Braided Extensions vs. Weaves

[CurlyCrly]

Can someone tell me the advantages and disadvantages in your opinion of each of these? Also, what should I look for or ask a stylist when deciding on who to do this for me? I've never done either of these before. The only hair that I've ever worn that wasn't growing out of my head was a wig many years ago. I'm thinking about making temporary changes and giving myself a break. I need your help.

 

[AngelicRose07]

i like weaves better. the hair is still braided and less maintenance is needed . pros and cons of ea:

[highlight]braids:[/highlight]
(human hair)have to use EXTRA caution when washing so they dont all fall out
(human hair)braiders rarely braid allt he way down
(human hair)have to secure end of braid somehow

(synthetic) last longer than human
(synthetic)washes a bit easier..but if your natural you have to watch for your own hair frizzing up and curling outside of the braids--yea, its happened to me more than i like
(synthetic)any hair left unbraided starts to look matted after a couple weeks

(both) its hard to make sure each and every braid is moisturized
(both) your styles are limited once you have alot of new growth...or it looks like gross taco meat everywhere
(both) stress on hairline if you wear ponytails often

[highlight]weaves:[/highlight]
(braids underneath) who cares if they get frizzy while washing..nobody will see
(braids underneath)easy to moisturize all of the braids b/c there are only about 20--or one long one
(braids underneath) can look bulky if done to large
(braids underneath) they move around a little after a lot of new growth comes in b/c they arent anchored to your scalp anymore
(braids underneath) takesa little effort to get under the cornrows when washing

(actual weave) looks like real hair
(actual weave) have to make your hair match the weave
(actual weave) more styling options than braids--curling, crimping, braidouts..
(actual weave) takes less time to complete than braids...ALOT less

all in all, they are both good protective stlyes and keep your hair from being completely exposed. good luck

 

[CurlyCrly]

Thanks for the response!!! do you do your own weaves? If so, is it difficult?

 

[AngelicRose07]

Thanks for the response!!! do you do your own weaves? If so, is it difficult?

your welcome. yes, i do my own weaves....no it isnt difficult

 

[CurlyCrly]

WOW!! I just saw your fotki album and the sew in weave you did yourself. It looks great! I'm not a great cornrower. I can do it, but they are not tight enough. Can sew in weaves been done using plaits instead??

 

[CurlyCrly]

One more question...why do I have to make my own hair match the weave? I thought weaves covered the hair completely?

 

[AngelicRose07]

there are full weaves and partial weaves. full weaves mean ALL the hair is braided up or just a little left out for a natural look...and partial is a few tracks added or 1/2 of the hair being weaved (IMO)

i think weaves done with all the hair braided up look wiggish, so i always leave a rectangle of hair out at the top for a natural look. sooo.... i have to make my hair look like the wefted hair so it wont be an obvious weave. if you go back and look at my pictured you can tell all of my hair isnt covered/braided

i dont think weaves can be done with plaits...ive never seen it anyway

 

[Angelicus]

Weaveitup is the queen of all that is weave/braids. I love her albums! Thanks for the pros and cons hon!

 

[DangerouslyShy]

lol weaveitup summed it up the best....

i love weaves so much better than braids....just a personal preference of what type of styles you like....

 

[Daisy'sHair]

Hello all, I have to say that I have been a fan of braid extensions, but I will be experimenting with sewn in weaves during the summer. I know that my hair will get a much needed rest with the weave.

 

[PittGirl06]

how do u leave hair out if you have natural hair and you are growing it out? I mean.....wouldnt it look strange? how do you bypass htat? if you left yoru hair out would you have to flat iron that hair so it would blend with that rest? I really want to try a weave but I think that my hair may not match and it may en up looking all wiggy

 

[AngelicRose07]

awwww, thanks anky. your so sweet =)

pittgirl, if you have straight hair weaved in then you would more then likely have to flat iron. i flat iron my hair thats left out to match the weave hair. it doesnt bother me much since is such a small ratio of my hair. http://public.fotki.com/weaveitup/sew_in_with_indianh/000_0041.html

if you were ot have a curly weave then you could probably get away with rollersetting the top, like in this pic http://public.fotki.com/weaveitup2/moms_weave/000_0032.html


if you have a good enough method for blending it shouldnt look wiggy at all

 

[CurlyCrly]

I'd like to wear mine curly, but how can I tell if the hair on the indian hair site will match mine when blended in the front when I air dry? Also, how do I know how much hair to buy? I'd like it to be shoulder length.

 

[CurlyCrly]

What do you mean by "actual weave"?

(actual weave) looks like real hair
(actual weave) have to make your hair match the weave
(actual weave) more styling options than braids--curling, crimping, braidouts..
(actual weave) takes less time to complete than braids...ALOT less

 

[AngelicRose07]

by actual weave i mean the added hair on the weft(extension hair) and the overall appearance

the pictures of the curly hair on indian remi websites is generally how the hair will look. you would need to decide from those pics if you need to airdry, wave iron, or curl your own hair to match.
for shoulder length, 8 inches is long ehough. i used 8 inches on my step-grandmothers hair and it went a bit under her shoulders...but i think most indian remi companies start sales at 10"

 

[CurlyCrly]

any recommendations of quality places to get the hair online?

 

[AngelicRose07]

http://indianhairs.com/onlinestores.html is great for people on a budget and the hair is nice. there have been consistent positive reviews on the hand tied straight.

the machine wefted and curly hair have had unconsistent reviews.

this is where i get my hair. the prices are so cheap b/c they are a distributor company

 

[CurlyCrly]

Thank you. Is the handtied straight the one that says "NATURAL STRAIGHT HAND WEAVING"

 

[AngelicRose07]

yes it is. good luck

 

[CurlyCrly]

When your hair grows and you have to redo the weave, can you use the same hair or do you have to buy more?

How do I know how much I need?

I'm still confused on how to do the sides so that they blend in with the back. Also, blending the loose hair on top and in the front is not clear. Does anyone have pictures or instructions?

 

[AngelicRose07]

well, ive been using the same pack since september, lol. indian remi hair is 100% human hair(while bss is only 4%) and holds up very well. it is strong and doesnt tangle very much(if at all). the great thing about remi hair is that it lasts a long time...a year if not longer. i can definately see making this hair last over a year providing i take care of it

since you want such a short length, one pack should work for you...at the most 1 1/2(there are 4 packs in a lb)

i dont understand what your confused about as far as blending...its a simple matter of making your hair look like the weave so you cant tell the difference btwn the 2...if you have straight extension hair then you flat iron your own hair to make is straight. could you elaborate more on what you arent understanding?

 

[CurlyCrly]

I was confused about how the weft at the top is hidden, but I suppose if there is enough hair at the top that is left out, it can be combed down to hide the weft if the hair is worn straight. I think it would be very difficult for me to find matching hair if I was to wear mine curly.

Does the weft go all the way around the head, from front to the other side of the head or does it have to be cut in order to do the sides? I saw on one of your comments in fotki that you said the wefts can shed more if they are cut.

 

[AngelicRose07]

yes, you have the idea about blending and hiding the top weft.

the way a weave is done varies depending on style and who is doing it. some people braid the hair in a circle and weave in a circle, some peole brais horixontal and sew on wefts horizontal, and others braid vertical and sew on wefts vertically.

since you are getting hand tied wefts you cannot cut them. they will shed b/c of the way they are tied.

i generally do not cut my wefts. when i get to one side...i just fold it over and continue to the next row.

 

[CurlyCrly]

Thank you very much for the tips and time you've taken to help me.
With this thread and the others I've read by searching, I think it is much clearer for me. Have a good evening.

 

[AngelicRose07]

be sure to post pictures!

 

[AngelicRose07]

um, im in a "bumping" mood....

 

[azul11]

I have always worn braids and I have been itching to get back into them because it really does give your hair a break and its like an instant hairstyle...I have heard horror stories about weaves which makes me a little bit leery of getting them. I would like to try one day though...it would be so weird lol God bless you all.

 

[balisi]

I've had my hair braided twice, into kinky twists, and both times the braiders ran up the length of each twist with a pair of scissors, trimming off any hair that was sticking out of the twist. They then used a cigarette lighter in the same manner to burn off any hairs that the scissors missed. I understand that this was done in order to neaten the appearance of the braids, but I didn't like it, since my own hair was cut in the process. As a result, I had lots of short hairs all over my head afterwards. For this reason, I do not plan to have my hair braided again. Do all braiders do this? If not, how do they obtain neat looking braids?

 

[AngelicRose07]

um *scratches head* why didnt you get up and leave when they picked up the scissors and lighter?

no, not all stylist do that, find someone else who gets their hair braided, politely ask if their braider cuts their hair, and if not, see if you can get that braiders info

 

[balisi]

um *scratches head* why didnt you get up and leave when they picked up the scissors and lighter?

no, not all stylist do that, find someone else who gets their hair braided, politely ask if their braider cuts their hair, and if not, see if you can get that braiders info

Well, by that point, I had "come too far to turn back now." Seriously, I didn't think there was any other way. I had previously read a book about professional braiding techniques and this was mentioned as a must for professional looking braids. They had completed the braiding and it would have looked way too crazy to leave with all those hairs sticking out like that. None of the other customers (who were obviously braid veterans) seemed to have a problem with them doing the same to their braids, so I figured, oh well. The good thing is that I was already well into my transition and it all kind of blended with my natural tex. I just went back to twist outs and wigs afterwards and everything is okay now. But now that I know...never again.