New bride claims her hair FELL OUT after nano bead extensions - as beauty experts weigh in

A bride who had nano bead hair extensions installed before her wedding day was left devastated after 'losing more than 60 per cent of her natural hair' once they were removed.

Megan Mitchell, a content creator who is based in Canada, shared her story in a viral TikTok video posted this summer, just a few weeks after her August wedding.

Mitchell explained that after she had the 20-inch extensions taken out after having them in for five months, she was left with just a 'few wisps' of hair, showing a dramatic before-and-after shot. 

'I knew I didn't have a lot of hair before, but I had more than this,' Mitchell said in the video.  

In a recent interview with Newsweek, Mitchell explained that she had always had fine hair, but began a hair growth journey in 2021 after noticing that she had more damage than usual. 

Unfortunately, her hair was the 'thickest and longest' it had ever been before she decided to get the extensions put in for her wedding - and she even had a consultation where she was told by a stylist that she was a 'good candidate' for them.

'I felt numb when I was getting them removed because I could see all the hair falling to the ground while she removed the beads,' Mitchell described to the outlet.

'I could tell my hair was thinner, but it wasn't until I went to put my hair up that I realized I hardly had enough to even make a bun. Needless to say, I was mortified at what I was left with,' she said.

But what are nano bead hair extensions, and do they really cause such intense damage to your locks? 

According to London-based hairstylist Zoe Adams at Taylor Taylor London, there are actually two different types of hair extensions that fall into this category - Nano Bead Extensions and Nano Bond Extensions.

Both of them are applied 'by threading them through a tiny bead and clamping them to the hair without the use of any heat or glue,' Adams told DailyMail.com, explaining that these extensions make a 'safe and gentle' solution for people who have fine or thin hair.

'Nano ring hair extensions are a type of hair extension that are smaller than traditional hair extensions and are often considered more comfortable and discreet,' she continued.

However, Nicolette Rauchut, senior stylist and hair extension specialist at LRN Beauty in New York City, shared with DailyMail.com that she doesn't feel like nano bead extensions 'benefit the natural hair' in the same way keratin bonds do. 

'Most nanobeads don't have the technology to expand and contract with the hair when it gets wet,' Rauchut explained. 'That's where compromise can happen.'

Typically, nano bead extensions should cause 'minimal damage' to the hair, according to Adams, but there are certain scenarios, like removing them improperly, that can create a problem for your strands. 

'If you leave your extensions too long without having them repositioned, they may damage the hair,' Adams told DailyMail.com. 

'For example, if the hair begins to matt then this may result in hair loss,' she revealed.

'Using incorrect products, tools or neglecting your hair extensions will decrease their lifespan significantly, regardless of the quality, and potentially have adverse effects to your hair health.'

Rauchut also shared that when there are too many extensions put in, they can become too heavy and weigh the hair down.

'When this happens, your follicle induces a stress response which can lead to more shedding or loss,' she explained.

Adams stressed how important it was to talk to a stylist before getting nano ring hair extensions, which Mitchell did.

The stylist said that this was because nano ring extensions 'have a very small attachment point compared to the amount of hair they hold,' which can cause high levels of tension.

This tension can cause damage to those who have fine hair and whose strands are already susceptible to breakage.

However, although nano beads are supposed to cause too much harm to the hair, it seems like Mitchell's story isn't necessarily unique - she was met with tons of comments on her videos of people sharing their own similar tales.

'The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, and I would say every 10 or so comments are someone saying they've gone through the exact same thing,' Mitchell told Newsweek.

Rauchut has seen new clients come into her salon who face hair loss from poor extension application. 

Now, Mitchell is focused on getting her hair back in good health, and admitted in the TikTok video that she might have to cut some of it into a bob.

She told Newsweek that she is currently trying to heal her hair by taking biotin supplements, using a red light therapy cap on her head, and other supplements like B12.

For those who are noticing breakage from these types of extensions, Adams urged people to visit their hair stylist right away to get them removed.

'Your hair stylist may also be able to correct the appearance of the damage and prevent further shedding,' Adams said.

Still, it might be a long road ahead for Mitchell.

'A woman's hair is so personal, and it's really hard to have it taken away without a choice,' she told Newsweek.

'My situation was a little more self-inflicted, but those with female pattern baldness, forms of alopecia, or anyone going through chemotherapy or postpartum hair loss have all felt some form of the pain, devastation and helplessness when you have no choice but to cut your hair or cover up the loss.'

DailyMail.com reached out to Mitchell for comment.