MONTREAL - Women have been tempted by the lure of having an instantly fuller mane with the help of hair extensions, but experts advise them to proceed with caution.
In some disastrous cases, artificial hair integration can result in hair loss and scalp damage, as some Montrealers have found out the hard way.
Anik Proulx, for one, spent $500 to have the extra strands connected and left the salon delighted with her new look.
But after she hit the shower, the hair became a gnarly mess which required prompt removal.
Taking out the added hair was a painful experience, which caused her to pull out much of her natural hair in the process.
“It took me about an hour to detangle my hair. So I lost a lot of hair,” she said.
Fungus can also grow in hair fixed with extensions, as in some cases the scalp can start to lack exposure to oxygen, causing would-be Goldilocks to look more like mouldy-locks.
“We have many, many horror stories with extensions,” said Abisara Machold of the Inhairitance Salon, which is particularly popular with an Afro-Canadian clientele.
“We see people gluing in their hair, the skin coming off the skin coming off with the glue. Alopecia is one of the biggest problems with black women using weaves, using extensions, using hair pieces.”
A reckless approach can have permanent consequences, as some have found.
The hair hassles have led some to decide to simply let their hair be.
“I just cut off my hair and went natural and that was five years ago and I don't regret it,” said Adwoa Duffuor of Inhairitance Salon.
