Beaded Row (Wefts) Vs. Keratin Bond (K-Tip) Hair Extensions

THE SIMILARITIES

Both hair extension methods offer instant length and thickness to enhance your natural hair. Bonds and beaded rows can both be non-damaging as long as the application is executed with precision and proper home care is taken. Over time, the price is pretty comparable as well. But that is where the similarities end. The two methods vary greatly in nearly every other aspect.

THE DIFFERENCES

1.) THE HAIR

WEFTS are produced in factories where technicians hand-tie strands of hair onto a set of strings to form a single weft. The hair is processed and colored using textile dyes. The raw material is acquired through "brokers" who source the hair to present to the factories for sale. Because the hair is processed and colored in bulk, and each weft is made to a specific weight and length, the finished product could have hair strands from hundreds of different donors. There are many people involved before it gets to the customer. It starts with the donor, then whoever collected the donor's hair, then the broker, then the factory workers, then the US distributor, then me, and finally you. Everyone is essentially taking the brokers word for it that it was "ethically sourced" but there is really no way to trace it. If you are being sold "affordable" hair, there is no way that all those people down the line were compensated fairly. (Want even more info on this? I have a blog post for that!)

Factory-made K-TIPS follow the same path as weft extensions. Most k-tips are factory made. Only a very very small percentage of stylists make their own. And an even smaller amount make their own without still using factory hair. That is why mine are entirely different. I source each bundle myself from a contact I have in Russia. She owns a salon in her home where she is the only employee. She is a resource for those in her area to come in and receive payment for their hair. She personally cuts the hair and compensates the donors. I then review the raw bundles that she has collected and select the ones that I believe are best suited to match. She ships them directly to me from Moscow and I personally craft each ktip extension myself. I have seen her space, I have seen her donors, I can verify that everything was done in a clean and respectable manner. This is the only truly ethical way to do it and the absolute highest quality.

2.) THE APPLICATION

WEFTS are secured to the head by very small silicone-lined metal beads that are placed in a curved row close to your scalp. The beads stay in place by being clamped closed with a small bit of your natural hair inside each one. The hand-tied wefts are then sewn onto the track of beads. We typically layer 3-5 individual wefts on a single row. You usually have 1-3 rows in your hair with about an inch section of your natural hair left out between each row.

KTIPS are considered a strand-by-strand method. A small amount of your natural hair is aligned with a small amount of extension hair. A heat tool is then used to melt a small amount of keratin to fuse the two sections together about an inch down from your scalp. While the keratin is cooling it is rolled into a discreet pearl that hardens and remains in your hair until maintenance time.

3.) DAILY WEAR

WEFTS can go several days between washes and hold their style quite well. When you wash them, they shouldn't remain wet for long periods of time. They are also a bit more fussy with the products you are able to use on them, including things you might not think of, like sunscreen, which can have a reaction with extension hair and turn them pink! This is from the chemical processing they endure during manufacturing. They are also a bit more restrictive with styling as they can be heavy in a ponytail, not easily pulled up halfway, and move more like a single mass when you sway your head.

KTIPS can also go several days between washing but their style holding ability may vary due to the nature of being sourced from a single donor. Just like anyone, some people's hair holds a curl well and others don't. With ktips, we are matching your natural hair type and texture as best as we can, if your natural hair is fine and straight and doesn't hold curl, your donor's hair might not either. But since ktip hair is unprocessed, they are far less picky on the products you use and you have a lot more freedom. You are also able to let your ktips air dry which is a huge advantage, especially if you have wavy or curly hair. Keratin bonds move much more freely and behave more like natural hair.

4.) MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

WEFTS can grow out anywhere from 6-12 weeks depending on your hair type and personal preferences. The reapplication process is very fast at just 1 hour per row. If you need your color touched up, we are able to remove your rows, refresh your color as well as the color on the extension wefts, and reapply your rows in just a few hours.

KTIPS are a more complicated story. To remove them, we crush the bond to release the hair and need to re-bond each strand. This is a tedious and time consuming task. Some opt for having two sets of hair that we switch in and out at each appointment to avoid the extra re-bonding time. If your color needs touched up too, It could be an all day event. Luckily, keratin bonds are able to live in the hair a little longer than wefts. If you have very fine hair and were a "6-weeker" with wefts, you can most likely go to 8 (Just 6 times a year) and if you are used to going 8-10 weeks with wefts, you can look forward to only coming in quarterly (Just 4 times a year!!)

Total hours spent in the salon for two rows, coloring every other time at 8 weeks

21.5 hours over 6 visits (average 3.5 hours per visit)

Total hours spent in the salon for a full set of ktips, coloring every other time, quarterly.

29 hours over 4 visits (average 7.5 hours per visit)

5.) STARTUP COST

One of my most popular beaded row appointments is two rows of 22"s. The total for this is $2800. The same result in ktips would be $3420. Another popular appointment is one row of 18" which is $1070 and ktips would be $1530.

6.) COST OVER TIME

WEFT hair needs to be replaced far more often and also requires more in-salon maintenance appointments. However, I have run the numbers for several situations and several durations, and it truly evens out. Weft hair may be cheaper and the appointments faster, but because you have to come in more often and replace hair more frequently, it will run you the same cost as k-tips overall.

FINAL THOUGHTS

PROS AND CONS OF WEFTS

The biggest PRO to wefts is the speed. The installation is fast and your time in the salon is minimal. Cons to wefts include the shady nature of sourcing the hair, less customization with placement and texture matching, product restrictions, styling restrictions, more frequent salon visits, doesn't move as naturally, and the hair gets "old" faster.

PROS AND CONS OF KTIPS

The weft's biggest "pro" is the keratin bond's biggest "con". Application is meticulous and time consuming. But the PROs are many! Only quarterly visits to the salon, a spot on texture match, truly ethical sourcing you can feel good about, styling versatility, able to be places in more delicate areas, freedom with what products you use, and the most natural movement.

So what should YOU choose?

Since we can essentially eliminate cost as a factor as it is such a tie, It really comes down to what you value most. QUALITY or TIME. If time is your most valuable asset and you can't spend more than a couple hours at the salon, WEFTS is the best option for you as long as your natural hair density can support them, the placement blends for you, and the factory hair is a good match for you texture wise.

But if you would rather visit the salon less often, even if you're there a bit longer at each visit, consider KTIPS. Especially if you crave natural movement, wefts feel heavy on your fine hair, you want to discontinue your support of unethical manufacturing, or any other the other numerous benefits.