HONEST Hairdreams Hair Extensions Review

Most Recent Update: 1/19/22

Hello! 🙂 You are probably here for an honest Hairdreams hair extensions review. I’ve shared my original Hairdreams review along with several updates. Below you’ll find my experience with the application process, removal process, hair damage, hair health report, customer service experience and a video review. This is one of the Hairdreams top hair reviews so please read on for the good and bad of Hairdreams Hair Extensions!

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Table of Contents

Note: Please read my entire Hairdreams Hair Extensions Review before making a decision :-/ Updated video and written Hairdreams review below.

Outfit Details

My Honest Review of Hairdreams Hair Extensions

Before the Hairdreams Hair Extensions Application

Let me just pre-face by saying that hair extensions were completely foreign to me before this. I have worn clip-in extensions in the past, although it would only be a few hours at a time. Initially, I was unsure about getting hair extensions. I was worried about the potential damage it would do to my hair and I was afraid that it would look “too fake.” At the same time, I was intrigued. I have very long, fine hair and the thickness of it was always something that I’ve been self conscious about. Therefore, the thought of having thicker hair and endless hairstyle possibilities was exciting to me. After doing extensive research and consulting with my hairdresser, I decided to go for it!

I was given the option to do a consultation beforehand since I still had so many questions but with the drive being three hours each way, I just decided that it would make more sense to just do it right then. As soon as I scheduled my appointment, I was prepped with all the info I needed in order to make the process as seamless as possible.

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Hairdreams Hair Extensions Application

(My Original Hairdreams Review – Written in July 2018)

Hi Friday, darlings!

I hope you all had the best week! Today’s post is something that I’ve been super excited to share for quite some time. You might remember me talking about getting hair extensions last month and now that I’ve had them for a while, I thought it was the perfect time to share my first impressions and experience with the Hairdreams USA Hair Extensions.

As promised, we talked about potential damage and how the Hairdreams hair extensions were applied. I was surprised to find that there is usually little to no damage upon removal due to the special solution they use. After she customized the hair extensions to fit in with the varying shades of blonde in my natural hair, we began the process. The nano extensions are actually bonded to the hair and applied with the Hairdreams Laserbeamer Nano. The hair extension bonds are thin and flat making it look as natural and seamless as possible. The whole process took about 45 minutes but it went super quick because my stylist was so much fun to talk to. The Hairdreams extensions were about the same length as my hair so they were put in for purely volume and not for length. She finished off the application with a quick hair trim. I was also given a special shampoo, condition, detangler, hair serum and brush afterwards and she instructed me on the importance of aftercare to ensure that I get the most use out of them (they typically last around four months, but can last up to six!). We took before and after photos (see below) and I could not believe the difference! I finally had the hair of my dreams!

First Impressions of Hairdreams Hair Extensions

I definitely felt a difference. They were slightly heavier and I felt a light pressure on my scalp. It was also a bit uncomfortable when I would lay down on my back. She did tell me that there would be some discomfort initially and that it may feel strange for a week or so. She was right! After a week, the heaviness and discomfort subsided. I’ve had the Hairdreams hair extensions for about a month now and I don’t feel anything at all!

Another thing she told me to expect was a difference in texture between the hair extensions and my hair. My real hair is very fine and stick straight. I hardly ever have to blow dry it and I definitely never use a straightener. The first thing I noticed was that the extension hair had a slight wave to it after I washed and dried it (which she explained would happen since it’a real hair). It’s not crazy or anything, but it’s totally different than what I’m used to. At first I wasn’t sure about it, but now I actually kind of love it because it looks more “beachy” without any effort 😉 After all, there’s nothing wrong with mermaid hair! Previously, I was washing my hair everyday because it would get oily so fast. I’ve noticed that it doesn’t get as greasy with the hair extensions so I’ve been washing it every other day. It might help that I keep my hair braided at night though 😉

The thing I was most excited about was being able to create more hairstyles AND have my hair actually hold a curl. At first I was creating a lot of braids, low pony tails and half up do’s but now that the extensions have grown out a bit with my hair, I’m able to do a top knot and high pony. I am obsessed with how my hair looks now when I style it! As for the curls, my mind is seriously blown. Before, my hair didn’t hold a curl and it would always fall flat. I will say that when I curl my hair for the blog with the T3 curling iron, it holds so much better! With the Hairdreams nano extensions, it holds even better than that! I did an experiment and the curls held for THREE DAYS. This was after sleeping on them AND brushing them out a million times. My hair was still curled and it looked good. I have even started using a larger barrel that I couldn’t use before because my hair would never hold! To give you an idea of how well they hold, these photos were taken after a longggg day of photo shoots in over 110 degree heat. My hair had been curled 13 hours before, was napped on and even brushed out several times!

Overall Thoughts on Hairdreams Hair Extensions

Initially, I was afraid my hair would look “too thick,” but not one person has noticed. All I’ve been getting is compliments on how great it looks! Before, I was super self-conscious about my hair but now I am obsessed with it! I’m having so much and I seriously cannot imagine not having them! If you are considering hair extensions, I highly recommend Hairdreams. The process was so easy and I absolutely LOVEEE the results!

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UPDATE: Jan 2019 – READ THIS!!

Honest Thoughts About Hairdreams Hair Extensions

I have been scared to share this information because I never want to to talk badly of a brand, but I do feel it’s my duty as a blogger and influencer to share ALL of the details about the whole process, including the removal process, especially since I’ve already shared the application process. To be completely honest, I would not feel right if someone got these hair extensions at my recommendation and ended up having the same experience that I did.

After the Hairdreams hair extensions were initially put in, I didn’t have any issues with them. I was given special shampoo, conditioner, a detangling spray and gel that I used diligently and in the way they instructed me to. I brushed my hair with their special brush in the way they recommended, multiple times a day. I brushed my hair and separated the bonds before I went to bed each night and put my hair in a braid. I washed my hair every other day instead of everyday as I normally would. I watched videos and read articles to ensure I was doing things correctly. Considering that damage was my MAIN concern, I absolutely followed directions as best as I could to ensure my natural hair remained as healthy as possible.

The real issues started when the brand became increasingly demanding, unprofessional and unhelpful. I won’t go into a lot of detail about this because I’d rather not share but I started to see some red flags. Even with diligent care and following instructions that were given to me, my hair began to matte and I started to worry. When I had originally talked with them, they said that first time wearers usually do experience some matting but it’s very easy to get out when they remove the extensions so this put my mind at ease. A little after three months of having the Hairdreams nano extensions in, I approached them to set up appointments to remove and put them back in as my four month wearing period was nearly up. I also needed to get my hair highlighted and couldn’t do it with the extensions in. I was met with a string of confusing, unprofessional and rude emails. Due to their unrealistic demands, I decided not to pursue a partnership with them even further and asked that an appointment be made right away to get them out. These emails went unanswered for weeks, even with me following up. The Hairdreams hair extensions stayed in longer due to me not being able to make an appointment. And as in longer, I mean SIX MONTHS!

My hair grows incredibly fast so by this time, they were grown out a few inches and I was having to separate them multiple times a day because they were getting tangled up with one another. I finally got a reply and was told a “stylist” would be contacting me to set up an appointment. I never heard from either of them and my follow up emails again went unanswered for weeks. I ended up having to contact the brand directly to make an appointment and even they would not help. Shortly after, I received the most cryptic and rude email from my contact.

I do not have a location for hair dreams extensions near me. Since I live three hours away from the salon, making a trip down there is an all day thing meaning I have to take off work (that I don’t receive pay for), put more miles on my leased car AND travel down a freeway that is notorious for snow closures in the winter time. There is only one major freeway I can take to go down there and when it snows, the whole thing closes down and people are stuck in their car for many, many hours. The weather is honestly unpredictable and the only alternate route is to backtrack and go up the coast or through the desert, both of which would take 6-8 hours one way. Because of this, I requested to go to a salon closer to me to have them removed and apparently, that was a big deal to them. They said I would have to pay to get them removed if I switched salons, which I think is absurd given the circumstances (especially since this was part of contract that I had already fulfilled). In the end, I ended up making an appointment with the “stylist” that was three hours away because it felt like I didn’t really have a choice.

Hairdreams Hair Extensions Removal

Removal day came and I made the drive down there. She used a solution and some kind of plier tool to get the bonds off. She was not gentle either, which is of extreme importance when you have fine hair like I do. She also was not gentle removing the mattes and to be honest, I have good reason to believe that she didn’t have a lot of experience with this. When I turned around and saw the extensions along with MY hair all over the floor, I wanted to cry. Even with this, she assured me that there was absolutely NO damage. I had a few errands to run so she put my hair up in a pony tail since it was covered in solution. Once I got out to my car, I took the pony tail out and started crying. My hair was gone. And I think that she put it up to hide the fact that there was, in fact, extreme damage. I do realize that once you get extensions out, you think your hair is thinner because you’re so used to having them in and forget what your hair looked like before. However, in my case, it really was thinner!! Like less than half of what I had on my head before – and I didn’t have a lot of hair to begin with! I was devastated.

Once I got home, I saw that she had left matted pieces and plastic from the bonds in my hair. I immediately used a hair mask and gently brushed them out. My hair started coming out in CLUMPS. I have never seen anything like that before. I cleaned out my hair brush before using so I could judge for myself and by the time I was done brushing my hair, it was overflowing. I showed my husband and he could not believe his eyes. I started going through my hair little by little and sure enough, there was extreme breakage all over my head.

Assessing the Hair Extension Damage

I immediately made an appointment with a stylist to get my hair done and wanted her opinion, just so I knew I wasn’t crazy. After accessing my hair, she revealed that there was damage all over my head and that the damage was, in fact, from the Hairdreams hair extensions. Every single place in my hair that held the extensions broke off leaving three inches of hair growth (which just happened to be half my head!). She said the damage could have been from a variety of things: either they were too heavy for my fine hair initially, they were left in too long or the stylist that removed them didn’t know what she was doing. I won’t put blame on any one thing because honestly, I think it was a mixture of things. All I know is that my hair is completely different after the extensions and somehow, it ended up shorter than when I got them in (with no hair cuts). The texture completely changed – it felt like straw.

I wasn’t going to say anything to the brand, but the hairstylist said that I probably should. I sent a professional email and was met back with the most rude reply blaming me for the damage. They said that the damage was caused by me not taking care of my hair and by not having regular maintenance done. I don’t get mad ever, but this did light a fire in me because I did everything in my power to take care of these and as a perfectionist, you better believe that I was doing it on a daily basis. The “regular maintenance” appointments were never mentioned to me and honestly, I don’t even know what this entails? I understand that they stand behind their product and the fact that they say “it doesn’t cause damage,” but I don’t think it’s right for them to treat one of their clients so disrespectfully. Agree to disagree but don’t blatantly blame someone because your product damaged someone’s hair. And I’m not saying I’m not at fault, but perhaps I should have been given better instructions on how to care for my hair? Perhaps, the regular maintenance should have been mentioned at some point? But even then, is matting possible to avoid? Technically, it seems like there would be some sort of matting when you have extensions glued to your hair and you’re still brushing it on top of the bond as it grows out.

Now when I say damaged, I mean damaged beyond repair! While my hair was fine before, it was also very healthy and I took very good care of it. Now, it looks like baby hair and I am so embarrassed about it! Since my hair is so long, it’s going to take around a year to grow it back out to where it was! Right now, I am using hair pills, vitamins, deep conditioning masks and other hair treatments on the regular. I have also invested in a halo extension so my hair can at least look normal.

Overall Thoughts on Hairdreams Extensions

Overall, I had an awful experience and would not recommend this service to anyone. To be honest, I actually did really like the extensions themselves. I think they are a beautiful and very high-end product. The issues come with the company itself. The stylist that put them in was a gem, but everyone else was …not. I mean, if they treated an influencer (someone that is promoting their brand!) like this, can you imagine how they would treat a regular customer? This whole experience was a headache and not worth it, even for the prettiest extensions. And really, this Hairdreams review is more so about how I was treated by the company and the damage caused, rather than the product or service itself. I understand that not all hair types are built for extensions and that just because I had a bad experience with one company, it does not automatically rule out others or other forms of extensions. I am also not saying not to get permanent extensions because that’s a personal choice and I feel that with any extension type, you should definitely do your research first. What I’m saying is that this brand did not care about me or my well-being and cannot even come to terms that they messed up. I felt bullied through this whole process, which has never happened before.

I have NEVER talked bad about a brand on here before (because I haven’t had to) but please take this as a warning and stay away from this company. I am sick to my stomach knowing that I promoted this brand and potentially influenced others to look into it as well. When I review products, I can always give an honest review firsthand, whether that’s the quality of clothing/accessories or how well skincare/make up products work. This is because I have time to actually test products out in their entirety BEFORE I can access any honest feedback about it. Luckily, in the seven years I’ve been blogging, there have only been a handful of items that did not meet my standards and these were never posted. I only post items that I use/wear myself, that I believe in and that actually work. I also always do a lot of research on brands and products if I haven’t used them before. In this case, the testing period lasted over six months, which means that when I initially wrote this review, a month after I had them put in, I didn’t have all the facts yet to make an informed decision about the whole process so I just posted my initial thoughts. Since I had already posted that, I knew I had to finish out the process and give you all my honest, raw feelings about this product/service.

I sincerely apologize for promoting them in the first place and I regret this whole experience. I have been completely honest in the post, including the positives, but knowing what I know now, I would not have taken this partnership if I would’ve known it would turn out like this. I feel awful if I have persuaded any of you to get these because of my initial positive review. Your trust means so much to me and please know that I am SO sorry! <3

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UPDATE #2 – April 2020

The Lasting Damage from Hairdreams Extensions

This has become quite a popular post and I’ve gotten a ton of emails about it so I just wanted to give a quick update on my hair health. It’s been 16 months since the removal and my hair is still growing back. Before this, my hair grew extremely fast and was very healthy (although also very fine). The damaged hair growth is just past my shoulder now – probably halfway to where the rest of my hair is. I’ve been taking supplements, masking 1-2 times a week, air-drying 90% of the time and just generally trying to take care of my hair the best that I can. I really didn’t think it would take this long to grow back but here we are lol! In the meantime, I’ve been wearing these incredible halo extensions I’ve found (read my review in this post)! I cannot recommend them enough and they are definitely a better alternative to permanent extensions.

I just want to reiterate that this is my individual experience with this specific type of permanent hair extension. I know plenty of people that have them that love them (not from this brand) but in my situation, I think there were just many factors at play. I’m sure my super fine hair didn’t help nor did the fact that they stayed in so long and weren’t properly removed. Regardless, I 100% stand by my decision to post this – not to talk poorly of a brand but in an effort to share my authentic opinion and hopefully, save a lot of you from going through the same situation. I truly hope this helps! If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out anytime. <3

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UPDATE #3 – September 2020

Update on My Hairdreams Experience

I just uploaded a video version of this post where I shared my honest Hairdreams experience, application process, removal process, damage specifications, and an update on how my hair health is doing a year and a half after the removal. Please see the video below for specific chapters and my overall thoughts on Hairdreams!

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UPDATE #4 – February 2023

Permanent Damage From Hairdreams USA Extensions

It has now been FOUR years since I got my Hairdreams extensions out and I wish I could say that my hair has come back to it’s original glory but it sadly has not. 🙁 It IS growing back but my hair stylist thinks that it might not ever get back to where it was (she’s been my stylist for 20 years so she knows my hair well). Sadly, I have to agree with her… although I’ve been holding out hope all these years! Luckily, the texture is back to where it was before and all of the work that I’ve done to repair the damage seems to be helping.

That being said, while I am getting more comfortable with my *new* natural hair, I still do prefer wearing my halo extensions. You can check out my updated review here – I’ve been wearing them for four years now and I cannot say enough good things! Definitely a better alternative to permanent extensions, in my opinion.

As for my hair health, I have continued to take good care of it! I have also tried Vegamour and Tayloani – both of which I feel have done wonders to restore the damage done to my hair and kickstart new growth! Feel free to read my reviews about both products – I’ll be sure to update in the future with my results!

And lastly, this whole situation just makes me so sad. Honestly, I have never written a bad review about a brand before but sharing the truth has been morally essential in this case. Over the last few years, I have been asked to take down my review (about MY experience), have experienced my post being pushed down purposely in search results so it’s not seen by potential clients and have been told that my allergies and diet changes were the sole reason for this situation. I actually didn’t start my elimination diet until 6 months after and this caused hair loss from the scalp, not breakage a few inches from it. I have also been successfully dealing with these diet changes for the past 3 years. Never once have I received an apology or acknowledgement from the brand (that I worked with, mind you).

Truthfully, I have nothing to gain by sharing my honest experience. Getting hair extensions is a personal decision and while most experiences are great, there are some that are not. I feel like I would be doing all of you a disservice by not sharing what can happen. <3

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