Hair Extensions for Women

Hair is said to be the crowning glory for women and so the center of fashion among celebrities, stage performers who uses hair extensions for various and fabulous looks. They want a quick-change of their hair  from curly blond hair, redhead, long simple brunette style, sleek, and sassy looks.  Among Hollywood hair  trend setters are Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Beyonce Knowles, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashlee Simpson, Victoria Beckham among others.  In 2008, Paris Hilton even launched her own hair extension headband line "The Bandit" with eight different colors.

What are hair extensions ? Hair extensions are pieces of hair, either real or synthetic that are attached to your own hair at the root.  Millions around the globe suffer from hair loss, this can be used to conceal thinning or hair loss in scalp concentrated areas.  Because of hair loss by cancer patients, they are also one of the users of hair extensions.
Real or Human Extensions :
It gives your hair a lot of movement and for a truly natural look.
Real hair absorbs light making it appear less shiny.
It takes longer to put in with six to eight hours.
Removal of real extensions need to be professionally removed using a special substance.
Synthetic Extensions :
Synthetic looks glossier than the average especially in photographs.
Your style will last longer than normal with synthetic.
It takes four to five hours to put in with two hair stylists working.
Synthetic are less expensive than real extensions with variety of colors and textures.
Use synthetic if you have suffered from hair loss in the past and you have a very sensitive scalp. Your scalp may have a negative reactions from acetone which normally done on real extensions.
It is much easier to remove synthetic without mess or residue.

Are extensions can damage hair? According to Lucinda Ellery  of Lucinda Ellery Hair Solutions, extensions can damage hair "only if applied too tightly". It can cause traction alopecia which literally pull natural hair out of head.

Maintenance or shampooing of hair extensions is same with natural  hair but manufacturers recommends of using a mild shampoo and a light conditioner to reduce tangling. For real extensions,it is best to use a non oil-based shampoo which would not break the seal of attachment.

There are methods of brushing, combing, and drying for hair extensions (there are heat settings when drying the hair). Heat should be extremely low but synthetics will melt, burn or warp on curling iron, flat iron, or blow-dryer.