Livermore's best hair stylist says,"There is more to having your hair done than a good shampoo and shorter hair."

For many, many years African American hair stylists have used wefted hair as extensions. Wefted hair is hair that is sewn into a long strip. The installation process is relatively simple. The existing hair is braided into cornrows, then the wefted hair is blanket stitched onto the cornrow. Sounds simple, but it is in fact an art to knowing where to place the corn rows, how tight they should be, and what can be added to make the cornrow strong enough to hold the hair.

If the braid, or cornrow is misplaced, too tight, or it pulls the hair from a location too far from the base, the result can be massive hair loss. This hair loss can happen in a few days or may take months or years to develop. If the hair has been chemically processed before the braiding, it is already damaged and the risk is heightened.

Currently there is a huge percentage of African-American women that suffer from alopecia (balding) because they did not understand the risks associated with braiding hair tightly. Sometimes the hair can regrow, however the solution is to stop using braids completely. If the damage is allowed to continue, the balding may become permanent.

I choose not to use braids to hold wefted hair. Instead I have developed another method of attaching wefted hair to micro-links and then sewing the hair under the links. The result is a comfortable solution that has shown no evidence of hair loss. I do caution clients that if they experience severe pain like bruising to see me immediately so I can loosen the links that hold the hair. Thus far I have never had to do that.

It is my position that I do not want to apply any hair addition if there is significant risk that hair loss is possible. For this reason I do not offer traditional weaves that are intended to cover the entire head. In cases where clients need coverage over the entire head, we use wigs that either are removed at night, or attached with medical grade adhesive and will hold for weeks at a time.

For clients that have traditional forms of alopecia, there is always a chance that the hair will regrow. For many that experience traction or scarring alopecia, the hair follicle is damaged and will not regrow hair. Therefore I believe it is better to shave the head or parts of the head if necessary, and use adhesive than to track (braid) the remaining hair.

Indecently, the same risk holds for clip in hair extensions. If they are used too often and the clips are misplaced, the hair can permanently fall from the head. I now have a client with two completely bald spots on her top scalp because she has used a clip in hair topper. If one insists on using clips it is my suggestion that they are moved any time irritation develops and at frequent intervals. Just cut the strings that attach the clips and sew the clips into another location on the strip or hair piece.

To schedule an in depth consultation call 925-245-0194