I decided to put the topic here as a how to, rather than in Fashion.

Has anyone had extensions in 'male' hair that has allowed you to grow out you hair and get styled etc, rather than wearing a wig? Is there a length of hair you need to have to start? Any idea of cost?

How real does it look compared to a good wig? Does it help style the hair, say from curls to straight?

Any comments at all

Cindy

Well.......  I currently have extensions, and  they do make my hair look better than it did.  They were a suggestion from my wife's hair stylist.  We knew he was gay even though he never admitted as such so I came out to him with a question of what I could do to make my hair more feminine.  After he finally understood what I was coming out as, he confirmed his orientation.  He thought a former coworker could add extensions for me to help cover over the receded spots (been on t-blockers and finasteride for 2 years or so).

She thought she could and has done quite a bit of work.  The problem is that it is difficult to actually get hair in front.  I already had fairly long hair in the back and my crown loss was thin, but not bald anymore.  When I first when in to talk to her she thought we should start with $425 of hair.  I don't actually pay apart from a tip until I need more hair.  Unfortunately next visit is going to use all the rest up.  I really have no bangs.  One side of my face does have full coverage over the M hairline part, but the other still shows a bald patch.  They also tend to separate into the different extension bundles, which doesn't look natural.  If I'm really careful I can take a picture that looks nice enough, but in motion it is very hit or miss.

I'm seriously reconsidering using them.  I am losing a lot of extensions between the three week visits and the hair is quite expensive.  It also makes my hair a nasty matted tangled mess if I look at it funny.  I can't really use a brush without really pulling out extensions, so I have to finger comb it.  I'm constantly finding new tangles through out the day.  Another big draw back is that the hair is ordered either curly or straight.  Evidential curly is significantly more money so I had to buy straight.  However I have very curly hair.  I have to flat iron my hair each morning and even then there are places where the curls show through and it looks very unnatural.  You can also feel and see the glue bundles if you look close enough or touch the head.

Because of the cost I was considering micro grafts and stopped by a local hair restoration place.  They didn't have a local surgeon anymore (he moved his office and hasn't been answering the phone).  They did offer to do a artificial solution of 1500 and then 49 each three weeks.  I hate to admit it, but that would likely be about the same price as extensions by the time I kept ordering hair that fell out constantly.

My current hope is that Dr. Z can do something with my hairline.  I've got my phone consult with him on Friday and I have my fingers crossed that it won't exceed the budget I can work with.  I'm saving what I can and will also raid some old 401ks that got converted to IRAs, but right now I only have 25k.  It makes me sick to think about having to postpone GCS, but my hair is a real problem right now.

Ok, so we're having our personal Thanksgiving dinner tonight (and I finished whipping the potatoes early so I had time to play on forums), but in the morning we worked on the upstairs flooring (switching dog pee stained carpet for laminate).  It turned out that he had a spur growing into his spine and it was pressing on the nerves that controlled the bladder.  It got bad enough that it was causing him constant pain and we finally had to put him down last week.  Part of the reason for doing the flooring now is so that my wife (it was her dog) does better with loss if she keeps busy.

So I worked all morning with my hair up and a bandanna around my forehead (to keep sweat out of my eyes).  When I got cleaned up earlier it took me 30 minutes to get my hair detangled.  I lost a handful of extensions and had a major glob at the ends that I had to break away.  I didn't have these over the summer, but we have a small organic farm as a hobby and if I keep using these my hair will be a solid mass by the end of summer.  t will NEVER have extensions put in again.  I'm going to end up with a net loss of hair.  I haven't decided to cancel my next appointment or ask her to melt/cut them back out.

So if you do much physical labor for any reason (work, hobby, odd jobs around the house, etc.), then I strongly suggest you avoid extensions.

So sorry to hear about your doggie and your hair problems but thank you so much for replying. It has certainly put me off them. Si I'll continue with my wig, I have a couple of the same style so I can wash and wear

Hugs
Cindy

I don't think extensions should tangle more than real hair

I want to try extensions to hide my curly hair, put on fake ponytail in my color and some color streaks to make face frame  It is idea from a dream and it should be nice 

It isn't that the hair tangles more, but rather that the glue softens and slips down the hair to make a wad. Or the glue softens and bonds to another extension. Even sleeping on them is enough to make it stick.

My brother has had hair extensions to hide his thin hair when he was suffering from hair loss and was on vitamins to regrow his hair. We ordered his extensions at Ludis Charming Instinct.

My natural hair is very short and curly; I have never been able to grow it long. I was out looking for a wig treatment and just happened to drop by at a hair salon that specialises in weaves, extensions and also wigs I must add. Viola the owner was on her own at the time with a client. So I had a wait a few minutes for her, but it was an interesting wait, watching her work her magic.

I got my product and left. I didn't get no more than a hundred yards from the salon and did a U turn. Back in the salon I put to her the question "how short hair wise can you go"   She took a long look at my hair and pulled it out to its full length of around an inch and a half, and said she could do it. I booked in and a week later and after four hours in the chair I had my hair extensions.

The method used was to weave my natural hair with synthetic hair then the human hair extensions were sewn onto the weave. The cost at the time two years ago was 150 British pounds about $220 US.

I keep this up for almost 6 months going back to have it redone every 6 or 7 weeks. I loved my long hair, but for one thing, constant un-relenting itching. I thought it was me until I Googled "itchy scalp hair extensions" and saw the flood of info and forums.

The two main problem areas that kept popping up in the forums as causing the itching, seem to be, 1) natural hair roots are being pulled tight by the weave, and 2). The synthetic hair used to do the weave. To get around the second of these, Viola was going to try using wool instead of hair to do the weave, but I just had to throw in the towel and give up on the idea. I did let her sew on a human hair wig, but whatever the plan was I am now back with conventionally worn wigs now.

I was reading that hair extentions that are sewn in are bad for your hair and growth in the long term, so I'm put off from them.

Quote from: ~RoadToTrista~ on November 19, 2013, 02:59:58 AM
I was reading that hair extentions that are sewn in are bad for your hair and growth in the long term, so I'm put off from them.

One thing I would like to add Trista, is that when I did give up on it and the weave was taken out, I had the complete opposite effect to what you mentioned. The weave had straightened my natural hair, which actually started to grow long for a few months, before reverting back to it's curly state.