Which Extension Texture Should I Choose?

Sometimes hair extensions aren’t the quick fix that they’re supposed to be. You get the hair, have it installed, and turn to face the mirror, expecting to witness magic, only to find that it’s not quite what you imagined. Maybe the extensions look a bit poofy, or blunt, or straight compared to your hair type. Of course, many of these problems get fixed during the blending portion of your installation. But when it comes to hair texture, it’s best to tackle the problem from the very beginning.

Here at Donna Bella, we offer three hair texture options to fit the needs of our diverse customers. Each of our professional, strand-by-strand extension types (I-Link and Kera-Link) comes in straight, wavy, or curly. The only thing is, not all curls, waves, or even straight strands are the same. Naturallycurly.com—a resource for curly-haired women—lists nine distinct curl varieties on its website. Nine! Donna Bella curly hair falls somewhere around a 3A-3B in curl definition, while our wavy hair sits at about 2B. So what about the other textures? While wavy hair will match a 2A or 2C reasonably well, it won’t be a perfect fit. Same goes for curly hair and categories 2C and 3C. The good thing is, some variation in curl type can add dimension to your hair. The bad thing is, achieving polished, clean looks can be a little harder.

Now, there are some differences that can’t be styled away. Differences in hair thickness or individual strand thickness should be accounted for during installation by using more or fewer packs of hair than average (about 8-10 for thicker-haired ladies, and 4-6 for finer-haired ladies). And, for women with particularly curly or coily hair, relaxing treatments might be necessary to prepare the hair for installation (these treatments should be completed several days prior to the installation appointment).

If you’re concerned about whether the extensions you ordered will be a good match for your hair, keep this in mind: you can always return the extensions, so long as they have not been installed or altered in any way. Feel free to take a strand or two out of the package and compare them to your natural hair. Don’t be deterred if the texture isn’t a perfect match, but be realistic about how much work you’re willing to put into styling your hair.

If you’re considering making a curly or wavy hair purchase, we invite you to visit naturallycurly.com and evaluate your hair texture to aid in the selection of your ideal hair extensions. We want every one of you to be in love with your Donna Bella hair!

Do you wear curly or wavy extensions? Tell us your experience in the comments below!