Monday, July 14, 2008

Top 10 Short Hair Extension Features & Tips

Are you looking for the perfect short hair cut? Or maybe you need a few tips on hair care, fashion, beauty, style or how to manage and maintain the hair style you already have? If so, you've found the right place to begin exploring all the fun and news about hair.

A short hair style that suits you and your lifestyle can dramatically change the way you feel and look-- it can boost your confidence, make you look younger, and reduce the amount of time and money you spend on hair care.

Short Hair ExtensionsA good short hair cut has the right proportions and includes all the basic elements of balance, line and movement. The cut should be manageable and the hair should look great in its natural form even before it is styled. Selecting a short hair cut style means choosing from curly styles, layered hair cut, bobs, and bangs, among many options.

Knowing the shape of your face will help you choose the short hair cut style that is right for you and will also help you to communicate better with your hair stylist. And good communication is key to a successful outcome at the salon!


The Right Hair Cut:

Short Hair Cut
Choosing the right hair cut is part technique and part art. The first step in finding the right hair style always comes down to determining facial structure.

Each face has its own unique structure. The shape of your face and head has a major role to play in the type of hair style you can wear best.

Short Hair Cut Style Knowing the shape of your face before you head to the salon will help you choose the right hair style and will help you to communicate better with your stylist.

The Right Haircut for Your Face:

Diamond Face: Narrow forehead, small pointy chin, and wide cheeks.

Heart face: Wide, short forehead, and small pointy chin.

Oval face: High forehead and narrow, slightly rounded chin.
Haircut & Style: This is the most balanced face shape and almost perfect for any type of hair style.

Rectangle face: Long face with high forehead and long jaw and chin. Also known as long face shape.

Round face: Wide, short forehead, full jaw and chin.

Square face: A wide, short forehead and square jaw.

Triangular face: Narrow at the temples, slightly wider at the cheeks and widest at the jaw line.

Remember to note distinctive features like your nose, cheekbones, or jaw line. You can then decide to downplay or highlight these features with the short hair cut style you choose. The real trick is to pick hairstyles that enhance your best features while camouflaging any flaws.

Please remember that this face shape concept is only a simple hair cut guide and there are exceptions. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish two face shapes from each other and you may not get an exact match. But usually these classifications of face shapes will help you select a better style for your face.

Many celebrities like Keira Knightley who are constantly changing their strands, will opt for wigs and half-wigs to do an instant hair alteration.

When it comes to films and taking on new roles, actresses are used to being required to alter their natural hair length, style and color for the character they are playing.

Keira is no stranger to hair extensions although she appeared to let her hair grow out on its own as demonstrated by her appearance at the 78th Academy Awards lunch in early 2006, approximately one year after her short haircut made its dramatic debut.

Based on the length of her hair one year later, it is most likely that Keira was wearing her own carefully grown out tresses.

Right Hair Cut in Short Hair Extensions
Keira's short haircut could best be described as a cross between a graduated bob and a long cap. It was definitely very flattering for the young beauty.

Keira has an oval face shape although depending on how thin her face it, her chin may be more prominent at times.

The front of her hair was long and draped from mid crown down and over one eye. Her cut had great face framing angles, especially around the sides which was a great silhouettes. Her hair was cut much shorter at the nape of the neck.

Shampoo and condition your hair with your normal products designed for your current hair type, texture and condition.

If your hair is highlighted like Keira's (if you look closely you will see Keira's subtle highlights and lowlights. use either a moisture enhanced or color enriched formula. If your hair is dry from chemical processing, consider diluting the shampoo formula to protect your strands.

Many times the hair extensions are so artfully applied that they are completely concealed on the short hair of the person they are applied to.

Hair extensions and wigs have been used since they were first invented to make it easy for anyone with short hair to instantly morph into a look of long strands.

Besides adding length to short strands, hair extensions can also add much needed volume for fine or thinning tresses. They can also be used to add instant hair color when the goal is to try on a new hue but skip the chemical damage cycle.

One of the most challenging aspects of attaching extensions to short styles is making sure that there is enough native hair on the scalp to actually attach the add-on strands. Some hair extension experts will refuse to apply hair extensions to native hair that is short. This is because they feel that they can not get the results that they desire or they may be frustrated by the inability to easily merge the add-on strands with the natural hair.

There are a number of ways that hair extensions are applied including fusion, a variety of locks and when hair is long enough, pinch braiding.

The most popular method of applying hair extensions to super short strands is through a form of glue or fusion. The biggest challenge with adding extensions to short hair is making sure that it blends well so that the add-on strands do not stand out. A low key blending is the goal.

A talented hair extension expert will usually require that you have at least 1 inch of hair in order to have extensions applied. The native hair length would also be required for add-on ponytails or braids. Keep in mind that there needs to be something for the add-on tresses to be able to grip onto and hold in place.

When native hair is super short, the extensions must not be too long or too heavy or they can not be effectively anchored to the existing native hair. If the natural hair is too short to hold extensions, consider a light and airy lace-front wig.


Top Ten Tips for Short Hair:

Top Ten Tips for Short Hair

1.) Research:
Once you commit to going short – do your homework! There are many interpretations of short hair from “boyish crops”, to soft textured layers. Look in magazines and consult to find the elements of what pleases you.

2.) Talent search:
Make sure that the person you choose to remove your length has a flair for the shorter looks. Making short hair work appropriately is a balance of shape, texture, products, and respect for fabric. Make sure you and your stylist are on the same page.

3.) Commitment to maintenance:
Short hair not only requires more trips to the salon to maintain the look, but also may require more work or different skills than you are used to. Short hair is not a license to always go care-free. Often it may take more work to bring short styles to life.

4.) Consider your fabric:
Since you are removing hair as well as bulk, you must determine if the desired end result will be complimentary to your hairs’ fabric. Like clothing, a skirt made of wool, and a skirt made of silk will have a different drape and flow, so make sure the two elements blend for your style.

5.) Consider your face shape:
The beauty of short hair is you can tweak the shape to enhance or distract from certain features. However, since you now have less hair to deal with, consider what you want to bring to the forefront and what you want to diminish when determining your chosen face shape, and make sure you have enough hair left to achieve your goal!

6.) Consider the feeling:
Once your hair is short, styling products can become your best friend as it will allow you to change the “feeling” of the cut. From dramatic sleek looks by slicking your hair back, to adding waxes or pastes to create the “funk-factor”, lesser lengths free up your creativity to achieve a variety of moods.

7.) Compliment with color:
Strategic placement of interesting hair color effects can add even more dramatic response to your crop. Multi-dimensional color tricks, balayage, or foils will give your hair interest and excitement.

8.) Compliment with texture:
Once heavy or lifeless hair may now respond better to texturizing chemicals and hot tools. Also where in the past texturizing from cutting tools may have been treacherous, may now be your lifesaver. Spot perms in the crown may add lift, or a quick twist of a curling iron, may help you tackle some of Mother Nature’s greatest challenges.

9.) Don’t be afraid to take baby steps:
If you have not had short hair in a while or at all, it may take getting used to. Do not feel you have to shear it all off in one sitting. You may benefit from going from collar bone, to mid neck, to jaw line, to a crop in successive visits. No need to commit all at once as the journey of finding the perfect short cut may be just as fun!

10.) Take a lap through the mall:
If you are new to short hair and have recently shorten your locks, your longer hair is no longer hiding your face. Makeup and jewelry can really tie the whole picture together. Compliment your look with the right amount of makeup as short hair becomes a more pertinent part of your face rather than an adornment thereof. Complimenting your look with makeup and earrings makes your short hair a statement of sexy confidence, rather than one of convenience.

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