My absolute favorite service on my menu involves hair extensions. They are the fastest way to not only change soeones’s look but how they feel about themselves.

hair extension transformation Scottsdale, Arizona

All About Extensions

This is such an extensive topic I don’t know where to start…
Let me begin by sharing a little story. When I was a little boy I used to kidnap my sisters Barbie dolls, lock myself in my room and butcher these girls! There is nothing better than watching all that plastic hair fall to the ground and turning that little hooker around and laughing at her bald head. Yes, true story. But what makes my story unique is that after my laughter subsided I would pick up a hot glue gun, a ball of yarn and give her a brand new head of colorful hair. During beauty school I had an apprenticeship at an African American salon mostly cleaning duties and answering the phone. But this is where I got to see first hand so many different types of hair extension methods like a traditional sew in hair extension. My mind was blown. Never in a million years did I ever think I would see so much in such a short amount of time.
My entire career has been focused around hair extensions. I learned all the methods available. Keratin bond extensions, I-tip extensions, tape-in extensions, beaded extensions and finally hand tied wefts which is very similar to a sew in hair extension

The Learning Experience

In 2015 I decided to undertake a very expensive and extensive shadow experience with the creator of NBR hair extensions in Laguna Beach, CA. It was a multi day intensive that yielded the most amazing natural hair extension results. I couldn’t believe how undetectable the method was. I returned to Chicago and very quickly became the go to hairstylist for NBR extensions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. I had clients flocking from all over these states for this very specialized service. Fast forward again and I had a problem with the method. The bald patches it created on my clients scalp was unforgivable. Being a stylist who takes pride in the condition of his clients hair and scalp I had to eliminate this method from my menu. I then shadowed Chrissy Rasmussen of Habit Salon to learn their Habit Extension Method. Much to my disbelief it was the same hand tied hair installation as NBR.
Today I offer Invisible Bead hair extension method which means I sandwich the anchor beads between hair wefts allowing for complete discretion and the ultimate in blending. More importantly, all of my clients experience a much more comfortable installation as there is no added pulling notably in the corners. My clients have the ability to wear their hair in all ways they see fit including high ponytails and topknots from the very first day.

What kind of hair do I use?

I exclusively work with Slavic hair from Eastern Europe and only use their Seamless Wefts. These wefts are .75mm thick meaning they are practically flat and allow unlimited stacking options. These wefts are Remy hair meaning that when the hair is harvested all of the cuticles of each individual strand lay in the exact same manner. Non Remy hair does not lay in the same way. Although it is much cheaper it will clump in to balls of matted, tangled hair that is near impossible to brush out.
The Seamless wefts are so thin they allow for complete versatility when laying the foundation of the rows. It is void of a mustache that you will find in all hand tied wefts thus eliminating the consistent and often irritating itch that comes with traditional hand tied hair extensions. Depending on length the weft can range from 50-60 grams per package. Typical installations require two packages.

Weft Extension Hair Care

I have the same guideline for all of my extension clients. Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. I will give you a complete home care guide from cleansing to conditioning and what products work best with your new extensions. My goal is for you to get the most out of your hair extension investment.

Shampoo & Conditioner

Hands down there are two types of shampoos needed to maintain your hair extensions health. A gently clarifying shampoo like Olaplex 4C to remove product buildup, ideally used every couple of weeks. You will also need a hydrating shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair soft and supple. I love Joico Moisture Recovery. I highly recommend performing two shampoos on the days you cleanse to make sure you rid your scalp, hair and extensions of oil, product and dirt.

Conditioning Treatments

It is imperable that you condition your extensions. They do not receive the same natural oils from your scalp therefore your extensions will always be drier than your natural hair. ColorWow Money Mask will drench your hair in weightless moisture.

Stylers

For blow dry styling you absolutely need a styling cream with heat protection and anti frizz properties. I love using ColorWow carb cocktail for a super soft blow dry. I personally prefer to curl with a GHD flat iron but I recommend my clients use a Beachwaver 1.25” Iron to recreate those effortless beach waves without the hassle of crimp marks in the hair or if you prefer a traditional iron I love the smoothing properties of the Babyliss 1'“ curling iron. My final two recommendations are for dry styling. ColorWow Firm and Flexible Hairspray and ColorWow Style on Steroids Texturizing Spray.
All of these products can be purchased during your visit for your convenience.

What to avoid with your hair extensions

There are several things you should try your hardest to not do with your human hair extensions.

  1. Going to bed with wet hair is a no no. You will wake up with a tangled mess and nobody wants that. The best method is to air dry but if need be blow dry on low heat and either braid or place in a loose bun.

  2. Excessive heat. Try your best to turn down the heat setting on your hair appliances. This is the leading cause of both dryness and causing the extension to fade brassy.

  3. Aggressive pulling on the bead attachments. There is a minimal amount of hair secured inside the silicone beads. Aggressive pulling will not only weaken those hair fibers but could also lead to damage and eventually causing them to break off completely.

  4. Over using purple shampoo. If you over tone your extensions with purple shampoo you will eventually end up with dull and grayish hair. You wouldn’t put Dawn dish soap on a Louis Vuitton hand bag so please don’t apply purple shampoo directly to your extensions. I will teach you a fool proof method should you need one.

  5. Sunscreen. I know you all love to flaunt your fabulous long hair on your beach vacation. The problem is the sunscreen we put on our body has a chemical reaction with hair extensions because they are treated in the manufacturing process. Wear your extensions in a braid that is then wrapped in a bun. I promise your extensions will return home without any orange residue on them.

Invisible Bead Extensions Near You

Being centrally located in Phoenix I hope to offer my hand tied hair extensions near you at Volume Scottsdale. I take pride in being one of very few hair extension artists who offer Eastern European Slavic hair extensions in Arizona.