and start gripping. Do this repeatedly at the hair extension’s midway point. As you move three-quarters down, start gripping above the tips.
You’ll know you bought one with poor quality if you see the extensions and its strands grow thinner as you grip. On the other hand, you’ll know you landed yourself a premium-quality hair extension if the thickness remains the same no matter how many times you grab it.
Wet tangle check
This third process is one of the simplest, and its purpose is to see how the strands will do if swished with shampoo and water. The first step is to hold the extension at its roots. After that, swish it through the water with shampoo. This method replicates the hair-washing process.
Repeat this method several times. After that, wash the hair extension to remove shampoo bubbles. If you see hair cuticles with ends and roots at opposite positions, the strands will creep up, creating tangled knots near your roots. These knots will be challenging to remove or untangle. Even if you use conditioner and thoroughly brush the extensions afterward, this will still be difficult to undo.
The reason for the tangles is that the cuticle edges became inverted. As such, they’ll be creating more friction instead of laying flat like fish scales.
Check for moisture
Processed hair must use the correct aftercare products to prolong their lifespan and adequately hydrate the strands. It’s common for most hair extensions to undergo a chemical alteration process. Unprocessed hair may not undergo chemical alteration, but using the correct aftercare products like their processed counterparts is still essential.
After using the right aftercare product on your hair extension, see if it has retained enough moisture. If the hair has a higher moisture content, it will look healthier, shinier, and more natural. If your extension has below 10% hair moisture, it can look like a straw. It will also appear brittle.
Strand percentage
One of the best ways of checking whether or not your hair extensions are of excellent quality is through the strand percentage test. This measures how many percent of your hair extension strands are the same length. To do this, you need to hold your hair extension together. Make sure to start holding it at the roots. Keep your other hand at the end of the strand.
Lightly shake your extension. Twist the strand and let go of freed strands. If you see many strands coming off, you’ll have lesser hair of similar thickness and length. This means the manufacturer ignored the length percentage during the hair extension compiling process. The health length percentage for hair extensions is around 24 to 28%.
The higher the length percentage, the better the hair extension will look. Furthermore, it means there are equal hair strands from top to bottom. It also means there will be fewer noticeable gaps between the strands.
Quality matters when it comes to hair extensions
It may sound cliche, but the saying “the hair is one’s crowning glory” still holds. Your look will significantly change with how you wear your hair. Healthy and polished-looking hair sends a message that the person has a pleasant personality. On the other hand, messy and poorly maintained hair makes the wearer look untidy.
If you invest in hair extensions, only go for those made with care and expertise. Use the tests shared in this article to ensure that you’ll not only look great but also get your money’s worth.
