Why do My Hair Extensions Hurt?

It is normal to have some discomfort for the first couple days after having your new hair extensions put in. Remember, you’re adding more weight to your scalp. I often compare the feeling to wearing your hair in a ponytail for too long. Additionally, if you’ve ever worn fake nails or eyelashes, you will know what I’m talking about, and you will certainly understand that your body adjusts quickly, and you feel normal before long.

If you think you are experiencing way too much pain, or the feeling is not going away after about a week, here are a few reasons why this might be occurring:

1) Sensitive Scalp

You may be someone with a super sensitive scalp, and it could take a little longer to adjust to wearing extensions. We tell our clients that if the extensions are still bothering you after two weeks, it’s time to come in so your stylist can take a look to see what’s going on. Your stylist may suggest fewer extensions, or loosen your extensions a bit so they are more comfortable.

If the pain is limited to one spot, your extension stylist can simply move the extensions to another area.

2) Improper Installation

If you did not have your extensions properly installed, they will cause pain and discomfort. Proper installation will ensure the extensions aren’t placed too close to your scalp, and that enough of your natural hair is used to support the weight of the extension.

Going to see a certified and properly educated extension stylist is CRUCIAL. If you go to someone who doesn’t really know what they are doing, I can assure you that you will run into a ton of problems. Most people that have complaints with their extensions have gone to someone who isn’t certified and doesn’t know what they are doing.

3) Wrong Type of Extensions

This is most commonly the case in thin hair. Thick hair can support a wide variety of extensions, but thin hair is limited in extension options. As a general rule, the thinner your hair is, the lighter and smaller you want your extensions to be. Thin hair is more fragile and doesn’t have the strength to hold bigger types of extensions. In very thin or fragile hair, we only ever suggest Nano-bead extensions; they are one of the lightest types of extensions available, and will not increase stress on the hair follicle.

4) Your Extensions Weigh Too Much

It is possible that too many extensions were installed, and your natural hair cannot support the extra weight. You need to be realistic when getting extensions. If you have very thin hair naturally, don’t expect to come out looking like Beyonce. Your stylist should tell you how many extensions your hair is able to hold. Getting more than that can cause damage to your hair. Think about it like this: you walk into a salon with black hair and want it coloured to platinum blonde. Any properly educated stylist will tell you that you need to lighten your hair in stages to avoid damage. But there are those that will go ahead and try to do it in one day, causing irreversible damage. Extensions are the same in that you need to be realistic and follow your stylist's advice.

Another important factor is how much EACH extension weighs. For example, you may have thin hair and think, “perfect - I need Nano bead extensions.” The problem here is that there are many different Nano bead extensions out there. You want to pay attention to the weight of each extension strand. For example, a hair extension strand that weighs 0.8 grams will be better, and healthier, for thin hair than a strand that weighs 1 or even 2 grams. We only ever use a 0.8 gram extension strand as we find that weight is most suitable for thin to regular hair thickness.