Hair specialists have dozens of ways to apply hair weaves in such a way that they look quite realistic. After all, the purpose of wearing a hair weave is to add extra length, volume, or to completely alter one’s appearance. In order to prolong the life of the style while preserving the natural hair, there are all sorts of bonding methods-with sewing and gluing being the most popular techniques. But achieving a natural looking weave isn’t just about how it’s bonded. In fact, there are lots of things to think about when choosing to wear a weaved hairstyle. Some women make the mistake of selecting a style that simply doesn’t fit their personalities. So while the quality of the weave work may not be in question, the style and texture choices could actually be killing your efforts. The point of wearing a weave isn’t so that people say to you: “What a nice weave you have.” The idea is to create a look that’s natural enough that it could be your hair.
Silky Straight Weave – A Don’t?
There isn’t anything wrong with a silky, straight hairdo. But many women make the mistake of adding shiny hair weave that won’t match the natural hairline/crown after a certain amount of wear. In short, wearing a weave too shiny or silky straight will require you to frequently touch up your new growth to match the weaved extensions. Unless you’ve opted for a completely sewn in weave (wherein the natural hair is corn rowed about the head in spirals) how you’ll maintain your style is something that you’ll need to consider beforehand.
Choosing the Right Color
When selecting hair extensions (either synthetic or human) for a weave, it is imperative that you choose a color that best matches your own hair. While this may sound like elementary advice, the number of women who don’t take a good look at their hair color in natural light would surprise you. Natural sunlight often brings out tones that aren’t detectable indoors (especially in fluorescent lighting.) You may inadvertently purchase a color that is a shade darker than your own hair, which is a dead giveaway, particularly if your own hair is much shorter than the weaved hair. If you don’t consider the additional hues of your natural hair, then blending your own hair with the extensions will be virtually impossible.
Texture Counts
You may be bent on imitating the hairstyle of your favorite celebrity. But if you really want to “convince” people that your weaved style could actually be natural, it would behoove you to select extensions with a texture that closely matches your own. Hair extensions are manufactured to mimic all sorts of textures. That being said, try a slightly bulkier texture that isn’t as straight. If you’re wearing a relaxed style, a good test would be to examine the surface of your hair once it’s air dried-without flat ironing or blow drying. Doing so might allow you more freedom in styling. You wouldn’t feel compelled to use heat on a regular basis to style your hair. Experiment with kinky, wavy styles (sew-ins are great for these) that don’t require a lot of manipulation. If you’re an active woman, you might like the ease of curls for working out or swimming.
Try Partial Weaves
Instead of filling your entire head with lots of hair extensions, try adding just a few tracks in certain areas. This is a great way to add volume to your style without a lot of lengthy bulk. Bobbed haircuts look especially chic when “thickened” with a track or two. Just a few wefts of hair are great for women who have thinning on the crown, or the sides. The bottom line is that partial weaves are good for adding fullness. They can make the hair appear healthier while you’re waiting for your own hair to grow out.
Short Hair Weaves?
Some women think that hair weaves are all about having hair down to your behind. But nothing could be further from the truth. Take for instance, Kandi Burruss from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. For a photo shoot, a stylist added a few tracks of hair to the front part of her head in order to create an exaggerated bang. The remainder of her hair was close cut and extremely tailored. Co-star NeNe Leakes also wears a weaved style that is particularly short. Shorter hairstyles (chin length and shorter) sometimes have a way of appearing more manicured than some longer styles. Long hair extensions are nice-especially when they are well taken care of. But many ladies add too much hair, in such a way that it doesn’t appear natural. Weaved extensions should complement the hair you already have-or at the very least, “recreate” a style that you would ordinarily wear with your own hair, only at a different length.
SOURCES:
www.brownskin.net
www.blackhairmedia.com
www.beauty.about.com
