Why do we love I-link extensions? They’re secure, attach near the roots (helping hair fall naturally for a full range of motion) and require no messy glues or heat to attach. Our customers love them too! However, when it comes to installing I-Link extensions, your choice of bead can make all the difference between a pleasant hair extension dream and a nasty nightmare. Donna Bella currently offers 3 types of beads, each with certain features and capabilities. In fact, we even wrote a blog post on how to select beads here. Still, as a little more in-depth refresher, we’d like to highlight each bead specifically..so without further ado, here’s 5 quickie points to remember when it comes to Grooved Beads!
1) Strong Hold
Grooved Beads offer the strongest hold of all our beads, facilitated by their namesake inner grooves (made from aluminum) that interlock with each other when they’re crimped. These grooves reduce the slippage of the extension and also keep extensions looking fresh for longer.
2) They’re ideal for strong, thick hair
Grooved beads tend to work best for clients with strong and thick hair, because they’ll support the beads most effectively. If you or a client has fine or thin hair, fear not! We've got beads for all hair types, and would recommend flare beads in this case. They’re longer and made of a softer metal (copper) so they reduce strain.
3) Slippage
Slippage occurs when the hair extension has fallen out of the bead. Sometimes this happens as a result of something external (like brushing or styling) and sometimes it occurs on its own. Some slippage is completely normal and expected, but any more than 10% (10 strands out of 100) is excessive. Some of the reasons for excessive slippage include:
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Improper strand width: If the hair extension and the strand of the hair it’s attached to aren't the same width, slippage can occur. For example, if the bead is too small, the hair won’t hold the bead or the extension, and if the bead is too big it’ll slip right off.
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Bad crimping: Each strand should be crimped three times with the proper hair extension tool - Once in the middle and once on each side.
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Root conditioning: Conditioning is great for extensions, but should only be done on the mid-shaft down. Conditioning the roots can weaken the bead and cause slipping, pulling and picking on the bead.
4) Use the right tools
All Donna Bella tools are designed specifically to work with Donna Bella hair extensions, and so for the best functionality and hold, we strongly recommend using the Donna Bella Loop Tool to install grooved beads, and any other beaded extensions. Our tools are guaranteed for durability and ease during the installation process. In fact, our loop tool can hold up to 50 beads at one time!
5) More Resources
For more information on beads and extensions or to troubleshoot slippage issues, please consult our other helpful blogs on the subject:
https://donnabellahair.com/blogs/hair-extensions/what-causes-i-link-hair-extensions-to-slip