I have been a stylist for 20 (god really!!) years. and have been doing extensions 12 years.

I have been a stylist for going on 15 years, can't believe how that time has flown by!  I specialize in extensions and hair color.

A large portion of my free time is spent taking care of my babies:

Sorry, I didn't mean for the pictures to be sooo giant!

Hi Kelly!

My name is Charlene and this is what I do for a living.  I worked at a salon when I was 17 years old while I was studying to become a nurse. 

The moment I first laid my eyes on hair extensions, I knew immediately, which is why I quit college and went to beauty school.  A lot of people said I chose the wrong path, but I could not fight my passion. 

So the Internet evolved and I created a website for myself- which is why I'm aka "CyberMane" and now I'm 33 years old and my business grew to not just helping people to have long hair but those who have lost their hair for medical reasons- working as a licensed professional and volunteering for Look Good Feel Better, Locks of Love and Trichotillomania Learning Center.

You can say that I my nursing education was definitely not wasted. 

I just love cyberspace and meeting all these great people.  They, like myself are taking the time in their busy life to help others find the mane of their dreams;

Charlene

PS. Metalgirl, your babies are so cute...

This is a hobby/fixation/obsession.  It's took me over 40 years to figure out how to obtain nice hair.  When I think of all the years spent walking around with bad haircuts...if only I knew then what I know now.

My boyfirend and I are ebay powersellers.  We specialize in antiques and collectibles...but really anything to turn a profit is fair game.  I have 3 children at home and lift weights, run and play racquetball in my free time.

Amm...I think  you are Superwoman

i am a liscensed Hair Stylist for well over 15 yrs. I own a 15 station salon with over 20 people working there. My speciality is Hair Extensions and making people feel good about themselves.

In my spare time, (geesh whats that?) i love to spend time with my little grandaughter.

my latest project is doing a huge remodel of our home.

Chris-

The 'metal' in metalgirl comes from the fact that I'm still a huge fan of 80's heavy metal-like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, etc.  I like more comtemporary stuff too, but in my opinion, 70-'s 80's hard rock is the best. My husband is a drummer, and when I met him, he used to call me his little 'metal girl', so that's how the name begun.

I do live on 6 acres, but I wouldn't call it a farm.  I have the 3 dogs (of which only 2 are pictured), 2 indoor cats, 2 outdoor cats, the 2 donkeys I got from a donkey rescue. 

I am licensed also, and a booth renter.  THat said, extensions are more of a hobby than a business for me.  In fact, the area I live in is extremely conservative, and I have the strong impression that people think my interest in extensions is bizarre.  I especially can't call it a business because I just spent $500 on a plastikhaar order so I can have my own "paintbox" of haircolors to blend and get crazy with!!!!!

     Like Jenny, I am starting to get into other forms of bodily enhancement.... but I think getting interested in hair extensions has openned my mind to a lot.  Gee that sounds freaky

Thanks for your responses.  I have wanted to go to Cosmo school for over 20 years and I think I finally may this fall!!  I really want to specialize in Extensions and Straightening.  I am currently a Stay at home mom with 3 kids.  I have worked in the Banking/Mortgage industry for 15 years prior to having my last child two years ago and finally stayed home.  I need an income and all I can imagine doing is becoming a hairdresser!!  My 12 year old daughter wants to plan an intervention because since I have found this website, she says I'm totally addicted!!!

Scotchyroo - I live in an area that sounds like yours!!  I'm in Michigan and I have several friends that are hairdressers and when I ask why they don't look into learning extensions and the permanent straightening methods they say those things wouldn't do well in this area.  I say if people offered them, they may. 

its a hobby for me, but Im in the pretty business so the better I look the more money i make.

Luckie - Im jealous, I LOVE me some videogames

Kelliegirl-

I think that it really doesn't matter what area you are in, if you develop a good reputation and market your services wisely, you will do well.

I live in a country type area and people here represent all income levels from super rich to welfare.  I have build a good extension business and also have many clients for whom I perform  the CHI permanent straightening. (love that system, by the way)

My website has generated a lot of business for me, with many of my clients traveling up to 3 hours to have their hair done.  I also have 2 yellow pages ads, and that's also worked great, but it's very costly.

What movie is this saying from, "Build it, and they will come...."

I definitely agree with you guys!!  If the service is not offered then no one can get it.  I think anywhere that it isn't offered, would be a great market to start up in.  Hopefully I will be able to do that in the future. 

I would love to have the CHI Straightening done on my hair!!

I am a stay-at-home mom to two yound boys (at the moment).  I always had a hair thing since I was - like 2 years old - lol.  It all started with my first set of curlers that I put in my dad's hair (over and over again).  He tells me that is why he has so little hair today.  I , like most little girls wanted long hair but did not want it brushed - so I had this HUGE knot in the back of my head.  My mom cut my beautiful down to my bum hair and I looked like a boy (from the age of 10-14).  I let it grow again when I was 14, but I then found hair dye and perms and messed up my hair so many times it never grew very long due to damage.  Now at 34 I have given up with highlighting, perms, different hair colors and I am growing my hair long again.  I can't really (or don't want to) wait for that to happen so I found extensions.  My hair is growing nice and healthy and in a few years I won't need the extensions. 

HI I just found this site thanks to Jenny.  I am in love with it.

I do not do extensions professionally.  I am a mother of three and I go to school for nursing part time.  I have also worked at different part time jobs but none of them have ever had anything to do with hair.

I have had extensions for a few years now and have tried a few different types.  I do not do them for anyone else, only on myself because I don't know what I'm doing as it is.

I started getting them because I damaged my hair bleaching it and had to cut it very short.  I have very fine thin hair that is naturally a dark blond color that I lighten. It grows very slowly and it took me about 20 years to finally get it to the length I liked while also looking healthy with blond highlights.  Then I bleached my hair myself and had to cut it all off. Very dumb and sad. I wasn't about to wait another 20 years for my own hair to grow back long so I started getting extensions.  Eventually I learned to do them on myself through trial and error.  Still I have not had any success in growing my own hair back so I am doing something wrong.  Which is why I am so glad to have found this board.

Meanwhile I have had a whole lotta fun playing with my hair over these last few years.  And I have discovered how much fun crazy colors and changing my hairstyle from short to long overnight can be.  Living in a very conservative neighborhood makes it that much more fun to confuse my neighbors.  And when I need inspiration I can go downtown into Chicago where I have seen some really amazing gorgeous creative hair extensions.

Nice to meet you all (oh and by the way my real name is Heather)  Halo is a nickname that I've given up trying to shake.

I´m staying at home at the moment with my 2 month old son.

I make party- and weddingcakes (you can se pics at http://kagetid.dk - http://kagetid.dk . Click on "Galleri").

But now that i have discovered some of the secrets behind extension, maybe I will be doing friends and other, and make a little money on the side .

/Synne