Hair extensions?

terri421

Has anyone tried hair extensions while waiting for their hair to grow back?  My daughter is 19 and thankfully has been in remission for 6 months.  She had a rough time dealijng with the hair loss and has worn wigs since she lost her hair.  Her real hair is about 2-3 inches and she does not want to have short hair so she is still wearing her long wig.  However, she starts a job as a camp counselor this summer and will have to swim.  We're looking into getting hair extensions but not sure if her hair is too short.  She has an appointment with a stylist next month so they can see if they can do the extensions, but in the meantime, I was wondering if anyone could share any experiences they may have with extensions.  Or any other ideas for swimming with wigs (I hear it can be done).

Thanks so much!

JerzyGrrl

How upscale...

Hi, Terri --

How upscale and/or civilized is this camp?  I've been a counselor at places where the last thing I wanted to do was try to mess with my hair. Some places there aren't even enough outlets, or mirrors, or shelves, or decent light, or... to mess with hair styling.  Also, at some camps, the culture isn't such that messing with one's hair is something that counselors and/or campers do. There's nothing like one girl -- let alone 17 girls -- vying for two outlets first thing in the morning in a cramped poorly lit restroom!  That's a factor, definitely. 

Extensions can be easy-care IF you're in an environment that is user-friendly when it comes to primping.  One thing she won't want to do is get her hair all tangley once the extensions are in. I never tried it, but the "messy bun" look isn't very extension-friendly (My goal was a bob, so less upkeep / mess).  Depending upon where the swimming is done (crystal-clear mountain lake, chlorinated pool, lake with interestingly colored water due to soil run-off or minerals or goose poop, or...?) it may or may not be extension-friendly.  Or -- for that matter -- wig-friendly. Chlorine can make a mess of the stretchy base of a wig. In any case, I'd try to swim in an inexpensive synthetic-hair wig, not a natural hair and/or expensive one, and be sure to figure out a way you can fasten that sucker on. That I've never tried, either. A family member did and ...it was not pretty. She pretty much ruined her natural hair wig. Her ONLY wig (It was most definitely a "What was I thinking?" moment).

I totally get your daughter wanting to have long hair because it's the style, may have been "her" style, and certainly represents a time when she was (and is) healthy and not dealing with cancer treatments.  When I was in high school, I lost most of my hair, although not to chemo. In less than a month, I nuked it with chemicals. Too curly? Straighten it! Too straight? Curl it! WAIT, why is my hair coming out in handfuls?! So my friends had lovely hair and I did not. I was lucky to have anything left, but I ended up with my naturally curly hair growing out in a pixie sort of 'do. And there were times I was mistaken for a boy (I was thin and not curvy at all). Teen-aged Angst time, for sure. 

I think extensions are a great idea. They a heck of an investment of both time and money, but they look nice.  There are more options than there were when I was interested in them (Then -- where I was -- it was mainly weaves). Also, I'm seeing some really nice falls that get called extensions (fairly natural looking and versitile for when her hair is growing out).

Personally, I'd ditch the summer-camp-extensions and save the money ('cause after the initial investment, you need to be in the salon about every 6 to 8 weeks) for an upgrade after the end of the summer.  Her hair is long enough now to get a wee bit of a trim and shape into a "wash-and-walk" style that she can basically rock at camp and show off some cute ear jewelry, chokers, and neck scarves. Maybe midway in the summer she'll want to get it shaped again (REALLY important for growing out short hair to long -- It seems counter-productive but it's not).

Obviously your daughter isn't me.  The stylist will give her some great information, too.  The great thing about hair is, it DOES grow back! Would love to hear what she chooses and her experiences. 

All the best -- !

fightthefight2017

Hair Extensions after Chemo

Helloterri421!

Yes It is possible for your daughter to have hair extensions on her short her if that is what she desires. There are plenty of young girls/wmen preferring extensions over wigs and that is a perference that only she can decide. Please check out Hair With A Cause.com they specialize in hair extensions after chemo and working with pre and post chemo hair loss.

Best of Luck!