All About Hair Extensions

12/09/2011 08:49:00

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR HAIR EXTENSIONS?

I often get the call or request to fulfill the desire to get extensions. The funny thing about it is, sometimes the request comes from someone who has never had their hair braided, someone extremely tender headed, (meaning their scalp is very sensitive to the pulling or shaping of the hair strands to form a cornrow base) or someone who is adamantly against any typeof glue being placed in their head at all. Which should almost always or in some cases leave me wondering what miracle do my clients expect of me sometimes.

However, in these cases I don't have to wonder much. Thanks to various techniques involved and with a little reasoning almost everyone in some cases can be a candidate for Hair Extensions.

New techniques such as the Brazilian Weave, which involves wrapping a small thin thread around a small section of your hair- connecting the weave strand to the hair at the same time and tying a knot around it to secure it. This style can take several hours to complete, leaving to the naked eye an undetectable weave. If done right this style is really pretty, and last up to 4 to 6 months with proper maintenance. Although given the fact that there is a microlink technique circulating around and becoming extremely popular, I fail to understand why someone would endure this extremely long unecessary process. (Just my opinion).

Which leaves me to the microlink technique. Also called the no braid no glue sew-in weave by many (which is the wrong term again seeing as though the actual no braid no glue sew-in technique just involves the use of thread and not links). Okay, the links technique is a really good technique used. This technique can be really good for someone who does not get along with braids, never had braids or just overall want a faster braidless sew-in weave. This involves attaching a link to a strand of your hair and tightening the link around the strand of hair. This is done several times until you have formed a row of links. The weave is then sewn onto the links forming a flat undetectable sew in weave. This can really become a favorite. It is fast and virtually flat and if done right undetectable.

Last but not least you have the no braid no glue sew-in weave which will give you the flattest weave of all (in my opinion). This technique is alot like the Brazilian weave whereas it involves the wrapping of the hair with thread and the link technique in which it involves the linking of the of the strands. Very flat technique when the weave is attached. My only problem in the end is that a lot of clients try to take the easy way out. They attempt to take these type of sew ins out of their hair and end up cutting their hair and blaming the stylist. Please be advised, when getting these type of sew-ins set aside a budget to go back and have your stylist take them out. Working closely with your stylist will ensure the best extension technique and style for you-and at the same time ensure your hair stays healthy in its strongest state. In saying all this, I hope I've help to ease your curiosity for whether or not you are a candidate for extensions. Take care of your hair and take care of yourself. Be Blessed!

Natural Hair Braiding

09/13/2011 14:45:00

Natural Hair Braiding and Braid Styles are becoming more and more popular in todays society as Men and Women all over are starting to appreciate their hair and the natural form it takes. Men and Women are beginning to encourage their children of the importance of maintaining the health of their natural hair thereby increasing pride in their inherited traits.

For many of us raised on chemically treated hair, going natural can be extremely difficult to foresee. Questions may arise like:

Do I have to cut all my hair off to begin my natural journey.
How long does it take to see natural results after a recent chemical treatment.
How do I maintain my hair during its awkward stage.
What styles can I get to help me through this journey.
What products do I use to encourage growth.

Transitioning from chemically treated hair can be extremely difficult and time consuming. However, with patience, determination and preserverence you will find your journey to be a rewarding experience.

Do I have to cut all my hair off to begin my natural journey?

The answer is no. It is not necessary to cut all your hair off to begin your natural journey. Regular visits to the salon to get a small trim of your ends as it grows out in its natural form should be sufficient enough.

How long does it take to see natural results after a recent chemical treatment?

Everyones hair grows differently. Some may take 6 months to transition while others may take 12 months or more depending on how recent your received your last chemical treatment.

How do I maintain my hair during its awkward stage?

Keeping your hair moisturized with hot oils and deep conditioning will help in maintaining the moisture in your hair. I often reccommend Extra Virgin Olive Oil for extremely dry hair and unrefined Shea Butter to help soften the hair during styling.

What styles can I get to help me through this journey?

Great Question! At Pearls In Black we offer many style options to help in your natural hair journey. Our natural hair braiding techniques provide long lasting styles to help during your transition through your relaxed state and your awkward stage. We take pride in our various braiding techniques to offer styles for men, women and children that you can wear confidently to help during your journey. Long Layered Cornrows is a style option that is both quick and neat to obtain. It can be worn both in the Corporate Arena as well as during everyday normal activity. This style usually last 6 weeks. Another style option would be Micro Braids with Human Hair Wet and Wavy. This style takes up to 6 hours or more to achieve depending on the length and thickness of your hair and can be worn for up to 3 months at a time. It can be washed and condtioned while the braids are in to ensure cleanliness during natural hair growth. Pearls In Black also offers natural hair styling for

men and children as well, crazy style braids and kinky twist are just a few of the many options we have. We also offer starter locs,artificial locs and loc maintenance for men desiring this look as well as loc styling. Call Pearls In Black for more details. Children styles are always fun to do as we strive to maintain healthy looking natural hair and keep the innocence of the child in tact while doing so.

For more information on style options for natural hair at Pearls in Black give us a call and schedule your consultation today. All pictures shown are styles done by Pearls In Black Stylist. None were copied from the internet.

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