Today I am finally sharing the bonded hair extensions review I have been promising since before New York Fashion Week.   I wanted to wear the extensions for a couple months before I gave all of my opinions.  I had Hairdreams Official 20 inch extensions bonded to my own hair just over a week before I headed to New York Fashion Week.   Three colors were added to my own hair to keep dimension.   My length and colors were chosen by the stylist who applied my extensions (at Sugar Salon in West Hartford, CT).  This was a fashion week collaboration so while I did not pay for the extensions (I did pay to have them applied to my hair) all opinions are my own.

Bonded Hair Extensions Review

THIS POST IS PART OF A HAIR SERIES!!!!    There was too much to share in one post.   Today I am sharing some pros and cons to bonded hair extensions and then answering some questions below.

 Pros and Cons to Bonded Hair Extensions

Pros:

• Bottom line:  They look AMAZING.  I have never had so many compliments on my hair.
• They go in quickly.  Well, the brand I used (HairDreams) goes in quickly, not all brands do.   My extensions took about 1.5 hours to apply.
• The color options are extensive and easy to match (by a professional, I had 3 different colors put in).
• The application process is pain free.

Cons:

• I had itching along my hairline.   When I went back for my 6 week check up my hairdresser took out the bottom row of my extensions and the itching resolved.   So don’t hesitate to follow-up if you’re having any issues.
• If you have bonds close to your hairline they’re likely to show if you wear your hair up.   I tend to wear a lot of mom buns and the extensions close to my hairline (that were removed at my 6 week appt) were visible when I wore my hair in a high bun.
• Bonded extensions are expensive.   I don’t have an exact price.   You can request pricing info by calling your local salon through this locator.
• The hair texture is unique (usually curly) and air dried completely unlike my natural hair. Once I got used to the extensions this wasn’t an issue for me.   Whether you want to wear your hair curly or straight you will need to practice styling it to get there.   I will be talking more about how I style my extension in an upcoming post.

Answering Your Questions about Bonded Hair Extensions:

How long do they last?

Depending on how quickly your hair grows, bonded hair extensions usually last around 3-4 months.   At that point some of the bonds will loosen and some will be more visible as they grow further away from the scalp.

What is the upkeep?

The upkeep is minimal.  At 6 weeks I went back to my salon for a hair check-up.   Your hair naturally sheds so they trim off the hair that has shedded (and tangled) around the bonds.

Can you see the bonds?

I had issues that I mentioned above with some bonds showing when I wore my hair in a high bun.   Once I had those bonds removed I haven’t had any issue with bonds showing.  The bonds are carefully placed by your salon expert to camouflage them under your own hair.  The bonds for light hair are clear and for dark hair are dark to minimize their appearance.   If you find a certain bond is showing through it’s extremely quick and easy to remove a particular bond.

Can you feel the extensions?

Yes – you feel the plastic bonds if you run your fingers through your scalp.   Their hair does not feel heavy or uncomfortable but it does feel a bit tight for the first week the extensions are applied.

Can you color hair extensions?

This is particular to the brand you are using but Hairdreams says their extensions can be dyed by someone who is trained in these extensions.   In general you’re unlikely to need these dyed as they’re matched very precisely to your own hair.

How often do you brush the extensions?

Hairdreams provides a special brush that helps untangle some of the shedding around the bonds.   They recommend brushing over/through the bonds several times a day so I brush mine at minimum morning and evening and most days more than that.

How are the extensions removed?

There is a gentle solution that is applied to the bonds and they slide right out.   When I had the extensions along my hairline removed it took only seconds!

Do they damage your natural hair?

The company and my hairdresser both say no.   I haven’t noticed any issue but I haven’t had mine removed.

Will I continue to use bonded hair extensions?

YES!!

As I mentioned above, this post is part of a hair series I will be doing.   I will be sharing tips for caring for extensions and how I style my hair with extensions.   My mainstay, can’t live without products are the T3 one inch wand (worth the investment IMO), the Thermafuse heat serum, and R and Co dry shampoo paste.  I’ll be talking more about them soon.

Are there things I didn’t cover in this bonded hair extensions review?  As always if you have questions feel free to drop them below!!   Things you’re wondering may be topics I am covering in future posts but I’m happy to answer them sooner.  If you are curious about some of my beauty favorites I’ll be updating my most current regimen soon and in the meantime you can check out this post with beauty favorites.  Thanks for stopping by 🙂