Thursday, January 12, 2012

Use of Hair Extensions in Today's Economy

by Melissa White
Licensed Hair Stylist
Hair extensions have exploded in popularity over the last several years, and are not just for celebrities anymore. People from all over the country are getting hair extensions, trying to improve their hair fullness and length. At the start of the hair extension craze, everyone wanted to look like their favorite celebrity. Mariah, Beyonce, Tyra, Oprah, Shakira, and a host of others, never left the house without their extensions in. Now it is everyday people, making room for the hair’s budget, even in tough economic times.
As the demand for hair extensions grows, more and more companies are offering different type of hair extensions. At the start of the hair extension boom, silicone was the bonding agent of choice to connect or “fuse” the hair extension to your own hair. Fusion attaches small amounts of hair, strategically placed, throughout your own hair to create length, fullness, or both. Shortly after the boom began, Great Lengths developed a pre-bonded hair extension, that eliminated the need for glues, and the new hair extension revolution took place.
The current bonding agent of choice is usually a keratin polymer. Keratin is a natural component of real human hair. This polymer can be fused in many ways, such as heat, ultrasonic waves, air pressure, or laser. There may be pros and cons for each method depending upon your hair type and the type of hair extension used. An experienced extension artist can advise you.
Today, there are dozens of companies looking for a share. HairDreams and So-Cap are a close second to Great Lengths and their 10 year head start in the hair extension market. With the huge response to hair extensions, people are innovating new and creative techniques and that is good for everyone.
I’m often asked by other businesses whether the downward changes in the economy do anything to change demand. At my San Antonio hair extension salon I've noticed that with today’s emphasis on trends, it has become apparent that people will always find room in their budget to look good. A woman might buy one less dress or fewer pair of shoes instead of giving up their hair extensions.
One thing is for sure, the hair business is changing. The days of getting a haircut or color at the salon are changing. More and more exotic services are showing up and taking hold, and growth for the beauty industry as a whole looks like it will continue. Celebrities are not the only ones trying to look good, and with the Internet, people are made aware of new trends faster than ever before.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Melissa White is an experienced, licensed hair extension artist and stylist whose passion is to bring out the natural beauty in everyone by enhancing their own individual features with the use of exquisite hair extensions. Melissa has over 10 years of extensive training with the industries top hair extension companies in the newest techniques. Originally from Boston, Melissa has been in San Antonio for the past 8 years. She believes that everyone should be able to access and afford the hair of their dreams . . . thus the creation of Extensions of Yourself, San Antonio's first salon which specializes exclusively in quality hair extensions.