Sometimes we just want to save a little money, and for some of those times it just isn’t worth it. A college student in Houston tried to save some money on her hair extensions*, and it ended up costing her a ton of pain and hair loss.
Human hair extensions* generally cost a pretty penny, but on the black market you can get the hair for a fraction of that cost. You can save even more money if you just get someone to do you a favor on the install. Brittney Dever who is just 22 years old told her local station in Houston that she took the cheap route and did just that with her installation:
“I went to someone’s house. She installed a weave-in cap in my hair,” Devers said.
She paid $60.00 and got some beach waves. Two weeks into enjoying her new hair, she had an infection:
“Two weeks later, I was lying down, and there was blood on my pillow,” Devers said.
When she started removing the hair, her real hair came out with it, and she said it smelled so horrible she was nauseated. She went to a salon for help because we can imagine she had no clue about what was really going on with her hair. The owner of Natural Resources salon Tamika Fletcher, who Brittney consulted with, said she couldn’t believe the pictures when she saw them.
“It seemed like the weave was pulled too tight and opening her scalp and exposing her scalp. I think there could have been a possibility of the utensils being unclean or unsanitary.”
Her hair had become filled with infection, with a sever abscess on the crown of her head. Now Dever is partially bald and never wears her hair out, and has been going to a reputable salon to get help with her hair.
The college student had a warning for her fellow weave wearers:
“Go to a salon, that’s sanitary, that’s clean. It’s worth spending the extra money because you get what you pay for. Going to someone’s home to get the extra service may not be the best idea. You can end up losing instead of gaining,” Dever said.
In this case it would seem as if the extensions* were the cause of the problem – at least that’s how the news has reported it, but it was more about where she got her hair done than the hair itself. The warning is the same, make sure you get your hair from a reputable place, and get it installed at a reputable place. We say spend the money, or leave the weave alone!
Tracy McCoy says
I don’t think it was the hair either. It probably had more to do with unsanitary installation practices or the health of her scalp before she got the weave.
Jamillah Birleast says
Oh nooo!!! That’s horrible
MsGucci Versace says
Sho is lol .but the way u said it tho.lol funny
Andrea MoonPearl Banks says
Stay away from that mess!
Leticia 'Choc' Joshua says
You must take care of your hair under these installations….keep a healthy scalp and keep the braid loose
Sade Coke says
That’s when I do my installs I treat my clients hair and don’t braid it extra tight a install should be comfortable and helping the hair grow and be healthy. In this case I read she went to someone’s house for the install so yes it could’ve been from sanitary reasons and hair being tight
Mavis Butt says
This sad but true. A lady died here after the hair extension she used was infested with body eating bacteria. It was that the hair was taken from a corpse. Be careful women.
Chavon Corvette says
Wow are you serious??? That’s crazy.
MsGucci Versace says
Wat do mean it was taking from a dead women?? Who in the world would use hair from a dead women?
Peggy Seldon Harris says
My hair is bald like thst due to me wearing a ponytail. Have een trying diffrent products and no results. Help!!!!!!
Brena Grison says
get rid of the ponytail, wear ur hair natural if u can. Braids r even better. I just took my ponytail out forever. My hair was thinning on the sides too bad
Chavon Corvette says
Well this will be my first and last install In my hair.
Mavis Butt says
Try hairfinity and biotin
Christina J says
Thanks for the article Petra! This is great info to know…and this is really sad. Wow 🙁
Brina Berry says
Whoa!
Wanda Simmons says
Thats why i dont wear weave
Natasha Johnson says
Somethings are just worth paying that higher price! Also another reason to go to a professional!
Mayia Barnes says
You need to CLEAN your utensils at home as well. U can’t use nasty combs, brushes, clips and pins and expect not to get an infection.
Shaniece Glamazon Hayes says
Ewwwww. But how could she not tell that her scalp was open. Like how she not feel it.
Timothy Regina Sanders says
Ohhhh wow!!! that’s scary that why I just wear my own hair cause weave cause alot of damage!!!!
Jazzie Ink'dUp says
I am so done with weaves…ugh. My skin was crawling
Trew Williams says
Ladies, the so called human hair, is sprayed with various chemicals, when you sweat all those chemicals, get into your system through the scalp. Basically, it is a way to slowly kill you. My challenge is stop wearing weaves and synthetic hair. Wear your hair. Peace
Jedidiah Vanhook says
That’s the problem, these young girls who never went to cosmetology school don’t know how to sanitize and disinfect the tools or hands! They give us real hairstylist that still do hair from home a bad name!
lilly Moore says
It is not just the young girls who this pertains to!
Ni-Ni Patterson says
I have been saying this for years. The process in which you install, apply, use, remove, etc products and weaves can all cause hair loss and create major medical issues as well. If you know what you are doing, there shouldn’t be any problems. This is NOT and never has been a problem only experienced by those of us who CHOOSE to relax our hair, which is the lie spreading like wildfire throughout the nhc community. Stop blaming everything else for why you have no edges, bald spots, and thin hair not due in part to your your genes, when your actions caused such an outcome.
All in all, in this situation, it’s messed up that it happened to her and happens to others who trust their hair in the hands of others, whether certified professionals or not. I was informed when I first saw others posting this story that the weave was deep discounted selling on the black market. You have to be cautious buying from anywhere because it could happen to anyone.
Chantese Shaw says
Oh hell
Tammie Faulkner Taylor says
I don’t care if you’re weaved, wigged or natural, you HAVE to use some common sense and take care of your scalp.
Mocha B Williams says
It’s some holes in this story leading up to infection she didn’t feel anything a smell that will make you nauseous doesn’t happen overnight
Jessie Jay says
On the bright side, she can always take hairfinity and it will grow back!
Phyre Naneeka says
I’ve been natural 8 years and have hair 1/2 down my back….couldn’t pay me to do wigs, weaves, or anything that’s not mine….so sad
Loraine H. Anderson says
OMG
Kelly Jamila says
hmm.. so pay $60 to get it done at someone’s house by someone who does this as a hobby OR go to salon and get it done by a pro who does this for their job and pay $200+++ ^^; eh..ill just stick to wigs or my own hair 😛
Jackie Lulu says
RED ALERT BE WARNED!!! TOO MANY OF THESE STORIES APPEARING NOW!!!!
Carina Desiree Brooks-King says
Never go to a bootlegger only LICENSED , PROFESSIONALS in a SALON
Mavis Butt says
Yes dead women. They took the hair from a dead woman to make the wig. Which is not suppose to happen. There are bad people in this world trying to take this opportunity to make money whether rain or shine. In the end the lady had maggots eating hair sculp. I will try to find a copy of that news paper.
Ernestine Long says
How dirty can tools be or get for this to happen I’ve never heard of this
Ni-Ni Patterson says
You have to be joking. There are scalp diseases that can seriously harm you. And if you are next in line to get your hair done after someone who has lice and some are in the same tools being used on your hair (if they haven’t been disinfected) there is a chance you can get lice too, especially if it’s the eggs.
Brena Grison says
looks like they pulled the weave to tight, the scalp probably became red, inflamed cutting off the circulation of blood causing the skin to become infected and sores to form
Brena Grison says
skin need to b free and breathe
Anna Ogonji Smith says
Who ever did that had no clue in installing hair! I’ve seen plenty of at home stylist that would never do that!
lilly Moore says
Point being is that any tools used on our scalp or our must be sanitized. People can be unsanitary whether they are working in a salon or from their home.
Sandra Dauphin says
It’s just sad all around. It’s really disgusting the extent that some of us will go to just to walk around with some fake shit on our heads. Either it was some nasty hair weave that came from lord knows where, processed under whatever conditions and dutifully sent to her weave supplier, or it was sewed in too tight to begin with. Let’s say it wasn’t the weave and let’s blame it on the installation… You want this “look” so much that you will put up with an excruciatingly tight ass sew in? I guess the struggle is just that real.
Aurore Michel says
Damn!!!!!
Robin Wilson says
Damn
Shaughnessy King says
Yikes!!! That’s rough!! :/ This is why I wear my hair naturally!!
Michelle Wilson-Gibson says
Lies all lies that ain’t the same scalp
Carolyn Burnett Durham says
It doesn’t matter if the cause was the hair extensions, bad installation or unclean utensils, it’s just a bad idea to put someone else’s hair in your head. We need to stop this practice and wear and be proud of our own natural hair. It’s easier to keep clean and all the extreme amount of money spent in beauty shops can be saved for your child’s college education. We need to get our priorities in the right order!
lilly Moore says
I totally disagree! It is everyone’s personal decision to decide what they want to do with their hair. Wearing weave hair does not mean danger to your scalp or your hair if it is installed professionally or properly. Whether a person chooses to wear hairweave, a wig or their own hair they must keep their hands, their tools, their scalp and hair clean to avoid hair and scalp infections. Furthermore, whether you decide to wear your hair natural, permed/relaxed or with weave you should pay attention to your finances. This is an important issue for people with children and without children.
Ann says
People are free to do as they please .. Wearing weave wigs etc .. Doesn’t mean that their kids have no college money or what have you!
It’s a choice! Just like some choose to not wear it that’s their business.. Don’t know someone because they do, prioritizing doesn’t only have to do with hair .. Some one could be spending on clothing,bags,& shoes so don’t just blame it on hair.
Bottom line its a choice like everything else!
Adrienne Denise Bush says
So Sad I’m glad I don’t wear that stuff in my head all natural…
Valerie Baxter says
Yikes
Stacy Tucker says
Well the same thing happen to me in 1992 (freeze curls ponytail) n the weave was installed at a well know hair salon n my city. She’s right about the smell it’s a horrible smell. But if your stylist cut your hair right it can be covered and I wear short cuts just did the big chop last month
Trisha Hizwifeonly Harris says
Wow
Teekee Mack says
Tension applied to living tissue causes TRAUMA.
Even light pulling causes gradual trauma… so why do we continue to rationalize the foolishness?
Simple Science… for those of us who weren’t ditching class.
Cynthia Jones Goings says
Not worth it. Wear your own hair.
Mika Sampson Rowell says
Scary…I wish woman didn’t feel the need for hair weaves. I do understand that woman crave change from time to time.
Nikeisha Lovelace says
I like wearing weave but one thing I do before getting in anyone’s seat is I go in the shop and look around. I also stick with that one person. Research, Research, Research.
Sundrall Mcgriff says
Exactly, everybody can’t do hair. I don’t care if they have a license!
Jasmine Lockett says
That why I don’t were weave.that will pull you hair out.
Frankie Parson says
It’s all about the stylist the love and passion as well I don’t do weave I have people who come through that have not taking weave on time nor braids it’s all about how the client take care of it
RHStudio says
All of my clients hair grow out, and very well from installs… I can’t see how this happened.
And I also encourage them to wash their hair weekly
Love Nurture Grow says
Whoa! I’m sorry that happened to her.