Real Stories of Hair Thinning and Hair Loss: Extensions Designed for More than Just Length

Hair loss and thinning hair are more common than you’d think.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 40% of women will experience visible hair loss by the time they are age 40. 

That includes everything from alopecia to postpartum hair loss, aging, hormonal changes, and the effects of stress, illness, genetics and other factors on your hair.

Changes to your hair can be emotional and overwhelming– we understand that.

Extensions provide creative, innovative solutions for a number of common hair struggles– they’re designed for more than just length. And most importantly, they can help you find hope and restore your confidence, as you’ll see from these inspiring women.

Stephanie shared her story of hair loss with us. Watch it here.

Stephanie’s Hair Story: Trichtillomania

Since she was young, Stephanie has had a love/hate relationship with her hair. “My biggest concern,” she says, “has been making sure my bald spots are covered.”

Stephanie has a condition called trichotillomania, which involves recurrent urges to pull out hair. This started when she was a young girl, around 10 years old. “I would zone out a lot and just pick and pick,” she says. “The next thing I knew, there were balls of hair everywhere. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until it was too late and then I thought, What have I done?”

“Trichotillomania falls under the spectrum with OCD, depression, and anxiety,” Stephanie says. “It is treatable. There are options out there, and affordable ones too. There are solutions. With something like this, people have to remember that they're not alone. It’s empowering to be able to share my story and to give a voice to others who have dealt with the struggle I have. For someone hearing this to be able to say, I have the same weird thing, too.”

Stephanie says that although over time she has grown to become more accepting of her hair, it does still bother her. “My hair can be unruly, super dry, and fragile,” she says. “Having bald spots causes lots of insecurities inside me that I wouldn’t normally have– I’m usually a pretty confident person.”

She has used hair extensions for the last 7 years and has been very happy with the results. “Hair extensions have been a godsend to me,” she says. “I’ve used all different types and Kera-Link is my favorite. I love having them in. They allow me to be myself and feel beautiful in my skin.”

Stephanie’s Install: How We Achieved the Look

For Stephanie’s installation, our stylist Kayla used 16” extensions in both Tape-In and Kera-Link in color #2 Darkest Brown.

She used a precision technique called micro bonding.

“I cut down the strands into different sizes,” she says. “I did half size bonds and also quarter size bonds– really teeny, tiny attachment points that are going to hide really well in the hair, especially towards the crown and hair line. What’s great about this is Stephanie can go about her day without worrying about the extensions. They’re secure, she can move her hair around, she can wear it up or down. She’s good to go.”

Customized placement was an essential part of this hair transformation. “I put the smallest bonds highest up,” Kayla says. “No one is even going to know they’re there.”

Overall, Stephanie was very pleased with the results from her hair extensions.

“My experience with the install was awesome,” she says. “I feel beautiful and happy and just glowing. I have all of this confidence– that’s what I’m most excited about. Being able to go out anywhere and feel like I can be myself and not have to worry about my hair.”

Mission accomplished for us! These are the moments we live for.

Tashia’s Hair Story: Postpartum Hair Loss

Tashia started noticing changes to her hair about 4 to 5 months after having her first child.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I’m about a 7 with how I feel about my hair,” she says. “It’s a little thin in some areas, and now if I don’t style it, I have little flyaways everywhere. It has affected my confidence a little bit.”

Tashia had heard about postpartum hair loss before starting a family, but says it was still overwhelming to experience it firsthand after having her son.  

“It's scary to see a handful of hair in your hands,” she says. “It wasn’t just happening in one spot. It was all over, throughout my hair.” 

Tashia had experienced using hair extensions before her pregnancy, so she knew they might be an option. “Before, I used extensions for length,” she says. “But now I’m looking to help my hair look a little fuller, and something to help with the flyaways.”

Tashia’s Install: How We Achieved the Look

For Tashia’s installation, Kayla used a combination of both Tape-In and Kera-Link micro bonds. “I wanted her to be able to have movement and fullness,” Kayla says. “I know she wears her hair up a lot for work so she needs to have the freedom to pull her hair up and still have the extension points hidden.”

Kayla used two colors for the install– Ombre #2/27A and #6 Dark Chestnut Brown. “This color blend helped enhance her lightness at the ends of her natural hair and give it more movement,” Kayla says.

“The install went great,” she says. “We were able to add fullness in the front where she was really needing it. After having her hair installed, she really did brighten up a bit. I could see a difference in the way she had a smile in her eye and the way she was touching her hair.”

As Tashia says, she felt like a “whole new person” with the extensions installed.

“I love my hair,” she says. “I feel like a 10 out of 10. I’m really happy with my hair and how the extensions helped with the breakage and new growth areas I have. It looks great.”

The Tiniest Bonds… The Biggest Confidence Boost

Kayla says that the reason she loves being a stylist is seeing the change in her clients. “I love doing hair extensions,” she says. “It makes an impact on the client and the whole way they look at themselves. The transformation is what I just love to see and feel.”

Clients like Stephanie and Tashia are a great example of how hair extensions can solve problems beyond just length.

“A lot of people think extensions are just about getting really long hair,” Stephanie says. “For me, they allow me to feel like myself and feel beautiful in my own skin. I feel like this was that one missing puzzle piece that I needed.”

If you’re new to extensions, start with an open conversation with your stylist

So, how do you start the process of using hair extensions if you’ve never tried them before and you’re not sure if they’ll work for your hair?

“You have to be willing to have that conversation about what your end goal is and what your needs are,” Stephanie says. “Reach out to a stylist who you know is an extensions specialist. Let it all out there. There are options out there, and affordable ones too,” she says.

It’s important to work with a stylist who is a certified hair extension specialist and who is knowledgeable about the brand of hair being used.

“Whenever you do an installation of any extensions,” Kayla says, “especially with micro bonding or micro tape, it’s a very customizable thing. Really every person is going to have something different to take into consideration– maybe their hairline comes a little more forward or it’s back. Maybe there’s thinning around the nape of the neck. The stylist is going to have to adjust for every installation, and that’s what’s great about it– it’s completely customized.”

If you need help finding a certified stylist who works with Donna Bella Hair® products, use our salon locator to search for stylists in your area.

We’re grateful for women like Stephanie and Tashia who are willing to honestly and courageously share their stories, and for stylists like Kayla whose creativity and expertise is making a difference.

Overcoming hair challenges together– that’s what we’re here for.