If you have been following me for awhile, you know that I have been trying so hard to grow my hair out and it hasn’t been working out for me. I have been looking into extensions for such a long time and have been doing so much research on all of the best extensions, etc. I had heard that extensions can be really damaging to your hair if you get the glue-in extensions, tape-in extensions, or any other extensions that rip out your hair over time, which is why I was so skeptical at first. Shelby reached out to me and she is a certified NBR stylist (NBR stands for Natural Beaded Rows), I looked at her work on her Instagram page and instantly new I wanted to do it. I want to first start off by saying how AMAZING Shelby is as a person and a stylist. I spent around three and half hours, including taking pictures with her and we had way too much fun. I didn’t even know I had been at the salon for three hours because we had so much fun laughing and talking. Shelby explained NBR and the entire process to me before she started putting them in my hair so I knew what to expect up front. She also did such an amazing job of explaining everything to me as we went so I could follow along. She is seriously such a talented stylist and I am definitely making her my new go-to girl for hair!
As I mentioned before, NBR is so much better than doing tape-in, glue-in, or other extension methods because the hair is placed on a “track,” Shelby calls it “hair braces,” which I love because it’s so true and easy to understand when you think of it that way. This track prevents the extensions from ripping out your natural hair when you take them out. The NBR extensions are also so natural looking, which is a must when getting extensions. You don’t want anyone to be able to see clip ins or wefts when they look at your hair. I also love how lightweight they are in my head. Even though I got a full head of extensions put in my hair, it doesn’t feel as heavy as I thought it would, yet my hair looks so full. The NBR extensions are put on the track and then sewed onto the track, which prevents them from slipping out. You can throw your hair up in a pony tail and the extensions won’t slip out and you won’t see the wefts or the track so it’s a win-win!
I honestly didn’t know what to expect before meeting with Shelby and getting the extensions put in my hair. I am beyond shocked at how the texture of the extensions feel compared to my natural hair because it feels the exact SAME! I still can’t believe how natural and real my hair feels, even though I have extensions in. Shelby did 2 rows of 6 wefts, which means I have 12 total. I was shocked at how fast the entire process took because I was expecting it to take double the amount of time that it actually did. Shelby also did an amazing job of matching the extensions to my natural hair and only had to do about 10 foils in my hair total to make it look as natural as possible. She also did foils on the hair framing my face to brighten up the blonde around my face, which I absolutely love! I was also shocked that it didn’t hurt to put the extensions in, at all. I was never in pain while she was putting the extensions in my hair, it just felt tight while she was putting them in and after I left for a couple of hours. I have already slept with them in and it didn’t hurt or feel uncomfortable to sleep in them, which I’m so happy about! I also know that people say they can be itchy for the first few days, but my head has not itched at all.
Another thing I absolutely love about NBR extensions is that you can 100% style your hair and put all of the products in the your hair that you usually use with your natural hair. I will be using the same shampoo and conditioner that I normally use on my natural hair. This shampoo is the best color extending shampoo on the market and it has worked so well with my natural hair so I plan on using it with my extensions as well. I also plan on on using my usual purple shampoo once a week to keep the cool tones in my hair and prevent it from turning gold. Shelby also recommended using hair oil to protect the extensions, which I just bought and will start putting in my hair every day or every other day. I also plan on getting the wefts moved up every 6-10 weeks, depending on how fast my natural hair grows. And yes, your natural hair still grows with the NBR extensions in, which is amazing!
I will finish by saying that because NBR extensions are the best of the best and it costs NBR certified stylists a lot of time and money to learn how to do the technique, the extensions can be very costly. Not to mention, it takes a significant amount of time to match the color to make the extensions look natural and also takes time to insert the extensions. All extension appointments by Shelby require a consultation and she will go over the pricing and process with you. If you are interested, you can reach Shelby by calling Teal Monkey Salon at 623-640-0480.
Now on to the fun part that you’ve all been waiting for, the amazing before and after pictures!
Before Photos:
During Photos:
After Photos:
*None of the photos in this post are edited to provide a true look at what my hair color looks like naturally and with the extensions in*
Final Before and After Pictures:
I am absolutely in love with my hair and have never felt more confident about my hair than I do right now. I highly recommend contacting Shelby about NBR extensions if you are truly interested!
Xoxo,
Jonica