Types of Hair Extensions for Thinning Hair

by Marisa Amorasak

Hair is a major part of our personal appearance, particularly for women. For some of us, it makes us feel feminine. Others use it to show off their personal style. At the very least, it helps us to feel like ourselves. Female hair loss can be a devastating experience. If you’re a woman suffering from thinning hair, regain your confidence and put the bounce back in your hair with hair extensions.

Hair extensions have come a long way in the last few years. Weaves are still commonly used, but there are plenty of other options to suit your desires and lifestyle. The hair used in extensions can be either synthetic or natural—for cosmetic purposes, natural is considered the most desirable, but synthetic hair is a more affordable option. Most types of extensions can use both kinds of hair. The real differences in hair extensions lie in the way that the extensions are attached. Read on for a breakdown on the different types of hair extensions.

Clip-on Hair Extensions

The easiest and most affordable type of hair extensions are temporary. Clip-ons offer great versatility: you can place them in different places depending on your mood and you can take them out whenever you want. You also don’t have to worry about washing clip-ons, since they’re removed before washing your hair. While they’re quite convenient, clip-on hair extensions aren’t a very rational solution for women with thinning hair because they need to be clipped into the hair everyday.

Bonded Hair Extensions

Classic bonded hair extensions are the go-to for many women due to their balance of quality and price. Your stylist will use a heat-activated glue to attach the extensions to your natural hair. The downfall to bonded hair extensions is that they don’t fare well with any type of heat stylers, such as flat irons, curling irons, and even blow dryers. The heat from these tools can cause the glue to melt, resulting in tangling or loss of the extensions altogether.

Fusion Hair Extensions

Fusion hair extensions, also known as keratin or protein bonds, use melted keratin to attach the extensions to your natural hair. The tips of the extensions are made out of keratin, which is a naturally occurring protein in your hair, skin, and nails. The keratin is melted with either a hot iron or sonic waves, attaching the extension hair to your natural hair. Heat-free hair extensions are very heat-tolerant and a fine option if you heat style your hair on a regular basis.

Microtubes Hair Extensions

Microtubes, or flat tube extensions, use tiny plastic tubes to seal new hair to your natural hair. After the tubes are threaded onto your natural hair, the extensions are inserted into the tubes. They’re then pressed together to permanently seal your extensions into your hair. Microtubes are a great option for women with thinning hair or hair loss problems because they’re easy to remove. There’s no glue involved, which limits potential breakage of your natural hair. Of course, those little tubes are rather unnatural looking if spotted, and can even feel heavy in your hair.

Shrink Tubes Hair Extensions

Shrink Tubes behave a lot like microtubes, except the tubes are literally shrunk with heat to half of their original size once the extension hair is inserted. Shrink tubes allow for a lot of hair to be inserted into one tube, since it will be locked into place when the tube shrinks. If your hair is thinning and you want to add a lot more hair to your head, this is the way to do it.

Skin Weft Hair Extensions

Don’t let the name mislead you—there are no types of hair extensions that attach directly to the scalp. Rather, skin wefts are larger sections are hair that are bonded to the uppermost part of the hair using tape or glue. They lie completely flat, and are nearly indiscernible from the natural hair growing out of your scalp. Since skin wefts come in long rows of hair, they’re quick and easy to apply. Many people apply their skin wefts at home.

Sewn-In Weft Hair Extensions

Sewn-in weft hair extensions, or weaves, have existed for longer than any other hair extensions. The wefts of hair are sewn into cornrowed hair. Weaves are often cost-effective, but can be painful and look unnatural. Weaves are not recommended for women with thinning hair because the application and removal of them often involves a lot of pulling on the natural hair.

Beyond Hair Extensions for Thinning Hair

Hair extensions are a fair option for women looking to add volume or length to their thinning hair. But all types of hair extensions involve some sort of damage to the hair that could potentially worsen already thinning hair. The best way to thicken your thinning hair is to look into more permanent hair restoration, such as hair transplant surgery or laser hair restoration. Contact us today to learn more about thinning hair treatments or to schedule a free consultation with a hair loss specialist in your area.