Wedding Wednesday....Versatile Clip-in extensions

Yesterday I had a trial appointment with a bride and I custom-made her clip-in extensions. I must admit that I was a little surprised at how versatile the clips were. I was able to pull them in a ponytail, a bun, and a side-swept style. I usually recommend brides get sew-in extensions because of the longevity and versatility of them. I always think about how long the wedding day is and the fact that the bride will be dancing and in turn sweating, so I always think it's best to go with extensions that will keep the style the longest.

However clip-in extensions are a great way to go if you don't want braids and you want something thats temporary. I also like micro-bead extensions as an option. http://hairbyserena.blogspot.com/2012/09/micro-bead-extensions-part-2.html

Below are the before and after looks. We did 2 different side swept looks. One has more volume at the top than the other. 

Natural hair after the shampoo and condition

Natural hair pressed 

Clip-in extensions added

Clip-ins are seamless

I wand and ceramic curled, then pinned it to the side

I readjusted the the style and added more volume to the top

Wedding Wednesday...WorkOut Hair Maintenance

Many of you are actively trying to keep your bodies together, whether it be for life or for your wedding day.
If you are trying to get 'Snatched' for the wedding day or for life then you need to be conscience of the way you are maintaining your natural hair.
Those that have fine hair are probably shampooing their hair regularly, whereas those that have normal to coarse hair are probably shampooing 1-0 times a week.
No matter what texture your hair is, if you are working out multiple times a week then you should be shampooing your hair at least once a week.
The reason being is because if you are "really" working out then you are sweating.
Sweat (Perspiration) has salt in it along with many other minerals, which is dependent upon what the individual produces. It could be sodium (salt), magnesium, calcium, etc.
Imagine if you didn't take a shower after a workout, how would you smell after a week?!
That should put things into perspective on the importance of shampooing your hair.
If you can't smell your own hair, then others can and chances are you're being talked about. Just saying!
I'm not saying you have to shampoo everyday but at least once a week.
Leaving salt in your hair can be damaging as well. It can cause breakage because salt is drying, think about it. Salt absorbs.
I like sea breeze.
You can mix it in while you are shampooing your hair. Make sure you are also using a hydrating conditioner to ensure that you are restoring moisture into your hair.

Even if you are wearing braids, run some water through that scalp to rinse the salt out.
Even when I'm shampooing extensions, I can smell it when people have been sweating alot, it's not the most pleasant smell.
Again I stress, maintain good hair hygiene, no matter if you have extensions or natural hair.
I really like Paul Mitchell "shampoo three" because it's does an amazing job in cutting any impurities from the hair. It's the best that I've seen on the market. You can literally feel the difference on your hair.  Trust me, you'll be amazed!

Wedding Wednesday....The secret behind hair extensions (Part 1)

The hair industry is a multi-billion dollar business. It has become an obsession, everybody wants the best quality extensions at the lowest price. It is over-saturated with people trying get a piece of the billion dollar pie.

Years ago the market was much harder to tap into. There was only a few people that had access to get the hair directly and they in turn would sell it wholesale to individual distributers. The hair quality was raw, unprocessed and would last for multiple installs. 

The hair is mass produced because of supply and demand. Hair extensions have been machine processed for years. The hair that is sold in beauty supplies has been artificially manufactured for more than a 2 decades. When the hair started coming from India and sold through individual distributers, then the hair industry blossomed. 

That's when you noticed that every one that you knew became hair distributers. People that had never been knowledgeable in the hair industry could tap into it. 

Hair could be sold to anyone that wanted to buy it. You didn't need a permit or license to buy hair and distribute it. People are making as much as $100,000 a month just selling hair extensions. They are becoming instant millionaires, thanks to the hair industry. 

I don't understand why people don't respect people that are haircare professionals. 

There is a lot of value in our craft. Hairstylist that are doing bare minimum can easily make $50,000 a year. If you incorporate doing extensions and distributing hair you can quadruple that number. 

The market generates $1.5-2 billion dollars in the United States as of 2013. 

Wedding Wednesday...Bridal up-do (The Trial)

I have stressed to many clients how important it is to get a Trial so that you know what how your hair will look for your wedding day. The last thing you want to do is wait until your wedding day to see how your hair will look.
That is by far the worst thing you could do. I even encourage you to have a few different trial appointments.
This is so that you and your stylist are on the same page. The day of  your wedding is so stressful, it takes the stress out of having a hair crisis. Trust me!
It's even okay to seek other stylists for a trial appointment. You want variety and everyone has their own way of styling. You may like the way another stylist does up-dos, and that is okay.
This is one of the most important days of your life, you want to look your best.

Below are pictures from my latest Bridal Trail appointment:

Wedding Wednesday.... Versatility

Who doesn't like versatility when it comes to hair?
I know I want to be able to do as much with my hair as possible. Especially when I'm wearing extensions, I want to wear it up, down, to the side, etc. I want as many options as possible. I don't want to put excess amounts of heat on my hair so versatile extensions help give you different ways that you can wear your hair so that you don't damage your natural hair. There are a few options that I recommend. You can either choose, versatile sew-in extensions or micro bead extensions. Both are a healthy ways of achieving the perfect look. Micro bead extensions are more maintenance than sew-in extensions, so it just depends on what is best for you.
I usually recommend micro bead extensions for my brides because you will have more options for the wedding day and then it works out well for the honeymoon as well.

Sew-in versatile extensions-

Before Extensions

After extensions (Indique hair used) -Ponytail 

After-Bun

Wear it to the side 

After-With ceramic curls

Micro-bead Extensions-

First look

Client is natural. Hair is pressed, precision layered cut, and ceramic curled. Extensions are from Indique hair. 

Before 

After extensions are applied, hair can be worn up or down

Beads are barely noticeable

After

Hair is flawless

Second look

Client is relaxed. Hair was relaxed a week prior to micro bead application. Extensions are from Wagmans.

Hair is ceramic straightened, precision layered cut, and ceramic curled

Before

Wedding Wednesday...Heatless hairstyles Fine hair edition.

I have had many clients over the years that have struggled with thinning hair. Everyone isn't born with thick hair. It could be genetic or it can stem from growth being stunted early in life. It's very important to not damage your hair follicle because once the follicle is damaged hair won't grow in those areas. Some people's hair have been thin from a young age while others hair my be thin because of chemical or heat damages.
So whether your hair is damaged or natural thin, I'm going to show you a few styles that you can achieve on those days that you don't have any business using heat. If your hair is thin, you have to be more fragile with it comes to your hair because you need to preserve as much hair as possible. There are products that are geared for thin or fine hair.

Nioxin is one of my favorite products for hair. Especially fine or thinning hair. 

If your hair is fine or thin, this is the product for you. I know many clients have asked me about 'hairfinity' but I have no idea if that products works. People have said that they have experienced hair growth but I personally think it's great marketing and branding. I would never discourage anyone from trying it because it may actually work.
I went to my go to place for visuals, Pinterest and found a few looks for you ladies that have fine hair. When you have fine hair , you have to shampoo your hair more often because it gets oily faster than normal to coarse hair.

Pictures are from Pinterest