Why Hair Extensions Are Bad For You

Why Hair Extensions Are Bad For You

Kaley Cuoco, Lauren Conrad, Nicole Ritchie and a host of other famous hair extension wearing celebrities have ditched their add-on strands.

These savvy celebrities know why hair extensions can be a bad decision.

In fact, just as the anti-shampoo movement has taken hold, the natural hair movement is pushing an anti-hair extension movement to grow and have legs.

History Of Hair Extensions

Hair extensions have been worn since the earliest history of humans.

A lot of information about hair extensions was documented by the ancient Egyptians where both men and women wore a variety of wigs, extensions and add-on hair.

Add-on hair, whether wigs or hair extensions have cycled in and out of fashion many times over the centuries.

In the 1800s wigs and add-on hair fell out of fashion. Women were encouraged to wear their hair naturally and an anti-hair extensions movement was born.

Hair extensions have moved in and out of fashion for years. Sometimes they're popular, other times they are shunned for a wide range of reasons.

Most Popular Reasons To Dump Faux Hair

Of course everyone should wear their hair however it makes them feel best, but if you're on the fence about whether or not to have add-on hair of any kind consider the following popular reasons to dump faux hair:

1.  The natural hair movement is more popular than ever before with people of all ages, races and lifestyles.

2.  People are vibing with the hair they were born with.  They are proudly showcasing their real tresses.

3.  Natural hair is highly valued over faux hair which has a high risk of looking fake.

4.  When applied improperly hair extensions, whether fusion or clip-in, can be potentially damaging to the scalp and/or the hair follicles, or both.

5.  If too much hair is applied, the weight of the add-on hair or the application method (tight braided base) may cause chronic head and/or neck pain.

6.  Long term wearing of fusion hair extensions may leave you more at risk of developing traction alopecia caused by applied increased pressure on the scalp and/or follicles.

Note:  What­ever the attach­ment method used with hair exten­sions (braids, sew-ons, fusion, glue, clips, beads, etc), they all put addi­tional weight on the fol­li­cles of your real hair. With con­stant use of exten­sions, hair fol­li­cles are at much higher risk of become damaged.

7. Except when they're Do-It-Yourself (DIY) extensions, the installation of most fusion style hair can be time consuming and costly.

8.  Fusion style hair extensions require special at-home care, constant detangling and use of special wet cleanse products which may be expensive.

9.  Unless applied to add volume or hide loss, hair extensions can look incredibly fake.

10. When hair extensions aren't applied properly, you may find yourself dropping strands as you go about your daily life, which can be embarrassing.

Note: Hair extension attach­ment meth­ods might include micro braid­ing with beads, tubes or similar, strand-by-strand fusion meth­ods (hot and cold), sewn-in weaves, bond­ing weaves, tape, Brazil­ian knots, clip-ins, draw­string pony­tails or a combination.

11.  The International hair extension industry has a documented history of having a very dark sinister underbelly. In some cases poor women around the globe are exploited in order to harvest their hair for sale.  Do you want to support an industry like that?

12.  If you're buying human hair extensions which weren't treated properly you may have a risk of getting hair which initially had or may even still have lice (dead or not).

13. Although hair extensions may offer a quick fix for having long hair, in the long run they may damage your existing scalp and/or hair, making it more challenging to grow longer hair in the future.  When worn over an extended period of time there is a very real risk of developing bald spots and scarring.

14. Unless properly processed and of the highest quality, some add-on hair may have a strong chemical or synthetic aroma which may be hard to eliminate.

15. One of the reasons celebrities are dumping their longtime hair extensions is because it makes them all look alike. People want to have their own signature look. Hair extensions which all look similar may cause you to lose your uniqueness.

16. Depending upon the type of hair (100% human, synthetic or mixed) and the attachment method (braided sew ins, glue, beads, etc) you may be limited in the type of hairstyles you wear. With some installations, you will not be able to wear your hair up due to telltale seams or clips.

17.  Hair extensions may not be compatible with your natural texture and could cause long term loss of your natural texture pattern. Some naturally textured people report a loss of their normal texture profile after long term wearing of extensions.

18.  The higher the quality of the hair you buy, the more expensive the installation.  If you also have the hair custom dyed, highlighted or chemically altered, that will add to the overall cost. Add in the cost of the actually application, the ongoing salon visits for maintenance and you will be making a significant financial investment. Be sure to consider all those costs before you take the plunge.

19.  While clip-in extensions are temporary, they have their own set of problems. Some problems with clip-ins or temporary extensions include the cost for high quality, danger of developing traction alopecia and related issues.

Summary - Why Hair Extensions Are Bad For You

In the 1800s wigs and add-on hair fell out of fashion. Women were encouraged to wear their hair naturally and an anti-hair extensions movement was born.

Hair extensions have moved in and out of fashion for years. Sometimes they're popular, other times they are shunned for a wide range of reasons.

There are many reasons why you should think seriously before springing for hair extensions.

Although everyone should always wear their hair in whatever manner makes them look and feel best, always do your homework and take all the factors of wearing add-on hair into consideration.