Everyone’s after that smooth, rich glossy hair that looks super thick. Unfortunately, not everyone’s born with hair that’s naturally full. Enter: it extensions. While they may seem daunting, applying extensions is easier than you think. That’s why we sat down with Chris Appleton to get the 411 on how to put in hair extensions and how to blend extensions seamlessly with your natural hair. Today he’s sharing his best hair ideas and his favorite hair extension products with us, so you can look your absolute best.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR AND PREP IT FOR EXTENSIONS
Hair care 101 (and Life 101, if we’re being honest) you get back what you give. If you use cheap shampoos and heavy stylers, your hair won’t look its best. If you invest in professional salon quality products for your hair, well, it’s a totally different story.
Chris shares, “The first step is prepping the hair. I always use Color Wow Color Security Shampoo when cleansing the hair for super fresh, glossy results.
What does that mean? Color Security Shampoo is a true cleanser, it’s free of added ingredients found in most shampoos, like silicones, conditioning agents, thickening resins which don’t easily rinse out, dulling hair and weighing it down. Color Security Shampoo cleanses hair and leaves nothing behind. It’s the ultimate “dream” clean in hair care.
According to Chris,“Your final results are really affected by the shampoo that you start with. You do not want to leave dulling or heavy residues, or silicones on the hair.
After you’ve properly and truly cleansed the hair, follow up with a conditioner. Chris likes the Color Wow Security Conditioner.
Next comes treating the hair so that you get the perfect smooth, glassy, frizz-free texture. Chris’ go-to is Color Wow Dream Coat.
“Seriously, if you haven’t heard of Dream Coat, where have you been?” says Chris.
Chris shares how to style your hair with Dream Coat before applying extensions. “Starting with damp hair, take large sections and saturate each section with Dream Coat, spraying on top and underneath. Make sure each strand of hair is coated in the product.
A lot of people think you need to use more or less based on your hair texture, but your hair type doesn’t matter, just make sure the strands are saturated. The formula is light as water so you don’t need to worry about using too much. It won’t weigh hair down or make it greasy. Then you’re going to blow dry the hair with tension. Immediately, you’ll notice that you get this amazing finish that’s rich, sleek and incredibly shiny.
ant to know how to keep your hair from frizzing this is literally the answer. Dream Coat acts like an umbrella for the hair so that water literally rolls off it and your style is completely locked in.”
After styling your natural hair, then you can turn to extensions. Chris shares, “I love to use extensions just to fill in the gaps in the front of the hair. A little bit of effort makes all of your hair look fuller and richer.”
HOW TO STYLE AND PREP HAIR EXTENSIONS + THE BEST SHAMPOO FOR EXTENSIONS
Before you start applying hair extensions, you have to style and treat them.
“If you’ve ever bought hair extensions you know that they tend to come dried naturally and often they can be frizzy and a bit unruly,” shares Chris.
In order to make sure extensions blend properly, and look healthy and glossy, you have to treat them first. Exactly the same way that you prep the natural hair.
“Start by shampooing the extensions with Color Security Shampoo, then conditioning them with Color Security Conditioner. The key to sexy, glam extensions is Dream Coat. It gives them a glass-like gloss from root to tips.”
HOW TO PUT IN HAIR EXTENSIONS
Now as mentioned, today Chris Appleton is sharing his hair idea for filling out your hair for a voluminous, face-framing look. So this extension technique focuses on making layers in the front one length for a fuller look.
Step 1: Apply on a Diagonal
“When I apply extensions I always apply them on a diagonal at the front of the hair. If you put extensions in on a straight angle, the hair falls away from the face and looks unnatural. Applying hair extensions on a diagonal ensures that the hair falls around the face in a flattering way.
Step 2: Measure and Cut the Width
“I put hair in as it’s needed, so once I’ve created a diagonal section, I measure the hair weft for that section and cut it width-wise. I don’t cut the ends until I’m finished applying all of my extensions.”
Step 3: Glue + Secure
“I use a hair weft glue to apply extensions. I apply the glue on the hair weft, not on the scalp. Then I place the extension on the scalp, and secure it using a hair dryer on the cool setting.”
Step 4: Blend ‘Em
“When it comes time to apply the extensions closest to the top of the head and the part, I like to make sure everything is seamlessly blended. Still working with the diagonal, I apply the weft about an inch from the front of the scalp. Then, where the extension meets the part, I apply Color Wow Root Cover Up for a seamless blend."
The blending step is super important to hide any tracks. I load up the small end of the brush with the powder and then just dab it on top of the weft and part to blend it. And sometimes for added security, after I flip the parted hair back over, I then apply more Root Cover Up to the hair’s true part. This is great for making the hair look thicker over all, but it’s also great for minimizing stark contrast between scalp color and the face if you’re wearing makeup.”
Step 5: Repeat
“I do this same process on both sides of the hair.”
Step 6: Finish with a Trim
“After the extensions are applied I trim the sections for a one length effect, and the hair looks super glamorous, glossy and full.”