Over the past 7+ years, I’ve had everything from clip in, keratin bonded, braided/sewn in, individual strands attached by silicone beads and now hand tied weft extensions. I swear, I’ve experimented with pretty much all of it (besides tape ins) and I’ve had both good and bad experiences.
Out of all the different extension methods I’ve tried, I had the best experience with and used Dream Catcher hair (individual strands attached by a silicone bead) the longest.
Right around the time we moved to Houston, I was in need of new hair but was struggling to find a salon/stylist that was certified in the Dream Catcher technique and who wasn’t going to charge me an absurd amount. With little luck and one bad experience with a stylist I found on Yelp, I decided I was ready to try a different method/brand of hair.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the Instagram influencers with mermaid like hair, who use the Hair by Chrissy x Habit Hand Tied Extensions. I have slightly fine hair and was looking for both length + volume, so I decided that the Habit Hand Tied Wefts seemed like the perfect hair for me.
I’ve been wearing the Habit hair for a little 5 months now and I am enjoying it, but there are a few things I wish I would have known prior to making the transition from Dream Catchers to Habit hair. Of course, both brands have their pros/cons, but I think it’s extremely important to do your research and really consider which method will work best on your hair, your price range and the hair type that goes with your lifestyle.
Here are some of the pros/cons I’ve experienced with both brands:
PROS:
- Durable
I never felt like I had to be super delicate or hold back from doing something, like swimming or putting it up after getting super sweaty in a workout class.
- Longevity
The hair (easily) lasts 12 months or longer. After a year, you can send your hair back to Dream Catchers, pay a small re-tipping fee and they’ll redo the bond that holds the hair together. Doing so, buys you extra time, which is super nice when you’re in need of new hair and not ready to cough up a big chunk of change.
- Quality
The quality of this hair was amazing. I never felt like the ends looked dead and I could straighten it, go swimming and then curl it and it still looked fresh and shiny. Over the course of a year, my hair took a beating and it never once looked damaged or fried.
CONS:
- Limited Stylists
In both Atlanta and Houston, I had a really hard time finding a stylist that was certified in Dream Catcher extensions. They have a salon locator on their website, but the information is so outdated. I had to call at least 25 salons until I found a salon with a certified stylist.
- Hair Loss
Like all permanent extensions, if they’re done incorrectly, you can loose a ton of hair. I never ran into this issue, but my mom (who has extremely fine hair) swears that she lost tons of hair after having Dream Catchers.
- Can take forever to apply
The stylist that worked on my hair before I decided to stop using Dream Catchers took over 6 hours to do a maintenance service– which is a catastrophically long time and should take less than two hours. That being said, not everyone is super fast at installing them and the install can take anywhere from 4-5 hours. If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone (like my girls in both CA & AZ) that will have you done in less than 2 hours.
- Hard to Hide When Wearing Different Styles
The beads are definitely not easy to hide, which was one of the main reasons I decided to switch from Dream Catchers.
PROS:
- Thickness (see cons)
I was able to achieve that mermaid-like thickness that I mentioned above and can rock some voluptuous braids, a bouncy high pony and awesome beach waves. However, because my hair is so thick, I get a headache after wearing it in a ponytail for to long.
- Tons of Different Style Options
Because the wefts are a million times easier to hide than the beads, I can wear my hair in all different styles.
- Length
When I tried to wear my hair super long with any other extension, it was hard to blend the extension hair with my real hair and ended up looking stringy. With these, I was able to get the 22’ extension and have my hair blend seamlessly, with little to no layering of the extension.
CONS:
- Sold out constantly
One of the biggest downfalls when trying to order this hair is that it’s almost always sold out.
- So expensive
I originally ordered one pack of hair and was disappointed at how little hair was in the package. I new there was no way it was going to be enough to achieve the thickness I was hoping for, so I bought a second pack. Between the install and purchasing the hair, these were the most expensive extensions I’ve ever worn. If you’re thinking about ordering these, be prepared to pay a pretty penny.
- Super Tangled
My main complaint about these extensions is how tangled they get. Regardless of how often I brush my hair and how much conditioner/detangler I apply, my hair is constantly knotted.
- Life Span
Although I’ve only had these extensions for a few months, it doesn’t seem that the life span will be as good as the Dream Catchers. I can already tell a difference in the hair from when I originally purchased it.
- Delicate
I never once felt like I needed to be delicate or hold back from doing something when I had my Dream Catcher extensions. When my hairstylist was applying these, she advised against getting them wet in the pool or ocean, and said that if they came in contact with either to deep condition/apply a mask to them ASAP.
Obviously, I am a total advocate for extensions and think the bigger the hair the better. However, I am begging you to do your research and make sure that you can fit the hair, installation, maintenance and products into your budget. They are a huge investment! Also, go to a few different consultations and look into different brands before deciding on one. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or want to know anything else about my experiences.