Hear what a hair expert has to say about the soap doll’s latest hair fiasco.

Helen Flanagan Visible Hair ExtensionsLook, first things first: don’t get us wrong – the purpose of this piece is not hate on Helen Flanagan. She’s young, pretty, and has managed to make quite the name for herself, thanks to her soap opera roles. However, where the lovely blond missteps is in what concerns her hair decisions. Her latest faux pas concerns the infamous PETA photo call, at which she chose to appear wearing extensions in public. Again, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with extensions, when done the proper way. Yet Flanagan’s were as obviously fake as they come and did nothing to compliment her natural beauty.

The actress, who first earned her popularity chops on the notorious I’m a Celeb show, also experienced a bit of a wardrobe malfunction at the event. Her all-too revealing V-neck line was this close to having her name etched in the same book with Lil’ Kim and Janet Jackson. As the top slipped, it all but revealed one of Flanagan’s nipples. The sad part is that this isn’t even the most disturbing part of her look. Helen chose to wear extensions but broke one of the top rules of such a look: she pulled back her pony tail for dear life, and let the whole world get a good look at her low-quality hair extensions.

As Anastasia Molchanov, hair extension guru and owner of Anastasia Molchanov Hair Salon Miami explains, hair extensions can work wonders for someone’s looks. Yet there are several very important rules to follow, according to Anastasia.

  1. Let the extensions blend in naturally with your own hair. This way, it will make it more difficult for anyone to spot that part of your mane is store-bought and salon-styled.
  2. Understand the limits of a pulled-back hair do. Learn from Helen’s fiasco, in other words. She pulled back her hair so tightly that the extensions were exposed, but, perhaps more importantly, she may have also inadvertently damaged her natural hair. Extensions are supposed to allow natural hair follicles breathe and develop on their own, but with Flanagan’s style, they looked choked up and potentially even damaged. This damage can sometimes be beyond repair.
  3. Careful where you place those extensions. In Helen Flanagan’s case, she seems to have suffered from poor advice from a stylist, Anastasia explains. Yes, extensions are mainly worn to cover up areas of fine or damaged natural hair. However, they need to be safely put in, which in her case, doesn’t seem to be true. Her extensions look as if they’ve been affixed right onto the hairline, where fragile and fine baby hairs are supposed to grow. That is a major no-no, when considering extensions, because baby hair can be easily pulled out and does not provide the proper support for the weight of extensions.

It’s not that difficult from avoiding such a hair flop, says Anastasia. You need to bear in mind that extensions will weigh down on your natural hair and be mindful of where you place them, as well as of how you style your hair. Simply avoid Flanagan’s option for a dramatic, pulled back pony tail and you’ll be just fine, hair extension fan!

Feel free to let us know if you’ve experienced a similar situation in the comments section.