Hairy Canary in a Hair Extension Mine

I wanted some pizzazz,  some color in my hair, but ... I am pretty conservative and so is Japan. I need to color within the lines.

When I asked a stylist for highlights, he started talking about bridges. Yes, I need bridges to blend my grey. Ahh, it was "bleach" not "bridge."  Nevermind. I could not decide that day.

Then, I noticed a rainbow of hair on the display wig kiosk in APITA shopping mall in Utsunomiya Tochigi. Extensions: what were they? Barbie hair? Drain hair? Hair sold by poor souls in less developed countries and then colored?  I found many answers online; like many products I purchase in Japan, due to a language barrier, I remain in the dark as to the origin of my hair extensions.

A week later I showed up for my appointment and decided on adding four extensions. It took  three to five minutes to attach each one. The stylist`s advised me not to add extensions to my bangs but I urged her to add one there anyway. Stylists do their best to hide the attachment. Mine, on my bangs showed. A little scribble outside the lines. I was looking a bit different and it was fun. The extensions fell out within a month or so.

I have tried extensions from other salons since, and am wearing about eight in two colors as I type. They last for a couple of months.

I am sure you want to know how the hair is attached. I have noticed two ways. One is with braiding and wrapping thread, and another is with a tiny metal cuff and possibly glue. Extension: Q in Utsunomiya, Tochigi uses the metal cuff method. Chou Chou in Yokkaichi, braids them in with thread. Then they will cut the extensions to blend in with the length and style of your current hair-do. The price seems the same, whether I buy new extensions or simply get my existing ones re-attached. Yes, I get them re-attached because hair growth starts from the scalp and they look best when attached as close to the scalp as possible.

Chou Chou advised me to use Lux shampoo (non-silicon) and use a flat iron but I was not given that advise from other salons. I didn`t bother with a flat iron but I am using LUX. I have had my hair styled at normal hair salons while wearing the extensions and it seems to be no problem at all.

If you are curious, why not try?