Wear It!

Extensions, don't get ripped off!

 

Seeking Honest Answers About  Extensions:

Is it too late? Have you already gone to the chop shop? Don't lock yourself in the bathroom just yet. Save a hair cut gone wrong, or just revamp your inner vamp. Whether you just want a few to fix the failed bang trimming incident with partials or you want to be Rapunzel, you need to know what you are paying for and who to trust.

First of all know what is being put in your hair. The two most common and popular techniques are beads and keratin.  In the bead technique small round hollow beads are squeezed on to bond the extension hair to your hair and generally have positive results, with little damage to your real hair and scalp as long as they are applied properly (more on that below). The stylist will use a set of pliers to squeeze them one by one releasing them from your hair when it is time for removal. The second very popular technique (and an ancient art dating back to ancient Egypt) is keratin, the very same protein that human hair is made of. If keratin is your choice be aware that the word "keratin" does not mean that keratin is all you will be getting. Read on...

Keratin is my preference because of it's translucency and innate flexibility.  The fact that each bond molds itself to the shape of your head makes them the most comfortable to wear and the hardest to see even on windy days. These bonds last for many months and should be guaranteed for 3-4 months by your stylist. Now here is the truth; keratin is often blended with artificial ingredients to make it cheaper for the manufacturer, but these additional ingredients ruin the above mentioned benefits, so ask for 100% natural keratin manufactured by such companies as Chenice in Beverly Hills who supply salons all over the country and can help you to locate one in your area (contact me when in Phoenix). Here is how to know if you are getting the real deal:

If you can't remove them by yourself using just your finger tips to snap and crumble them then the product is a polymer or nylon blended with keratin and is therefore only removable by solvents like rubbing alcohol or acetone! This is NOT ok. No one should put something in your hair that cannot be removed by you! Ask for 100% polymer and nylon free keratin, this is very important down the road when it is time to remove them. Acetone is dangerous, think about what it does to your fingernails, and rubbing alcohol is like pouring chlorine on your hair, so drying that your real hair will become brittle.

All extensions thin your real hair if worn constantly and so should periodically be taken out or the style and pattern of them changed every third month.

The cost of extensions can be easily controlled by seeking out an honest stylist who actually specializes in the service, they are more likely to buy hair and keratin in bulk and pass those savings on to you. Extensions should never be purchased from a hair dresser who sells in "bundles", this is a rip off that only makes money for the manufacturer. Only inexperienced stylists would throw their profits away by selling pre-tipped or bundled hair from a brand name supplier. A real professional makes a profit not from your one time service but from your continued business over time, beware a stylist who needs to charge you the same amount for extensions that she pays in rent. Think about it.

To find a real professional in the art of extensions first find a salon that specializes in all ethnicities. A stylist who can sew in tracks and weaves knows a thing or two about extensions of all kinds and will charge much more reasonably than someone who only knows one technique. If your hair has a natural curl or wave to it go for hand sewn tracks.

  Tracks are about half the cost of regular keratin or bead bond extensions and are a great way of trying out the look first as they only last about half the time. However, if your hair is stick straight and fine as mist, you'll want all natural keratin because tracks won't stay well in your texture and beads may slip over time.

Whether you choose beads or keratin your extension stylist should use only 100% human hair and should fully remove all prior extensions before applying new ones (they are charging you for new hair, shouldn't you get new hair?)

Make a list of questions then call and speak to the stylist directly. If she or he does not sound like an expert you would trust your life with, try again. If you feel you are getting the hard sell or over charged, you are. Trust your instincts.

Now you are all set for the next three months. You'll be amazed at the speed at which your real hair gets longer because you won't see it or style it as much, when the extensions come out, that bad hair cut will be grown out (or do it one more time). A good shape up to make your real hair cute again and voila! Good nutrition and drinking tons of extra water will speed up the growing process, so stay healthy, poor nutrition puts the body on hold!

LenaWalkerSmith

OOps! Botched hair cut? Extensions and other solutions

              Bad hair cuts happen even if you don't try to save money on a trim from a chain salon employing recent beauty school graduates. However, even in the best salons communication errors can occur. Don't worry, I am here to guide you through this. First of all hair grows 1/4-1/2 inch monthly, trimming it doesn't make it grow faster. Trimming it does remove split ends before they travel up the hair shaft and trims can balance the shape of the hair as it grows out making it look as though it is growing out nicely.

Don't drink gelatin, do take biotin supplements (ask your doctor first) from the vitamin aisle and drink tons of WATER. Water water water. In the mean time you can hide a bad cut  with cute hats, creative clip placement and head bands. Or extensions, but we'll get to that in a minute.

Knitters: Do yourself a favor if you are a knitter and make an ascot/headband, it's an eveningish project that uses about one skein of yarn, the Lana and Clark ascot pattern in the Vickie Howell collection is available on her website. See how to wear it two ways by watching a great video of the two of us (Vickie and I) in San Jose, California just click on this: ascot  and go to the last two or three minutes of the video.

Sewing Divas: Make a couple of cute head bands out of colorful silk ties from boyfriends past. Wrap the tie around your head to see where to add about three to four inches of elastic to either side to form a loop that won't slide off during the day, but don't cut off the ends of the tie, those will look cute tied behind your head. People will notice your ingenuity not your lame locks.

Non Crafty Types: The trick with a bad hair cut is to ignore it until it has grown enough for a good hair dresser to find the best shape. Hiding it with headbands, hats and hair clips gives you something else to do while it grows other than staring in the mirror through teary eyes.

Extensions: If you just can't stand to look in the mirror one more time and need instant gratification you can always get extensions. WARNING! Extensions are all over the place these days and it seems that just about every hair dresser in every salon swears that this is his or her specialty! This is a skill like any other and takes years to master not a weekend course and prepackaged supplies!! Once you are in the chair, look around, if you recognize a brand name on the extension supplies from an advertisement you saw in a magazine -RUN AWAY! I'll tell you why on my next installation called simply Extensions. Know what questions to ask, what to expect and what to demand! Read next week's blog.

9 am every Monday morning.

LenaWalkerSmith

FOR HAIR; The "OMG what have I done to save a buck" Section:

Hair Is Precious, and not to be taken lightly.

Regular salon color touch ups and cut/shape ups save money in the long run. Don't go to the local chain salon for a quick fix-it-up cut to save cash because one bad cut can lead to more cash spent down the line. Ask your hair dresser if she or he is running a special in the near future, or if you can get a discount for sending in a new client. Most stylists will work hard to keep you as a customer and they know that recessions can reduce business so don't be afraid to be direct about your need to save money.

How hard can it be right, you aren't looking for a whole new style just a little trim around the edges. Here is the down and dirty on chain salons; they generally hire inexperienced cosmetology graduates, not tried and true pros. New stylists out of school need health insurance, low rent and experience and this is what they get working in a chain salon. If you are wild and open to new looks, go for it. If you are specific about your look and want what you want then the experience is not likely to go your way. Don't hate them because they need practice, but one mistake in a chain salon leads to a fix up some where else costing more of your hard earned cash. Get a good cut the first time, and keep your current stylist employed.

Color:

Ever tried to save money by trying a box color at the grocery store? Then wound up green and paid $130 bucks to remove the leafy hue and to make the roots match the ends again right? Yeah so have I. Back in those days I didn't know that one can't use an artificial color to change another artificial color. This means that if some one has dyed her hair, even if it was two years ago and then tries to dye her hair another color, the hair will be two different colors, one color at the roots and one where ever the old color was. In the hair biz we call this "hot roots" and it is an expensive corrective color service I have done alot of and especially in past times of financial wariness. Ask for advice from your stylist, don't go it alone.

Products:

           Save money with regular hair trims and shape ups because once that great cut you got over the summer starts growing out, you'll start reaching for root lifter and hair spray and volumizing shampoos and eventually a rubber band to quell the flat frizzy doldrums. More money spent on hair styling products and residue bearing shampoos all add up to no cash to pay for a good hair cut which is all you really needed in the first place. A clarifying shampoo and a great hair cut is all a head of hair will ever need. The clarifier removes heavy residue from styling products and shampoos so hair is light and fluffy at the roots requiring less frequent shampoos, thus less cash spent buying more product. A good cut makes the most out of your texture and should require very little work to style. Say no to expensive styling products!!

Need a new stylist? Terrifying I know!

If your particular texture is tricky to begin with, look for other women with similar hair and ask around for a good stylist. Be a double agent and visit a few salons near by and shop their stylists. You wouldn't buy a bra before trying it on, why trust your hair without a little window shopping first? Here's how:

Stop into a salon and peruse the product shelves while secretly scanning the stylists for similar hair to yours. Watch for customers with hair like yours and see if the stylist does a good job. Get a manicure or ask for a conditioning treatment (usually under $30) just so you can watch the stylists, then make your move and schedule ahead of time for the stylist you think might be best with your hair. Warning; some salons think of clients (you) as their property. They may try and schedule you for a stylist that they need to fill time for, you asked for Anne, they suggest Jo. Insist on the one you wanted in the first place, if she isn't available on the day you asked for try to get her direct number. Usually, if you are flexible you should be able to see the stylist of your choosing, be wary of a salon that tries to herd you in this way, you are not livestock.

LenaWalkerSmith