I'm Weak and an Interview

So I was walking back to my office after lunch this afternoon and there was this group of like 4 people in front of me. One of them noticed a weave on this pole. It was amazing. Just a strand of red hair weave and was just chillin on the side of this water pole. Well one of the girls grabbed a piece of paper picked it up and was talking about how they were going to play a joke on someone. Anyhow I was like I so want a picture but I didn't grow a pair in time to ask. AHHH!!! What a pussy. I should have been OMG I have this blog and this is what its about can I take a picture of that weave. OH Well.

Anyhow as promised earlier here is the transcript from Laurens interview with the "Extension Guru" Lauren was so kind to bold the important parts. Read it. It offers some keen weave advice. I totes agree with the smell part. All hair weave should smell fresh and clean. Too bad that is not always the case. Snaps to Lauren for her share. THANKS LAUREN


LM: What is the difference between glue-in and woven extensions, and what type do you do at the salon?
NR: I do a process called “Great Lengths”, which is heat-bonded extensions but it’s not glue, it’s a protein wax. And because our hair is made up of protein it’s better for the hair, because protein makes protein stronger. Glue is actually pretty rough on the hair, like you would imagine glue would be rough on anything. Sometimes it can pop your hair, so we don’t really like to use glue. But clip-ons, that is something you would do for one night, if you had a big affair for one night only. You can just clip them in and that’s fine, it doesn’t hurt your hair. And the woven ones, they’re good but they don’t really last as long as Great Lengths do. Great Lengths holds for about 4 to 6 months. The woven ones last for only about 3 to 4 weeks.
LM: Specifically for a wedding day, is there one you think is best for staying in the hair, not having to worry about it falling out on the aisle?
NR: For your wedding day, you can definitely do a clip in and not worry about it falling out if you just want length and don’t want the expense of Great Lengths, you can get a clip in one, and put it up or leave it down, make it curly. Or you can do Great Lengths and have it permanently in, and you then really don’t have to worry about anything.
LM: If you were going to use a clip in, would you recommend someone go to a professional to get that put into the hair, or can you do it on your own with good results?
NR: I would definitely recommend that they use the professional once, so they can show you how to do it correctly, but if you want to do it yourself, you are capable of doing that definitely.
LM: What kind of hair is used in the Great Lengths process? What should people be looking for in the hair to guarantee a natural look?
NR: You want to look for the grade of the hair, make sure that it’s silky and 100% human hair. And that’s it’s not mixed with polyester or anything, because that can always cause a problem with tangling. Feel the texture of the hair, whether it’s curly or straight, make sure it has a little shine to it, so you know, ‘cause it’s being processed and colored. Also look out for the smell of it. If the hair smells bad, it will have a funny smell, that’s bad. It should smell clean and fresh.
LM: You mentioned color. Do you typically dye extensions to make sure it matches the natural hair perfectly?
NR: Normally, you can pinpoint the hair color from the swatches, but you can also take it to a colorist and have them color it exactly to your hair if it’s slightly off but 9 times out of 10 you can get it perfect just by choosing from the swatch.
LM: Take me through the procedure.
NR: You come in for a consultation, and then come back in about 3 days later because we have to order the hair and everything. Then we will do the whole application from cutting the hair, to blow-drying it, and putting extensions in, and then cutting those to make sure they match. Then styling it etc. etc. that’s all done in one day. That process takes, depending on whether you’re getting a quarter head, half head or full head, it can take anywhere from two to five hours. Not too bad.
LM: Anyone who should avoid getting extensions?
NR: I would say anyone who’s hair is very thin and fragile, I wouldn’t recommend it because there is nothing for it to hold on too and it can pop the hair. And people with short hair—your hair needs to be at least 4 to 5 inches for the extensions to look good.
LM: What is the end result? Why is this is a good idea for brides?
NR: Sometimes you want that fuller look but can’t grow your hair out to or your hair may stop growing at your shoulder and you want it to the middle of your back. Also for volume, definitely gives you more fullness.
LM: When should you get extensions put in before the wedding day?
NR: I would do it about a week and half to two weeks before. So you can get used to them and live with them for awhile before the actual day.
LM: And how long do Great Lengths last?
NR: 4 to 6 months.
LM: And how do you get them out?
NR: You have to get them professionally removed. You can go to your stylist and there is a solution that breaks down the bonds. The only thing that breaks them down is sulfur. So when you have them in you want to stay away from any products containing sulfur. But when you get them out, we put on a sulfur solution and they slide right off.
LM: What price are you looking at?
NR: Cost depends on ¼, ½ or full head, can be $1,400 to $4,000. That’s pretty much the same across the country.