One of the first decisions you have to make when considering hair extensions is whether to use natural or synthetic extensions. While natural hair extensions are obviously made from human hair, synthetic extensions are usually made from such materials as Kanekalon or Toyokalon. We will cover the pros and cons of each.
Synthetic Hair Extensions
The first main difference between natural and synthetic hair extensions is cost. Synthetics are in general cheaper than their natural counterparts. Synthetic extensions are also more flexible in the styles they can be produced in since they are not bound by genetics as natural hair extensions are. Synthetics can be totally
outlandish or look as natural human hair extensions.
The main downside of synthetic extensions is that they do not feel quite like human hair nor do they act they same. Also, with synthetic extensions, depending on the material, you may not be able to curl or straighten them and dying the extensions could end very badly.
Natural Hair Extensions
Natural human hair has different qualities altogether from synthetics. With natural hair, there is a wide range in quality of hair from relatively cheap “dropped” hair all the way to incredibly expensive Remy arrangements. Since they are made from real human hair they feel completely natural. With human hair extensions you can do absolutely anything that you can do to your own hair because the extensions are made of real human hair
One of the other downsides to natural hair extensions aside from cost is a smaller range of colors and textures since they are limited by what is produced by a human. The highest quality of natural hair extensions is referred to as “virgin hair” and has not been dyed at all. The handful of different textures are usually labeled by ethnic regions.
Whether you choose to use synthetic fibers or natural hair extensions, it really only comes down to a few factors that vary from person to person. The purpose of the extensions, the desired goal, the amount of money that can be spent, and how much care a person wants to invest in their extensions all need to be weighed in order to determine which type of material is best for their hair extensions.
For those on a limited budget, DIY hair extensions are a great way to add that little extra something to your look. Without the countless hours at a salon and pay large amounts of money you can easily apply the hair extensions by yourself.