A Breakdown of Different Methods of Installing Extensions – Part 3: Skin Weft, Bonded & Quick Weave

In the first article in this series we looked at The Sew-In And Tape-In Methods and in part 2 we looked at The Glue-In, Fusion And Clip-In Methods, in this article we look at 3 other methods of installing hair extensions.

There are lots of different techniques used to install extensions and every year there seems to be yet another new method. Techniques may vary in name but differ only very slightly in their application.

It can get confusing because you may find that stylists in different parts of the country will refer to a similar technique with different names. When requesting a particular style, it is easier to get your point across by describing what you want rather than the name that you know it by!

Sew in’s are undeniably the most popular method used for attaching weaves but here are 3 other methods for attaching wefted hair to your own:

Skin weft weave

Skin wefts can also be called the tape in method. They are the most undetectable ways of adding extensions to your own hair. With this method, your own hair has to be the same texture as the extensions being installed.

Instead of the usual machine or hand tied wefts that other extensions use, with skin wefts, hair is attached to a piece of colored double sided tape. The tape is attached near the roots of your own hair using a liquid hair adhesive or some lace wig tape. Since the side of the tape that is exposed is the same color as your scalp, it remains very natural looking.

The use of heat near the glue bond is not advised as it would cause the glue to melt and the extensions would slip.

Bonded Extensions

These are pretty easy to install. Your own hair texture would have to be similar to the extensions you are installing. The wefts are attached in pieces close to the roots of you hair using a special hair adhesive.

With bonded extensions you have to be pretty careful when washing them to avoid the wefts slipping. Again, with this technique the use of heat near the glue bond is not advised.

Quick Weave

This style is very similar to a bonded weave but differs in that none of your own hair is left out. Your own hair is wrapped around your head using a heavy gel like product called a sealant which protects your own hair from the adhesive which is applied on top. Wefts are then glued directly onto your wrapped hair after the gel has dried solid.

The major downside to quick weaves is that they cannot be washed for the entire duration that they are worn. Water washes away the sealant and glue so the installs usually don’t last very long.

Quick weaves can be damaging to your hair in the long run and so you may want to consider other methods of applying extensions to your hair.

Note: With all the above methods, it is prudent to check that you are not allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients in hair glue prior to installation. Removal of the extensions should only be done by a qualified stylist to avoid excessive breakage of your own hair.