My Experience with Great Lengths
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Hair Extension Topics
Forum Name: Hair Extensions
Forum Description: Hair Extensions can be the quick fix for short hair.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=19600
Printed Date: February 02 2025 at 7:54am
Topic: My Experience with Great Lengths
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Subject: My Experience with Great Lengths
Date Posted: July 20 2004 at 12:07am
| I had GL put into my hair 6/1/04. They are very natural and beautiful, the finest quality of hair, undoubtedly. It took a week for my scalp to adjust to the hundreds of bonds, I remember it was VERY sore to touch, let alone brush 3 times a day!! I hate washing my hair which mainly consists of running shampoo through the strands and miss the wonderful shampoo scalp massage that I had taken for granted. I had a bond being held by 3 tiny hairs that pinched so badly on the side of my head I resorted to cutting it off one night!! Anyways, AFTER I had my extensions done (6 long hours and $1500 later) my hairdresser informed me he charges $100 an HOUR for removal!!! I'm thinking OMG, another $300-$600 or even possibly more to remove these things??? One night I'm on Ebay and search for extension removal solution, and I find a bottle, for keratin bonded extensions, for only $8!!! Well, I'll try anything before having to shell out hundreds of dollars more, so I bought it, got it last week, and with flat-tipped needle nose pliers, the solution and a little patience, I am able to take them out, and I am so relieved!! I only took about 50 or so out, ones that were really grown out and bugging me and now I can take my time and not have to do it all at once, I can gradually take them out so it isn't such a huge shock all at once. I love Great Lengths but I think I was really being ripped off by the $100/hr removal....has anyone else been charged this ridiculous amount for this? |
Replies:
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: July 20 2004 at 5:56pm
| can you tell me were on ebay you found the remover??? how long did it take for the remover rto disolve the bonds? did you have to let it sit on your head? i heard that rubbing alchol also take out the bonds? anyone else? |
Posted By: Tiffany11
Date Posted: July 21 2004 at 9:41am
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Can you also let us know about the condition of your hair afterwards? Mine are going in next week, and I am not so sure what to expect because of the wide array of reactions posted on this board. ------------- |
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: July 23 2004 at 10:07am
| I think that removal is the most important part of the process, that is to be done correctly. The most damage takes place when the stylist rips the bonds off your hair, instead of gently and slowly easing it out of the bond. There is also an Everclear method posted elsewhere here, try searching the board. |
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: July 25 2004 at 11:51pm
I just searched for "hair extension remover" and found it. It takes a couple minutes per bond to remove, I just sit on the sofa and watch TV while loosening the bond. I also heard that rubbing alcohol works but is very drying, which the remover must also have a high percentage also...It practically evaporates once I squeeze a couple of drops on the bond...Must use the flat tipped needle nose pliers to loosen and gently pull out. I haven't done them all, just ones that are pinching or really grown out. My hair seems fine, I spray leave in conditioner several times a day and give it Redkin Deep Fuel treatments weekly. |
ernni wrote:Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: July 25 2004 at 11:58pm
I haven't taken all of them out but from the ones I can see, my hair is fine. I constantly use spray in conditioner and deep conditioning so I'm sure that helps. I love my Great Lengths, but as it grows out some of the hairs in the bonds pinch and it drives me crazy!! I even cut one off before I found I could buy fusion remover....I was afraid to go back to my hairdresser cause he'd probably charge me for taking one out! Let me know if your hairdresser charges for removal as well, personally I think it should be included in the $1500 but what do I know. |
Posted By: Tiffany11
Date Posted: July 26 2004 at 7:06am
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Mine charges $70 an hour.... I'm too scared to ask how many hours it will take. *L* ------------- |
Posted By: adina
Date Posted: February 15 2005 at 8:26pm
| I give the solution to my clients if they want to remove any extensions without having to come over my house everytime they want a bond removed.I havn't charged for removal as of yet,but the removal takes time and skill so be careful not to damage your hair by rushing the removal of the bonds(Very Important)Since the removal takes some time a couple of hours,GL reps charge to remove them,I personally feel that 100 dollars an hour is alot also,but seems to be the going rate. Did your GL rep give you the products included with the service?You should really use the GL products with the GL hair(Important)Also it usually takes an hour a bundle for removal.BTW Great Lengths sells shampoo for removal or residue that is left in your hair from the bonds after they're removed from your hair.Make sure that the bond remover is great lengths remover though,there are different kinds of keratin and this could be damaging! |
Posted By: MaginOC
Date Posted: February 15 2005 at 9:24pm
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Anonymous: I don't do GL extensions, but another very similar system in my salon. My usual charge for 3 bundles is around $500. For removal I charge $50 an hour. If the client gives me a deposit for new hair at the time of their removal, I waive the $50 per hour fee. If hair extensions are well maintained and their is minimal matting or tangling, I can usually get 3 bundles out in about an hour. Also, in my opinion, you shouldn't feel any pulling at the scalp, or have any pain when trying to brush your hair while wearing extensions. If you do, this probably means there was too much tension on your own hair during application. The tension, plus the added weight of the extension, will cause your own hair to come out at the root, not to mention be very uncomfortable. Good luck with your removal, and do be careful and patient with your own hair. |
Posted By: Amanda8beech
Date Posted: February 16 2005 at 3:31am
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I charge my clients £15.00 an hour for removal of shrinkies which is around $30.00 an hour but I usually ask them to take them out themselves and then saturate their heads in veggie oil. Nearly all of my clients have been very happy to do this and they've been really grateful that I've told them and not expected them to come back to have it done xx ------------- |
Posted By: Kalika
Date Posted: February 16 2005 at 6:53am
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I dont think its wrong to charge for removal. I also agree removing is one of the most important parts, and most DIYers get impaitent with fusion and end up ripping their hair out. Why do people assume removal is free? Your taking your stylets time, sometimes several hours, where she could be making a lot of money, so why do you think its free? If you gave your time of several hours to do very redundant, hand cramping work, wouldnt you want to get paid? ------------- |
Posted By: boogiemama
Date Posted: February 16 2005 at 11:26am
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Removing ANY kind of adhesive attached extension is a painstaking procedure and one has to be careful and skilled with the process. It's more of a pain to remove than attach, so charging for it makes sense. It can sometimes take longer than the application. 'm not a big fan of adhesive extensions BECAUSE removal is so tricky and difficult, especially with fine or fragile hair. Not worth it IMO. I always include removal in the service if the client is having a redo. Otherwise I charge $40 per hour. Usually takes 1-2 hours if the hair has been cared for properly and hasn't been left to dread for months. ------------- http://www.boogiemama.com - boogiemama.com |
Posted By: zapevaj
Date Posted: February 17 2005 at 10:43pm
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The remover stuff is acetone. That's why I don't do fusion- I'm not comfortable with putting that stuff on someone's hair. As far as the prices you paid (including the removal charge)- yep, that's about standard for Great Lengths stylists. They're known for being expensive. Charging for removal is pretty standard, though. I mean, it is the stylists's time- you've got to compensate them for it. I try to give the client a discount if they're having re-installation done as well. -Rae ------------- http://www.hairalchemy.net - Hair Alchemy |
Posted By: adina
Date Posted: February 18 2005 at 6:10pm
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I'm sorta baffled by some things I have read about Great Lengths.Alot of times I hear them described to as fusion.There are 2 types of methods of attachment for GL 1 is Fusion bonding ~ the other is thermal bonding.I'm not sure what people mean by gl is fusion extensions.I do the thermal bonding technique.Can someone please clarify?~Thanks! ------------- |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 18 2005 at 6:21pm
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Well, I'm not really sure. I always think of fusion and bonding as basically interchangeable, except that fusion always involves heat while bonding can not require heat (such as a bonded weft with non-heated glue). I think of fusion as a strand-by-strand method where the glue bond is fused to the hair with heat (this is the kind of GLs I had). What does the method you're using involve? The heat and the Keratin? Or is it something different? :) ------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com |
Posted By: adina
Date Posted: February 18 2005 at 8:25pm
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I use the thermal heating machine.The heating method is actually called thermal bonding method.My friend (Who is very involved with the people at great lengths) has the cold fusion machine.(Lazer)She is one of the few people tat have this machine because she went to Milan,Italy when it was first introduced 3 yrs ago., with Brett (CEO of GL),demonstrated it there.The Cold Fusion technique, which actually involves *~No heat ~*and is attached by cold waves (Lazer)and fused to the hair.(Cold Fusion).The machine doesn't get hot at all,It's suppose to be safer to your hair then the thermal heating..It also costs more money for the service then the thermal(Beacause the machine is like thousands of dollars).If people out there were told that the machines used on them were cold fusion and there was heat involved,It was probably not the cold fusion technique used.)but paid fusion prices! .(COLD FUSION INVOLVES NO "HEAT",That's why it's called "COLD"FUSION!Call GL and tell them.Also make sure the hair in packaged the day of service (So the wrapping paper says great lengths)and tell them to cut the bonds in half!,Seems,there are people out there,Who are using cheap extensions and glue saying that they're Great Lengths products when indeed they are not! .The fusion that the other copmpanies use,sound different .I'll ask Great lengths,They'll Know.I'll let you know what they say~ ------------- |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 18 2005 at 8:33pm
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Ummm....OK. ------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com |
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 18 2005 at 8:42pm
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GL has their own names for their methods. But by industry definition, 'fusion' is 'any method of applying extensions that involve heating/melting a bond to fuse/attach to natural hair.' Great Lengths is in there own world anyway so I guess they can call it whatever they want. 'Cold fusion' is just a patented name by great lengths. And I do agree that it is a non-heat method. ------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com |
Posted By: adina
Date Posted: February 18 2005 at 11:11pm
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I was looking at the hair on the hair candy.net site,It actually looks just as good as great lengths,It really looks really nice} ------------- |