I'll get some pics up soon.

The extensions themselves last for up to 6 months before an overhaul but need a maintenance check every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how often you shampoo, brush or use heated implements. Basically, I treat it like is my own hair and can do everything I would normally do except use oily shampoos.

Since mine is already curly I don't brush or comb it at all except when I'm in the shower and have lots of conditoner in it, and that apparently gives it a longer life on my head. The strangest part is all the teeny, tiny bits of waxy glue located about an inch or so from my scalp. I'm still adjusting to that part. Otherwise though, it's been great! And I've received so many compliments and silly questions like, "Did you get a hair cut?"

I've had complete strangers come up and tell me how beautiful *my* hair is, which is a little disconcerting as it's not ALL my hair, is it? But I thank them and walk away feeling just a bit more beautiful.

-K

p.s. I did have a crazy burgeoning short story come to mind from all of this though....what IF my *new* hair belonged to some seriously nutty person? Would her (or his) dead epithelial cells invade my consciousness? Muahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I used to do the bonded kind, from a company called HairDreams. They ARE expensive. The hair is pretty good quality, though.

To do a full head, lengthening, it takes about 300 strands. When I was doing them, about 4 years ago, it was roughly $3 per strand, MY COST. The salon marks up the cost of the hair, so you're looking at anywhere from $900-$1800 or more *just* for the hair, that doesn't include the installation. So you're looking at a couple thousand bucks for HairDreams or Great Lengths.

That's also not including maintenence. With HairDreams, you were supposed to come in every 6 weeks to trim the shed hairs around the bonding point to prevent dreading. And yes, they can stay in up to 6 months, but as your hair sheds, that means there's less and less hair holding that extension on.

The other thing is, if the hair is the higher quality hair and is considered re-usable, when it's time to take it out, it has to be sent back to be re-bonded before it can be used again, at the time I did it, the cost to me was $1 per strand for the re-bond-it was recommended to mark that up, too.

Extensions are not cheap. Even the least expensive kind still requires buying the hair, and installing, which can take several hours, which is why it costs so much.

Copper clamped-in juman hair, half head, down to my waist, $350 total not including tip. I go in 3 weeks! Yay!