#longhairdontcare: My Hair Extensions Experience

By Grasie mercedes

October 31, 2013

By Grasie mercedes

October 31, 2013

Extensions have been around for decades, but in the past few years they have become hugely popular and “the norm,” especially here in LA. From celebrities on the red carpet to your local bank teller, everyone’s wearing them! After a summer of big and curly hair, I decided to do a test run with big and long for winter. I’ve had extensions before, but wanted to make sure this time around, I did some research and went with ones that wouldn’t damage my hair. For that, enter Eden by Eden Sassoon.

Last name sound familiar? Indeed, she’s the beautiful and beyond friendly daughter of hair care legend Vidal Sassoon. Eden has followed in her daddy’s footsteps with this lovely, full-service salon in West Hollywood.

They offer hair services (cut, color and more), makeup applications (including brows and faux lashes) and nail services (manis, pedis, gels)… it’s one stop shopping for all your beauty needs. In addition to the aforementioned, Eden also offers HAIR EXTENSIONS!!!

PURE Extensions are eco-friendly, no heat, no glue, no tape, adjustable and reusable human hair extensions that can applied in as little as 30 minutes (depending on how much hair you’re applying). It’s also the first “green” extensions company where everything they create is either recycled, recyclable, reusable or biodegradable. Woot!

My extensions were applied by the wonderful Zaley of Eden Salon. She was super knowledgeable about PURE and answered any and all questions I had about the process. She also made me fill out a questionnaire before we got started. I’ll admit, I thought this was a little “doctor’s office-y” but it was super practical. The questions helped her understand my lifestyle and how I treat my hair daily, which then dictated how and where she would apply my extensions.

The hair pieces come in panels, and can be applied as a panel or cut, to be applied individually. Again, this is where the fantastic communication on Zaley’s part came in. Because I like to wear my hair up, she strategically placed panels and individuals for flexibility so I could wear my hair in a ponytail or braid.

I still don’t completely understand how she so quickly threaded thin strands of my hair with the extensions and then clamped them shut with beads that magically stay put…but it’s a mystery I’m willing to keep unsolved.

After all the pieces were in, Zaley started cutting! A haircut is always needed to layer the extensions to blend with your natural hair.

Once the cut was done, she curled my hair at my request. Like I said, I’m going for big!

In the end, my AFTER is pretty darn dramatic and I love it! I feel like a Dominican Barbie (do they even have those? probably not, but you know what I mean)!

FAQs (some more info about my experience)

How much does it cost? Prices start at $400 and can go up to around $1000 depending on how much hair you need.
How long will it last? Typically 4-6 weeks before you need them readjusted but this varies depending on how well you take care of them and how fast your natural hair grows.
How long did the application take? About 2 hours because I have a huge head but applications can be done in 30 minutes to an hour.
Does it hurt? The application doesn’t hurt at all, but your first night of sleep (or in my case a mid-day nap) is a little tough. It’s like sleeping on a bumpy pillow but you get used to it pretty fast.
Do you feel them all the time? Besides the first sleep situation, not really. They feel pretty darn natural.
Are they hard to maintain? Eden will give you a list of Dos and Don’ts, none are impractical or annoying. Tips that make sense like “don’t let your lover pull them out during sex” or “braid them when you sleep to avoid tangles.”
Do you love them? YES!