We receive daily enquiries about our Great Lengths hair extensions-you lot love a bit of hair glamour don’t you! So to try and help with all your questions we thought we’d do a little blog entry for you.
The hair market these days is saturated with hair extensions so how did we go about choosing who to work with?
Well the quality of the hair, where it comes from and how it’s processed is a big thing for us at Black Sheep H.C. I’ve been a trained GL specialist since 2011 and love the unique way that Great Lengths work.
The hair originates from the Hindu Indian temple Tirumala and every year, after important life events, entire families make the pilgrimage here to have their heads voluntarily shaved and offer up this hair as a thanksgiving. The hair is then sold onto Great Lengths who have a full-time employee based over in India to ensure that this money is put straight back into the local community where its used to pay for medical aid, education and various crucial infrastructure projects. (Schools, hospitals etc.)
The hair then undergoes a rigorous process over in Italy where it’s transformed into the Tape and Individual Bond extensions that we know and love.
Uniquely, Great Lengths source and process every single strand of hair that goes into their extensions meaning that every set is 100% traceable-something no other UK hair company does! This guarantees the quality, original source and ethicality of the hair. It also means that Great Lengths can work alongside The Little Princess Trust Fund. (They are the only extension company to work with the charity by donating used extensions.) This means your old extensions, otherwise put to waste, can be used to create real hair wigs that are then gifted to children experiencing hair loss.Bonded or Taped-How to choose?
When it comes to the type of hair extensions to choose from, theres a few things to consider. Your lifestyle, styling habits and ultimate hair goals help us to choose which method is best for you during our in-depth consultations.
Tapes
Tape extensions are applied using a sandwich effect-two strips containing the hair are placed either side of a section of your own hair and are attached using a medical strength tape-adhesive. The Great Lengths tape strips are a teeny 2 centimetres in size making them, to our knowledge, the smallest on the market and therefore super discreet. Although if you’re looking to go one step further and have them almost invisible, Great Lengths also offer the GL Tape Plus range where the hair sits above the attachment area, hiding ALL evidence!
Tape extensions generally last 6 to 8 weeks with the correct home-care. After this they are gently removed in the salon with a specially formulated spray and can be re-taped and re-applied up to 3 times. And if you haven’t seen already, Great Lengths Tape Extensions have just won the Marie Curie ‘Best Hair Extensions’ 2019 Award and are a big hit in the salon!
Bonds
The individual bond extensions are small sections of hair that are applied using the Great Lengths application machine. They’re commonly thought to be ‘glued in’….myth buster….WRONG!! The bonds are actually made up of a patented protein formula (We like to think of this being locked away in a dragon-guarded tower away from the prying eyes of other jealous extension companies but we can neither confirm nor deny this.) This formula uses a synthetic keratin, mimicking the natural keratin found in our own hair and skin.
This bonding system is then attached to small sections of your own hair and moulded into rice-grain-style bonds that can be made teeny tiny, enabling you to style to your hearts content, without fear of having to hide ugly big bonds.
These individual extensions are a more permanent option to the tapes and with the correct aftercare, can last up to 6 months where they are then removed in salon with a purposely formulated gel and can be donated to The Little Princess Trust Fund. (The tapes can be too!)
The most common question we’re asked is this….’Do they damage your own hair?’ and we can answer with absolutely not. Great Lengths commissioned a study with an independent consultant trichologist (hair buff) to research the scientific effects of Great Lengths extensions on natural hair and found this; ‘Great Lengths hair extensions bonds do not have any effect on the hair’s structural integrity, when attached to hair with no pre-existing damage.’ (More of this Trichology report can be found on the Great Lengths UK website.)
We’ve spoken about the type, the effect and where they come from, so there’s only one thing left….the colour match! Not only do Great Lengths come in the two application methods and multiple lengths but they are available in over 60 colours including bold vivids, pretty pastels, the beautiful limited edition ‘Mother of Pearl’ (google it….it is STUNNING!!) and even balayage options. Getting that insta-worthy hair could not be easier!!
So if the New Year has got you debating New Hair, get in touch to book a no cost, no obligation consultation and in the meanwhile take a look on our Instagram and Facebook at our previous extension work.
As always, thanks for reading!
Chloe x
