Getting The Most Natural Looking Hair Extensions?
As a hair extension expert for over 20 years, I am shocked to discover that salons are using only one or two types of hair extensions, which are often hand-tied tracks or tape hair extensions. In an industry filled with countless methods of hair extensions, learning one method of extensions is a mistake. Case in point, a lovely young lady with very fine hair came to Noelle Salon wanting to fix multiple hand-tied tracks which were falling out of her hair, they were not improperly applied, they were too heavy for her own fine hair to support. The extensions were applied two weeks previous to her visit, and they were literally pulling out her own hair. Our salon guest was going on vacation in a few hours and was desperate to fix her hair. I was honest with her; 1). I could reapply the extensions and she could go on her merry way or 2). I would remove the extensions and find a suitable method that would blend better with her hair and not cause damage. Damage was inevitable if I reapplied her hair extensions, but she paid so much for the hair and application.
Firstly, the weight of the hair was far too heavy, the tracks contained five hand-tied wefts. I thought of detaching the wefts and redistributing them throughout her hair, but hand-tied tracks can not be cut, one slip and I would have destroyed the expensive extensions. The best option was to use the hair and create tiny k-tips (keratin tip) hair extensions. I custom cut the hair and tipped each extension with ICE adhesive. ICE hair extensions are a "cold fusion" technique requiring no heat, the extensions will last safely in her hair for up to 4 months and they are reusable. Since her hair is fine and fragile, keeping the extensions longer than four months would pull on her own hair. I did not use all of the hair tracks (wefts), only enough to evenly distribute small strands of hair extensions in an undetectable fashion. She was elated to discover this method of hair extensions and adored that they could be worn up during her vacation.
The next guest of the day had chemically damaged hair due to highlighting with bleach. Her roots had grown into their dark state, and the ends of her hair were broken. Hand-tied hair extensions or tape hair would have caused further damage to her hair, we decided to correct her color by softening her roots with ash brown hair color in level 6 color, and ever so slightly painted bleach with a low volume developer on the mid-shaft of her hair. Once her hair color was processed, we toned it with an icy blonde toner. We then match individual keratin extensions, aka fusion hair, with a mix of 3 blonde hues. The match was perfect, and the extensions flow as the natural hair grows.
Hand-tied hair extensions sewn around a micro-link grid against the scalp, are a good option for healthy, dense hair, but never on comprised and fragile hair. We also use our Veila pull-thru hair extensions, which can be custom cut into small sections, on damaged hair. The pull-thru extensions do not use glue, tape, or sewing to apply, the extensions are supported with our client's own hair.
I can not stress enough how important it is to offer more than one or two methods of hair extensions. I also recommend stocking various popular colors in-salon for immediate application and hair extension fixes. We have a tremendous amount of stock in all types of hair extensions because we are a hair supplier of the Veila Brand. Our extensions are made of the finest quality virgin, one-donor, hair. Virgin hair can be reapplied up to one year, with proper salon and at-home care. All of our hair extension clients leave our salon with extension-friendly shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in products, as well as written instructions. A mandatory "free" two-week check-in is also a must.
Hair extensions are a luxury item, but not necessarily meant to be worn for a lifetime. It is the salon/stylist's responsibility to educate their customers as to how to keep their own hair healthy while wearing hair extensions. It is also the client's responsibility to keep up with maintenance appointments, and if there are any issues communication is key.
Hair Extensions Background
At Noelle Salon, we evaluate your natural hair, listen to our client's wishes on styling, color match, and look. We use human hair extensions like 100% Remy human hair, or Virgin Hair (unlike Bellami hair). Hair extensions can be used for short hair or 24 inches of a full head of hair, and have worked with different methods like tape-in extensions, clip-in hair extensions, Keratin and enjoy using our Pull-thru Veila Hair Extensions for ease of hair care. Styling can vary from flat iron, natural curl, or curly hair. Whether you are looking for a change of style or look for a day such as a Clip-in ponytail, having a high-quality ponytail extension can mix it up for you. Your natural hair journey with your hair growth can be enhanced with Hair extensions when protective styling is applied, and regular maintenance is used. You can change your hair in one day - feel free to reach out to us and explore the possibilities.
