Great Lengths extensions? To try, or not?
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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=53262
Printed Date: February 04 2026 at 6:15am
Topic: Great Lengths extensions? To try, or not?
Posted By: raindancer
Subject: Great Lengths extensions? To try, or not?
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 11:04pm
I am really curious about Great Lengths extensions....I've heard they're wonderful but I have never had extensions before and I would be very nervous about trying out such an expensive method and being unsatisfied. My hair is medium long (bra strap length) and I'm dying for Gisele hair  Do they look nice, do they stay shiny, and most importantly for me, can you tell they are extensions? My bf likes to run his hands through my hair  Another method I read about on glamourhair was trackless extensions, which look like strips that are glued on near the scalp. I couldn't find any information on them though.I really don't want to damage my hair, it's been prone to mechanical breakage (it's never been processed) but I've been using Kerastase's Bain de Force line and it's really helping. Can extensions (properly applied) damage my hair? Really appreciate any help you can give, thanks so much! ------------- I dwell in possibility |
Replies:
Posted By: metalgirl
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 11:26am
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Greatlengths is an ok product. The company tends to have good hair and the bond (which is glue by the way, no matter what they tell you) seems to stay in the hair fairly well.
However, no matter what the product, the result of the extension job is only as good as the talent / experience of the person installing it. So, I would ask to see photos of the stylists work, ask them how long they have been doing extensions, ask them if they have ever worn a full head of extensions, and ask them if you can contact any of their clients who has worn them for a while (at least a year).
Here's where any extension method can go wrong:
*stylist did not take neat, clean sections in placing the bonds
*stylist doesn't add enough hair to keep them from looking stringy
*if you have short hair, stylist doesn't place the bond high enough on the head for good blending to avoid the 'mushroom head' look
*Stylist doen't properly apply the bonds, therefore they shed and slip (very common problem in most fusion extensions)
*Stylist doesn't instruct you in propper care and brushing routine
*Stylist damages your hair upon removal of bonds. This is also common, since GL's bonds are notoriously hard and in my experience they do not come out easily like they tell you they do. So in some cases, an impatient stylist will start pulling the bonds out, thus ripping and breaking your natural hair
In general, GL is known to be way over priced. The company mandates a high amount that the stylist MUST charge, and most times the stylist will mark up the price of the hair even higher when they sell it to the client.
My greatest pet peeve about GL is that they teach their stylists to tell people that it is safe to leave extensions in the hair for 6 months. It is very dangerous to the integrity of the natural hair due to natural shedding and potential matting at the root. Do a search in the Extensions 101 section for more info on these matters. In my 16 years of experience, anyone who has worn their extensions for 6 months has a lot of breakage to their natual hair when they are removed. GL just tells customer that they will last 6 months so they can justify their high prices.
There are many good alternatives that you can learn about on this forum. For example, wefts with protac tape are easy to do yourself, or the micro rings (you may need a friend to help you do the back) What ever you do, research it very carefully.
Good luck to you! ------------- http://www.Godiva-Hair.com - http://www.Godiva-Hair.com http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com - http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 12:07pm
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Hey Raindancer, I would not spend THAT much money on extensions unless it lasted for years and years. Come on, that much money every six months (and six months is too long to keep in your hair) is completely outrageous! Anyway, my friend uses the seamless wefts from glamourhair and she LOVES it! I would suggest trying that first and go from there. I think the seamless weft method is less damaging to your hair and less detectable. My friend uses protac and cuts just a 1/4 strip from the protac and applies it to the seamless weft. The package from glamourhair starts you off with tape so you don't have to order protac at first. See how you like the tape they send you. ------------- |
Posted By: leducred
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 6:25pm
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I had GL's in Feb -paid $1500's total for it and by march (mid) they were out. I was so upset , I did not go back to the stylist for this reason- nothing she could have done would have made me happy- take them out ,put them back in -order more hair ,whatever i didnt like that. I liked SoCap better!
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Posted By: raindancer
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 6:34pm
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thank you so much to everyone who replied, I think I may try the Glamourhair extensions instead....wish me luck
------------- I dwell in possibility |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 11:13pm
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Keep us posted!! I think you'll be happy with glamourhair and how EASY it is to apply!!
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Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: June 03 2007 at 7:08am
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Hi Raindancer. I wore GL for 3 months and they were okay. I would say no better than any other method and they charge an arm and a leg. In hindsite I would say they were overrated/overpriced. The hair is a good quality Indian which means its not quite as silky as European hair and has been processed before you even get it installed to make it match caucasian hair. I found it did start to dull and become rough after about a month and a half and I was only washing once a week.
As for running your fingers through them, you can feel them. Its a glue fusion extension so it will feel like tiny hard balls near your scalp. Your stylist should have a mannequin head with a few in so you can touch them and get an idea. Dont get me wrong though, it doesnt feel that bad and you can almost just say you have hard gell in your hair and no one would be the wiser. Also, they are insvisible for the most part and I was able to clip my hair up on the sides even with the bonds exposed and you could not see them at all! Amazing in that respect. One other thing. I had them removed after 3 months and I did have some minor breakage but luckilly not in areas you could see but up under my hair behind the ears. So I just had to wait a couple months for that breakage to grow back in. No big deal. They dont come out at all barely but when they do, they take your real hair with it. This is just MY personal experience though with my hair so please take it with a grain of salt and realize you might be totally different. Good luck and let us know how it goes. |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: June 03 2007 at 2:06pm
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HEy Krimsa, I'm just wondering why you had breakage? Was the breakage where the bond was attached?
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Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: June 03 2007 at 4:44pm
| Yeah it was where the bonds were attached. It was not excessive but definitely some right in that area behind the ear where my hair was probably the thinnest to start with. |