I’ve toyed with the idea of getting hair extensions for some time now especially after I accidentally got them in September of last year. Yep, you read that right. After one too many glasses of champagne at New York Fashion Week, I told my hair stylist for the day that I had always wanted long hair. When she turned the chair around, SURPRISE I had hair extensions and not the kind that you can take out at the end of the day. After the champagne wore off, I ended up loving them just as much as I did a few glasses deep 🙂

What kind of hair extensions did you get?

I got Capelli Keratin Bond 20″ extensions. We used 4 different colored bundles for my hair. One lighter, one darker and two close to my natural hair color. Your hair stylist should be able to color match you!

How are they attached to your hair?

Keratin bond extensions are individually fused to your hair in very small sections with a heating tool. The bonds are carefully and strategically applied throughout the hair to camouflage the bonds. This means you should be able to put your hair up and not be able to seem them at all which was NOT the case when I had tape in extensions.

Where did you get them done?

I go to Sharon at Trademark Salon for my cut, color and now extensions. I cannot recommend her enough! I have always been more than pleased with my services. In fact, she is the first hair stylist that I have gone to more than once which is saying A LOT because I had never been happy with my hair until finding Sharon. And I tried five Houston salons before finding Trademark! For those that aren’t in the Spring area, she is well worth the drive! If you are not local to Houston and are interested in Capelli Hair Extensions, you can find a salon near you by using Capelli’s store locater.

Trademark Salon Location:

10300 Louetta Rd #106, Houston, TX 77070

How much do they cost?

Definitely the number one asked question and the short answer is that they are an investment. That being said, the cost really is dependent on the person and look you are wanting to achieve. Cost is determined by several factors the main two being desired length and volume. If you just want volume, this is much cheaper! But once you start adding length, this is where it gets more and more expensive because you have to add considerably more hair so that the hair does not look stringy. Since I wanted to add volume and 6 inches to my hair, my service fell under the most expensive package: $1,200. While the salon does not offer discounts, they do give referral discounts on future hair services!

Do they damage your hair?

The verdict is still out on this one as I have not tried taking them out yet and that is supposedly when they can damage your hair. I have heard horror stories from some of you that when they were removed that you lost a lot of hair. My hair stylist assured me that as long as you have a well trained stylest and good quality extensions, you should not have an issue with hair loss or damage. I will keep you all posted on this one!

Longevity.

While these extensions are certainly pricey, I did my research before committing to them and the number one reason why they beat out other types is because these last 3-5 months depending on how fast your hair grows out. Since my hair does not grow very fast this type of extension seemed best for me to achieve the voluminous long locks I wanted! After the bonds are broken (meaning after they are taken out), the hair is not reusable. So you are looking to pay full price for the next go around.

Comfort.

I was surprised how comfortable these have been from the start! I heard from others that they would feel “heavy”, that they would make my head hurt or that they would take some getting used to. From the time that they were put in my hair, I have never even noticed them! The only thing that took some getting used to was the first night of sleep but after that I was good! You will definitely be able to feel the bonds if you try to run your fingers through your roots of your hair so you do have to be careful there.

Maintenance/Upkeep.

You can wash, dry, brush and style your hair pretty much the exact same way as without extensions. Washing does take a little more precision to get the roots clean but nothing out of the ordinary. I was also instructed to get this bristle brush so that it would not pull my hair or bonds out. Since the bonds can easily get matted, you should brush your hair several times a day. I always brush my hair first thing when I wake up and last thing before I go to bed but also try to brush throughout the day as well! At night, it is best to sleep in a braid so that you don’t tangle or mat the bonds.

Styling.

Unlike the tape in extensions, you should be able to style your hair any way you want for the most part and not have them show: ponytails, braids, up dos, half up-half down, etc. I will say that one thing that has taken some getting used to is that the extension hair is a different texture than my own therefore it holds curls differently. Just something to note. Also, because of how many I have in my hair, I have seen a major increase in the time it takes to blow dry my hair. It used to take me about 5-7 minutes, it now takes closer to 20. Curling my hair takes maybe a couple minutes longer but honestly is about the same.

Products.

I use all of my same products to wash and style my hair as I did before having extensions. The only addition is my brush and it is definitely a must for these types of extensions. Click through below to see the products that I use to style my hair. When it comes to shampoo and conditioners, I honestly trade off between several brands and have not found one that I can commit to a long term relationship with!

I am in LOVE with my new hair. I honestly don’t think I could ever go back. That being said, only time and my current bank account status will tell if it becomes a long term commitment. For those that are maybe thinking about getting hair extensions, this would be my advice for you. If you are just wanting extensions for a one time event (for ex: wedding, prom, etc), a more affordable and less permanent option like clip ins would probably be best for you. If you aren’t ready to make the monetary commitment to fusion bond hair extensions, then tape in extensions might be a good route for you. And lastly, if you are wanting a more permanent solution than clip in or tape in extensions, I cannot say enough good things about my fusion hair extensions. While they are pricey, I 100% think they are worth it. For the amount of overall length and volume I wanted, my two choices were fusion bond extensions or NBRs (natural beaded rows). While I love how NBRs look, the upkeep and price were far too committal for me. Fusion bonds were what worked best for everything that I was wanting and I am SO happy with the outcome!

If there are any other questions that you would like answered about my hair extensions, please leave them below in the comments and I will answer them there!

*This post is done in partnership with Capelli Hair Extensions and Trademark Salon. All opinions are my own.*