This process is called Hollywood because it actually began at the world famous dream factory. To change the appearance of actresses “to match the heroine,” it was often necessary to change the hairstyle and hair length. So stylists replaced the notorious wigs with more convenient extensions. The feeling of one’s own hair on one’s head, the natural look of one’s hairstyle was very quickly appreciated by women and burst out of the actors’ dressing rooms, as they say, “into the people.”
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Talking about this method, it should be noted that during its existence it has repeatedly undergone changes in terms of technology. At least three modified processes are known today:
- extensions with tresses;
- weaving strands into braids;
- use of keratin capsules and an ultrasound machine.
What all three procedures have in common is that to perform them, hair from the top of the head is gathered into a bun and secured, opening a line along which the curls will be built up.
At the end of the process, they unravel and hide the places where the strands were built up. Hair of a certain length, at least 20 centimeters, can hide well the places where a craftsman has worked diligently. Therefore, girls with short hair cannot increase the volume of their hair using this method.
In this article:
The fundamental method “with tresses” Weaving strands into braids Improved method Contraindications
What are Hollywood hair extensions
Hollywood, tress, afro-sewing, French, pigtail extensions - all these are names of the same technology for increasing the volume or length of natural hair. The essence of the procedure is to sew a tress from donor hair to a thin tight braid made from natural strands.
Tress, from English. tress - curl is donor hair sewn together in a special way to form a single fabric.
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Hollywood extensions are the most gentle technique, as they do not involve the use of high temperatures or chemical compounds. The origin of this method of hair lengthening is attributed to Hollywood stars - hence the name, but the pioneers of the technique were African women, from whom celebrities and their stylists intercepted the idea.
The Hollywood extension technique has tangible advantages compared to other types of extensions:
- There is no influence on natural curls - neither chemical, as with tape extensions with glue, nor temperature, as with hot capsule techniques with keratin;
- Speed. One tress is sewn on average in 1-1.5 hours, two tresses in 2-3 hours. Hot capsule extension loses here, since the full procedure takes 4-6 hours;
- Homogeneous result . Since donor hair is attached to natural hair in one piece, the curls are uniform. With capsule extensions, they can be divided into strands;
- Premature loss is virtually eliminated. Capsules or tapes often come off when subjected to moderate mechanical force. With the Hollywood technique, artificial curls are attached to a natural, dense braid and you need to try to destroy such a structure.
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There are some disadvantages to tress extensions:
- Discomfort. As a rule, extensions should not cause any discomfort, but if mistakes are made during the process, pain may occur - the result of tight weaving and poor separation of the parting for the braid;
- Restrictions. Extensions are not suitable for girls with short hair, as well as thin and brittle ones - the hair shafts must be ready for stress;
- Dropping out. A tight braid that will strongly pull thin strands of natural hair can cause hair loss. But here it all depends on the technique - if the master knows how to weave the correct braids with the required tension, then there will be no unpleasant consequences;
- Simple correction . There is no need to re-encapsulate the strands - as in the capsule technique, or change the adhesive layer of the tape - just carefully cut off the sewn tress, intertwine the braid and sew it back. Correction usually takes 1-1.5 hours;
- Few qualified craftsmen . Not many hairdressers choose to master this type of extension, and the main difficulty lies in the braid - it must be tight and moderately taut.
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Process
The Hollywood hair extension technique involves weaving artificial hair into natural strands, without the use of glue or other materials. The hair is not sealed, while the strands are worn they will be able to breathe and will be simple and easy to wash, style and color. The Hollywood build-up process involves the following steps:
- Select a strand that is not too close to the edge, otherwise the place of weaving may be noticeable.
- The braid is about a centimeter long. Its thickness should not exceed the thickness of the extension beam.
- Further actions involve weaving the strand into a pigtail. The hair in strands is connected with thermal thread, which will not be affected by a hair dryer, hair dye, curling iron or straightening iron.
- The bundles are woven further until the result is achieved.
The procedure is well tolerated by the hair, after which the hair needs appropriate care. Otherwise, the strands may lose thickness or even fall off the fastenings.
Before washing, you should comb your hair. So that later you don’t have to untangle the tresses after drying your hair. It is better not to use conditioners and balms in places where they are fixed. Braids should be washed with shampoo, after diluting it with water.
There are no special recommendations for choosing shampoo. The use of balms and masks is not prohibited, it is recommended - this will help improve the condition of both your strands and extensions.
For combing, you should use a comb that does not electrify your hair. And at night, you can tie your hair in a loose ponytail or braid it - then your hair won’t get tangled while you sleep.
Extension tresses: where to get and how to choose
Hair training is carried out by different companies and private hairdressers. Sewing hair shafts into a single fabric can be done manually or by machine.
- Machine training involves stitching on a machine and then gluing the place where the hairs are attached. Machine weft retains its original appearance for 6 to 12 months, although, of course, a lot depends on use and care;
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- Hand weft is not stitched, but braided - at the base of the hand weft you can see something like a braid. This method of assembling tress is more reliable - the rods do not fall out and retain their original state longer than the machine method.
Hand weaving is more expensive than machine weaving, but in the end, purchasing such a product is more economical - hairs are not lost, and the weaving does not become loose for a long time.
Other differences between machine and hand wefts:
- Exploitation. Hand weft cannot be cut - the hairs are woven together and breaking the integrity of the weaving will lead to the disintegration of the fabric. Hand-woven tress is woven to size. Machine-made can be cut without harming its integrity. However, even when cutting machine weft, it is recommended to make a reinforcing seam to prevent the rods from falling out during the process of wearing the extension;
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- Production time . Sellers and craftsmen often have machine-made options in stock, so you can buy them “here and now.” You will have to wait a long time for hand weaving - about 2-4 weeks;
- Quality. Machine tresses are often made from medium quality hair. There is no point in using exclusive, expensive hair - it will fall out during the process of sewing and wearing. Just losing Slavic children's cuts at a price of 30,000 per 100 grams is too expensive. Hand wefts are often made from high quality sections.
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Both varieties are used with the same frequency and have their pros and cons, but if you intend to wear your hair for a long time, on an ongoing basis, it is better to choose a hand weft due to its wear resistance and strength.
When choosing hand-picked tress, pay attention to:
- The size of the “pigtail” - its width should be no more than 1-1.5 mm;
- Smoothness of weaving. There should be no tubercles - firstly, this can affect the result of the extension, and secondly, it will lead to rapid deterioration of the tress.
As for the material, it is better to choose natural hair for extensions - artificial material is finicky to care for and is not always resistant to various types of influences - curling irons, flat irons, hair dryers.
A common question is how many tresses are needed for the procedure. It all depends on the volume that needs to be achieved and the initial thickness of the hair.
- To thicken natural curls without increasing length, one tress is used, which is collected from 60-80 grams of donor hair;
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- Standard extensions, if you need to lengthen your hair, are 2 rows, that is, 120-160 grams of donor hair.
Only the master will tell you the exact amount during a consultation before the procedure - many factors play a role here.
Photos Before and After – the result after the procedure
Properly executed Hollywood extensions allow you to quickly achieve luxurious hair, impeccable in its density and length. Hair extensions using this technology are easy to dye and can withstand styling using thermal devices.
Hollywood extension technology
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Hollywood extensions are both a simple and complex technique. At first glance at the procedure, it seems that anyone can do hair extensions. Indeed, everything seems easy - braiding a braid and sewing on a tress, but in reality not everyone can make high-quality, durable extensions - not even every master.
How to do Hollywood extensions:
- The hair is separated by a horizontal parting - the middle line at the back of the head stands out. The upper layers are not affected - they serve as a “camouflage” for the spot;
- On both sides - from the ears, tight, dense and perfectly “clean” braids are woven, which do not pull excess hairs and do not create excessive tension in the strands;
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- The braids converge in the center of the back of the head and are fastened together;
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- The prepared tress is sewn to the braid using a thread. It is important that the tress should cover the braid. The tress is sewn with loop stitches and with a space between them of no more than 1 cm - in this case the fastening will be strong;
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- If necessary, another braid is woven using the same technology and another tress is sewn to it.
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The length of time the extensions are worn depends on the speed of hair growth and is on average 1.5-2 months, after which you need to visit the specialist again for correction or removal of tresses.
Online reviews about the effectiveness of the procedure
There are mostly positive reviews on the Internet. Users note the smoothness and shine of hair extensions that do not fade over time. Also, the advantage of this extension is the simple care of the strands, which does not require restrictions in your usual life.
It is important that expensive strands can be used several times. Women appreciate the convenience and lightness, as well as the strong attachment of hair extensions. The modern Hollywood extension procedure differs from previous technology. After improvement, this service has become the safest for hair compared to similar procedures.
Author of the article: Alena Lash
Article design: Olga Pankevich
Hollywood extension correction
Correction is necessary when the braid on which the tress is held has become too loose and either causes discomfort or is visible in everyday life. Usually, from extension to correction, a girl calmly wears extensions for 6-8 weeks, sometimes the period is a little longer, but it is not recommended to wear extensions for more than 2.5 months.
How the correction is carried out:
- The tress is removed from the braid - the thread with which it is sewn is cut, the braid is unraveled;
- Hair is washed and dried naturally. Some hairdressers leave the hair slightly damp - this makes it easier to braid a tight braid;
- New braids are braided, higher or lower than the previous ones. It is important not to braid in the same place to give your hair a rest;
- The tress is sewn on again.
One of the main advantages of correction when working with tresses is that the length of the donor hair does not change, since it does not need to be recapsulated, trimmed, or any other manipulation.
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If you decide to remove the tresses and not overextend them, you can do this yourself, following the recommendations:
- Gather the top layer of hair at the top of the head to provide easy access to the place where the tress is attached;
- Using small scissors, carefully cut the knot of thread on the tress. I act carefully so as not to damage my own or donor hair;
- Unravel the thread and remove the tress;
- Undo your braids.
Peculiarities
Hollywood extension is also called African extension.
It appeared not so long ago - about 10 years ago, and at first the procedure was used mainly on movie sets to give the necessary image to Hollywood stars.
At that time, the technology was not perfected, and many inconveniences arose during its implementation.
The curls were attached to the natural hair using a sticky thin tape, so combing was impossible. The curls were removed immediately after filming was completed. I had to frequently adjust my hairstyle; some strands simply fell off.
The technology of Hollywood extensions has become much more advanced, and it is not done in one day. The hair is matched to its natural color and secured at the roots using special threads.
It is impossible to notice them on the head, and they do not interfere with combing and washing your hair.
Hair care with tress extensions
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