Sewing in wefts of hair is one of the oldest methods around when it comes to extensions. Even though weft extensions have been around for a long time, their mainstream popularity has spiked over the last couple of years. This is understandable when you start scrolling through Instagram and seeing all of these “hand tied weft” extension makeover posts, they look amazing! But with that being said, a common misconception that clients can have is referring to hand tied extensions, or requesting and appointment for such, is what the physical application of the hair extensions is called. It can be easy to think this, as the weft of hair is sewn into the clients own hair and the thread is then tied off to secure it. But this is not what “hand tied” is actually referring to. The “hand tied” refers to the way that the hair extensions themselves are made. Hand tied wefts are produced by manually tying hair to the extension seam and knotting it in place by hand. This method allows to create a very strong, but much thinner weft in comparison to machine tied.

As it sounds by the namesake, machine tied wefts are produced by using an industrial sewing machine to attach hair to the weft. Because the sewing machine would require the weft to be big enough to grip while sewing the hair to it, machine tied wefts are heavier and denser that hand tied wefts are. Hand tied wefts can be made much finer than machine wefts can, and because of this stylists are able to layer more hand tied hair without putting extra weight and tension on the clients hair and scalp.

Cost

Hand tied wefts cost more than machine tied, because with any artisan product they are much more labor intensive to make. It takes much more time for a person to produce the hair by hand than it does to feeding hair into a machine.

Which one is for me?

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Just like with any other form of extension work, the canvas that you are starting with and what the goal is determines what the best method for the results you are looking to achieve. Anyone that has thick, denser textured hair are good candidates for machine wefts as those that already have thick hair can hide the slightly bulkier nature of it. If someone has fine, delicate hair, hand tied will be the most comfortable and natural looking option to go with.

Integrity

As with all the other companies that we work with in the salon, we care about the business practices and whether or not the hair we use is ethically sourced. What does that mean exactly? It can mean slightly different things with different companies, but at the end of the day it still stands for fair trade practices. For example, the company Great Lengths sources all of the hair it uses from donations of 100% virgin hair made to Indian temples. The proceeds from the purchase of the hair is then used to support local charitable causes that assist those in that area including food and housing. Covet & Mane sources their hair from people living in the Western regions of China. These people are fairly compensated for their hair which is a vital part of the local economy, and oftentimes the compensation far exceeds what they would normally make in a month.