Extensions…. Are they for me????
It seems that the hair extension craze isn’t slowing down anytime soon. To be honest I believe that it’s slowly becoming a staple in the beauty world. It always has been for celebrities and the rich girlies but we hair stylists are really paving forward that it's for almost everyone! (carefully didn’t put everyone… we will go into why not.)
The three main questions that first come to my mind when considering if extensions are made for a client is :
1. What is YOUR CURRENT hair routine (wash cycle, coloring, BRUSHING & styling)?
This is a massively important question to consider. If you don’t even own a hair brush & go to bed with your head wet & don’t plan on changing either of those then you can kiss extensions goodbye. Even though my job is to make them look like they grew out of your head, they are still artificial just like an acrylic nail or eyelash extensions. Coloring is also important, we can totally coloring AROUND extensions but we need a clear plan on what your hair COLOR inspo is before we install. Hair extensions cannot be lightened (well I haven’t successfully tried) and I don’t LOVE drastically changing them. We need a pretty accurate color match before we order & install hair. Sometimes a full color correction is needed before installation.
2. Are you able to do 5-8 week move up & maintenance appointments?
!!!!! this may have needed to be the first question. If you can not make a maintenance appointment work in your schedule then we won't even go through an install. I require clients to make their install AND moveup before the initial appointment. After care is so important. What if a hair was placed in the wrong bead & is causing irritation that you can feel? What if you shed more that cycle & beads becoming “loose”. If you make & keep those appointments then the fear of something going really wrong is lifted! Now have I had to “bandaid” things in between full re-installs? Absolutely! But I wouldn’t have known something went wrong if my guest didn’t come in!
3. Do you have the budget for the look you’re wanting?
I try to be fully transparent with my guests before we start their extension journey. From cost of hair, install, color, & moveup. I even type it all a few hours before they leave and let them think on it for a few days & let them tell me when they're ready! It IS an investment. No matter the look. If you want just a pack of tapes for fullness or 24” wefts to be a mermaid. Everyone’s budget is different & it can even ebb and flow in the stages of life! Just be honest with yourself and budget if a 100.00 plus moveup isn’t for you then extensions need to wait! AND THAT’S OKAY.
4. If you have thought through those questions THEN SET UP A CONSULT!
Though they are something to think about, to save for, and plan your monthly & weekly schedule around. They are SO much fun & can literally change your life. You can solve an insecurity with a few rows of wefts or some i tips around your face for some fullness. You can actively repair broken and damaged hair with a install and proper maintenance! You can have that white blonde balayage with zero bleach. The possibilities are quite endless & i am a lover of all things extensions!
This was a fun little pre-consult blog! I can't wait to type my thoughts out over more hair topics, trends I'm seeing or loving, & things I think us beauty professionals can do better!