Bonded Hair Extensions
Add length to volumous, healthy hair
Bonded hair extensions are a long-term option for adding length to healthy, voluminous hair
Why choose bonded extensions:
- Fewer salon visits: Bonds are semi-permanent and more hard-wearing than other methods, lasting up to 4 months.
- Voluminous hair: Bonded extensions are suitable for clients with healthy hair who would like to add extra length.
- Highly customisable: Since they’re applied per bond they can be highly customised to suit your hair.
Intro
What are bonded hair extensions?
Pre bonded hair extensions are one of the more traditional hair extension methods, where the extensions are “bonded” to the client’s natural hair using a keratin formula.
The keratin is melted with either hot or cold fusion which forms into a solid bond that can last for up to 4 months. We use HairDreams 7-star hair for our pre bonded extensions, which is well known throughout the industry for its high quality.
Bonded extensions are best suited for those with healthy, thicker hair since each bond needs to hold the hair firmly to stay in place for long periods. The health of your natural hair is our main priority, if your hair is extremely fine, bonded hair extensions are unsuitable.
Tape in hair extensions are a better option for clients with fine or short hair who want to create good overall hair coverage and thickness.
The Process
How we fit bonded extensions
On application, your hair will be sectioned, the style and length you want to achieve will determine how many bonds are needed. The exact number of bonds will be worked out during your consultation. Your natural hair will then be divided into small, isolated sections; following this, each keratin bond will be individually attached to your natural hair.
Each individual keratin bond is then melted with either hot or cold fusion, which is cooled to form into a solid bond that can last for up to 4 months. We repeat this process around the client’s head until every bonded hair extension has been attached. Following this, the extensions are cut and blended, which is one of the most important steps to achieving completely natural-looking hair extensions.
Louise Bailey has over 24 years of experience cutting and styling hair extensions in order to hide the keratin attachment points, which she has passed onto our team, resulting in a completely natural look. Your new bonded hair extensions should look natural even when your hair is worn up or your head is shaken.
The process
Maintenance
Pre-bonded hair cannot be reused, so after 3-4 months of wear, they will need to be replaced. This is because the section of natural hair we isolate to fit the bonded extensions will have natural shedding. However, the hair extension attached to it will not shed – natural hair reduces by around ten percent each month. Meaning by month 4 you are left with only 60 percent of your natural hair supporting a bond of the same weight. When the natural hair-to-bond ratio exceeds this point, the natural hair holding the bond becomes vulnerable to damage.
Have any questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can bonded hair extensions damage your natural hair?
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Keeping our clients’ natural hair healthy is our number one priority. Louise Bailey has over two decades of experience fitting bonded hair extensions. She has found that bonded extensions are not the right choice if your natural hair is extremely fine or lacks density at the roots. Many salons recommend bonded extensions for fine hair. However, Louise has said that “over time and long-term wear, we often see slight deterioration of the natural hair when bonds are fitted to fine hair types”.
When bonds are fitted to healthy, thicker hair, which has sufficient strength to support the small attachment points of bonded hair extensions, your hair will remain damage-free, as our technique reduces tension and strain on the clients’ natural hair. It is common for our clients to notice an improvement in their natural hair after removing the extensions.
What is the difference between round and flat bonds?
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Traditionally, bonded hair extensions are applied using round bonds. They are faster to apply, but they ‘squeeze’ the hair together, which results in hair not flowing straight (creating more volume). In contrast, flat bonds allow hair to flow in a straight line closer to the scalp, making them more difficult to feel as they are fitted.
The two types of bonds last exactly the same amount of time; we fit both, but flat bonds are our preferred method. Depending on your hair type, we may mix flat bonds with round bonds.
What's the difference between hot and cold fusion?
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Heat is generated by both machines, but their methods are different. As with a microwave, cold fusion pliers transmit ultrasonic waves that create heat so that the bond can be melted, whereas hot fusion pliers directly transfer heat to melt keratin bonds, like a soldering iron.
Although cold fusion is our preferred method, we offer both hot and cold fusion, depending on the client’s preference.
What is keratin?
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Keratin is often referred to as glue, but it is actually a natural resin derived from the same proteins found in hair and nails. There are tiny pieces of keratin adhesive at the tips of keratin bond extensions. The keratin is long-lasting and can only be removed with a specialist removal tool and an alcohol-based solution.