Almost everyone will agree that having long hair is a lot of time and effort. Sometimes it seems like the time and effort involved is too much, but then for change sometimes the effort is worth trying.

For a long time now I have been keeping my hair short, because it works for me and since I look good in short hair and short hair is easy to maintain, but when need arises to have that long hair look, then I go for hair extensions.

But then styles go and come, and now most ladies you see have decided to take the instant way to long hair in terms of haired wigs, long hair pieces or hair extensions.

Tyra Banks shocked her audience when she announced that she has been wearing hair extensions all her life, while we were here thinking how good her "hair” looks, not knowing that all the while she has been on hair extensions, but then the hair extensions suit her just fine.

Hair extensions have been popular off and on for several years. Many movie stars ranging from Mary J.Blige and Demi Moore to Cameron Diaz have used hair extensions for movie roles or just for the sake of hair change. It is a great way to create an instant long haired look.

With the recent introduction of clip-in extensions more women, celebrities and non-celebs alike, are wearing add-on tresses than ever before. Have you ever wondered why all the women in the Nigerian movies have long beautiful hair? Extensions are the answer.

Unlike in other countries, locally extensions are not known, so let’s explore what the extensions are all about.

What Are Hair Extensions?
Many people are curious about what materials are used to create various hair extensions.  This is not an easy answer since hair extensions can be created from 100% real human hair, 100% synthetic hair or a mixture of human, synthetic and animal hair.

Hair extensions are available in just about any color, texture or length. Popular Media Mogul Oprah often wears extensions as well.The hair extension is placed on the parting of a small section of hair and the hair criss-crossed over the extension.

The real hair and the hair extension are then tightly plaited or braided together and painted with a bonding solutions
Hair extensions must be attached by a professional hairdresser or hair expert. It is very difficult and risky to attempt to add hair extensions on your own.

Not only will the attachments be hard to handle, you may wind up with an uneven overall length or possibly damage your hair unnecessarily.

Advantages of Hair Extensions
Hair extensions can be a lot of fun if you are aware of the risks and the procedures. If you get good advice and find a professional who is skilled at extensions

1.  You can have an instant new look that is fairly easy to care for once it is applied.
2.  You can change the look at any time and know that the long hair has a limited life cycle.
3.  You can have an intricate pattern of different colors or beads added to the extension without additional damage to your hair.
4.  You can try the look and feel of long hair before you decide to invest a lot of time and energy growing your own.

Disadvantages of Hair Extensions
It is a well known fact that hair extensions can do damage to your natural hair. The glue that is attached to your natural hair can burn and split the ends of your hair. This means that you will almost always be required to have the ends of your hair cut after the extensions are removed.

Also, if a lot of long or heavy extensions are added, this applies additional pressure to your scalp. One of the dangers of extra pressure to your scalp can be a thinning of your natural hair. In some cases there have been reports of headaches from the added weight of the hair or allergies to the bonding glue that is used.

Everyone is different and will react to hair extensions in a different way. They are not necessarily good or bad. It depends on a number of factors that you have to consider.
If you are trying to grow your hair long, you might want to think seriously of the potential damage the hair extensions could do to your long hair quest.

However, if you only would like a new look for a few months and are prepared to lose some inches along with the extensions, they can be a great solution.

The best advice is to find an expert at hair extensions and discuss all the pros and cons of the instant hair look.

Ends