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Thread: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

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    Featured Member Nina_'s Avatar
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    Default Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    I never get sew-ins but I really want one for many reasons. First, while my hair grows fast and is already at a decent length, I am mixed so it's also a bit unruly. I always wear it straight to work, but it's naturally curly, so it requires a lot of work. The constant having to flat iron my hair is not healthy for it. Also, my hair gets frizzy/curly when exposed to humidity and the weather here in Michigan is quite humid. I really just don't want to deal with the maintenance of my hair. I know a long sew-in would need special maintenance, but not the way my real hair does. And I can flat-iron (etc) my weave all I want to without worrying about damaging my own hair. Also, the weather wouldn't have such a harsh affect on my hair (it's so annoying)!

    So, ladies with experience with sew-ins: what are the best brands/types to get? I've heard good things about Bohyme and Indian Remy. I want weave that is straight when first applied but gets wavy when wet, and can be straightened if that's possible. I'll probably get one that's a little longer than my real hair, so probably 16 inches, maybe 18. I plan on getting a full sew-in, not a halfway kinda thing. What weave should I get and what procedures should I take to ensure it looks as natural as possible? I'm planning on getting an "invisible part" down the middle. I want it to look real. That's what I'm focused on.

    Thanks ladies!
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    God/dess Sophia_Starina's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    I haven't gotten a full head weave but I've gotten enough weaves to offer some advice.

    1. If you want to preserve your natural hair, consider finding a salon that does net-weaves. A net weave could help you protect the integrity of your natural hair. A net weave gives you a slightly more voluminous look sometimes, so if you want a very flat hairstyle, keep that in mind...

    2. Silk closures... pricey but apparently effective in terms of making making your hair and scalp appear more natural. This can (depending on who is installing it) give you a natural looking part. But, keep in mind, if the stylist isn't very good at dealing with closures, it could end up looking like a clunky mess.

    3. I purchase my hair at the beauty supply. I sweet talked the lady into letting me feel up all the different brands. Hah! Natural/virgin hair was very nice and seemed to have a wonderful feel... but it wasn't the color I wanted (white/platinum/silver/blond)... so I have no experience with it. Bohyme would have bankrupted me, regardless of the color. I'm sure it's better than the brands that I bought but I just couldn't spend that much. I say go with the best if you can afford it! I am very thrifty, so I buy the Silky Zury hair and Silky Fashion Source hair for weaves (I also liked Fashion Source hair in the yaky texture because it blended beautifully with my bleached strands, the textures matched perfectly and it was stronger than the silky variety, sadly they discontinued it in my color). Sensationnel and Outre are excellent but a bit out of my budget.

    4. Seal your wefts. It will prevent shedding. There are different products/techniques out there. You'll have to evaluate the best options for you.

    5. If you plan on having a layered look to your hair, consider buying hair in different lengths. Meaning, one pack 16", one pack 18", etc. The BEST sew in hair style I ever saw was worn by a co-worker of mine. She swore by 3 packs of hair in lengths 14", 16", and 18". Shorter hair goes on the top, longer hair goes towards the bottom, and the medium length hair goes in the middle. If you're going for a more straight-up-and-down look, disregard what I just wrote. I'm a sucker for layers.

    6. Do not abuse your hair. If you treat your hair well, you'll have the wefts for a long time and you can reuse them for many, many months. Use a product to protect the hair from heat if you plan on straightening it. Don't be afraid to wash your hair... just make sure that you deep condition it periodically.

    7. Do your homework and find a great stylist who will give you the look you want. Get someone who will take the time to do the job right.
    Last edited by Sophia_Starina; 03-21-2013 at 11:33 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    It is very tricky to find a stylist who can do an invisible part that actually looks good. Be very careful. Everyone is getting silk or lace closures these days. You can have a very natural look while keeping your hair completely covered. No worries about blending.

    Do you know anyone in your area who can recommend a stylist? Or any of the dancers you work with willing to share where/who to go to? If not, your next best thing is to browse their portfolio. Most professional stylists have a facebook, instagram where you can check out pictures and get an idea of what they are good at, not so good at.

    For beauty supply hair, Bohyme is a good choice. I'm not sure if wet & wavy can be straightened...I'm assuming it can since it's human hair, but you should do some research. Some hair will loose it's curl after being straightened.
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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    I get sew-ins. I hope you don't mind me asking this question on your thread OP. I want a silk closure/invisible part. What does it look like at the two month mark when you are trying to stretch it to three?

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    Featured Member Nina_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    Thank you thank you thank you, ladies! And strippername, I have no problem that you're asking questions. I need to learn more about weave if I'm going to get one.

    So the silk closure is actually something I wasn't familiar with at all before this... that sounds like an awesome solution. I was wondering how I was going to describe how I want my invisible part to a stylist, because I see SO many invisible parts that don't like good to me!

    I'm nerv
    "Rather have my feet hurting than my pockets."

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    Quote Originally Posted by PleasureVictim View Post
    It is very tricky to find a stylist who can do an invisible part that actually looks good. Be very careful. Everyone is getting silk or lace closures these days. You can have a very natural look while keeping your hair completely covered. No worries about blending.
    Yes, "invisible" parts are a risky proposition.

    Badly done "invisible" parts look like a snapshot of Moses parting the Red Sea.


    RH-MosesCrossesRedSea.jpg

    Case in point: http://www.juicymagonline.com/wp-con...9206818279.jpg
    http://malibubeautyjm.files.wordpres...s_img00033.jpg
    http://en2hair.webs.com/photos/Style...ck%20weave.bmp
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    [QUOTE=Sophia_Starina;2468087]Yes, "invisible" parts are a risky proposition.

    Badly done "invisible" parts look like a snapshot of Moses parting the Red Sea.


    RH-MosesCrossesRedSea.jpg






    Thank u so much for this post....The little picture is so cute..Made me laugh...Todays been rough so the humor is greatly appreciated..Made my day..

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    God/dess Sophia_Starina's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    ^^^ Happy to help, beautiful.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHA ... I'm so weak over the Moses comment! Lol ... I've been getting full heads for some time now and I'm loving this Brazilian hair ... Seems like the some of the Remy brands I used to love are declining in quality

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    Featured Member Nina_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    Quote Originally Posted by Sophia_Starina View Post
    Yes, "invisible" parts are a risky proposition.

    Badly done "invisible" parts look like a snapshot of Moses parting the Red Sea.


    RH-MosesCrossesRedSea.jpg

    Case in point: http://www.juicymagonline.com/wp-con...9206818279.jpg
    http://malibubeautyjm.files.wordpres...s_img00033.jpg
    http://en2hair.webs.com/photos/Style...ck%20weave.bmp
    Dude, yesss, that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid! I was playing out scenarios in my mind where I describe to my hairdresser precisely that I DON'T want my invisible part to look like that! I'm glad you ladies mentioned the silk or lace closure... to be honest, I didn't even know that was an option with sew-ins. I mean I've heard of lace front wigs and all, but I never put two and two together and realized the same concept can be applied to sew-ins. I think that's what I'll do. I just have to find a silk closure or lace closure in a color that will match the weave I'm buying... I'm planning on sandy brown with blonde highlights. Some good type of remy, so I'll also get a remy silk closure (or lace closure, whichever) but I'll have to find one that will match that and I'm not sure how many options I have.
    "Rather have my feet hurting than my pockets."

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    Everyone is going to have different experiences on this due to different hair types, but I have personally tried every extension method, and the best ones are clip ins. The sewed in ones looked bad and were a mess, the microlink ones came out super fast, the keratin-tipped ones came out and damaged my hair, the tape on seamless weft ones didn't stay put, and the glued in ones were nice but did far too much damage to continue. The clip ins stay in and stay put all day.

    The second best, however, would probably have to be the sewn in ones. I only had wefts though, not a full weave sewn on. Sewn wefts looks bad if you have naturally thin or straight hair. I am told I have an average or decent amount of fine hair. You could see right through it with the sewn in ones, and it made me self-conscious because I couldn't adjust them obviously (unlike clip ins). I could have had a bad person who did them, but even when they start to grow out, if your hair is thin enough to show them, it still looks weird. I even teased my hair, but you could still see it. If you have curly hair, thick hair, or a massive amount of hair, I would think you would be fine though even if it was done bad or growing out. Actually, I just went back and read your hair description and you might be okay! Especially since you want a full sewn on one. My natural is super straight so things don't stay as well.

    Just some food for thought.


    As for hair to buy, its pretty much a gamble. I've bought so many kinds from all over. They all feel silky at first, but some are treated with faux silkening chemicals, so you can't really rely on that. Just try a bunch til you find one you love, and then keep buying that brand. Sallys usually has good brands. Oh and make sure the hair is human hair, not synthetic. Buy 2 or 3 packages for 1 head of hair if you are increasing the length at all. Otherwise it will look unnatural.

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    Featured Member Nina_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    Thanks. I've tried the clip in ones and they were OK, but I want all of my natural hair to be covered. I love it but it's annoying and hard to manage, and I'm sick of having to straighten it a lot because it's damaging to it, so I want to give my hair a break and get a full head sew-in.

    And yeah, I will never get synthetic hair... human all the way. If I'm going to get a sew-in I don't mind forking over more cash to get the most natural look I can.
    "Rather have my feet hurting than my pockets."

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    Instead of the invisible part, have you considered getting a leave out? That way, you can blend your hair into the weave. I'm all for full sew ins but I find they look more natural with a leave out(horse shoe pattern) or a lace closure. I suppose if one did a really good job the invisible part will look good and realistic. I'd go for human hair with medium to high luster and something that is sewn professionally (or hand tied onto the weft. I'd make sure I did my homework on what type of hair, I notice that the brazillian hair looks more wavy (sometimes curly).

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    All the advice mentioned is very good. It's important to pick the right person to install the hair for you. There's a huge market for sew ins and everyone wants to add them to their arsenal all the way from stylists to people who do hair at home. (And some of these people don't even really know how to do them but just want to profit)

    There's people that charge high that do horrible jobs and people that charge $200 that do amazing work. How the hair is braided underneath is how your hair is going to lay. Not every person who does sew ins is skilled in which different ways to braid to get different results. Many just use the same braid style for EVERY sew in they do.

    I had a sew in once. I saw a girl on the street and asked who did her hair and got the stylists number.

    I think it's best to see pictures of their work and if possible someone who currently has their hair done by them because to me its not worth it to have to pay for 2-3 packs of hair plus the closure and the install for it not to come out right.

    My sister had one once as well. It was ok but didn't come out that well and she spent $500. The braid technique was not good and the hair layed oddly. It hit around her ears in an odd way. She might as well just worn a wig since that was the effect it gave the way the hair was laying. The whole point of a sew in is for it to look like its one's own hair. The skill level didn't match the price.

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    Default Re: Thinking of getting a full sew in, ladies with extensions experience please HELP!

    I leave hair out in the front. 85% of my head is sewn in.

    I finally found a brand that I love.

    MilkyWay the wet n wavy
    They have diff curls to choose from, I finally found hair that looks lime mine. Its human and not as expensive as some brands. I have paid 200 per pack before.
    I like that bc I can wear it straight or curly. It lasts about 3 months as long as I get it tightened up every 3 to 4 weeks.

    Now in my area "American" Girls do sew ins but they never last. I go to a "African World Of Braids" she leaves my baby hair out around the edges for a more natural look. I go back to have her tighten it up and it will last. When I wash my hair at home I only wash the sewn in hair unless i have time to sit under a dryer to dry the braids under the hair. If they don't dry it will hold moisture and cause itchy scalp or a funky smell.

    I pay 100 for a sew in and the hair runs about 140 bc I buy the longest lengths I can get my hands on. The hair is reusable but I switch up when a new sew in is put in. I usually have her put in new and go home wash, hang dry the hair then I iron it flat with a regular Iron and heat protectant. Bag it up and save it for my next visit.

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