They might be great at adding volume and versatility to your hair, but many women across the board are holding back from trying extensions because of the supposed drawbacks: damage, thinning, and even breakage.
For Black women, that concern has some basis, but most of it stems from an industry that has been slow to cater to natural textures. You might have had bad experiences with extensions in the past – perhaps they haven’t blended properly or have been uncomfortable to wear – and have written them off entirely.
If any of that sounds like you, or you’re unsure about extensions generally, this blog is for you. It will explore what’s actually true, what isn’t, and how best to protect your hair if you do decide to use extensions.
Myth 1: Extensions Will Damage Your Hair
A lot of the women we speak to about extensions have avoided them in the past because they’re worried about hair damage. It’s a completely valid concern, but here’s the truth: extensions by themselves don’t cause damage. What can lead to damage is incorrect application, incompatible products, and poor maintenance.
When extensions are too heavy for your natural hair, applied too tightly, or left in for far too long, problems can arise (like traction alopecia, in extreme cases). For textured hair in particular, this risk increases when extensions aren’t designed for it. This can leave many Black women with no option but to fight with a product that doesn’t match and put unnecessary stress on their hair.
To avoid this, choose extensions that match your hair’s natural texture and weight (virgin hair is best for this), and never install extensions on hair that is dry, brittle, or otherwise stressed.
Myth 2: Extensions Will Stop Your Natural Hair From Growing
If you’ve used extensions before and noticed your hair has been the same length when you’ve removed them, you – understandably – might assume it’s because of the extensions.
However, the truth is that your apparent lack of growth is not due to your extensions; it’s due to breakage. Hair growth happens from your scalp, after all, so extensions won’t interfere with that process.
To avoid breakage, make sure to moisturize regularly, avoid tight installation, and take proper breaks between wears. Hair extension care kits are a must-have anyway, but even better if they’re formulated to care for your natural hair as well.
Myth 3: Natural Hair and Extensions Don’t Mix
There is a common conception that women with natural hair must extensively style or process their hair to match their extensions.
While this is, unfortunately, sometimes true, it’s only the case when extensions aren’t designed to be worn with natural textures – and, for much of our industry’s history, they haven’t been.
But you shouldn’t have to damage your hair to make mismatched products work. By using extensions created specifically to match your texture, you can simply clip or tie them in, without needing any heat or chemical processing. So, be sure to match extensions to your texture before you match them to anything else.
There are many other myths and misconceptions surrounding the use of extensions with natural hair – these are just three of the most common ones. Fear of damage – particularly if you’re transitioning your hair back to its natural state – is totally understandable (and not totally without foundation), but it shouldn’t be the thing standing in between you and the hair you want.
Extensions, when they’re designed specifically to fit your hair like at Heat Free Hair, are a tool like any other – they help you look like you, but even more beautiful. Not sure where to start? Browse our natural hair extensions and wigs or get in touch and we'll help you find the right match.
