A couple of weeks ago we broke down what to expect when wearing hair extensions for the very first time (link). Our belief is that the more you know, and the better prepared you are, the smoother your experience will be. That’s why we decided to shine some light on a fairly common problem for women wearing hand-tied hair extensions. We call it “a slip,” and it pretty much happens to everyone at some point during their hair extensions journey.
So what is this “slip” we’re talking about? If you’ve experienced it, then you already know. Essentially, each bead is attached to about 100 strands of hair, and each bead is also connected to the next bead using thread. A slip occurs when one bead slides out of place. This can be just a little bit, or it can be enough that your row suddenly feels pretty loose.
The most important thing to remember is that each bead is secured to its own foundation of hair, so a slip of one bead most likely will not affect any of the other beads. Each bead has its very own foundation and security. Most often slips occur to the front bead, and it can make it feel like your entire row is about to come off, but don’t panic! The rest of your row is still completely secure.
It’s important to know that slips happen, and you didn’t do anything wrong. Women with finer hair and more active lifestyles are more likely to experience slips, but they can happen to any hair texture. As you go about life, throwing on hats, wearing high ponies, working out, playing with your kids, pressure is applied to your beads and may result in one sliding down a bit. If this happens, it’s super easy to fix.
The first step is to secure your row with a bobby pin to minimize it pulling on the next bead. (Note: make sure to stick the bobby pin in horizontally, not vertically!) The second step is to text or call us to let us know. We’ll ask you to send a photo, if possible, so we know what we’re working with, and then schedule a time for you to stop by the studio. “Quick fixes” as we call them, only take about 15 minutes max.
If you believe something more than just a slip has occurred, please give us a call immediately. It’s very rare that something more serious happens, but we will always be super transparent with you about what’s happened with your hair extensions. Generally speaking, hand-tied beaded row extensions still pose the least potential for damage from any other method of extensions. Using a flat iron on too high of heat could cause more damage to your hair. As long as you are following the guidelines on your maintenance sheet, your experience with extensions should go smoothly.
For any of our out of town guests: please be aware that the need for a quick fix is always possible. When choosing to travel to our studio for your hair extensions, you are either committing to coming back should a slip occur, or we recommend finding a local artist who could assist you in such an instance.
While we wanted to give you all the deets about what a slip is and how to take care of it, it’s possible you could never experience one. They are a normal occurrence, but most women don’t experience them more than once unless their hair is particularly prone (super soft and fine), they live a very active lifestyle, or they are not properly following the maintenance guide. If you ever have any questions about your hair extensions, please give us a call or text us! We’re here to support you in your hair extensions experience just as much after you’ve left the salon as when you are in our space.
