The popularity of Disney’s recent movie Tangled has brought to the marketplace all manner of flowing hairpieces so the younger set can emulate Princess Rapunzel’s long, golden tresses.
“Not just young girls, but women of all ages want that beautiful look of long, shiny, healthy hair, but not everyone can grow their own natural hair to look that way,” said Tammie Bradford, owner of Tammie’s Hair Extensions.
In her 25 years of salon experience, Tammie, hair extension specialist and master class instructor, has spent 24 of them focused on hair extensions. In fact, she claims to have worked in the very first salon to offer individual piece extensions.
Extensions have come a long way since they were first made of synthetic hair, she explained. They are created from human hair and bonded to the client’s natural hair. The problem was with getting them out. “Most extensions have to be removed by pulling them apart with a special tool,” Tammie said, “often damaging the natural hair.”
Not so with Tammie’s unique hair extension process. This professional uses quality, 100 percent human hairpieces with a different type of tip, containing no hard plastic or glues. No tool is needed for removal. She attaches the locks quickly and easily with a special bonding agent, which causes no damage to the hair, protects it, and allows it to grow naturally. When it is time to remove the extension, no pulling or cutting tool is needed. The removal solvent breaks down the special bonding agent into a fine powder. This powder is easily removed from the hair, leaving the natural hair undamaged.
“Woman, who, for a variety of reasons, may have had trouble growing their own hair, are often able to do so after having these extensions in place for a time,” said Tammie.
Extensions come in a variety of natural colors, as well as specialty and custom-made colors, which will not fade. “We have straight hair and wavy styles,” Tammie said. “So, we can match any hair type or ethnicity. Most importantly, we teach our clients how to care for their extensions so they will last longer and look their best.”
Since Tammie offers her services through several local salons, she will meet you at the one most convenient to your location. During the consult, clients can choose from a variety of hair colors and types, and decide how many extensions will be needed for the desired result. The personalized product is then ordered, and another appointment is set for the actual attachment.
According to Tammie, costs for extensions can vary depending on the types and amount of hairpieces needed for a particular style, but short to long styles might run from $700 to $1,200 and up. She also suggests women can do just highlights, without actually having to dye their hair. As many as 20 to 40 pieces of highlighting would cost about $150 to $200. “Sometimes, we just want a fun look, like school colors streaked in our hair,” Tammie said. The hair extension specialist will do color pieces for $10 each.
In addition to her personal clients, Tammie also teaches hair extension classes to professionals. She currently is organizing a class in the Valley. For more information, or to set up a consultation for hair extensions, call Tammie at (602) 457-2115, or visit the Web site at tammieshairextensions.com.