About a months ago, I was introduced to Samantha at Veil of Grace Salon to get Natural Beaded Row (NBR) Hair Extensions. Samantha is AWESOME and very qualified (she is a level 2 NBR stylist). I trust her fully when it comes to my hair. She also colored my hair if you are looking for someone for hair color as well. Little did I know, this extensions technique is allowing me to live my best hair life ever! I’m going to share all about the extensions today, answering TONS of your questions that you’ve had over the past month.
I thought it would just be easiest to jump right in to the questions that you all have asked, and please let me know if you end up having more questions or ones that are unanswered and I’ll add them!
What are NBR Extensions? NBR stands for Natural Beaded Rows. Directly from the NBR website "The hair extensions are placed in rows in the hair by creating a “track” with an exclusive bead and string technique. Wefts are then placed on the track and sewn in." There is absolutely no glue or heat used in this method so the damage to your natural hair is very minimal.
What brand are your extensions? Boyhme. Samantha uses Hand Tied Wefts. What is so great about these wefts are that they are super thin and can lay very flat to the head.
Are your extensions sewn in? Yes, Hand Tied Wefts are meant to be sewn in. The technique that Samatha uses is called NBR Extensions where the wefts are added to your hair by beading and then hand-tying the wefts to your natural hair.
How many wefts did you get? Each client's extension install are different based on their individual hair, their hair goals and their desired length. I have 2 rows, each row has 5 - 6 wefts. This is all dependent on your natural hair and how thick it is already. The rows and wefts vary per persons natural hair.
What color did you get? Samantha evaluates your needs based on your hair goals as well as your natural hair. She bought two blonde tones. One a brighter blonde and one a darker cooler blonde. Samantha does not just color match the wefts and install them. She custom colors and tones the extensions to blend with your own hair.
How long does it last? The install of the extensions need to be retightened every 6-8 weeks, depending on your natural growth. However, when you go in for the second time, you will get the rows moved up rather than purchasing new hair each time! The hair can be replaced anywhere from 6-8 months.
How much does it cost? This is dependent on your hair goals and natural hair, how many rows you get, how much hair is used, the color you want, etc. The best bet is to contact Samantha at Veil of Grace 661.888.1880 or book a hair consultation and she can get back with you a quote.
Can you workout / pull your hair up with these extensions? Yes! All NBR clients will receive a take home care guide for their extensions. I pull my hair into a bun, ponytail, braids, etc all of the time! The way they tie them into your natural hair line and smudge the color makes it to where you can’t see the extensions when styling! I’m obsessed with mine in braids! When styling, they don't recommend that you pull the hair directly back in the direction that the rows are sewn in, either do a high or low pony tail.
Do they damage your hair? I think when you do anything unnatural to your hair, it will damage it over time. This is the LEAST damaging technique for hair extensions, and I have seen very little damage to my hair. The key is to take care of your extensions properly. All care details will be in your take home NBR hair care guide. What products do you recommend for using while having extensions? Here are my current favorites and what I’m using. I love using a curing wand because I have hard to curl hair, I have found Titanium to be best to hold a curl. Some of these are the haircare products that Samantha and her team recommend as well:
What is the upkeep like? Are they hard to wash? How often do you wash? The upkeep isn’t as bad as I thought it might be! A lot of it depends on how may rows and wefts you have installed. They seemed a bit heavy at first until my head got used to them. It obviously takes way more time to dry them than it does without extensions, but then I only wash my hair once a week! Who doesn't love a good dry shampoo!? I have found it easiest to let the hair air dry about 80% and then blow-dry and style.
How long does it take to get in and out? First time clients who are receiving custom color on their own hair, having the extensions colored and installed all in the same day can expect to spend 4 - 5 hours in the salon. If you are just coming back for your bump up appointments (extension re-install only) this can be 1.5 - 2.5 hours. The removal of the extensions can take as little as 5 minutes.
How can I find someone in my area that does NBR Extensions? There is a list of educated/certified specialists, NBR™ Certified Stylists. I wouldn’t recommend going to someone that wasn’t certified! If you are a hairstylist and would like to be certified; see their Become a NBR™ Certified Stylist info page. Also, you can call your local salons in town and ask them if anyone specializes in NBR.
So, NBR extensions are AMAZING! I’m pretty much obsessed with my extensions and even more in love with my color! The color of the hair perfectly matches my own because of Samantha's technique of custom coloring and toning the extensions to blend. I will definitely be keeping up with it as long as I can! Samantha is THE BEST and I feel so blessed to be able to work with her!! Please let me know any other questions you may have and I’ll get them added here! You can find Veil of Grace Salon and Samantha.VeilofGrace on Instagram!
XoXo | Nicole
