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Ivana Tavernese
We live in an impatient world. Dinners can be cooked in minutes, messages sent in seconds and long hair grown in an instant.
Okay, maybe not grown, but definitely clipped-on. The days of growing your hair for a special event, or waiting to get passed the awkward stage, are over. The ability to go from a short bob, to long, voluminous tresses, is literally at a woman's fingertips.
"Hair extensions are huge right now," says First Lady Sales Manager Andrea Delost. First Lady is a distributor of several wigs and extensions including Raquel Welch's 100% Human Hair Clip-in Extensions. "We sell thousands across Canada and it's getting stronger all the time."
Delost says her business in wigs and hair extensions has more than doubled in the last 10 years. She accredits the use to be 50% fashion and 50% necessity.
At the Allied Beauty Association show, two young girls are shopping for a set of clip-in extensions for their prom. Delost is there to assist them. She says she has helped customers of all ages look for a wig or hair extensions. She says today's human hair extensions are extremely versatile. "You can colour the hair, you can curl it whenever you want, straighten it or use it to give you fuller hair."
Celebrities too have embraced the world of instant hair. While Britney Spears' use of wigs has been quite obvious recently, due to her latest hairstyle. Most of the time, it is difficult to notice whether a celebrity is wearing extensions or not. Jessica Simpson, however, is willing to share her secret, for a small fee of course. Simpson has teamed up with her stylist Ken Paves to create a line of hair extension pieces. The line is called HairDo. American Idol Hairstylist Dean Banowetz reveals on the show's website, he has used extensions on several of the contestants. Last week, for instance, he used 18" brown extensions to create Jordin Sparks lengthy ponytail.
But you don't need to be a hairstylist to snap on today's extensions. I attempted to instantly give myself 14 inches of length with the Raquel Welch extensions. The pieces need to be flat ironed as they have a bit of a bend to them when removed from the package. There are 10 pieces in the package, with 4 wide sections and six smaller sections. Each section contains at least 1-3 clips that look like tiny combs. These combs are placed into the hair and then snapped on.
The whole process is a little tricky to do on oneself for the first time, but with a little practise and two mirrors, it should take no longer than a few minutes to put in all the extensions you need. However, it would be wise to visit your stylist for any special occasions to ensure they are secured and the style suits your occasion.
Just like your own hair, extensions must be cared for. According to the instructions found in the Raquel Welch package, the extensions need to be washed, preferably after 3-4 uses. It suggests using a mild shampoo or at least one specially formulated for chemically treated hair. It is not necessary to scrub the hair, simply distribute the shampoo from the base to the ends sparingly. Conditioner is needed as well, and can be blown dry on a low setting.
Whether it is for your prom, your wedding or an ordinary Saturday night, it's possible to go from bob to bold in minutes. Whether that's a result of technological advancements or simply impatience, it's now become a matter of swift style.
Source: Calgary SunAll rights reserved.