Bridal Hair 101: All You Need To Know About Hair Extensions!

Gone are the days when hair extensions were only for women with limp or barely-there hair. Or those who want bollywood-esque hair like Deepika Padukone, sigh! Now, hair extensions were always seen as an added investment (read: expensive) and some say, they can look fake. But here we are, dispelling all those myths. Because dear brides, at WMG we want you to be well-informed. Hair extensions have transformed over the years, looking more and more real and becoming really easy to clip on, so you can get the hair of your dreams with minimal efforts. After all, most of us choose to grow out our hair as much as we can as soon as the wedding date is fixed, because that's what ideally goes with most of the Indian bridal looks. And these extensions add the much needed volume and charm to your look, because more is more! What are hair extensions? Hair extensions, which might be of real or synthetic hair are used to add length or fullness to the existing hair on the scalp. But while the real hair can be dyed, permed and straightened, synthetic hair cannot. What are the different types of hair extensions available?

• Cuticle Remy hair: Hair which is shaved off a donor's head, which means that all the cuticles remain intact and in one direction (that is root to tip). It is converted to extensions after treating for hygiene. It is very important that all the cuticles be in the same direction for uniformity in styling, colour and longevity minus any tangles.
• Remy hair: This is usually acid-bathed hair. All the cuticles are removed with an acid wash but the direction of the entire set is maintained from root to tip. These type of hair extensions are not usually not good quality as the acid wash leaves the set looking shiny and temporarily healthy, but with a short life span. It cannot take to colouring well, as it has no cuticles to deposit colour or maintain health of the hair.
• Non-Remy hair: This is when fallen hair from various sources (like barber shops or even garbage!) is collected and put together in one set. The cuticles are not in one direction, and the mix causes styling problems and tangling. This has an even shorter life span than Remy hair.
• Synthetic hair: This hair is what the world is crazy for! It lures you in as its very cheap but looks gorgeous. These sets are usually made with a mixture of heat resistant fibre and even animal hair! You can't differentiate this with the real thing till you buy it, take it home, and finally try it on. This type of hair burns easily, and cannot be coloured.

How common are hair extensions for brides in India? Of late, they have become very common, especially for functions like the Sangeet and Reception. From adding length to thickness or even to transform short pixie cuts to long bridal hair for the wedding. Rehat Brar Bridal Makeup Artist★ 4.5  , who just launched a line of hair extensions  explains how to pick hair extensions for a bride. She points out... 1. A Bride needs to consider the hairstyles she’s trying to replicate, for those long luscious locks, you’ll need both length and density. For e.g., a 22” in 200 grams set, or a 24” in 250gms set, in a colour that matches your own hair. 2. Always pick real hair. Unlike the cheap ones, high-heat resistant synthetic extensions in the market (which have a life span of a few months), the real ones can be heat styled and coloured to your preference in the future (lasting for a couple of years). 3. If a bride has coloured hair, she can find her closest match. If she has highlighted or a custom colour done, she’ll need to pick REAL hair extensions in her base colour that can be coloured to her match by an expert as synthetic hair shrinks on being coloured. 4. There are also options for brides with really short hair. A set that has 7-10 sections, which is designed to hide/blend shorter hair seamlessly.   Can you use them on your own? Yes ! Clip on hair extensions are all the rage and all you need to do is, pick right and clip the extension into your hair.   How easily are hair extensions available in India? While you can get cheap ones in almost any market in any city in the form of wigs and buns, the real ones are not very easily available. The price range for real hair extensions starts at Rs 11,000 and goes up to Rs 30,000. Here are some do's and don'ts when it comes to using hair extensions for your big day! Do's

• Curl/straighten your real hair and extensions together after clipping them, and not separately. This makes them look more blended.
• Make sure to wash and condition your real hair and extensions a day before the event when you're using them and not on the same day. Let them air dry. This will make styling easier.
• Teasing the area near the hairline and then spraying hairspray makes sure that the attached extensions have something to hold on to.

Don'ts

• Don't use too many extensions for your big day. This will look unnatural and also be uncomfortable.
• Don't blunt cut extensions. They make them look unreal without any shape or body. Make sure to attach them to your real hair and then ask the hairstylist to trim them.
• Don't clip in extensions too close to your hairline. Leave a gap of about half to 2 inches. This will not only be uncomfortable, but they might slip out easily as well.

Where to buy them: You could try www.muxoextended.com  - India’s first e-commerce website for Real Hair Extensions, with international shipping. On appointment, you can request a preview. MUXO has a special promo discount code WMGMUXO for WMG Followers!