Oftentimes, people ask me if its "okay" to put something in their hair. My answer is always the same: if you like it, then wear it. Plastic tubing is the very essence of that statement, because there is no official tubing that is designed for specifically for extensions, and there is no right or wrong kind to use. If its plastic and its tubing and you like it, then by all means, stick it on your head. Just make sure it isn't too heavy, because that can hurt after a while ;)

This month, I will discuss some of the most common types of plastic tubing and a few different ways to use it.

Rexlace, Britelace, RexDuo, and Treslace
Perhaps the most common type of plastic used in fake hair is rexlace, and variations thereof. Rexlace is flat plastic lacing that measures about 3/32" wide. It is meant for kids' crafts (anyone remember making plastic lanyard keychains? That's rexlace!) Because its designed for crafts, it comes in a wide array of 75+ colors, and it can be tied into knots relatively easily.

You can find rexlace at just about any craft store. It will be located in the kids' crafts area, and it comes in 5 and 10 yard hanks, 5 and 10 yard spools, and big 100 yard spools. Pricing will range from about $0.50 to $3.00, depending on the size of the spool.

The four types of rexlace are Rexlace, Britelace, RexDuo, and Treslace. Rexlace comes in solid colors, both opaque and transparent, and also comes in three glitter colors (clear with gold, silver, or rainbow glitter, respectively). Britelace is holographic rexlace, which generally costs about twice as much as regular rexlace. A full spool of Britelace is 50 yards rather than 100, for example. RexDuo is rexlace where one side of the lacing is a solid color, and the other side is a different solid color. RexDuo is great for maximizing the number of colors in a look without adding extra lacing and thus extra weight. Finally, Treslace is rexlace with striped running down it. Usually Treslace comes in three colors like 'red, black, and white,' but sometimes there are only two such as 'neon blue, neon green, neon blue.'

Skinny S'Ghetti and Scoubidou
Skinny S'Ghetti and Scoubidou are the round cousins of rexlace. Instead of being flat strips of plastic, they are round and tube-like (S'Ghetti is solid, while Scoubidou is hollow). Skinny S'Ghetti comes in spools like rexlace, while Scoubidou usually comes in pre-cut lengths that are bagged together by color themes such as brights or pastels. Both products are usually available in craft stores near the rexlace.

Jewelry Tubing
Some craft stores or jewelry supply catalogs can also serve as an excellent source for plastic tubing. Hollow tubing is used for making jewelry (think jelly bracelets) and you can oftentimes find it in reasonably large quantities. SoftGlass tubing from Pepperell is one such type of jewelry tubing that is excellent for hair. It comes in 5.0mm and 2.5mm diameters, and can be knotted similar to rexlace (though the 5.0mm size can be harder to knot simply because its so big). You may not be able to find jewelry tubing at the local Jo-Ann's, but online jewelry supply stores are always a good place to look.

Corrugated Tubing
Corrugated tubing, also called wire loom, is flexible plastic tubing with ridges down it that is designed to protect electrical wiring. Because of its construction related purpose, you can usually find corrugated tubing in hardware stores. Its usually made from polyethylene or nylon and comes as solid tubes or with slits down the side; the slits are there to make wrapping it around wires easier. If you're out shopping for corrugated tubing, make sure to get the solid kind!

Because this tubing is not intended for crafts, it is not meant to be tied into knots easily. Generally, the best way to attach corrugated tubing to a hairpiece is to punch holes in the top, thread something else through it (like rexlace), and then use that to tie the tubing onto the piece.

Heat Shrink Tubing, Fish Tank Tubing, and more!
There are tons of different applications for various types of plastic tubes. Tracking down tubing for your hair is simply a matter of figuring out what those other applications are, and going to stores that cater to them. You can oftentimes find clear and blue tubing at pet stores in the aquarium aisles. Heat shrink tubing can often be found in hardware stores, and if you've got access to medical supplies, they're an excellent source for clear plastic tubing.

How To Install Plastic Tubing
So you've got all your tubing -- what now? First off, resist the temptation to cut it into strips and tie it into an elastic. Its not as good an idea as it sounds; you'll need a LOT of plastic to get good coverage that way, and the more you use, the heavier the final product will be. Plastic tubing can get heavy very quickly, so its important to use as little as possible to achieve your desired look.

When working with thin tubing or rexlace, the best way to mount it is to tie it onto braids. If you're making a hairpiece, braid some hair onto your elastic or lace base and then tie the plastic onto the braids. If you're wearing it as extensions, braid your real hair (with or without synthetic -- it can be done either way), and then tie the plastic through the braids. The the plastic throughout the braids, not just at the top. Mounting it in this way will give more volume, and more natural movement.