Get the Best Results with Hair Extensions
With the surge in popularity of hair extensions comes an overwhelming amount of options from which to choose. Now they run the gamut from synthetic “as seen on tv” extensions available online to completely custom human hair that is exquisitely tailor-made, colored and cut.
There are numerous considerations from the quality and source of the hair extensions, to the application process and required upkeep. Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, a luxury downtown Austin hair salon, knows a thing or two about the world of hair extensions.
An experienced hair extension expert considers your lifestyle and daily routine in helping you to choose which technique and style of hair extensions are ideal. Licensed hair stylists have exclusive access to the highest quality hair—many are not available to the general public.
At Janet St. Paul for Studio for Hair and Beauty, our award-winning stylists have decades of experience applying beautiful, natural looking hair extensions to clients in both Manhattan and Austin. We have Austin’s leading hair extension experts share their answers to some of our most frequently asked questions concerning hair extensions:
I would first determine why you want them. Do you want instant long hair for a special occasion? Do you want added thickness and volume?
Do you want them in your hair long-term—where you’ll sleep with them and wear them daily? Or are you more interested in short-term/removable extensions for a night out or special occasion? Once you have a goal for the outcome, we can take it from there.
The quality the hair used to make the extension matters. For ours, we use only the highest quality 100% human hair from the best suppliers in the industry. To account for the variety in texture and wave, choosing the correct extension type from the countless varieties can only come from experience and training. Because I’m working in both Austin and Manhattan, it’s key to understand the client’s lifestyle and choose an extension that perfectly suits their needs.
As listed below, there are many types of hair extensions available on the market. Keratip is the process that most of my clients request. It provides the most natural, long-lasting and versatile result. Because these smaller extensions are bonded to the natural hair strand-by-strand and with keratin glue versus taping in wefts of hair, they tend to last the longest, look the most natural, and you can still wear your hair up all different ways without it showing. It’s going to move like regular hair.
Advantages:
– Most subtle, looks real, significant length, a lot of body
– Invisible when you put your hair up
– Lasts 3-4 months
Disadvantages:
– High price point
– It is not advisable to reuse the hair
Maintenance
– For some, appointments are recommended every 1-2 months to get “fills”
Advantages:
– Lasts 4-6 weeks, can reuse the hair & re-tape
– Not as long lasting if you’re not ready to make the commitment
Disadvantages:
– Tape-ins are bigger
– Limited in styling options, doesn’t always look great when hair is pulled up
– Can be uncomfortable and cause possible hair damage/loss when removing tape
Advantages:
– Less expensive
– Easy to remove
– Not permanent
Disadvantages:
– Does not always look as natural
– Limited in how you can style
Advantages
– Popular technique that is widely available
– No taping or glue required
Disadvantages
– Can weigh down the hair, causing damage to the hair and scalp
– You can feel the thick beads when you put your hands through your hair
– Some complain that they are uncomfortable when sleeping
Shannon:
Once we’ve had the initial consultation, we can have the hair as quickly as within two days. The first appointment is usually about the same amount of time as it would take for a haircut and a full head of color–typically no more than three hours. That really depends on the individual. Then, for maintenance, every four months to trim and fill.
Janet:
I agree with Shannon for the individual strand. For custom halo extensions–which are really popular with my NYC clients, the delivery time can be a little longer. After we match the hair color, measure the head and hair length, it can take one-to-two weeks from ordering the hair to creating the custom halo extensions. Then, the client would come in for a follow-up appointment where we would teach the client how to apply the halo extensions in their hair and give tips for a variety of styling techniques. It’s also popular for the client to schedule to get a blow-out with their extensions at this appointment, when they’re in the salon so they leave feeling fabulous.
Janet:
There’s not one answer to this question. Because, the hair products themselves can last pretty much forever, if they are well-maintained. I would say that they can be a great investment and very long-lasting depending on the type a client chooses. For extensions to look good and work properly, you really need to have the right cut. We work to removing some of the weight of the extensions and open up the hairstyle to create natural movement.
Shannon:
The results my clients enjoy from our hair extensions is around 3-4 months, on average. But, like Janet says, it’s all about what the client needs. If you are looking to have gorgeous full hair for a wedding or holiday gala, the more temporary clip-in or halo solutions are great. But if clients want that fullness on a more full-time basis, day-in and day-out, they can get really long-lasting results.