While there are plenty of benefits to being a lady, many of our gender perks come with prerequisites.
It is socially acceptable for us to cover blemishes with make-up, but now we feel handicapped to leave home without faux faces. Fashion trends keep us chic, but we’ve become obsessed with the contour of our every curve. Last but not least, we have the luxury to forever cut, color and style our hair, but now it’s terribly difficult to resist reinventing our locks with the latest celebrity look.
Luckily, in our modern reality there seems to be a cure for every beauty crisis. Med spa facials and permanent make-up ease our morning maintenance and a customized combo of gym routine and med spa tricks boosts our svelte shape. However, when it comes to hair, extensions are the long-awaited answer to your prayer.
Celebrities have been using hair extensions for decades, fooling us San Diego salon-goers to believe their red carpet looks are A-list luck. To discover the real roots of the extensions industry, I went beyond the tabloid hype and straight to the local source.
San Diego Hair Extensions by Shelly Cook is the go-to salon for extensions, and this is my Insider experience.
Like many San Diegans, during the peak of the Posh Spice ‘do, I cut my long hair into a super short and edgy bob. Years later, I was stuck: I so badly wanted to grow my hair out, but was unable to withstand the awkward growth pains.
Pictured: San Diego THREAD Show, August '08
San Diego Hair Extensions in La Jolla is a local leader in salon services with an emphasis in extensions. Shelly Cook shed light on my situation and introduced me to Hair Dreams, my personal savior, and one of two varieties available at her salon.
“Hair Dreams is the highest quality individual strand extension available,” assures Shelly. “And more important than that is the bond has no glue in it, so when it’s time to remove the extensions, we have a solution that turns the bond into powder and the hair slides right off.”
During my first consultation, Shelly examined my short hair and listened to my concerns and goals. Though I assumed I was alone, Shelly explained she’s heard it all before and that extensions are actually more common than you might think.
“Lengthening hair is the number one reason people get extensions. Almost all of us over 30 can remember when our hair would grow as long as we wanted, but now it seems to stop at a certain length. Other popular reasons are to add high lites or low lites without having to color the hair, and to camouflage hair texture.”
Shelly matched my hair color and measured sample strands to meet my length of choice. I kept it relatively natural, with extensions in my same color dangling past my shoulders. More daring salon-goers have the option to go as long, thick or vibrant as they want. The next time I saw Shelly, my own personalized set of Hair Dreams extensions were in, and it was time to begin.
The hair extensions process takes about 3 hours, and is a surprisingly relaxing experience. With two stylists working bonds at one time, I witnessed my hair add length with individual strands across my scalp. There was no pain or irritation; I literally could have dosed off to sleep if I didn’t have to hold my head up.
Hair Dreams is a European based hair extensions company that is used by many big name stars. The individual strands are made of 100% real human hair that comes from temples in India. Shelly explained that most all companies get hair from these temples, but companies color the hair differently and add varying bonding agents. Hair Dreams takes 8 weeks to color the hair before selling it to salons, ensuring the hair is the highest quality available. With Hair Dreams you need to go to the salon every 6 weeks for a trim around the bonds, and the hair can last up to 4 months, depending on how fast your hair grows.
“There are a lot of systems out there that can ruin your hair,” explains Shelly. “Systems that involve a copper lock can slice your hair and your head. Individual strands attached with any glue can cause a great deal of damage, when it’s time to remove them.”
After 3 hours my full head of Hair Dreams extensions was long and luscious. Shelly trimmed and shaped my new ‘do and then began to try a few different styles using curling and flat irons. Because of the trained stylists, the real hair strands and Shelly’s final touch, I couldn’t even tell where my real hair stopped and the extensions began. I was instantly in love.
The Real Reaction: When I look in the mirror alone or am out with friends, personal and public reactions are nothing but positive. When I brush my fingers through my hair, it feels natural, because it’s all real hair. The bonds near the head are uncomfortable because there’s now a distraction between the scalp and hair. Depending on where the bonds begin, you’re limited to how you can vary the part and style of your hair, because the bonds may show.
With respect to our modern world where standards for beauty are always evolving, I asked Shelly why hair extensions have become so popular, and how the industry will change in a few years.
“Celebrities have been doing this for years, and now that we know about extensions, people everywhere are getting them done. I thought I would do 1 or 2 a month, and now I’m doing 2 to 3 a day. My fear is that the hair might run out because it’s become so popular. However my distributors assure me that will never happen.”
The second type offered is Hot Heads, a tape method which is the most gentle on your hair. It is also the best method when your hair is short and you want to add length, making it very popular in Hollywood where styles are ever-evolving. With Hot Heads you need to come into the salon every 6 to 8 weeks to move up the hair extensions, and the hair can last up to 8 months.
Hair Extensions Daily Care
- Do not use Panteen or Nano Works from Purology, as these products will loosen your bonds.
- Do not brush or comb wet hair, ever.
- Before going to bed, tie hair back loosely.
- Before washing, brush and sort the hair properly
- Never rub the hair against itself when washing. Always wash from the hairline towards the direction of the ends and massage.
-Never overheat the hair with the hairdryer or clamp a flat iron directly onto a bond.
About San Diego Hair Extensions
San Diego Hair Extensions is a petite, friendly salon in La Jolla run by Shelly Cook, hair extension specialist and former make-up artist for the San Diego Charger Girls and San Diego Riptide Cheerleaders. While she used to style the stars, she now focuses her attention on you. Shelly has been specializing in hair color and cuts for 10 years and hair extensions for 5 years, and her most important objective remains to make your hair look natural, beautiful and sexy.
Located on Fay Avenue in downtown La Jolla, San Diego Hair Extensions is a vibrant salon featuring sponged orange walls, energetic orange chairs with silver accents, and big windows allowing sun light to dance around inside. A purple love seat is home to observing guests, and a salon-wide mirror connects all eyes together on the lucky extensions recipient. Those looking for a bronze bonus can walk upstairs to the airbrush tanning station.
Discover more tips at SanDiegoHairExtensions.com.
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