All About Hair Extensions: Everything You Need to Know About Adding Length and Volume To Your Locks

Inside scoop on how celebs enhance their looks with faux styling method

By Jennifer Chan Oct 31, 2013 5:00 PMTags
Beyonce, Hair ExtensionsSamir Hussein/WireImage, Larry Busacca/Chime For Change/Getty Images for Gucci

Let's face it, ladies.

Long, luscious locks are everywhere in Hollywood (ah-hem, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé and Rihanna), inspiring many of us to banish the pixie cut forever.

No matter what the current hair trends are, it seems like plenty of our favorite stars are famous for their Rapunzel-like ‘dos, and that's one sexy look that will simply never go out of style.

Looking to lengthen your hair, too? It's easier than you think.

While there are a few lucky gals who are born with a gorgeous head of healthy hair that grows effortlessly, many of us have to look into alternative routes to achieve the same look.

So, if you're plagued with fine, thinning hair, a too-short chop or simply want to experiment with a new look for a few weeks, consider extensions!

After all, almost every celeb has them, and now they're more popular than ever thanks to a wide variety of options for all hair types at price points for every budget.

Here's everything you need to know about hair extensions:

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Kevin Mazur/WireImage

You'll Feel Like a Supermodel: It goes without saying that extensions can give you a major confidence boost in the beauty department. Whether you're looking to add fullness, length or dimension to your current locks, extensions can easily achieve what you're looking for in one simple salon visit. If you're growing out a haircut and struggling with an awkward in-between style, extensions will solve all of your concerns and enhance your look beautifully.

"You can even add highlights to your hair with extensions without actually even chemically treating your own hair," Eden Sassoon of Eden Sassoon Salon in West Hollywood tells us.

Score!

Everyone's Doing It: The secret's out! Most stars, including beauties like Lauren Conrad, Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez and Reese Witherspoon, rock hair extensions and it's become much more common for non-celebs to do the same.

"The illusion or myth that models and celebrities wake up looking beautiful has been debunked or deteriorated with the rise of social media. Women now know what goes into achieving this type of beauty," Sassoon says.

"Extensions have become a status symbol. Women want people to know that they pay a lot for their hair, so they don't care if you can see them. It means she paid a lot for these extensions," added Tina Dizon of The Private Room in Beverly Hills, who specializes in individual extensions, using premium human hair.

Dizon tells us that celebrities typically pay anywhere from $4,000 to $11,000 for extensions. "The quality of the hair is important. The longer in length the hair is, the more expensive it gets. It's the quality and length, and then how long it takes," she explains.

There's Something for Everyone: With the rise of hair extensions becoming completely commonplace, countless salons are offering incredible options of extensions to cater to their clientele. Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood specializes in Great Lengths extensions, and also offers tape-in and clip-on styles, too.

"We have a full consultation with every client to determine what the best choice is for them. Every client has a customized application depending on desired length, color and fullness they want," says salon owner Riawna Capri, whose clients include Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Julianne Hough, Ashley Tisdale and Demi Lovato, just to name a few.

Extensions Can Be Quick and Affordable: Gone are the days when a client is sitting in a chair for hours on end to get extensions put in. Plenty of salons are wising up and getting clients in and out the door in no time at all. Nine Zero One Salon ensures an efficient experience by doubling up on stylists for a full set application, cutting down on chair time significantly.

Just Extensions is making major waves in the hair world as an affordable one-stop shop for all things extensions, where clients have their pick from the most popular techniques including braided sew-ins, skin wefts, keratin application, micro-link fusions, clip-ins and more. Best of all, most packages range will set you back a mere $100-300.

AP, Tony DiMaio/Startraksphoto.com

Extensions Need TLC: That's right, the trade-off for gorgeous long locks is that they require plenty of attention and care. Extensions can last anywhere from three to five months, and the better you maintain your locks, the better they'll look and last.

"Brush the hair from the root to make sure the root doesn't tangle as it grows out," Dizon advises. "Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner and a leave-in conditioner on the ends. Never heat the bonds whatsoever, whether it's a curling iron, a flat iron or a blow dryer; and I always braid my hair before I go to sleep. The less tangling, the better!" 

And there you have it!