Wearing hair extensions for the first time can be quite the experience. It feels different, you look different, and there’s a definite learning curve. We wanted to let you in on some things to expect when you receive your first set of NBR hair extensions—both the great things and the challenging ones. We want you to have an incredible experience with your hair extensions, and we’ve found that being prepared always makes things smoother.
First up is the BEST unexpected result of new hair. We’re talking about that incredible natural hair high. Whenever our guests come into their 2 week follow up appointment, they seem to be floating on a cloud. We hear everything from, “Omg I see why these are so addictive,” to “I thought I would like it, but more than that, I actually feel like a new person!” This completely euphoric experience happens for about 80-90% of our guests.
For the other 10-20%, the euphoria is followed by a bit of a crash. The just walked out of the salon feeling like a million bucks lasts all the way up until their first shampoo/style. All of a sudden it’s a “holy shit it took so much longer to dry and I have no idea what I’m doing with all this hair,” sort of feeling. We often have women who come into their 2 week follow up expressing that they styled their hair themselves for the first time and couldn’t make it look how it did when they left the salon. THIS IS TOTALLY NORMAL. There is definitely a learning curve with extensions, and it’s crucial to give yourself time, space, and grace when it comes to shampooing and getting reacquainted with your new self.
Our best advice for adapting to your new hair is to give yourself PLENTY of time for the first several shampoo and styles. We recommend setting aside about twice the amount of time as you would typically spend. You definitely do not want to try to squeeze in a wash and style of your brand new set of extensions in the same amount of time as your natural hair.
Once you’ve had your extensions for a little while, this process will get easier and the time will shorten back up a bit. You’ll learn exactly what works best for you and your hair and everything will get smoother. Expecting the learning curve is half the battle. You should never feel bad if the first time you wash and dry your new extensions it feels like a bit of a disaster. You are not alone!
Next up is the physical experience of your brand new set of extensions. If you are not used to having something attached to your scalp, aka if you’ve never worn extensions before, your head might be a little bit tender for the first few days. If this is you—don’t panic! It won’t stay like that for long. While nothing should be hurting or pulling, it will be a little snug and tender. The snugness is a totally separate feeling that takes a moment to get used to. It almost feels like you’re wearing a really tight headband (or headbands depending on your number of rows).
The next aspect of having a whole lot more hair that we receive tons of questions about is how to wear your hair up in a ponytail. One of our favorite qualities of NBR Extensions is how versatile they are in terms of style. But just like there is a learning curve for washing and drying them, there is definitely a learning curve for wearing them up as well. We’ve found that when you’re receiving a ton of new information like you are on the day you get your new hair, it’s not the best time to also talk ponies.
That’s why we designate a few minutes at the 2 week follow up appointment to walk you through wearing your hair up in a ponytail or topknot. We will walk you through the process, explain how to secure it, and talk about the different options. We also explain what’s better for working out vs just hanging around town and how to avoid unnecessary tension on your scalp when your hair is tied back.
The last thing that women aren’t always prepared for may seem a bit obvious, but is often still a surprise. When you change your hair you typically expect a comment or two, but depending on how large your transformation is you can actually expect for people’s jaws to drop. It’s pretty common for a transformation to include a color revamp along with hair extensions, which means you’re going to look pretty different in a pretty short amount of time. Expect for people to come up and ask you all about it.
There’s a fairly common taboo when it comes to not asking people about their hair extensions, but our philosophy is the total opposite. We fully encourage you to embrace your new look and when people ask if you’re wearing hair extensions for your answer to be, “Girllll, hell yes!” Be proud that you’ve made an investment in yourself—you will probably inspire someone else to do the same. We also encourage you to train your brain to accept the compliment! You’re probably going to get an influx of compliments on your hair and your new glow—embrace it! Eat it up! You look amazing and you deserve to feel that way as well.
If you’re considering hair extensions, we hope that this helps you prepare for what experiences to expect. And if you ever have any questions before, during, or after you receive your new set of hair extensions, just give us a call or shoot us an email! We’ve got your back and are here to talk you through whatever you need! Our goal is always for you to have the best and smoothest extensions experience possible!
