How Can I Stop My Weave From Shedding?

Love this? Share it!

Our expert, Dafina Nya Smith of Sunny’s Hair & Wigs answers your crucial hair concerns. Remember, if you have questions for our experts you can submit them on our submissions page.

***

Question:

How can I stop my weave from shedding without sealing the wefts?

Answer:

I can’t think of anything more annoying than leaving a trail of hair wherever you go. It’s even worse when this happens with hair extensions because you pay for each and every ounce of your hair. There are a few things that you can do to prevent shedding with your hair extensions, but can I address a real issue first?

Shedding Weaves Are a Result of Poor Quality

If you just installed your hair extensions and they are already shedding there really isn’t much that you can do. The culprit of shedding is not buying hair that is properly wefted and processed at the factory. In recent years, sourcing Remy human hair has become more difficult and expensive. As more women desire (or become addicted to) hair extensions the traditional sources of extensions can’t keep up with the demand. The traditional sources of hair extensions have often been in rural and underdeveloped areas of Asia and India where it is a by-product of a Hindu offering. As this society becomes more developed and industrialized women no longer resort to selling their hair for extra income; women are experimenting with hair color and new shorter cuts. Long story short… quality hair is harder to come by these days. So, many factories resort to cutting costs.

To cut costs factories are blending Virgin, Remy, and Fallen hair and then using harsh chemicals to coat the exposed cuticles and marketing it as Virgin.

Remy hair means hair that was cut off in a ponytail or braid with all the cuticles in the same direction. Virgin hair means hair that has never been chemically processed. Fallen hair means hair collected after shedding and the cuticles are in different directions which causes it to act like velcro. To cut costs factories are blending Virgin, Remy, and Fallen hair and then using harsh chemicals to coat the exposed cuticles and marketing it as Virgin. This “Virgin” hair appears shiny and softer but it’s just coated with waxy synthetic substances. The chemicals used during this process eat away at the protective coating on the thread used to sew the hair on the weft. So as you can see you are up against a lot of hurdles, none of your own making, if you have hair that is shedding right away.

When sourcing your hair extensions look to companies that offer hair extensions samples if it is your first time ordering from them. Also, manage your expectations, if you are buying hair on bundle deals from Ali Express, you get what you pay for. It’s kind of like going to a Britney Spears concert and being upset that she didn’t sing live like Adele.

How to Prevent Shedding

Now let’s say you got some great hair and you just want to make it last. Here are three tips to prevent shedding:

  1. Don’t cut the wefts if you are getting a sew-in. Ask your stylist to fold over the track to get to the next braid or row. When you cut the weft it’s like having a bunch of loose seams on your favorite shirt. The hair can unravel from the loose seams. If you do cut the hair only cut it around the hairline and on the final 2-3 tracks. If you don’t want to fold it over, use a little bit of nail glue at each area where you cut it.
  2. Make sure your stylist does not sew through the weft but around it. Piercing the weft repeatedly with a thick needle acts to loosen the weft and contributes to shedding. If your stylist doesn’t know what this means, honestly, find a new stylist.
  3. Don’t use a lot of product on your hair extensions. Product build up leads to tangling because a lot of the waxes and petroleum on the hair attracts dust, pollen, and dirt in the air and subsequently tangles forcing you to put more tension and stress on the wefts on your hair extensions. If you do have product buildup, use a clarifying or deep cleansing shampoo or if you are an earthy girl, use an apple cider vinegar rinse.

I hope this helps.

***

About Our Expert: Sunny’s Hair & Wigs has provided hair extensions and wigs for feature film productions such as Flight, The Hunger Games, Drop Dead Diva and a whole bevy of television and reality TV projects.To learn more about Dafina and Sunny’s Hair & Wigs, visit SunnysHair.com.

Love this? Share it!
Team Unruly
Team Unruly
Articles: 869

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *