Just about everywhere you look in Hollywood, you’ll see gorgeous stars with ever-changing hairstyles. One day they will have long, luxurious locks and the next, tussled tresses that drape their elegant red carpet gowns. Inspired by long-haired ravenous, natural beauties like Kim Kardashian, flowing hair became the next big thing. And when stars like Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez came out publicly as fans of hair extensions, the fashion trend was pretty much a lock from then on in.
Hollywood Creates the Demand
And it’s no wonder that the popularity of hair extensions came out of Hollywood. It used to be that stars would only be photographed at events and movie premiers. But now, with the likes of TMZ and other paparazzi constantly on the hunt, stars are more in the spotlight than ever. It’s not enough for them to have a new hairstyle once every two months—they now have to have jogging hairstyles, red carpet hairstyles, going out to brunch hairstyles and everything in between.
The bottom line is that the extensive eye of the lens has been directly responsible for the rise in hair extensions. You just can’t expect someone to constantly change their hair up naturally—not even actresses with millions of dollars. Not Beyonce, Halle Berry, Jessica Simpson, Vanessa Hudgens, Dolly Parton, Farrah Fawcet—all hair extension-wearers.
So, enter the hair extension.
Hair Extensions Solve Problems
The demand for Hollywood-style hair has created a huge market for hair extensions. This means that there is much more than the few price points that once composed the market—now you can get do-it-yourself hair extensions for a few buck, thousand dollar extensions from the ritzy hair salons in Paris and New York and everything in between.
And people are eating it up. That’s because once you try hair extensions, you start to realize that it’s not just about looking like your favorite star—it’s about solving problems. Hair extensions mean:
- No more bad hair days—ever
- The ability to change your hair length and style in minutes
- Never having to stick to one specific look
- Fixing a bad haircut instantly
- Cutting down on hair care product costs
And for those women who suffer from bald spots, hair extensions can be the confidence booster that can raise a person from the depths of depression.
Types of Hair Extensions
Generally speaking, hair extensions come in two different widths: individuals and wefts. Individual hair extensions are about 1-inch wide while wefts can go anywhere from two inches to covering the whole circumference of a person’s head. Depending on the type of extension you want, you’ll either have individual pieces put in where you want just a little more volume and length, or have wefts put in where you want a more dramatic change.
There are also two general types of applications for hair extensions: the hair lock method and tape or glue methods. The hair lock method is fairly obsolete by this point because it increases the risk of breakages, but some salons still do use it. Hair locking is when a special gun is used to clamp a tiny metal bead around the individual extension and the wearer’s actual hair in order to connect them together.
The tape or glue methods of affixing hair extensions are much more popular, as well as affordable. This method lasts for at least a month and can be removed by simply applying a coat of oil. Plus, the extension itself isn’t ruined—you can reuse it. Still, some women don’t prefer to have the tape or glue in their hair.
Hair Extensions with Keratin Bonds
The other alternative that is gaining in popularity because it is much safer and less likely to break, is keratin bonds. This is what a lot of Hollywood is using with their hair extensions. Unfortunately, it is also the pricier of the options. Keratin bonds involves taking individual strands of hair extensions and attaching a keratin strip to the end. This is then wrapped around a section of real hair approximately one inch off of the hair’s roots.
Heat is then applied to the keratin strip, creating a keratin bond. This hair extension looks more natural, is less likely to break and lasts up to 2 to 3 months. After 2 or 3 months, a simple solvent (similar to acetone) is applied to the bond which loosens it upon contact. Keratin bonding sessions cost anywhere from $1,800 to $2,500, but only takes about 45 minutes to a couple of hours (depending on how many hair extensions the wearer wants). This is microscopic compared to the six hours hair lock method sessions take.
Of course, if you don’t want to spend all that money, you can always go for the clip-on hair extension. This gives you the versatility to clip it on and off as you please, for just a fraction of the costs.
This guest post is written by Lynn Thomson on behalf of Image Hair Extensions, UK providing incredible real blonde hair extensions at great prices. If you’re on the lookout for various hair extensions such as clip in hair extensions etc, do check out imagehairextensions.co.uk today for more details.
