Hair Extensions – How Do I Know What I’m Getting?

A guide to choosing a hair extension technician and what happens when things go wrong

The supply and fitting of hair extensions is not something that is currently regulated by a governing body. Commercial endorsements including the promotion of any product, service or publication fall outside of the responsibility of the government so they have no legal obligation to regulate the industry unfortunately.

This leaves the industry open to anyone that wants to call themselves a Hair Extension Technician. We’ve all heard the horror stories in the media about the pitfalls of hair extensions. The media have a canny way of sensationalising stories and creating a moral panic among the general public.

Every day 1000s of hair extensions are successfully fitted by fully trained, highly qualified professionals.  However, this side of the industry never gets reported in the media because, let’s face it, professionals doing their job properly does not make for a particularly interesting story in a newspaper!

Here are our top tips for ensuring your hair extensions are fitted safely by a trained professional:

• Don’t be afraid to ask to see proof of the technician’s training. Professionals that have received comprehensive training will be more than happy to prove this to you by letting you see their certificate. Make a note of where they were trained and do a quick Google search to check out the training centre.
• Ask to see a portfolio of their previous work. A trained professional will be proud of the work they do and will be more than happy to show you examples of their work.
• For your first time it’s recommended that you use a technician that operates from an established hair salon. If it’s a well-known salon they’re not likely to let an untrained hair extension technician operate from their premises as poor quality work could damage the salon’s reputation.
• It’s recommended that your hair extension technician is also a trained hairdresser as they’ll be able to shape the extensions properly to blend in with your existing hair.
•  Good hair extension technician will do a consultation with your before fitting your extensions. They’ll be looking at the quality of your existing hair to see if you’re a suitable candidate for extensions.
• Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions before your choose your technician, if they’re fully trained they’ll be confident in answering your questions.
• If you have any friends that have had real hair extensions fitted it’s a good idea to ask them for their advice and recommendations.
• Do as much research as possible. It’s worth investing a little more time and effort into finding the best technician and understanding the industry terminology before you go ahead with the extensions. If they’re not fitted properly they can cause damage to your existing hair and scalp so it’s worth being over-cautious.

For more information please visit Foxy Hair Extensions / For bookings please visit getfoxy.co.uk