Welcome to the Extension Confession Session

It’s about to get real.

I’ve been wearing my NBR Extensions for about three months now and, well, I’ve had a few…snafus. If you’ve been into the studio you know I’m pretty much OBSESSED with my NBR extensions, and when they’re extra fluffy I love them even more. And as the person who helped write the maintenance sheet I should’ve been GOLDEN…#famouslastwords

About a month and a half into wearing my extensions (right about the time I learned how to make them fluff), I attempted to run my hand through my hair and, um, well… it got stuck. I ignored it for a day or so until I tried again and it was even worse. That’s when I started feeling around at the root of my rows and came to a horrifying realization.

I had a mat… in each row… right at the back of my head. I was pretty sure Candice was going to kick me out of Garnish or take away my extensions because how on Earth could I manage an EXTENSION BAR and have mats in my head. Thankfully, she and Reece rescued me with the help of copious amounts of Know Knott. And then I got a remedial lesson on how to properly comb out my extensions. The fluff sure LOOKS great, but if it’s not combed out at the beginning and end of each day then it’s GOING to be a mess—promise.

As if that’s not bad enough… I also had a mental snafu so-to-speak when I thought I might have acquired a bald spot. To be clear—I did NOT have a bald spot, but I definitely thought I did and was having a low-key crisis about it. With NBR extensions, the anchor bead (aka the first one in the row) pulls the hair slightly sideways. You don’t feel it at all, but if you look right at the spot where the hair is going in a different direction than usual it APPEARS that you could be missing a few strands. They’re not missing, just “displaced” so-to-speak, and once I realized that I definitely felt a bit silly for stressing.

THEN (because yes, there’s another one)… I was experiencing terrible itching at my scalp and I had no idea why. I mean, I had JUST washed my hair. Welp. Turns out I wasn’t washing my hair properly either. My natural hair is very dense to begin with so adding in 4 rows of extensions meant that particularly at the root it’s just hair stacked on top of hair stacked on top of more hair.

According to the maintenance sheet you’re supposed to separate out each row and wash and comb them individually. I definitely was NOT doing that properly. Once again, one of my team members rescued me and washed all of the shampoo residue out of my hair and I’ve been extra thorough washing ever since.

I have one last confession, and this is the one that surprised me the most. Candice had explained to me that often when extensions are removed the person feels like their natural hair is thinner than before. As someone who naturally has a ton of hair I was certain this would not affect me. I was definitely wrong.

I had to go three days without my extensions and it felt like i had NO HAIR. Considering how much hair I have, it’s a ridiculous thought/feeling, but our brains are tricky. They adjust to the feel of how much hair you have with extensions so when they’re removed suddenly your brain thinks something is missing! It’s a crazy feeling, but definitely a valid one.

While it’s a bit embarrassing to admit all of my extension snafus, I felt like it was important to let you all know that following the maintenance is extremely important for avoiding challenges. And, of course, that snafus DO happen and as long as you address them, they won’t result in damage to your extensions or hair.

Finally, I wanted to share my experience for anyone else who has had their own extension snafu to let you know that you are not alone. There is definitely a learning curve with extensions and (unless you manage an extension salon and helped write the maintenance sheet) there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If you ever have any questions PLEASE give us a call. We can help you troubleshoot, find solutions, and get back to loving your extension hair.