What Is The Difference Between Hand Tied Wefts & Skin Wefts?

As weft hair extensions gain momentum in the hair extension industry, new  types of wefts enter the marketplace, the latest weft is the "skin weft."  The skin weft differs from hand-tied wefts in a variety of ways, most importantly, the attachment area (weft).  The skin weft, a.k.a. "hybrid weft" is made of a silicone injected attachment.  They are deemed to lay flat, mold to the head shape, and do not slip as easily as hand-tied or machine wefts.  They are essentially a machine weft (same size), with a flat attachment.  If you are familiar with tape extensions, the attachment area is pretty much the same.

Hand Tied Hair Extensions

Hand-tied hair contains approximately 20 grams of hair in various lengths, tied to a tiny string of yarn.  The string is very thin, and numerous wefts can be stacked upon one another to create volume and unique color combinations.  The individual strands of hair on the hand-tied wefts are very thin and blend especially well with fine hair.  Superior quality hand-tied hair is "double drawn," as it sounds contains double the amount of hair, as well as is thick from the root to the end of the hair extensions.  The downfall is the weft can not be cut without unraveling and losing the hair attached to it.  Therefore, expert sectioning must be created by an experienced hair stylist to create a perfect fit. Hand-tied hair extensions can last from 6 months to 1 year based on how well they are cared for. 

How Many Rows Will You Need?

The average person seeking both length & volume may need 3 to 4 rows, within the rows maybe 2 to 4 wefts of hand-tied hair.  

Skin Wefts

The skin weft has approximately a 1/4" attachment area, which is several times wider than hand-tied wefts, which makes stacking, creating volume, and mixing color difficult.  There are hair extension suppliers that offer "volume wefts," which contain 30 grams of hair per weft, but still difficult to stack and hide the attachment within the hair. The average width of skin wefts is 15 inches, and they can be cut. 

How Many Rows Will You Need?

Skin wefts are often sold from 60 to 120 grams bags which can be cut to fit each row of the hair.  More rows may be needed since each weft contains a smaller amount of hair than hand-tied.  The average person needs 4 to 6 rows.

Why Hand Tied Wefts?

If volume and perfect hair color blending is your goal, hand-tied hair extensions are easier to customize.  Like many who desire hair extensions, your hair may be on the fine side, the fine strands will definitely create a more natural blend. Hand-tied wefts are more delicate than their counterpart (skin wefts & machine wefts) which may lead to the extensions not lasting as long. Although, with proper maintenance, the playing field is equalized.

Why Skin Wefts?

Skin wefts work well on thick hair which is more resilient and able to hold several rows of hair.  Also, thick hair will hide the attachment better than fine hair.  The skin weft is more durable than hand-tied wefts which may lead to longer-lasting hair extensions.

Unfortunately, there is no governing agency ruling over the quality of the hair extensions you purchase.  In many cases, you get what you pay for, but this is not always the case. Always seek out virgin hair or 100% Remy human hair.  Researching your stylist/salon is a good place to start; read online reviews and ask which hair extension supplier they work with.  You can then research the hair extension supplier and research their online presence and reviews.  We also offer alternative hair extensions such as the keratin-tipped and Veila pull-thru method.

The next step is to ask your stylist for referrals.  An experienced salon will have lots of clients you can reach out to and share their experiences.  It is best to do your research prior to extension application since some salons may not offer replacement hair.  

We stand by our quality and service.  We try to avoid a problematic experience by offering intensive consultations to ensure you are a candidate for hair extensions.  We then offer a free two-week check-in where your hair extensions are evaluated and potential issues are addressed early on.  Our clients are welcome to check-in at our salon or online at any time.  Written instructions are given to clients, and an array of hair extension-friendly products are available.

Hair extension quality is paramount in any method you choose.  At-home care and avoiding bleach and high heat will keep your extensions healthy.

Maintenance

An area that is often overlooked is the maintenance aspect of hair extensions. Keratin hair extensions as previously mentioned offer a high-end result, however, the Veila Pull-thru Extensions win out on the maintenance front. Since they use a crochet hook to "pull-thru" strands of hair and then get attached with silicon-covered microbeads, which uses a special hair extension tool to close and open them - the customer service experience ensures no damage to your hair. Combined with Virgin hair extension, both the product and service experience is superior with the Veila extensions with the look and feel. Hairstyling, hair care products, weight, and sheen will produce the highest customer satisfaction.

If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences, feel free to reach out to us.