Need a Hair extension expert!!

Hello! I am new here and want to find someone who is skilled in hair extensions. I am a blond ( naturally) with highlighted hair that is about 2 inches past my shoulders, but I want it about 6 inches longer  and thicker. I live in the philadelphia area and I am willing to travel within an hour or two - but need to find someone who is great at extensions. I am looking for strand by strand.. something that is healthy for my hair or at least the least damaging technology out there.  If you are out there - please let me know!  philadlephia, NJ?? THANK YOU!

Jenna at http://dareyourhair.com/ has gotten lots of good reviews. AFAIK, she's a Hairpolice-trained extensionist, specializing in the pinchbraid, or string, technique, which can be done with either human or synth. Her prices are also very reasonable. One of our members here, Merguthrie, went to her and loves her work.

Good luck! :)


Edited by Jenny_RR

Pinchbraids are strand-by-strand. And if you want the least damaging method, I certainly wouldn't recommend GLs or hairlocs; both of those methods trashed my hair, and just search the archives, and you'll see the reviews.

The safest strand-by-strand salon methods, imo, are pinchbraids and heat-seals; followed by shrinkies and extendtubes, which are very DIY friendly. For human hair, you should expect to pay from $600 to $1000, depending on the hair and method used.

Hairlocs or GLs would cost you a lot more, but they're no better quality, imo, and certainly not less damaging.

Good luck! :)

Ah yes...generally sales pitches don't include "Our product is sure to ruin hair as well take advantage of your naitivity. We will overcharge you! Please, sign here."

Now Philly, I'm not bein a beotch. Just keepin it real...24/7! I too thought Greatlenghts and Hairlocs were the only/best methods... NO, they're just well marketed! Take a day or two or more and read through old posts. You'll be amazed at your options! Everyone has their favorite, but most of all find a stylist who has integrity and ability...not just the ability to BS and markup cost beyond fairness.

yeah I don't know about the hair per se.  but the method is basically the same as extentubes, or microrings, or hairlocs etc.  At least according t o the article on the web page.

I've seen somewhere something called tube X?  anyhow where they have glued the hair to the inside of the ring/tube before you apply it... sounds basically the same.

the question really is what kind of hair it is.  And I don't know that.

Cyberhair is an awesome product!  It's sort of like the Tube X hair in that the hair, which is thermo fiber, already has a very tiny metal bead attached.  That metal bead is lined in silicone, so your natural hair has a cushion against the metal.  This is an important distinction because I, as well as others, believe that sometimes when these metal beads are crimped, they can cause rough edges that chew away at the natural hair, thus causing breakage.

Anyway, I received samples of Cyberhair and played around with them, and I was impressed.

I also know Charlene, (Cybermane) and she is extremely knowledgable in just about every extension method that is out there. (including pinch braids, heat seals, locs, shrinkies, GL, and many more)  She offers many methods.  If that is anywhere near where you are, I'd contact her and tell her your situation and see what she recommends.  Her work is top notch! 

Good luck!

Well, I don't think braids are harder on the hair than any other method; in fact, I think they're gentler. The braids that can put too much tension on the scalp if applied incorrectly are cornorws, which are used for braided tracks. Pinchbraids or heat-seals are totally different though.

Nevertheless, shrinkies are also a good method--their biggest advantage being undetectability, imo. You can do them yourself much easier than you'd be able to with braids. I don't know of many professionals that do shrinkies though. There is a salon version called Shrink Links (the Mark Barrington version, which Metalgirl uses). though. Perhaps you can contact MB for a reference in your area.

Good luck! :)

Did anyone ever come up with a good philly area person for locs or
shrinkies?