Are you lusting over long, full, luscious locks? Aren’t we all! Hair extensions are a great way to get the hair that you’ve been dreaming of. If your hair is shorter or thinner than you’d like, then you’ve probably thought before about the option of hair extensions. However, extensions aren’t always for everyone. There are a few questions that you should ask yourself before you dive in and take the plunge at the salon.

So, let’s check out what you should ask yourself, shall we?

What condition is your hair in?

To get hair extensions, your hair should be relatively healthy and in fair condition. Because adding hair extensions places extra stress on your tresses, if you have brittle hair that snaps quickly, you might end up with hair in extremely poor condition if you go down the extensions route – it’ll probably make a fair bit of your hair snap off. A similar sort of thing goes for those with very thin, fine hair. Your hair will probably not cope with the extra weight of extensions very well.

What type of extensions are you looking at getting?

There are quite a few different types of hair extensions that you can get, and each is a little different about the way that you have to treat them, how long it takes to put them in, the overall cost, maintenance and more. The different types of hair extensions include hot fusion, where keratin tipped bundles of extensions are applied with heat to your hair, micro links, where extensions are applied with little round beads and then clamped into place, taped in, where hair is applied with double sided tape, glued in, similar to taped in, weave, where hair is plaited into existing hair, and more…

How much time do you like to spend doing your hair in the morning and at night?

Hair extensions can take a lot of work to keep in good shape. Do you like doing your hair in the morning, or are you more of a ponytail and go type of chick? If you don’t like to spend too much time in the morning doing your hair, then maybe hair extensions aren’t for you. They can add a considerable amount of time to your hair routine, and they also require a fair bit of brushing out at night to ensure that you don’t end up with really messy hair. This also depends on the type of hair that you get your hair extensions in. It Is definitely worth it to go for 100% real human hair extensions as these are much easier to maintain than other types of hair.

Could you do clip ins instead?

Clip ins are a great option for girls that are after a different look every now and then, and even for girls that like to wear them daily but don’t like the permanent type of hair extensions. They are far less stressful for your hair because you get to take them out at night, however, they can also be annoying to get the placement correct when you do put them in – this can take a considerable amount of time to master.

Do you dye your hair often?

How often do you dye your hair? Are you testing out new colours all the time, always that person with a new shade on the go? Although you can dye most hair extensions like you do your natural hair because they aren’t your natural hair they can behave differently when dyed. So if you like to dye all the time, then perhaps hair extensions aren’t right for you.

Can you afford maintenance?

A lot of people are put off by the upfront cost of hair extensions – getting them put in can go into the thousands of dollars range. However, you should also take into account maintenance of your hair extensions. In general, you will be looking at heading back to the hair dressers every 6 to 8 weeks for maintenance on your hair extensions. This may also take a long time and come at a considerable cost each time.

As you can see, there are many things to take into consideration before you go ahead and get hair extensions. If you think that you’re ready to give them a go then make sure to choose a reputable salon that does the type of extensions that you’re looking for. Be prepared to spend many hours in the chair while they’re getting applied – this is no quick process!