Finding a good hair extension specialist can be tough and create anxious moments.

But it doesn’t have to be.

By following a simple checklist you can easily and quickly narrow down who the best hair extension specialist are.

Before looking at this hair extension specialist checklist, lets briefly go over the state of hair extensions at present. Due to the popularity from celebrities, hair extensions have evolved and entered our culture where they are now are a viable method to adding volume and length to your hair.

The absence of established schools that teach methods of doing hair extensions has meant that the industry has seen the whole range of specialists: from the novice to the experts. Coupled with this has come some not so good experiences that have given the industry a bad name. However, things are changing and stylists who are not doing a good job have seen business suffer and some have left the industry. It’s more like the survival of the fittest.

What we recommend when looking for a hair extension specialist is the following:

Hair Extension Experience

If the proof is in the pudding, then the truth in hair extensions has got to be in the experience. Always ask for a hair extension portifolio to review their body of work. Ideally, the portifolio should have before and after pictures. When looking at the pictures, ask yourself these questions

• Do the after pictures look natural? By this I mean, are the hair extensions detectable? A good sign of a competent hair extension specialist  is a seamless application of whatever hair extensions that they are using.
• How well are the hair extension colors matching to the original hair? A close match is equally important. In addition how much colouring of their own hair did the client have to do to meet installed hair extensions.

Testimonials

I am always interested to know how the other clients have felt about their hair extensions. Testimonials are important for so many reasons:

• You can find out how the client felt about the quality of hair extensions that were installed.
• How the hair has stood the test of time.

If possible, ask for their client’s contact information to find out for yourself how they have felt about the overall service. Some hair extension specialists will give you the information and some will not. I typically don’t judge them based on this but any specialist who is forthcoming on this information gets my vote of confidence.

Hair extension installation package

Hair extensions are not meant to last forever. A good thing to look for is what total packages is the specialist offering. In particular be careful to look for:

• Any extra cost to have the hair extensions reapplied.
• How much does it take to have them re-tightened.
• Is there a cost to having the hair extensions removed? If you are having fusion hair extensions put in, the cost of removing them can be substantial. Now is the time to find out what the cost is upfront and maybe bargain a bit for that.

After-Care Instructions

Having hair extensions put in is a good investment. And like any other investment, taking care of them is important. A good hair extension specialist will give you good after-care instructions. This should include:

• How to wash them.
• What to do when you are going to bed.
• What outdoor activities you can do. For example, can you  swim in them? How do they take chlorine water? etc.
• What shampoos and conditioners can you use? More importantly how often should you wash them.

MaryClaris Hair Extensions

MaryClaris Hair extensions runs two hair extensions salons in Kelowna and Vernon . They have over 20 years combined experience in hair extensions and will be happy to answer any questions you have.