The longest-lasting type of hair extensions are the crimped micro-linking methods, and these micro-links will last an incredible six months with proper maintenance. 

Maintenance at three months of wear will help your hair extensions to look their best throughout this six-month wear.

Not all micro links are the same and may not last as long. Different types of micro-links might have different ways of installation or maintenance routines.

Some popular versions include micro rings, micro links, microbeads, nanobeads, extend tubes, and +.

Micro-linking hair extensions.

The crimped micro-linking is the longest-lasting type of hair extension.  Not just any micro link!  The crimped micro-link is installed uniquely with special equipment that crimps the bead in half and tucks it over for a durable, secure installation.

The hair extension strands are secured to strands of the natural hair using a small copper link, sometimes aluminum but not the best.

The micro links come in four sizes and seven colours.  With a clean installation, precise sectioning, and even hair density, the crimped bead micro-linking methods will last the longest without damage to your natural hair. 

There are many variables in sustaining a hair longest-lasting type of hair extension in your head, and keep in mind not all micro links are the same.

The beveled micro link.

 

These are the crimped micro-linking systems and are the longest-lasting type of hair extension system. The copper ring has a bevelled edge on top of the micro link that allows for crimping the ring giving a secure, durable bond. With installations, hair is free-flowing and can be blow-dried, curled, or set in any way you wish without destroying the bond and losing your extensions.

The crimped micro-link hair extensions will stay in until removed professionally. However, we recommend six months only when proper maintenance procedures are maintained. When wearing hair extensions, you should support them with care. 

Many people will skip the maintenance step. If you miss your maintenance schedule, remove the hair extensions between 4-5 months of wear as the weight of the dreading and knots can cause damage.

Maintenance is when you come into the salon for your hair extension artist to go over each strand, removing the old hair bulbs that have fallen from the scalp and are attached to the hairs you usually lose that are still in the bonding system.

Many companies offer this form of micro-linking because it is durable and easy to manage. It also makes the clients happy, being the longest-lasting type of hair extension technique.

There is no need to tighten the crimped micro links, as they will stay in place until removal.

 

Micro rings for hair extensions.

Micro rings are tiny beads pressed flat when installed. These rings are flexible soft metals with a coating of colour that secures the hair strand.

Some stylists tighten these micro rings after they loosen up within 4 to 6 weeks, but I do not use these systems and do not recommend them as they can slip easily and shed.

Depending on care and maintenance, these extensions can last 10-12 weeks.

The micro ring (with an inside screw.)

 

These rings feature a grooved inside, like a screw usually installed with a hair extension tool that has a hook and is pressed flat.

 

The micro ring (silicone lined inside.)

 

With silicone lining, easy to offer a superior hold, prevents slipping and damage to your hair. These are flat pressed links and pressed flat over a nail head or i-tip, stick-tipped strand of human Remy hair.

The material inside the link is silicone in the application for i-tip, stick-tipped,  nail-head hair extensions. These tools will last a considerable time in your hair with proper care.

Natural hair’s life cycle. 

The Anagen Phase.

 

Most of your hair will be in the anagen phase of growth, and this state is the fast-growing phase lasting between 2-7 years before the follicles become dormant. Hair habits will also determine the length of an anagen phase and may affect the longest-lasting type of hair extension.

Generally, 80-90% of hair is consistently in the anagen phase. Your genetics, age, overall health, and a variety of things that may happen to you can disturb the anagen phase in your hair’s life cycle. 

The rate of hair growth can subsequently affect your hair extensions. We advise you to consider your specific situation when evaluating the length of time you keep your hair extensions in your head before removing the strands.

The catagen phase.

 

Catagen is when the hair transitions growth to a slow-growing phase. The hair follicles shrink, and hair growth slows, ending the anagen phase.   

Therefore, hair follicles retreat to the catagen stage, a short in-between phase before growth ceases.

In contrast to the anagen phase, the catagen phase will only last 2-3 weeks, and about 3-5% of all hairs are in this phase at any time.

Growth stops, and the hairs are at their longest as they have finished the growing phase and are preparing to shed.

 

The telogen phase.

 

Within the telogen stage, some of your hair extension strands may not be the longest-lasting type of hair extension. Telogen is a resting phase, a very active phase for the bulb while preparing a new hair shaft. The telogen phase will last about three months, with up to 10% of your hairs in telogen simultaneously.  

 

Telogen will be the phase where the hair bulb is waiting to fall out. Losing up to 100 hairs a day is normal, and new hair comes through the follicle and pushes the hair bulb out, causing shedding.

 

Telogen effluvium.

 

Is when stress causes hair roots to be pushed prematurely into the resting state. The effect can be acute or chronic, and some stressful trigger forces more hair than average into the telogen phase in this condition. People with telogen effluvium can lose up to 300 hairs a day.

 

During challenging times:

 

Chronic Illness, childbearing, ailments, displacement, grief, surgical trauma, high fever, chronic systemic Illness, and bleeding can all contribute to hair loss.

Also, conditions like androgenic alopecia shorten and suppress the anagen phase resulting in receding hairlines, hair thinning, part lines, and balding areas.

Thankfully, once you recover from the Illness, hair loss typically rectifies, and hair eventually returns to its original thickness.

Exogen.

 

The last phase of the hair’s life cycle will only last a day or two and marks the end of the hair growth cycle.

 

The natural hair density.

The density of hair matters for the longest lasting type of hair extension.

Hair Extensions need natural hair to have even density to be a long-lasting type of hair extension. Each panel throughout the head should have even sectioning, and even panel sectioning should be clean and without loose hairs. 

 

If you have poor density, your hair extensions should never stay for six months. If you have any problems with hair breakage or density loss, you should have maintenance at two months and removal at four months.

 

The density at the base of each strand section should have even hair follicles symmetric in each strand. The scalp of each strand section should not have balding spots or areas with sparse follicle density.

 

Stay away from hair colour near the bonds if you have breakage, loss of density, or fine thin hair.

 

The quality of hair.

Hair quality will be a significant factor in the longest-lasting type of hair extension.

With the strand-by-strand methods, you need healthy Remy hair to prevent tangling and matting. The following information will help explain the difference in hair types.

 

Remy human hair.

The longest-lasting type of hair extensions will use this hair. It is hair consisting of natural human hair with the cuticles still intact and running in the same direction. When the description says ‘Remy,’ you know it is not synthetic hair. Remy hair is collected with the still intact cuticle because it works the best, moves freely and looks natural in the strand-by-strand hair extension systems.

Single drawn human hair.

 

With single-drawn hair, it will tangle and matt faster and is harder to brush out. The longer hairs are drawn out (removed) from the hanks or bundles of hair, which can leave broken, damaged hairs remaining in single drawn bundles.  

 

With single-drawn hair, multiple lengths are mixed into the bundles resulting in thicker hair at the top and then taper from the middle with the thinnest lengths at the ends. 

Single-drawn hair is less expensive and can look fine at first but will not last long.

Double-drawn human hair.

The longest-lasting type of hair extension will be with high-quality Remy double-drawn human hair. Double-drawn hair contains the most extended lengths, up to 70% or above of the bundles’ hair lengths being long. You will get long wear out of these hairs after removing them. 

You can usually re-install year-old double-drawn hair extensions. They can be pre-tipped and re-coloured, but it’s labor intensive.

When we produce our beautiful long hair extension strands, we don’t buy the hair like it comes out after a six-month removal. We purchase bulk hair, sorted, treated, and processed for professional sales. It is treated and healthy, and redo treatments add labor and product costs.

Double-drawn hair is best for hair extension tips, including I-tips, Nail-tips and V-tips for fusion bonds and wefts. Double drawn creates a fuller and thicker look on the hair’s depth and fullness.

Maintenance for hair extensions.

The crimped micro-linking hair extension methods require proper maintenance. After three months, you have to come in and get hair maintenance, and in this process, we untangle the base of your hair, stopping any dreading or matting that can happen.

 

Hairs we lose from our scalp have a little hook coming from the follicle at the base of the hair shaft, and this little hooked bulb can hook onto fallen hairs and create matting and dreads. We remove these hooks to stop the dreading.

 

Separating the strands during the wear of the hair extensions is necessary to have successful strand-by-strand hair extensions, and do this daily or when needed by pulling two strands apart, which helps keep dreading at bay.

 

People can sometimes ignore the maintenance procedure. If this is the case remove the strand-by-strand hair extensions between four-five months, not six.

Clients often do their hair removal, have a friend do it, or skip maintenance. Skipping these crucial steps has repercussions after months of hair extension wear when the base follicles lose their density. These steps are an essential part of how long your hair extensions last.

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Conclusion.

 

Because of micro links’ durability can be rough on your hair, especially on more delicate hair. Just because the system lasts six months, there are particular instances when the client’s hair won’t take six months of the copper rings pressed tight around your hair strands. Or maybe you’re going through an extensive period in life, or you’re going through a lot of stress where you lose extra hair.

 

Thank you for reading, and please DM me with any questions or comments. I’ll be happy to hear from you.