More and more often, women (but not only women) decide to extend their hair by attaching thin strands of natural hair to their hair. What do trichologists think about this method and in what situations do they recommend hair extensions to their clients? What are the contraindications to the use of extensions and how to properly care for them? You will learn this and many other useful information from our article. Here we go!

The most common causes of hair loss

In order to provide some alleged and reliable information about hair extensions, we decided to conduct an interview with a scalp specialist - a trichologist with over 10 years of experience, as well as a trainer in the field of research on trichological treatments - Mrs. Magdalena Parzyszek.

Hair loss is a reactive process - excessive hair loss (the hair entering the dying phase) is caused by a specific cause. On average, a person loses about several dozen hairs a day. Subsequent hair grows in their place. However, if you think that you are losing much more hair, you should consult a trichologist who will determine the cause of hair loss with the naked eye or under a microscope and select the best method to combat this problem.

During the pandemic, trichologists receive many reports of hair loss as a result of infection with the Sars-Cov-2 virus.

To date, the most common causes of hair loss are:

• vitamin D3 deficiency,
• hormonal disorders (male and female hormones, thyroid),
• bad diet,
• stress (long-term).

Hair loss and hair extensions

Hair extensions, if done correctly and professionally, should not cause hair fibers to be pulled out or weakened.

If the hair is used for too long, if it is not properly cared for and washed, if the correction time is exceeded, tangles may begin to form, which may result in hair pulling out and irritation of the hair fiber. That is why it is so important to follow the specialist's recommendations.

Hair extensions are quite often used in cases of androgenic alopecia or alopecia areata. It involves excessive hair loss on the crown of the head or focal hair loss in various places on the head. In this case, the use of microcapsule hair extensions (hh keratin mini bonds) is definitely the best possible solution that will quickly deal with unsightly baldness. Every client with alopecia should undergo trichological check-ups while wearing hair extensions.

Contraindications to hair extensions

People struggling with excessive hair loss should consult a trichologist before undergoing hair extensions. If they are in poor condition - brittle, very thin and sparse - it may turn out that hair extensions will not be advisable in their case.

Hair extensions should not be performed by people suffering from any scalp inflammation or seborrheic inflammation. Also, skin irritations, especially those visible to the naked eye, will not be an indication for hair extension methods. Excessive hair loss is also a contraindication.

Does this mean that these people will never be able to get hair extensions? Absolutely not! A trichologist will help you solve the problem by selecting the appropriate treatment and will teach you how to properly care for your hair, including hair extensions. In this case, care is key, so you should always follow the specialist's recommendations and remember to make regular visits (corrections) to re-do your hair.

Interestingly, people after chemotherapy, when their hair grows back on its own, may decide to have hair extensions.

Trichological treatments can be used during hair extensions

Proper hair and scalp care guarantees the best possible results that we expect from hair extensions. It is therefore important to systematically exfoliate the scalp and moisturize the hair - especially extended hair.

People struggling with dandruff should also try to get rid of the problem - in this case, first apply masks and moisturizing conditioners, and then use shampoo.

What trichological treatments can be performed on hair extensions? Above all:

• peeling,
• oxygen infusion,
• laser irradiation,
• hydrogen cleansing of the scalp,
• mesotherapy,
• lotions (on the crown of the head - carefully).

Stripping and the condition of natural hair

Sometimes clients think that they lose a lot of natural hair when stripping their strands. Capsule hair extensions attach to natural hair, which causes the hair to become "trapped" in the capsules after it physiologically dies and falls out.

Let's remember that on average a person loses 100-150 hairs a day, and the strands are changed on average every 3 months, which is why when we remove the strands, we have the impression that we have lost a lot of natural hair. However, this is not the case.

Mechanical hair pulling

Natural hair and hair extensions may be mechanically pulled out by clients unconsciously. This mainly happens when the positioning of the extensions seems uncomfortable to the clients or when the skin becomes itchy.

Itching is most often caused by poor hair care and styling, as well as washing the scalp too rarely.

In any case, you should contact an expert who will help you overcome the problem.