I’ve always been the girl with limp, fine, stringy hair. Sadly, a couple of co-workers are also cursed with thin hair. We refer to these types of locks as “feathers” in our office. Years ago I invested in clip-in extensions at Trim Classic Barber & Legendary Beauty and loved them. Made with human hair, these extensions are a quick and easy solution to transform your hair and look.
After getting sick of my short bob, I started to grow my hair out. Even in good condition, I realized it’s too thin to ever pull off any real length. So, the search for a more permanent hair extension began. I discovered techniques such as welding, waxing, gluing, knotting, waving and hair actually being locked in. And the latest, taped in. I won’t go into the details of why you don’t want to try these methods; just trust me.
After much research and many consultations, I discovered Great Lengths by Acca Kappa. It’s the healthiest type of extension for your hair, and Trim is the salon to go to for the service. Started years ago by Melanie Shelley, stylist to Jewel and Faith Hill, Trim has some of the best talent in town. Stephanie Trail, the Great Lengths extension specialist, has been doing hair for more than 11 years and is the cut and color educator at Trim. She’s done hair for many celebrities including Julianne Hough’s extensions for Dancing with the Stars.
Great Lengths is the only line that requires stylists to be licensed cosmetologists and the only extension line that protects your natural hair, which is underneath the extension (they last three to six months). You can style and groom your hair like you always do with curling irons, flat irons—you name it, this hair can take it. Since the extensions are individual, small strands of hair, you have the freedom to wear it up or down and not even notice it’s not your natural hair.
First, I went for a consultation, and Stephanie went through the process, asked my goals and even measured the circumference of my head in different areas to personalize the individual hairs to the density of the hair to achieve my desired look. She also color-matched Great Lengths hair, choosing two shades, making the most natural-looking extensions. (These aren’t just for the color-treated girl; if you’re gray, there’s a match for you.)
If you just want to put in a fun, colored streak, Great Lengths offers colored extensions that won’t fade. The extensions are 100 percent natural human hair and colored using the same process as coloring cashmere. The price is different for each person, depending on if you want a full head or just enough to get you through a bang grow out. Trim’s extension package includes the extensions and the labor, and also a hair cut and wonderful Great Lengths products, including a brush, shampoo, conditioner and “Anti-Tap” to keep the bond strong and insure the extensions last as long as possible.
The day of my appointment, I was greeted with cucumber water and relaxed surrounded by bubble gum pink walls and a fabulous staff checking every 30 minutes to see if Stephanie needed any assistance. The salon director and co-owner, Gregory Sanders, is hands-on—making sure everything runs smoothly on a daily basis. They even brought in my favorite sushi for lunch. If you don’t want to work on your laptop as I do, the private grooming room is filled with books, magazines, a DVD player with a great selection of options—or feel free to bring in your own to-do list.
Of course, you may wonder how Great Lengths strands are attached. It’s based on the gentle principle of modulating. This high-tech method bonds hair between your own hair and the Great Lengths strand. The point of attachment is composed of polymer chains whose molecular structure is very similar to that of human hair. Activated by a special applicator, it bonds the Great Lengths strand with your own. The philosophy is to remedy the lack of thick hair in a way which is as simple as dyeing it if you want to change its color.
Whether you’re seeking thickness or length, Great Lengths is the safest choice for your hair, and Stephanie Trail at Trim is the person to trust with putting them in, taking them out and keeping up your color in between. Book a consult with Stephanie to discover options to a better you. Who says you have to be a celebrity to look like one.
Trim Classic Barber & Legendary Beauty
Cut and Color Educator and Great Lengths Extension Specialist: Stephanie Trail
(615) 269-8029
hairandmakeupgirl@gmail.com