Extensions and Slower Hair Growth

Hairdresser applying hair extensions
Photo: Mary Berkasova/Shutterstock
Q: Will hair extensions make your hair grow slower? One of my friends had hair extensions, and it looks like her hair stopped growing. After removal of the extensions, her hair was shorter than ever before.
 
A: Usually, extensions can be a practical way to deal with your hair as you grow it out. However, if they aren't properly installed or cared for, they can cause serious damage. This leads to breakage and thinning. In severe cases, prolonged strain on the roots can cause permanent follicle damage known as traction alopecia.
 
What likely happened with your friend is that her hair was growing normally, but she wasn't retaining that new length. Or she experienced an optical illusion upon removal. Below is a breakdown of why this happens.
 

1. Length Retention vs. Hair Growth

Hair grows from the root underneath your scalp at its normal rate (about half an inch or 1.25 cm per month). However, if the ends or mid-shafts break off because of heavy extensions, friction, or improper removal, your overall hair length doesn’t change. The hair is growing, but it breaks as fast as it grows.
 

2. Visual Illusion and Disappearing Length

Wearing extensions makes it very hard to see how long your real hair is. As your natural hair grows, the extension’s attachment point moves downward from the scalp while continuing to give you extra length. When the extensions are removed, all of that length disappears instantly, making your natural hair look much shorter by comparison.
 

3. Trapped Shedding

The average person naturally sheds between 50 and 100 hairs every single day. When you have extensions, these naturally shed strands cannot fall to the floor. They remain locked inside the bond or braid. When the extensions are finally removed, hundreds of accumulated hairs fall out all at once. This shedding often alarms people into thinking the extensions pulled all their hair out, even when the density loss is completely normal.
 

4. Falling Behind on Care

As your natural hair grows, the extension’s attachment point moves further away from the scalp. This increases the leverage and weight strain on your roots. Leaving extensions in past their recommended timeframe (typically 6 to 8 weeks) causes the hair to tangle above the bond and snap under the uneven weight distribution.
 
Hair extensions do not slow down the speed at which your hair grows. The real issues are preventing breakage, proper maintenance, and the shock of losing artificial length and trapped shed hair all at once.
 
If you notice real thinning, scalp pain, or small bumps near the roots, the extensions are putting too much stress on the hair and must be adjusted or removed immediately.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
How fast hair grows
 
Will hair extensions make me go bald?
 
When you have extensions, does your hair still grow?