Archive for the ‘Long Hair’ Category

Why hair extensions matt and how to avoid it

matted-hairIt’s a topic that many of us don’t like to talk about, however it is a common problem faced by hair extension wearers, and often occurs as a result of not being provided with the right information on how to look after your hair extensions and prevent this from happening.

So what is the problem? 

Matting is where a combination of hair extension hair, and our own hair has not been cared for correctly, and as a result has been allowed to cluster at the scalp.  Over time more and more hair will become untangled within the matted section, slowly growing larger and larger.  At the beginning of the matting processes the hair can very easily be untangled and corrected, however the longer the hair is left, the more matted the hair will become.

Why does this happen?

The most common cause of matting is sleeping with the hair extensions damp or wet.  It is absolutely vital that hair extensions are completely dry before sleeping, and secured in a plait so that the hair does not tangle when sleeping.  The second most common cause of matting is not separating your bonds.  Throughout the day, and during washing, naturally each of the extension will touch each other and nature fiction will occur.  This is perfectly normal, however if the bonds are not pulled apart by hand daily, to ensure they are separate, across a period of a few days the extensions will slowly intertwine with each other.  It is absolutely essential that the bonds are separated daily to prevent this from happening, and only takes a couple of minutes.

Prevention – Our top tips to stop matting are:

Never sleep with the extensions wet or damp

Do not massage the scalp during washing, slowly stroke the shampoo into the hair

Wear hair in a plait when sleeping

Separate the bonds daily – try to get it into your morning routine so that you do not forget

Use the correct hair brush and aftercare products

What do you do if you have matting in your extensions

If your extensions have matted we would firstly recommend that you call the person who has fitted them to discuss the problem.  They should then arrange a time, ideally as soon as possible, to remove and replace the matted hair extensions.  The most important thing to do is to act quickly, and not panic.  Matting can be corrected if dealt with early, do not leave the extensions hoping it will go away, as unfortunately it will not.

Taking the time to separate and care for your extensions will increase the duration of time you can wear the extension, but will also protect your own hair, therefore it is beneficial to follow the correct advice and care for your lovely long hair.


6 tricks to thicker hair

woman-with-tangled-hairEvery girl at some point in her life will dream of having beautiful healthy, thick hair; however for some of us it is very difficult to make this dream a reality.  Due to environmental factors and genetics, unfortunately some of us are lumbered with thin, wispy hair that is difficult to manage and never looks quite right.  There is however a solution, with these 6 handy tricks you can style your hair so that despite its natural thin appearance, it can look volumised and thick.

Tip 1 – Consider a fringe

If your hair tends to be thin at the crown but thick at the front, try having a heavy fringe for a fuller look.  To create even more volume with a fringe, ask your hairdresser to slice the fringe and dye the underneath layer darker.  This will make your fringe appear deeper and in affect, give the illusion of thicker hair.

Tip 2 – Think about those layers

Ask your hairdresser to cut the under layer of your hair half an inch shorter than the top to create fullness.  If the hair dresser comes at you with a razor you must be strong and say no.  This will create a frayed look on the ends which will make your hair look wispy.  The blunter the ends the thicker your hair will appear.

Tip 3 – Try highlights

Due to the chemical properties of peroxide each strand will nearly double in terms of its thickness when it is exposed to this chemical.  It will swell the hair shaft making it physically thicker.  Additionally, a mix of colours in your hair will add a new dimension and create a look of density, again making the hair look and feel thicker.

Tip 4 – Mousse Mousse Mousse

Mousse added to the roots will boost and add volume to your hair without it looking sticky or full of product.  Avoid creams and gels, as these will weigh your hair down making it look limp.  Add the mousse to your hair when it is damp, and comb through so that you have coated every strand.

Tip 5 – Gentle on the blow-drying

Try to leave your hair to dry naturally as much as possible, the less wear and tear your hair is exposed to the better.  Once the hair has dried 80% use a blow-dryer to take the edge off of the rest, but use it on the lower heat setting.  Also part your hair on the opposite side before blow-drying.  Once you are finished you can flip it back and have a beautiful bounce and volume in your hair.

Tip 6 – Hair Extensions

Hair extensions are perfect if you have naturally thin hair.  They can be added to give extra volume but also extra length for long luscious locks.  Try micro rings as these are better for your hair, and will not cause any damage to your natural hair throughout the time you are wearing them.  Generally, micro ring hair extensions will last around 3-4 months before you require a new set, and cost around £200.00.


Celebrity Extensions Revealed: Kim Lomas

article-2280374-17A4EDD8000005DC-887_634x695This weekend the beautiful Kim Lomas was pictured fresh faced after a shopping trip on Sunday afternoon, and article-2280374-17A2D896000005DC-977_634x1085something very strange had happened to her hair.  During the time between images posted on Saturday night and Sunday morning, her had had grown considerably in length, and in volume.  She had of course been to have her hair extensions fitted.

A common misconception amongst celebrities by hair extension clients is that those with long hair have hair extensions, and those with short/medium length hair must have grown it naturally.  This simply isn’t the case, with many celebrities including Kim Lomas and Kimberly Walsh, opting for hair extensions to add just a little length, and a lot of volume.

The 36 year old actress looked flawless even with minimal make-up  and her raven locks even more stunning than usual with their added length and volume.


It happens to the best of us Sarah

article-2273248-1756ED67000005DC-730_634x904We are very much used to seeing our lovely celebrities looking as though they have just stepped out of a music article-2273248-1757989F000005DC-999_634x542video, with their hair perfect and make-up immaculate, and some of us would even be forgiven for believing they just wakeup that beautiful.  However as Sarah Harding demonstrated at the beginning of this week, celebrities are human too, by experiencing that dreaded moment when a beautiful hair extension comes loose in public.

As extension wearers know this can happen from time to time, however we can just slip the hair into our handbag and it goes unnoticed, however for poor Sarah this wasn’t the case, and the mishap landed on twitter for all to see.

Looking at the images it would appear that these are a glue based extension method, where shedding is quite common.  More secure methods such as micro ring will reduce the risk of this happening, and as an added bonus are far better for your hair as they involve no heat or glue.

Has this ever happened to you?


Blonde or Brunette

It’s a dilemma we all face, usually at least once a year, if you’re brunette you are curious what you would look like as a blonde, and if your blonde you wonder what you would look like as a brunette.  Some of us have tried the change, often with mixed results, however more often than not it is a celebrity’s change of hair colour that influences our own hair makeovers.

It goes without saying that the far more sensible option is to go to a hairdressers to achieve your desired colour, however more often than not many of us opt for the home DIY kit, hoping we don’t ruin our hair forever.

But in general, what do we think is better, are you not happy unless you have beautiful blonde locks, or do you prefer a more sultry brunette hue.  Here are some celebrities who have braved the change to help you decide.

EmmaStoneKatyPerry_1BlondevsBrunetteRihannaCharlizeTheron_0


Another hair style change for Jessie J

Ever since bursting onto the music scene in early 2011 we have seen Jessie J sport some pretty interesting fashion and hair choices.  From body suits to dip dyed purple hair, its fair to say that Jessie J isn’t afraid to experiment with her look.

Then in a shock move a few months back, the Voice judge decided it was time to tone down her look, changing her trademark harsh black bob to long soft brunette curls.  The Essex born singer looked lovely with this more demure style, however it hasn’t lasted long.

Earlier this week Jessie J has tweeted pictures of her hair re-style, dying it back to black and cutting her locks into a short bob.

Although we absolutely loved her natural brunette look, we have to admit, it wasnt quite her, and her new style is much more like the Jessie J we have grown to love.

We will be seeing a lot more of Jessie in the New Year as she has recently confirmed she will be returning to the Voice for the second season.  We cant wait to see what new fashion styles and statements she will be bringing to the show next year.


The darker side of Rita Ora

She smashed onto the music seen in 2011 with her smash hit single hot right now, and hasn’t been away from the chart since.  She has become known for her bleach blonde hair, red lipstick and as a rival to the likes of Rhianna, however it will come as no surprise to find out that the British singer/songwriter was not born a natural blonde (shock horror), and new pictures of her with her natural hue are now available from her younger days as an actress.

Here we see Rita Ora aged 14 back in 2004 looking very sweet and innocent with her natural hair, showing that despite the bleach and makeup she truly is a natural beauty.

We absolutely love Rita’s blonde weave, but would you like to see her going back to her roots and sporting a darker colour for a while.  Let us know what you think.


New colour for Snooki

Jersey Shore star and new mum Snooki has this week abandoned her normally dark brown locks and opted for a brighter red hue.

Teamed with a pair of matching leggings the pint size star unveiled her new look at the launch of Snooki Beauty in New York.

The final look is a nice change from her usual style, however the process of getting her hair to this shade would have taken its toll on the quality of her hair, as she had to undergo a stripping process to remove the dye build up from her previous shades.  Lucky for us, she tweeted her way through the process, and showed us the progress every step of the way.

What do you think, do you prefer her original colour or do you love this new vibrant shade.


Louise Thompson gets some extensions

One of the questions we regularly find ourselves being asked is what celebrities wear extensions, and our answer nearly always is…most of them.

We all need a little help to look our best and although well hidden this applies to celebrities more than anyone.

Lets take Louise Thompson, Made in Chelsea star.  She is one of the shows natural beauties and yet she now has also given into the allure of hair extensions.  Tweeting a picture of her extensions being trimmed on the 9th of November she posts “Loving my extensions, just having them trimmed #eeeek”

She also posted an image of herself a month back after a previous set of lovely extensions were fitted.


Real hair of the Real Housewives

For those of you who have become addicted to the Real Housewives of… franchise, you will be familiar with the perfect hair and wardrobes sported by the shows many stars.

Not an episode goes by where ever cast member is not groomed to perfect, in particular, their hair.

However you will be pleased to know that the likes of Tamra Barney and Luann De Lesseps don’t wake up looking like they do, they all have a little help from the wonder of hair extensions, and they too have sported some pretty shocking hairstyles in the past just like the rest of us.

Check out these old pics the housewives dug out from the depths of their photo albums.