with Natural Hair for a Seamless Look”
Ponytail extensions can look utterly fake or devastatingly real, and the key to making them undetectable is how well you blend them. That’s right—it’s not about the ponytail extension but the subtle art of blending the ponytail extension with your hair.
Why are ponytail extensions so popular?
One of the most limiting factors in how we style our hair is its length. It can take months to grow hair long enough to wear braids, ponytails, or more. Some people cannot grow their hair that long without it breaking off.
With ponytail extensions, we can have the long hair we want today.
Is there really a difference between ponytail extensions? Aren’t they all the same?
There are obviously differences, but the real question is how much those differences matter. It matters a lot if we want our ponytail extensions to look like our own hair.
For effective realism with ponytail extensions, we have to select the ponytail extension that is the right one for our hair and desired style and that is still comfortable.
The hair growing on your head is not all one color!
Most people waste countless hours of time and aggravation searching for one color to match their hair. They often miss the fact that their hair has varying shades of color. Instead, we should look for one that, when held up to our heads, has similar shading.
The root to the bottom has different shades, usually varying from lighter to darker, with the ends being lighter. Try to find virgin human hair ponytail extensions for the best chance of finding one that resembles your hair’s natural shading.
Shopping online can make finding the right coloring for the ponytail extension harder. Lighting, environment, and styling choices can affect how ponytail hair extensions look in person, and these subtleties are lost on a computer screen.
Try to find a local dealer and hold the ponytail extension up in person to increase the chances of finding the correct coloring to match your hair.
Does my hair thickness matter when selecting a ponytail extension?
Remember that your hair must support the weight of the ponytail extension you will be wearing. If you have fine or brittle hair, avoiding heavy or overly long ponytail extensions is best, as they can damage your existing hair.
Consider the fun of a short ponytail extension that will be less harmful to your natural hair.
Human hair ponytail extensions should match your own hair’s texture.
I have yet to find an artificial ponytail extension that adequately matches the texture of my natural hair. Although synthetic hair has come a long way, it still lacks the feel of real human hair when touched or examined closely.
Quality of workmanship greatly impacts the blending ability of ponytail extensions.
In-person, look for the type of connection the ponytail extension has. The best ones always have two main parts: the clip to attach to your hair, the elastic band to add more security while wearing the ponytail extension, and last, and most importantly, the elastic band to blend a length of hair past the end of the elastic band.
This is the hair that is used to conceal the connection point of the ponytail extension. Without this hair length, you can never pass the ponytail extension off as part of your hair.
How long should your ponytail extension be?
When you see someone walking down the street with hair to their ankles or even but most of us stop and take a second look. This is because very few people today have hair that long. You can have hair that long with ponytail hair extensions, but you lose much of the realism.
If you want to wear your ponytail extension like your own hair, select a size that looks natural on your body. Try on a few different sizes and see what feels right and looks natural. Shoulder to mid-back are the most realistic lengths of ponytail extensions for most people.
Is your natural hair ready to install and blend the ponytail extension?
Don’t skimp on pampering and prepping your hair for the ponytail extension. This is where the ability to blend effectively begins, and it happens before you install the extension.
Tangles will ruin the chances of blending your ponytail extension with your hair.
Take a little time and brush your hair. If it’s due for a wash and condition, go ahead and wash and condition it as well. Brush the hair until it is smooth and tangle-free, and its natural oils are activated from the brushing.
Don’t forget to run a wig brush or styling comb through the ponytail hair extension if it has a tangle or two.
Make a secure base for your ponytail hair extension.
You want your hair out of your face before you begin. Form a ponytail with your hair that your ponytail extension can safely fasten to. It is critically important that your natural hair is secure. Use bobby pins to hold your natural hair in place.
Without a good base to clip the ponytail extension to, it will be loose and fake-appearing. It doesn’t have to be painful, and it should have enough give for you to move your head without discomfort.
A little holding spray can help with stray hairs.
Installing the ponytail extension to your natural hair.
Clip the ponytail extension just under the ponytail you created with your own hair. This is where the blending is successful or a failure. You want a close attachment, not one that is loose or too far away from the natural ponytail.
Your own ponytail can now be blended with the ponytail extension.
Use bobby pins or a hair tie, if needed, to secure your ponytail to the ponytail extension. Try weaving some of your hair into the ponytail extension for a more realistic appearance. Use a styling picture and fluff the ponytail extension and your own hair ponytail so they have the same appearance.
If the ponytail extension is new, it might have a shine that makes it look different than your hair.
Use baby powder to lightly dust the ponytail extension, and then use a paper towel to remove excess. A little goes a long way! This will remove the unnatural sheen that comes with many ponytail extensions.
Where do I go to try on human hair ponytail extensions?
The selection of local stores specializing in wigs and ponytail extensions is pretty slim today. But I did find Private Label stores close by. They have a nice selection, and the staff is always helpful.
