This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

I have always had a serious problem with my hair being too short, all a part of something I lovingly call #mixedgirlproblems. Due to this little predicament, I have tried every hair extension possible and am more than willing to share my wisdom with the world.

First things first, why get extensions? Most people get them to add length to short hair or volume to thin hair. Some people add them as an alternative to dying their hair by throwing in a few colored extensions. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of options.

The first thing you need to decide when looking for the right extension is whether you want synthetic or real human hair.

Personally, I hate synthetic. They tangle easy, you can’t style them, and they just look very cheap. However, if you only need extensions for a night or want to throw in some jazzy colors, synthetic may be the right option for you. Any long-term use would require Remi human hair extensions.

They are far more expensive than synthetic, but the tradeoff is that unlike synthetic extensions, you can wash, dry, dye, flat iron, curl, cut and anything else you would do to your normal hair.

The next step would be to decide what kind of method of adhesion you would like to do. As of right now, I am rocking the fusion extensions which are basically the most expensive and efficient extension you can have. There are two types of fusion available: cold and hot fusion. The difference lies with the way they attached the hair strand by strand. With hot fusion, they melt the wax tip of the extension then take a few strands of your hair and roll the tip at the root of that strand. Cold fusions are done essentially the same way, but instead of melting the wax and rolling it onto your hair, there is a same-colored (the same color as your hair) bead that clamps the extension and your hair together.

Fusion extensions are the most natural looking and durable extensions since they stay in your hair for months at a time. They are also the most expensive and time consuming because the procedure is done by attaching the extension strand by strand. It cost me $600 total including the cost of the actual hair extensions and four hours to get my latest set of fusion extensions put in. With that said, I also have had them since August and people constantly comment on how beautiful my hair is and are shocked to find out it’s not all mine.

If fusion extensions aren’t in your budget or you are looking for something less permanent, there are plenty of other options. My second favorite is clip-ins. You can buy them at Sally’s or any other beauty retailer or even online. You simply hide them by parting your hair into sections and putting them in. You can style them with your normal hair if you buy human hair clip-ins, which helps to hide them even better. I would always curl mine to help blend my hair and the extensions more.

The best thing about clip-ins is that you can take them out at the end of the night and then reuse them whenever you choose. I would wear them every weekend for a month or two months before discarding them.

Another option would be so get them sewn in. This is done at a salon and is very affordable. The stylist makes horizontal cornrows in the back of your head and then literally sews or “weaves” the extensions in. The extensions are then hidden by the top layers of your hair. There is also the glued-in option, which is perfect if you only want the look for a night or two and don’t want to spend a lot of money. This is also done at a salon and the stylist simply glues the extensions to your scalp. They come out with water and shampoo, so they are good until you wash your hair.

All in all, extensions are a great way to enhance your look if you want longer or fuller hair. With all the options and ways to attach them, there is an affordable, doable solution for everyone.

HC JMU Solutions: Hair Extensions

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