Overwhelmed and in need of advice
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=54300
Printed Date: January 22 2025 at 4:55am
Topic: Overwhelmed and in need of advice
Posted By: UCFXtina
Subject: Overwhelmed and in need of advice
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 11:52am
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I have gotten Great Lengths installed I think 5+ times now. I have always liked the system, have gotten the same color/amt. of bundles each time. However, $1,200 IS way too much to spend if it's not permanent and I've finally gotten to the point where I feel it isn't worth it. This time (maybe I've just paid more attention I don't know), I have a LOT of breakage. Split ends so bad I've developed a habit of snapping them off! The hair is always nice for the first week or so, then it becomes just SO fragile. I bought some expensive Kerastase products to try to hedge against it this time but it didn't help. Also, just running my fingers through my hair, 10+ strands can just come out! For $1,200, these things should be near flawless!
I looked at any other system as inferior to GL because it's what everyone says the *stars* use. I have read a number of posts in this forum, but there is just too much information to sift through for someone so utterly unfamiliar with it all! My hair is naturally curly and I'd say average-thin texture.
I need anyone's advice on this! PLEASE HELP! I've saved $600 so far and after visiting this forum, I definitely want to try something else.
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Replies:
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 2:32pm
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I do the sew in method. I have two tracks. I love it, it's much cheaper ($25/track) and right now I'm wearing Russian hair. I don't know what texture your hair is, you said curly but there's all different types. I would find hair to match your texture and get a sew in. You'll have better coverage and volume than GL. Can I ask you, what do you tip the stylist for a $1200 bill? $240? Also, when you say you have breakage at the bottom of your hair I'm not sure that has to do with the extensions. How would extensions cause damage at the bottom? ------------- |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 2:42pm
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I think it's more an issue with the quality of the hair. I've been reading a lot of the posts on this messageboard and figure the breakage and brittleness is due to the processing the hair is put through before it even gets to me (stripping of the cuticle followed by coating with silicone that washes off after a little, leaving damaged hair). The only extensions I've used are from GL so I'm leery of trying others, especially tracks/wefts. Not to say these are inferior, I just don't feel quite as comfortable, and until today, thought GL was *the* standard in extensions. I am so used to trusting a certified stylist I am nervous to do anything myself.My hair is naturally curly but I wear it straight. I really wish I could post a picture!!
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Posted By: BunnyWabbit
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 3:15pm
| i've got curl hair too - my advice for texture is unless you don't straighten every day, then you might as well get a straighter textured hair. You won't need to go over it as many times with a flat iron to get straigt results and that would benefit both your hair and the extensions. blowing it out with a great blow dryer and a nice round brush and you'd be good to go (better for blending than flat iron IMHO) |
Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 5:15pm
| Also, NO extension method is flawless. I know it seems like they should be at the GL price! But no matter what, the reality is you are attaching something to your knoggen that doesn’t grow naturally of course so the thing you can do is find the best quality hair possible and the absolute closest match to your own. And no method should you be wearing more than 3 months without maintenance because your own hair will begin to break off from the weight of the shedded hair sticking in the bonds. A sew in is no exception to this rule but I have heard it can be a healthier attachment to the natural hair. |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 6:51pm
Oh, did you mean the extensions hair started to break at the bottom? I thought you were saying your own hair was breaking at the bottom from the extensions. If you feel leery about trying other methods then I'm not quite sure what your question is.  What do you tip when the bill is $1200? 20% is $240. Is that how it works? ------------- |
UCFXtina wrote:Posted By: nursie
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 7:03pm
what color hair do you have? its fairly easy to find darker shades in virgin/unprocessed hair that wont split and go dry, myself and several others have unprocessed russian hair, but we can only talk about it on the site link in my signature
------------- lotta talkin 'bout hair n other stuff: http://www.diyextensions.net/ |
Posted By: Carol328
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 11:33pm
I know exactly how you feel! I've had GL installed so many times throughout the years and I've definetely seen the quality of the hair go downhill. And the only reason why I've kept at it so long was that I was fortunate enough to have a friend of mine who works for a Salon doing GL extensions that would do me on the side at her home for just a fraction of the price. But more and more I kept noticing how badly the hair would shred!
 And just like you, my hair would be shiny and nice for about the first week, and then it would become fragile, break off, become very dry and then shred all over the place. (you should see my bathroom floor at times!) I then bought myself a fusion iron, ordered hair from different places on the web, and my daughter would do my hair for me. But it was becoming too much of an expense as trying to find pre-tipped hair in a good quality (not too mention the long length) was a bit too much on my financial situation.
Im very grateful to have found this wonderful board here and after learning so much from all the wonderful women here on hair extensions Im planning to try out the weft hair protac system very soon. There are so many different methods of hair extensions but at least you can learn alot from this board on which one may be the one for you.
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Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 04 2007 at 3:24am
| That whole thing is a bummer. A lot of it has to do with GL using Indian hair. I don’t think its virgin to start with and it’s processed Indian hair meaning they take nice, virgin Indian hair first but then do that acid bath strip deal and I guess this removes the cuticle layer and makes this type hair blend better with Caucasian which is more soft and fine. Then since that damages the Indian, they then have to coat it in silicone to get it back to that shiny look and feel. So nice for the first month or so but every time you wash it (that assumes you wash once a week) you suds away that silicone and it gets crappier and crappier. |
Posted By: MileHiGirl
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 12:12am
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It seems from previous posts I've read, GL was probably at one time using quality hair. However, they advertised, got the name 'out there', and somewhere someone started saying that the "stars" wear it. (perhaps D-list stars?) Now it sounds like the company is using a different, lower quality hair, and still charging the same price, if not more for it? Ahhh, pulling the ol' corporate switcher-roo?? What's strange, is, a company that charges soooo much for their product, doesn't have any celebrity endorsement (none that I've seen) So where DOES their profit margin go? Certainly not into getting the best quality hair for clients from what it sounds like, right?
All I've heard of is getting poor service, poor installs, wicked damage to hair (natural and extension).....basically getting ripped off. How is this company still on people's lips??
I haven't tried GL, nor ever will from all the negative posts I've read on this forum. Not once have I seen someone post a pic of their GL install with pride and happiness. WHY is that?? It's frustrating and sad to hear of how some have paid such hefty salon prices, only to come to this forum in tears with regret and empty pockets.
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Posted By: Ms.Honey
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 12:14am
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we have to do something!!!!!!! ------------- ALL EYES ON ME |
Posted By: MileHiGirl
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 12:21am
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UCFXtina-
When you say you want to try something else....do you want to stick with individual strands, or try having wefts installed? Is it something you want to try to do on your own, or pursue a salon/stylist with an alternative method that you'd like to to try?
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Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 12:24am
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I have to agree MileHiGirl, I remember back a few years ago, the people wearing/using GL liked the hair. It was damage and other problems that were the complaints. Thats the one thing that I remember hearing alot with GL was how people really loved the hair. So apparantly somewhere along the line they started using a lesser quality hair. I never hear anyone say much good anymore about the hair. ------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com |
Posted By: MileHiGirl
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 1:01am
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Like those old commercials for coffee and they would whisper.....
"we've secretly replaced Mrs. Jones' coffee with Folger's decaf.....let's see if she notices...."
now it's "we've secretly replaced Mrs. Jones' extension hair with non-remy non-cuticle hair for the same price.....let's see if she notices....."
Yes, I do recall girls loving the hair, but some had damaged natural hair from poor installs. Now it just seems negative all around from the hair to the install. Hopefully clients tell the stylists, stylists report to GL of the hair quality, and a change in vendors could happen for those that truly like the method, and have the money for it.
By the way, does anyone know... WHY can't the hair be used for another install? For the money that is being paid for the hair....why can't the tips be cut off and the tip rebonded? What would be lost, an inch off the ends? I just think for the money that clients are paying for hair that's supposedly "so" luxurious, that it would still be in such great condition to be installed again? At least, as a consumer, that's how I would envision a product at that cost to fulfill my expectations.
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Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 5:08am
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MileHigh, also, let me tell you a bit about my experience with GL hair. I wanted extensions and thought GL was top of the line which a lot of people do simply based on its advertising. I’m not saying that isn’t stupid, just that a lot of folks make that mistake.
Anyway, I wanted kind of thin, fine textured long brunette hair. If anything I wanted it on the lighter side and close to what my own would look like if it were able to grow past shoulders. The stylist ordered at least 4 oz of this course feeling, overly fluffy hair. I did kind of ask about it the day it came and she said, oh, I called and GL doesn’t have straight hair but you can just flat iron this and I took her word for it. Once installed (I am tiny) I looked like a wooly mammoth with that much hair or a cave woman. It was not sleek and rough to the touch. Not really that shiny either. There was no way I could have flat ironed that mess daily. It would have taken me 3 hours at least and made the hair worse with daily heat styling. I was very disappointed but didn’t want to upset anyone (I’ve learned my lesson on that) but I won’t do GL again that’s for certain. |
Posted By: leducred
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 7:06am
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MileHi
maybe d listers use GL but a listers and B use GL as well.
But i can tell you me being a nonlister will never use GL again
s ------------- s |
Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 7:26am
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The celebrity endorsements you cant always go by because celebrities usually have big bucks and can constantly swap out brand new fresh hair to keep most any method they use looking nice. Plus they have stylists working on them and make-up people so what you are seeing on TV and in movies is not exactly what most of us will end up with. That’s just my opinion on it.
Plus GL is used by a lot of celebs but also Hairlocs is worn by several as well. The stars tend to use most all the methods but I think the main difference is money and how often you can switch hair. |
Posted By: Carol328
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 1:39pm
I agree with you Krimsa. And even on their website with the pictures of women with long beautiful silky smooth hair. Sure, it looks that good when first installed. But give it a week or so....
I've started noticing that some of the other hair companies are starting to post pictures of the hair after weeks of wear just to show people how the hair will look after being in for awhile. I've yet to GL doing this. This is what the clients need to see, not "how lovely" it looks when first installed.
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Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 1:57pm
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That would be an awesome idea to post photos of how the hair looks after maybe at least a month worth of wear. Of course how to know if they are being honest is the thing. I’ve seen some sites that lift the hair so you can see the bonds after several months of wear but not normally the full head. I would also say that how the hair looks after its been in a couple months also depends a lot on the care routine of the person wearing it. We all know it’s easy to ruin hair by using crappy products, not pinning it up for sleep, over shampooing with harsh detergents, colorings, you name it. Some responsibility needs to be taken there as well but all I know is I have worn this supposed fantastic hair and taken good care of it and it still doesn’t hold up! I’ve been wearing extensions long enough to know the importance of basic care. Its not really that hard and just a few extra care routines with it.
This is why I broke down and spent a fair amount of money on virgin, Russian wefts. I also just sent away for some good care products. |
Posted By: MileHiGirl
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 3:23pm
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krimsa, leducred, carol328, and UCFXtina....It's greatly appreciated, by those that are considering GL, that you have come forward and shared your experiences and opinions about it! Then others can make their own judgement, whether to try it.
By all means, no one is stupid for having tried something that they hoped to have worked for them! We all live and learn. And those here have all learned the lesson to research first now
 . I've been victim to jumping into using a product without gathering info, reviews, etc that are out there. Thanks to the credit card protection on purchases, it made the lesson a little easier to get over |
Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 05 2007 at 3:32pm
| Yeah. I mean I dont regret GL really. Now I can say, hey I tried it and it didnt work out for me. I will still pay for it. In fact I am on plastic as we speak now lol. I kind of feel the same with Hairlocs. I tried it and its out of my system. I think now I want to try sew ins. Thats totally new to me. I am also trying a new kind of hair with it to see how it is. If I dont like it, then I can say hey, I tried a sew in and didnt like it lol. I will probably go from there to using a weft with glue or tape or whatever else is next. I agree with you, hair extensions are VERY live and learn and no one size fits all. Im sure there are folks out there that simply love GL. More power to them. |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 9:49am
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i just typed a novel and it didnt post!
thank you all for all of your help!
i am definitely willing to try a new system. in my case it was definitely ignorance...before this board i thought there were basically 2 systems: GL and lower-class "weaves" really....but i have definitely since learned otherwise!
i would like to have a professional stylist do it since i have no experience choosing color or anything of the sort. i am just concerned because my hair is naturally curly (i straighten it) and avg/thin texture. i feel like it will be much harder for someone with my hair type to find a good system that blends as naturally as possible.
also, my hair has been the same color(s) for my past 5 installs, i do love it! i dont know if i should try to go back to one color, but when i schedule my appt my stylist orders the same 3 colors.
i just want something that blends naturally with my hair and that is relatively inexpensive (compared to GL anyway) as i already have about $600 saved up. i keep GL in for 5-6 months which ive also learned isnt a good idea from this board.
id like to post pictures if anyone can help with that!
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Posted By: Ms.Honey
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 11:17am
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would you like to try it yourself, maybe with the help of your sisters or friends, color matching is easy. you could do a full head installation for around $200 depending on length and texture ------------- ALL EYES ON ME |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 11:46am
| i would be willing to try it myself if i knew the ins and outs of where/how to buy hair and how to apply it correctly i suppose...would it really look as natural as GL given my hair texture? im trying not to be close-minded about anything! |
Posted By: Ms.Honey
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 11:53am
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yeah maybe even better, girls here have been disappointed lately with GL's hair. We'd need pics to help you pic color and texture though.
Do you want fusion again or did you want links tubes or wefts this time? ------------- ALL EYES ON ME |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 12:06pm
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it doesnt matter a WHOLE lot to me....fusion is all ive known really....the dome method kind of interests me....im really not sure, and im also somewhat nervous that my hair might be thin when i get the GL out. should i rest in between? i just know that since ive had them taken out and immediately put back in for about 2 yrs, my hair always feels thinner. its either genuinely thinner or i just feel like it is because im used to the extensions being in...makes me nervous. anyway, can you tell me how to post pictures? i cant seem to figure it out |
Posted By: Ms.Honey
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 12:17pm
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I've never posted a pic but I'm sure one of the girls will tell you how to today. Resting your hair is up to you, I never did. Who's taking them out and how much are they charging you? Did you want to remove them yourself? ------------- ALL EYES ON ME |
Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 12:57pm
| UCFX I just got 3 wefts sewn in of the Russian in 20 inch straight dark brown and its fantastic. I love it so dont write off sew ins. I did get the micro hand tied wefts and they are so small and slim. I am actually loving it WAY more than strand by strand. It has plenty of movement and this hair is a perfect match to my texture. I can even pin it up on the sides because the rim of the sew in is so undectible. It like magic! Im very pleased but good luck with whatever method you choose. |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 12:57pm
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The first 3 are a pics of my hair after i have GL installed. The last is a color im thinking about switching to. I'd REALLY love for it to be shiny if i dye it darker. Any advice/opinion is welcome! 1. http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=xtina.jpg - http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=xtina.jpg
2. http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=019d3f7692daccbb8d77c93210b3eb4ffbd.jpg - http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=019d3f7692daccbb8d77c93210b3eb4ffbd.jpg
3. http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=019d3f7692daccbb8d77c93246adb2-b9d4.jpg - http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=019d3f7692daccbb8d77c93246adb2-b9d4.jpg
4. http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=hair.jpg - http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/UCFXtina/?action=view¤t=hair.jpg
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Posted By: Ms.Honey
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 1:05pm
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when are you getting them out and for how much? You can remove them yourself easily. ------------- ALL EYES ON ME |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 1:08pm
| i was planning on waiting until i had the $1200 saved up...i dont know if i could handle taking them out and not getting them put back in right away. its actually $1085, including the price to get them taken out....they just use some great lengths solution and a device/tool that looks like pliers....i can really do it safely on my own? i mean sometimes my flat iron seems to do a fine job without any solution! |
Posted By: Ms.Honey
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 1:28pm
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the solution is acetone. I prefer Onyx Professional 100% Acetone from Sally's, but that jusy my personal preference. Some use orange oil to remove them. The tool used are pliers, just make sure they're non cutting pliers. You'll need a good little spritz bottle that won't melt from the acetone. Crunch with pliers, spritz with acetone, wiggle to remove, comb out residue. Simple as that. Test it on a bond somewhere in the middle where it won't be noticed. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to remove my own.
The flat irons will smear the glue making it more time consuming to remove. You can remove them with the fusion iron which is much much quicker but I would have a girlfriend do that because that can smear too and would leave you with a gigantic mess to remove.
You can use a phony pony in between installs. ------------- ALL EYES ON ME |
Posted By: Rocket22
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 1:57pm
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I don't know much about the GL but I can tell you from experience reading this board you CAN learn to do it yourself and buy the quality hair and have it look more professional then any supposed A listers hair. for cheap!!!! (in comparison to what you pay) I personally love the tape method. I use only two rows double wefts and have plenty of thickness. I know its a personal preference but for me I love it! any questions please let me know I have tons of pictures of all types of hair, I seriously have tried them all... (well maybe not all) but close... ------------- Current Install: European hair two rows triple wefted on bottom double wefted on top, with Protac |
Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 7:48pm
| Your hair looks really nice with the GL actually! Its working for you in my opinion. That color you want to switch do would look good i think and yes, usually the darker you go, the more reflective the hair is to light but too dark can make you look goolish and bring out tones in your skin you dont want. You can also mix colors and go lighter around the face. Ive seen that done and it looks great but you gotta go to someone good who can help you blend. |
Posted By: frenchie1
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 7:18am
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I love your hair Tina, I think it looks really good, and natural. I personally would not change the hair color, the one you have looks very natural imo.
I think to remove GL bonds you need more than pure acetone though -from what I have read before- you need some alcohol solution, you should do a quick search on this board on past posts because I m sure this issues has been discussed before. Type "remove GL bonds" with the "serach" option, you'll find a lot of infos.
I am useing Liquid Gold right now and Bohyme hair and I love htis combination. The hair looks great for several months -I usually like to swtich after 4 months- and the Liquid Gold method is so easy and cheap too.
If you're willing to try to do extensions yourself, there are a lot of good otptions out there.
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Posted By: frenchie1
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 7:19am
| Hey Rocket! WHat kind of hair are you wearing right now? Love the avatar |
Posted By: Rocket22
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 11:16am
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Thanks Frenchie!!! I'm still wearing the Russian.... I could never go back to anything else!!!.... love, love, love it!!!! and for me, so far the hair has never gone bad! Don't have to do anything to it to keep it soft and bouncy. (I'm a lazy extension wearer!) I just have to buy different lengths for when I get board.
I so highly recommend it!!! ------------- Current Install: European hair two rows triple wefted on bottom double wefted on top, with Protac |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 11:45am
I know you do! All of your recommendations have been so valuable. We all owe you a big thanks!! ------------- |
Posted By: Rocket22
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 1:29pm
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Thank you Malibu!!! I have done lots of trials and errors myself and anyway I can help I would love to give back! but of course what works for one may not work for another so it's a learning curve! But what a wonderful board! Learning by others trial and errors! ------------- Current Install: European hair two rows triple wefted on bottom double wefted on top, with Protac |
Posted By: frenchie1
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 1:43pm
Awesome! Can i ask you another question? How long have you been wearing this hair? 
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Posted By: frenchie1
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 1:45pm
Karen if you read this I love the new emoticons!
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Posted By: valentine319
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 6:46pm
| I really love the tiffany twist, I have fine thin hair and do one layer of trumpets on the weft & rest tiffany twist. It removes easily and I no longer want to use any acetone on my head. It does some great bonds around the face too. |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 7:25pm
I didn't know we had new emoticons!! ------------- |
Posted By: TanglesRC
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 7:46pm
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way cool!!!!
love it ------------- Bringing beauty, one head at a time... |
Posted By: krimsa
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 5:41am
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Rocket this Russian hair, there is just no turning back. Its like night and day. Its just so soft and shiny but in a natural not coated way. It actually is that hair that people say "they are jealous of her hair" lol.
It might not work for all though and I think if your hair is slightly more thick or course naturally, you could make it match but it is very fine. |
Posted By: UCFXtina
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 10:56am
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i have liked the GL, but as i said, the last 2 installs it's seemed as though the hair has indeed gone downhill in quality. i still like the look, i just cant afford to have it redone as often as i am apparently supposed to to avoid damaging my hair.
i dont even know how to begin putting in my own extensions and like i said, i think id rather leave it to the pros. i just want to know the best option for the most natural look with the lowest price (not meaning CHEAP...but considering i've been paying for GL). thank you all again for your continued advice!
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Posted By: sourgirl
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 11:45am
I was in the same boat as you were with GL and I have had extensions out for about 9 months and my hair finally has gotten to a healthy state after cutting a deep conditioning constantly I decided to for extentsions again. I went and talked to a half dozen technicians on all different techniques and I decided to go for Short to long ( basically micro links ) the girl who did my hair invited me a few weeks ago to show me an install she did who the person was there to get maintence. I was pleased when she took them out and showed me virtually no signs of breakage and this persons hair was similar to mine very thin. She had hers in for 6 mnths and she religously comes in for her maitence, and I think that is key.
I paid $150 for the hair and $150 for the install so $300 is a fourth of what it would been to have GL put in again, Her maintence fees are $75 but the first one is half off.
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Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 11:55am
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Sourgirl, that sounds very reasonable! I'm glad to hear you're happy with it!!! It's golden when you find what's right for you. I think GL is just too expensive. I can't even believe they charge that. UCFX, I'm really happy with my sew in. I have two tracks. One shaped like a horseshoe and the other is above that and about five inches across. It looks really natural and I don't even feel it. I pay $25/track. I wouldn't spend more than $50/track if you look into it.. ------------- |