I Have Extensions In My Dreads And They Keep Falling Out

At the salon you likely will get clients that will say “I have extensions in my

dreads and they keep falling out”.  This is not something you want happening to you.  Besides, it traumatizes those groups who accepted that your hair grew overnight and now, you may have a life-threatening medical condition that is making you lose your hair!

I cringe when I see those Instagram videos where they attach dreads for

people with short hair.  After, they put the hair in these fly hairstyles that have you Googling and Youtubing for your hairstylist life. But how long is that video?  Usually they show a brief part of the work and you never see how the hair looked the next week!  

The reasons some will say ”I have extensions in my dreads and they keep falling out” vary for each  

person but here are the more popular ones:

Hair is too short

On Instagram you can see stylists attaching three feet long loc extensions on less than two inches of hair.  It can be done but when I do additions on hair this short, I will do some sewing to make it more secure.  Also, if the client has straighter hair than a super curly 4C hair, it will fall out.  I tell the client to wait until there is more length.  The money is not enough to get an annoyed client.  If they go elsewhere to have it done, they come back because you gave them the right advice anyway.

Styling the hair too early

When dread extensions are just put in, they look like dreads but they are not ready for the twists and turns of these loc styles on social media.  Depending on the style, one loc has the weight of 3 or 4 more locs sitting on it for an extended period.  Clients will leave that style in for weeks and expect the loc to remain the same.  I ask clients to not make styles in their hair in the first three months to avoid this happening.

• Extension is too big for the section of hair

Often the client will buy extensions which end up being thicker than their hair. Choosing the proper size extensions for your hair is very important.   When in doubt, I suggest doing the dreads first and adding the extensions later.

• Extension is too heavy

The longer the extensions are, the more weight on the head.  This can cause the hair to fall out and maybe take some of yours with it.

• The Area where the extension is attached was not done  firmly enough

The point at which the extension is attached should be firm or it will slowly become loose and fall out.  Where the addition is done, it must be firm if you give it a tug.