My daughter Simona and I flew from New York to New Orleans this past weekend for the Era’s Tour. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton on Canal Street and the Era’s fun started when we walked through the door with friendship bracelets from the hotel! My daughter Simona is a huge swiftie, so I loved how much effort everyone put into the weekend.
Day 1: New Orleans Era’s Tour
In the beautiful hotel courtyard, we met other Swifties, sipped mimosas, and traded friendship bracelets. The hotel had a list of fun events for the weekend, a neon sign for photo opportunities, and a complimentary beignet card for guests.
After getting settled into our hotel, we headed straight for Cafe Du Monde to finally try their famous beignets. This cafe has been on my bucket list ever since my family visited almost 10 years ago! I am a huge powder sugar fan and these were piled in it. If you’ve never had beignets, they taste like a hot funnel cake or zeppole.
Our next stop was to see St. Charles Skeleton House which was decorated with all of the Taylor Swift Eras. The whole city really went out of their way to show their love and support to Taylor and her fans.
After sightseeing around the city we ran to Sephora to stock up on glitter and goodies for the weekend. We needed a gem styler and glitter to complete our looks. We came across Danessa Myricks’s Sweet Tooth Infinite Chrome Flakes which we are totally obsessed with!
Then we went to the mall where we met another Swiftie from San Francisco who greeted Simona with a friendship bracelet. My favorite part of the trip was how friendly everyone was! Everyone was so eager to meet new friends and trade their bracelets, it was really sweet.
Our night ended at the hotel with room service, a new skincare routine, and a movie night!
Day 2: New Orleans Era’s Tour
We woke up today dreaming of beignets and decided to give Cafe Beignet a try. To our surprise, they had the “Taylor Version” of beignets with pink and blue sprinkles, so of course, Simona ordered that.
We strolled through the antique shops before heading back to our hotel early because we knew we had a long night ahead of us (and an early flight to catch in the morning!)
Then it was time to get ready for our night.
We used a body oil that Simona picked out called Patrick Ta Major Glow Body Oil and the body brush by Patrick Ta to paint it on. We then applied glitter on top and it stayed nicely throughout the night – I highly recommend it!
For our hair we used IGK Good Behavior Prep Spray for detangled, it’s one of my favorites and it smells so good! We also used IGK Disco Disco Clear Gloss Shine Spray that gives your hair that ultimate glass hair look.
I painted the Danessa Myricks SWEET TOOTH INFINITE CHROME flakes onto Simona’s hair in a balayage stroke with an eyeshadow brush. This was the finishing touch that really tied her look together.
Just like that, we were ready to go! And we couldn’t believe the moment was finally here.
Arriving at the Super Dome
When I tell you that New Orleans went all out for Taylor and her fans, I was not kidding! The entire Super Dome was wrapped in a friendship bracelet – it was so cute! We opted not to get any merch (the lines were crazy long!) and instead grabbed some cotton candy and headed to our seats.
We wanted to be surprised with the opening act – and when Gracie Abraham came on stage we immediately fell in love! Her voice is so unique – we are now huge fans!
When Taylor came on, Simona’s face dropped in awe. Taylor came over to our side of the stage and looked straight at Simona as she sang Cruel Summer. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. What a memory that neither of us is ever going to forget.
This was by far one of the best experiences and memories created with my daughter – and it’s the ultimate girl’s trip. I highly recommend creating these memories together that will last a lifetime.
I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I did creating it! Thank you for letting me share our experience and memories with you!
Extensions are a fast way to add length, volume, and style to your hair, but more importantly, they’re one of the fastest ways to boost your confidence.
Over the years, we’ve seen hair extensions change women’s lives from regaining their confidence after cancer treatments to falling back in love with themselves just by looking in the mirror. We’ve helped thousands of women on their hair extension journey.
Still, hair extensions aren’t something you should rush into. It’s important to know the different types of extensions and the upkeep and maintenance they require.
Today we’re going to share 10 things you probably didn’t know about hair extensions.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hair Extensions
#1: There are many different types of hair extensions
(and they’re not all created equally)
When most women embark on their hair extension journey, they’re not really sure what style or type of hair extensions to go with. In reality, a lot of women don’t realize just how many choices they have!
In this post, we do a deep dive into the various hair extension techniques and the pros and cons of each style.
These are the most typical or popular hair extension installation methods:
Clip-In
Halo
Tape-In
Sew-In (Weft/Weave)
Keratin Fusion (K-Tips)
Microbead Extensions (I-Tips)
We love I-Tips because they’re the safest and most natural-looking extension. This is because you’re taking smaller portions of extension hair and attaching it to your natural hair. This causes a lot less hair loss and matting and it alleviates that feeling of hair extensions being ‘heavy.’
#2: You get what you pay for
Not all hair extensions are created equally. That’s just the honest truth of the hair extension industry. There’s simply not enough hair for the demand, which means you can end up with synthetic hair extensions or hair that has been wrongly stolen from women around the world.
This is why it’s so important to go with a salon that’s sourcing quality, real-human hair from distributors that are compensating women fairly. At Olivia Christensen Salon we source all of our hair from Eastern Europe and India and it’s always high-quality full cuticle hair.
This also means with proper care and maintenance, your hair extensions should last for years to come!
#3: Extensions require a bit of extra care and attention
Each of our clients leaves the salon with detailed instructions on how to care for their extensions. Luckily, because we use full-cuticle human hair, installed using i-tips, you can style and wear your hair like normal. You can also exercise as normal, but you will need to take extra care when washing and maintaining your extensions.
Our clients come in every 6-8 weeks for maintenance appointments and there might be certain products you can’t use anymore.
#4: Good hair extensions should look like your natural hair
Another place you’re going to see the difference in the quality of hair extensions is in how they look when you’re wearing them. In other words, quality hair extensions should never look like hair extensions. They should genuinely look like an extension of your natural hair.
One of the common misconceptions about hair extensions is that they’re just for women who want longer hair. When in fact, a lot of the women who come to see us want volume just as much (if not more) as they want length.
Hair extensions help your hair look healthier and fuller, so if you’ve always struggled with volume, reach out to see how we can help!
#6: Hair extensions are faster to install than you think
At this point, you’re probably loving the idea of getting hair extensions yourself, but the time commitment feels overwhelming. That’s because it’s a common misconception that hair extensions take a lot of time.
Our first-time installation can be done in an hour-long appointment. And your routine maintenance can be done in an hour, every 6-8 weeks. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment to have full beautiful hair, you just need to make sure you’re choosing the right salon.
#7: Hair extensions should be comfortable
A lot of our clients who switch from weft or weaves to i-tips comment on how much lighter their extensions feel. Here’s the thing… hair extensions shouldn’t be heavy. They shouldn’t leave you with a headache at the end of the day. That’s a sign that they haven’t been installed properly or that it’s not the right hair extension technique for you.
If you’ve never had comfortable hair extensions, get in touch with our team. We’ll be able to show you a whole new world of extensions.
#8: Good hair extensions won’t damage your natural hair
One of the first questions women ask me when they enter the salon is this, “Will hair extensions damage my natural hair?” The truth is, that hair extensions should promote your natural hair to grow and be as healthy as possible. When installed properly, hair extensions actually protect your natural hair and help improve its appearance.
However, if you get poor-quality hair extensions or you have them installed by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing… that’s a surefire way to ruin your natural hair.
#9: Hair extensions can be good for your hair
We already touched on this one slightly, but hair extensions can be really good for your natural hair. We’ve seen women post-cancer treatment come in for extensions and over time see their own hair grow back beautifully alongside the extensions.
When you have extensions, you’re likely going to be caring for your hair so much more than normal. You’ll be attending regular maintenance appointments, you’ll be using products that are better for your hair and you’ll be more conscious of decisions that affect your hair – all leading to stronger, healthier natural hair.
#10: Hair extensions require different haircare products
Lastly, when you have hair extensions, you’re going to need to use a few different products – and there are going to be products that you need to avoid. Going forward, you won’t be able to use hair oils and you’ll need to be careful with things like hair masks because they can cause your extensions to slip.
Your best bet is to always go over a haircare routine with your stylist before leaving the salon. And make sure to pick up any products that they recommend! You’ve just invested in beautiful, high-quality new hair extensions. You’ll want to make sure you have the products needed to make them last.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to get hair extensions, remember that this is a great chance to try a new hairstyle, regain your confidence, and fall back in love with yourself. We’ve seen hair extensions help thousands of women regain their confidence, and we’d love to help you too.
At the end of the day, the health of your natural hair is the most important thing, so don’t compromise! Make sure that you’re choosing the right salon and buying quality hair extensions. When you invest in high-quality extensions and expert installation, you can expect amazing results.
If you’re ready to explore getting hair extensions, make sure to book a consultation with our team.
Upgrade Your Fall Hair Care Routine With These Tips
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Autumn is here and it’s bringing with it cooler weather, falling leaves, and pumpkin spice. We love fall in the city, and along with everything we love about this new season, it also brings new challenges for your hair. Fall and winter can cause problems for our hair, such as dry scalp, split ends, and even duller-looking hair!
Today we’re going to take a fresh look into your shower and bathroom, to make sure that the products and routine you’re following are aligned with what your body and hair need this season. Together we’ll build the perfect fall hair care routine.
Upgrade Your Fall Hair Care Routine With These Tips
1. Book a Trim
Kick off the fall season with a trim! We often hear that people feel the same way about booking a trim as they do about going to the dentist, but with Olivia Christensen extensions, you don’t have to worry about losing any length this fall.
Summer sun exposure, chlorine, and saltwater can rough up our hair cuticles. Getting an end-of-season trim can help leave your hair healthier and ready to tackle cooler weather.
2. Treat Your Hair to a Deep Conditioning
Fall tends to be a lot dryer than summer, so one of the best ways you can rehydrate your hair for the season is with a deep conditioning treatment.
When deep conditioning your hair with i-tip extensions, you need to take extra care, otherwise, the extensions can slip. We recommend:
Avoiding the bond/attachment points: when applying the deep conditioner, focus on the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. You should never apply the product directly to the i-tip bonds (where the extensions are attached) because oils and heavy conditioners can weaken the adhesive or cause slippage.
Use a Sulfate-Free and extension-safe conditioner: make sure to choose products that are safe for your extensions. When in doubt – always ask your stylist what products they recommend.
Detangle carefully: after applying the treatment, gently detangle your hair using a wide-tooth comb. Be mindful of your i-tip bonds and avoid pulling or tugging.
Rinse well: make sure to rinse out all of the product to prevent any residue that could cause buildup or tangling.
Dry carefully: pay your hair dry gently with a towel and avoid excessive rubbing. When blow drying, use low heat.
However, you can always book a deep conditioning treatment on the day of your regularly scheduled maintenance appointment. This would be a great time to get a conditioning treatment and trim for the fall season.
3. Use Protective Hairstyles
Chunky braids, buns, and hair accessories can actually help protect your hair during windy, rainy, and cold fall days.
Tucking your hair and loose ends away can help protect your hair from further damage in the elements. We recently shared a post with our favorite fall hairstyles and accessories. If you need inspiration for your hair this autumn, read this post next.
4. Use a Clarifying Shampoo (Sparingly)
Summer can leave your scalp with a lot of build-up, and a clarifying shampoo can be just the reset you need as you move into fall. Clarifying shampoos are designed to remove product buildup, oils, and impurities, which can be helpful for both your natural hair and the extensions. However, they can also be harsh and potentially dry out your hair and the extensions if used too frequently.
That’s why we only recommend using a clarifying shampoo sparingly (no more than once per month, or once per every two months).
As always, remember that you need to avoid using the product on your bonds themselves, choose sulfate-free shampoos and rinse well.
5. Upgrade Your Pillowcase
Upgrading to a silk pillowcase is one easy way to take better care of your hair this fall. We always recommend that our clients use silk or satin pillowcases. Silk pillowcases help alleviate friction and damage to your hair while you sleep! And they’re also great for your skin.
While fall is one of our favorite seasons in the city, it can be more challenging for your hair. As the leaves change, so does the nature of your hair and its needs. That’s why transitioning from a summer to a fall hair care routine can make all of the difference.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can fall back in love with your hair this autumn, book a consultation with us today to learn more about the extensions that we offer. Extensions aren’t all about length, we also love them for volume and confidence! Because hair really is everything.
10 Fall Hairstyles That Will Be Everywhere This Year
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Autumn is here in New York City, and we are loving it! We’ve seen fall beauty and fashion take over social media, and today, we’re going to share our favorite fall hairstyles and accessories with you. From messy buns to hair accessories and jewelry, these are the hottest hairstyle trends to look out for this fall.
One thing you’ll notice this fall is more updo hairstyles. High ponytails, slicked-back buns, and hair accessories to spice up your look. We love extra-long ponytails wavy curls, and chunky braids that all look beautiful with your hair extensions.
1. High Pony Tail w/ Pony Cuffs
One of our favorite looks for fall is the high, slicked-back ponytail, accessorized with pony cuffs. A slicked-back ponytail is perfect for those days when you just don’t want to wash your hair. But you can dress it up with these simple, yet stylish cuffs. They are the perfect way to elevate your day-to-day ponytail. If you’d like to jump on another fall hair trend this year, you can pull two pieces of hair out of the front of your ponytail for a face-framing style.
2. Slicked Back Bun
Speaking of ‘slicked-back’ looks, we also love the slicked-back bun. It’s clean, simple, and super stylish for fall. You’ll definitely be seeing this bun all over social media. For us, it looks like autumn in the city. Of course, you can always trust Bella Hadid to help us uncover the best hair, beauty, and fashion trends of the season.
3. Embellished Barrettes
If you want a way to style your slicked-back bun, try this fall hair trend: embellished barrettes. Fall is all about thoughtful embellishments and gold accents. We’re seeing it across beauty and fashion trends this year. Barrettes are an easy way to jump on this trend. They can be embellished with gems, rhinestones, or simple gold accents.
4. Scarves and Bandanas
Scarves and bandanas are the best fall accessories for when you’re not quite ready to wash your hair yet. They’re a more toned-down look and follow the popular trend of cottage-core, but that doesn’t mean you can’t elevate the look. For a more sleek style, go with a silk scarf, and for a more toned-down look, a classic bandana.
5. Chunky Braids
Speaking of braids, one fall hair trend that we are seeing everywhere this year is chunky braids. Perfect for our hair extension girlies who come in for volume and length. You can add accessories like ribbons, chunky bobby pins, or thick scrunchies to your braid for extra style.
6. Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs are another trend we’ve seen growing this fall. They’re a beautiful way to frame your face, whether you’re wearing your hair up in a ponytail, down, or pulled back into a braid.
7. Messy Bun Styled with Face Framing Strands
Our beautiful client Carson Light has already been rocking a messy bun with face-framing pieces this fall. We’re seeing a lot more updos and messy buns are in the mix. We love our effortlessly chic hairstyle looks. You can style it with an oversized claw clip for an even more fall look.
8. Classic Blowouts
You really can’t go wrong with a classic blowout. A blowout is one of the top ways to look runway-ready, even when you’re just off to the office.
9. Oversized Scrunchies
Scrunchies are back and here to stay! Who else loved big scrunchies back in the day? We love to see this trend come back around because you can show off so much personality in a simple hairstyle. This fall we’re seeing a rise in bigger, silk scrunchies (silk accessories are everything for fall!)
10. Curls and Ribbons
One of our favorite trends of this year has been girls who love to be girls. We’re talking about girly accessories, lots of pinks, coquette styles, and ribbons. To achieve this look curl your hair in long waves and style strands with ribbons tied into bows.
If you’d like to incorporate this trend into a pulled-back look, loosely braid a ribbon into your plait. This style is giving “drinking wine in the Italian countryside.”
Which one of these fall trends are you loving? Our favorite just might be #1! If you love these long, wavy hairstyles and trends for fall and you’re ready for a hair refresh, make sure to book a consultation with us today.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @oliviachristensensalon to get inspired by our recent client’s hair extensions. We can’t wait to help you with your transformation!
Every month we’re bringing you the latest news and updates from the Olivia Christensen Salons. Here you’ll get an inside peek into who visited the salon this month and you’ll get gorgeous hair extension inspiration for your appointment. September was another exciting month with some new faces and returning favorites!
Here at Olivia Christensen Salon, you never know who you might meet or catch a glimpse of. Over the years we’ve helped the celebrities, models, and icons of New York City have their healthiest, most beautiful hair.
In September we had Victoria Kalina, a Dallas Cowboy’s Cheerleader come in for her first appointment. She was looking for highlights, volume, and length – and she left looking gorgeous! Victoria has just moved to New York and we were so happy to welcome her in.
We also had visits from the beautiful Carolina Freixa and Carson Light who both left with inches, volume, and refreshed fall colors. Brooke Wyatt came in for a full 12 inches and is loving having thick, healthy hair!
Our client Kaylyn Kyle Heath, Olympic medalist & Presenter analyst for MLS came in for her first maintenance appointment and we were thrilled to learn that she loved having i-tips (on her previous appointment we had removed her weft and done her first i-tips installation).
We love all of our clients and feel especially grateful for the ladies who joined our hair extension family in September! We are seeing lots of fun fall hairstyles and hair refreshes for the season.
Make sure you’re following along over on Instagram at @oliviachristensensalonnyc so that you never miss a thing! And for more life updates from our gorgeous founder Christina, make sure to follow her @hairgoddessofny.
Welcome back to Olivia Christensen Salons. We’re passionate about helping women regain their confidence and fall back in love with their hair, through our high-quality real-human hair extensions. Today we’re going to be answering your TOP hair extension questions!
Since our early days, our founder Christina has developed a unique technique for installing and maintaining beautiful hair extensions. We love seeing each of our client’s transformations and it turns out that you love seeing those transformations as well!
Over on Instagram, we’ve been collecting your top questions about hair extensions – and today we’re finally going to be answering them all for you. Keep reading to get your hair extension questions answered!
Common Questions About Hair Extensions
How long do hair extensions last?
First things first, how long do hair extensions last? This is probably one of our most asked questions. We source high-quality, real-human hair extensions which means they can last up to 1-2 years with expected upkeep and regular maintenance appointments every 4-8 weeks.
During regular maintenance appointments (every 4-8 weeks) we remove the extension strands, comb through the shedded hair, and retip and install your extensions. This ensures the highest care for your hair and extensions!
How much do hair extensions cost?
The price of hair extensions varies depending on where they’ve been sourced and what type of hair extensions they are. At Olivia Christensen Salons, we install microbead or i-tip extensions with our unique blending technique which means you’re getting the most natural, lightweight extensions on the market. Our hair extensions cost between $1,500-$6,500.
Are hair extensions heavy?
A lot of hair extensions tend to be extremely heavy – but that’s what makes our technique so unique. We hand blend bundles of hair to attach to your natural hair with i-tips. This means we’re able to use smaller bundles, evenly dispersed across your natural hair. This is extremely lightweight, especially compared to other techniques.
How do hair extensions stay in your hair?
The strands are individually beaded through your natural hair. We take the hair extension strands and securely clamp them to strands of your natural hair using i-tips. This means no heat, glue, or damage to your natural hair.
Will the hair extensions match my natural hair color?
That’s another part of our technique that is so unique! Because we carefully bundle your extension strands to your natural hair, we’re able to custom color blend multiple colors in one strand for an identical color match. This hair extension technique ensures you have the most natural-looking extensions possible.
Can I style my hair extensions like normal?
Yes! You can style your hair extensions using any hot tool of choice. We source our hair from Eastern and Western Europe and match it directly to your texture helping you to style your hair like normal. Since our hair extensions are 100% full cuticle human hair, you can treat it just like your natural hair.
Can I exercise with my hair extensions?
Yes, you can work out with our hair extensions! We always highly recommend washing your hair after an intense workout. If you are the type to sweat excessively on the scalp, then we recommend washing your hair after each workout. However, if the workout is light (for example, Pilates) then you wouldn’t need to wash your hair after.
This is simply because our hair extensions are applied using a small capsule (called a microbead) and any sweat or natural oils could cause the hair extensions to slip out.
How long do the hair extensions take to install?
You can expect to spend 1 hour in the salon having your hair extensions installed.
How do I care for my hair extensions?
We recommend washing your hair 2-3 times per week to avoid any oil buildup on your scalp. You can get regular blowouts and style your hair like normal using any hot tool.
We also recommend braiding your hair at night and sleeping on a silk pillowcase. We carry a small curation of products and brushes that we recommend our extension clients use. If you’d like to learn more about the products and brushes that we recommend, let us know and we can do a post on that specifically!
How can I book my first hair extension appointment?
The first step is to book a consultation with us! At your consultation appointment we’ll discuss the goals you have with your extensions, we’ll also be able to answer any additional questions that you have and make a plan for your hair extension installation.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @oliviachristensensalon to get inspired by our recent client’s hair extensions. We can’t wait to help you with your transformation!
What are the different hair extension techniques, and how can you pick the right method for you?
Hair extensions are not all created equally. Neither is their installation method nor the hair quality.
At our two New York salons, we only use the highest-quality, real human hair for our extensions. Still, the quality of hair extensions and the various techniques can vary wildly across the industry. In fact, this post we shared actually exposed some of the dark side of the hair extension industry, so if that’s something you’re interested in, read that post next.
Now, in this post, we’re going to talk about the specific type of hair extension techniques, helping you get a clear idea of what method is right for you.
Different Hair Extension Techniques
These are the most typical and most popular hair extension methods:
Clip-In
Halo
Tape-In
Sew-In (Weft/Weave)
Keratin Fusion (K-Tips)
Microbead Extensions (I-Tips)
And each of these hair extension techniques can be divided into three main types:
Temporary: are taken in and out daily
Semi-Permanent: lasts for 6-8 weeks
Permanent: remain in your hair for months
As with most things, there are pros and cons to each of these different hair extension techniques, so throughout this post we’re going to dive into them a bit further.
We’re going to start with temporary extensions and move our way into the more permanent extension techniques.
Clip-In Extensions
Clip-in hair extensions are a type of hair extension where the hair is attached to a clip that you can then clip into your natural hair. Clip-in extensions are usually mass-produced, and it’s important to know where that hair comes from. In this article, we shed light on why real-human hair extensions can’t simply be mass-produced.
Also, because clip-in extensions are typically mass-produced, this hair extension technique won’t match your hair perfectly. Each strand won’t be blended to match your natural shades and dimension. This means they often look like extensions instead of real hair.
Now, the biggest con about clip-in extensions is that they can cause hair loss, especially for women with thin or fine hair. One of our clients, who has baby-fine hair, used clip-in extensions and ended up with bald spots where the extensions were clipped to her natural hair.
The biggest pro of clip-in extensions is that you can take them in and out at home, which means you can experiment with length and style whenever you want to wear them.
They also tend to be the cheapest hair extension technique, but that’s not automatically a pro. Hair extensions with the cheapest upfront cost can actually end up costing the most long-term in some cases.
With proper care, your clip-in extensions should last for years, but that’s only if you take them out, keep them clean, brush them, and store them properly.
Halo Hair Extensions
Halo hair extensions are very similar to clip-ins, but in our personal experience, we tend to recommend these more than clip-ins. Halo extensions are worn like a headband, which means they’re less damaging than clip-ins that pull your hair down and cause that hair loss we showed you above.
Halos are made up of multiple wefts that are sewn together to create one thicker weft. You then wear this under your natural hair, like a headband. Like clip-ins, you can take these extensions out each evening, meaning with proper care they should also last for years.
However, the biggest con with Halo hair extensions is that they’re not likely to match your natural hair as well as more semi-permanent and custom extensions. They tend to be cheaper, which raises questions about where the hair comes from and how processed it is by the time it gets to you, because all of these things play into how visible the extensions are.
In other words, with cheaper methods like clip-ins and halos, it’s much more common for people to be able to tell that you’re wearing extensions.
Tape-in extensions are a semi-permanent extension solution that came on the scene after clip-ins. They’re 1-1 ½ inch sections of hair that are pre-taped. A stylist will then use medical-grade glue to attach the extensions to your natural hair.
This is not a DIY extension technique; you do need to have them professionally installed. They need to be applied to clean, dry hair to ensure that the adhesive sticks, as it’s sandwiched between your natural hair. However, they’re a fairly easy installation process requiring no tools or chemicals.
Tape-in extensions will last anywhere from 8-10 weeks depending on your natural hair growth and the quality of the extensions. They also need to be taken out by a professional using a specific tape-in remover solution.
It’s recommended that you buy the extensions “pre-colored” because the tape cannot get wet. This means this hair extension method is unlikely to match your hair perfectly.
So the biggest cons with tape-in extensions are that they’re going to be pre-dyed and won’t match your natural dimension perfectly, and that they use harsh chemicals during install and removal. These harsh chemicals can cause damage to your natural hair with repeated use.
Sew-in extensions are often referred to as a weft or a weave. They’re a hair extension technique where strands of hair are sewn onto a super-thin cloth strip attached to your head.
There are hand-sewn and machine-sewn weft extensions. Machine-sewn extensions are cheaper because they’re made faster, while hand-sewn extensions will take longer but can be better customized to your hair. Once again, you will need to have these extensions installed by a professional. If your weft is installed incorrectly, it can cause headaches and hair loss.
In all the years our founder Christina has worked as an extension specialist, she has seen a lot of hair loss/tension from wefts sewn into her client’s natural hair. This happens because the wefts are bulky and heavy. They weigh down your natural hair, causing tension and alopecia.
Sew-in extensions will usually last around 6-8 weeks depending on how you care for them and how quickly your hair grows.
The pro with wefts is that they can add a lot of volume very quickly. But the cons tend to be that they’re more visible, they’re harder to style (if you wear your hair up a lot), and they’re heavy, which can cause damage to your natural hair.
Keratin fusion or K-tip extensions stand out as a hair extension technique because they use keratin bonds to attach individual strands of hair to your hair. They’re called ‘Keratin,’ but the bonds are still made with glue. The term ‘keratin’ is misleading because it often leads clients to believe there won’t be any damage to their natural hair, but glue is typically more damaging.
With this technique, your stylist can create unique strands of the extension hair to match your natural hair perfectly. When the technique is done correctly, you should be able to wear these extensions for 8-12 weeks without the hair slipping down.
The only real con with this technique is the glue. We prefer to use hair extension methods that don’t use any harsh chemicals or glue, because that’s going to be the safest for your natural hair.
Microbead Extensions (I-Tips)
Lastly, we have microbead extensions, which are the style of extensions that we use at our two New York hair salons. We take individual strands of hair to create bundles that we then bond together. These become your extensions, which then get beaded onto the natural strands of your hair.
Like keratin fusion, this technique allows our stylist to blend your natural hair with your extensions perfectly. With microbead extensions, you can do everything you would normally do with your hair, especially because we only use the highest-quality human hair.
This ensures that your extensions behave exactly like your natural hair. Our clients need to come in for regular maintenance appointments (every 6-8 weeks), but because we rebond the extensions each time, they should last up to 12 months.
This technique is truly unmatched in the industry.
Microbead extensions are the safest and most natural way to achieve fuller, longer hair with extensions. When it comes to the pros and cons of various extension techniques, the only con you might find for microbead extensions is the cost.
They are going to be the highest-cost extensions on the market, but like we always say, “Quality isn’t expensive. It’s priceless.”
When it comes to the various types of hair extension techniques, you might be tempted to cut corners and choose a more cost-effective method. When you’re just starting on your extension journey, and you’re not sure you want something permanent, that’s okay.
But when you’re ready for natural-looking extensions, microbead is the best direction to go.
Wefts vs. I-Tips
When it comes to the age-old question of wefts vs microbead extensions, we can tell you that wefts tend to be heavy. We have a lot of women come to our New York salons to switch from wefts to i-tips, and one of the first things we hear is that our method helps their head feel lighter right away.
We know that the weight isn’t healthy for your natural hair. Our microbead technique keeps your extensions light and avoids tension on your root or natural hair.
If you’re ready to make the switch, or you’d like to explore getting extensions for the first time, make sure to book a consultation with us today.
For more hair extension inspiration and recent updates from our team, follow us on Instagram @oliviachristensensalon and our founder Christina @hairgoddessofNY.
Each month we want to bring you the latest news and updates from the Olivia Christensen Salons! Here you’ll get a chance to see who’s visited the salon this month and get some gorgeous extension inspiration for your own appointment. August was an exciting month with a lot of our clients coming in for volume, length and full-blown hair makeovers. Here’s our August Recap.
August News & Updates from Olivia Christensen Salon
At Olivia Christensen Salon, you never know who you might meet or catch a glimpse of sneaking out of our private room! In August, we had Jessica Markowski from the hit Netflix show Owning Manhattan come in. She stopped in for some inches and volume and left looking absolutely gorgeous (as usual!)
Our client Kaylyn Kyle Heath, Olympic medalist & Presenter analyst for MLS came in for a full head of highlights and some inches. She left looking beautiful with some soft beach waves.
And if you stopped by in August you might have seen Dorothy Wang from Bling Empire New York sneaking out after a trim and extensions maintenance appointment or the stunning Zarah Kelleher leaving with new color and volume.
Make sure you’re following along over on Instagram at @oliviachristensensalonnyc so that you never miss a thing! And for more life updates from our gorgeous founder Christina, make sure to follow her @hairgoddessofny.
Let’s talk about the importance of hair extension maintenance. Quality hair extensions aren’t cheap but when they’re properly cared for, they should last for years.
We recently talked about the importance of quality hair extensions and why it’s so important to know where your extensions are coming from. But we also shared that our extensions typically start at $1,500 and can go up to $6,500.
We recognize that your hair is a big investment and that’s why we send all of our clients home with detailed (and pretty strict!) care instructions and follow-up, maintenance appointments. So let’s dive into why maintenance appointments are so important – and what you can do at home to better protect and care for your extensions.
The Importance of Hair Extension Maintenance
Did you know that you shed around 45-98 hairs each day? YUP. When you feel like you’re constantly ‘shedding’, it’s because you usually are.
However, when you have extensions, that shedded hair gets trapped in the small beads/links that are applied to hold the extension strand. That’s why it’s so important to come in for regular hair extension maintenance appointments.
We have our clients come in every 4-8 weeks depending on how well they maintain their extensions at home.
When you come in for your hair extension maintenance appointment, we comb through the ‘shedded’ hair. It may feel like a lot of hair fall – but remember that all of this shedded hair is from 4-8 weeks.
Once we’ve combed through the shedded hair, we then apply a new bead or link and retip the bonds to ensure that they are encapsulated and secure. This process helps keep your hair extensions intact so that they can be reused. But it also means that each time you come in for your hair extension maintenance appointments, we have to essentially start from scratch.
We do this to maintain the quality of your hair – so that you can continue to use these extensions for years to come!
How to Care for Your Hair Extensions at Home
Besides your regular maintenance appointments, we also send our clients home with strict care instructions.
At Olivia Christensen Salon we use only real, quality human hair extensions, which means that you can style them as you would your normal hair. However, you need to take better care of your extensions and your hair overall when you have extensions.
Here are some of our top tips for maintaining your quality hair extensions so you can wear them for years to come.
As we said above, one of the most important things that you can do to maintain your hair extensions is to come to regular maintenance appointments. Our clients come in every 4-8 weeks for hair extension maintenance. We schedule these appointments to comb out the shedded hair but also to protect the bead/link of each extension.
If you leave your hair extensions in too long with these maintenance appointments, the beads can bend and distort. This can lead to the extensions getting ruined and in some cases, natural hair loss as well.
Have Your Hair Extensions Installed Properly
Similar to the sentiment that not all hair extensions are created equal or of the same quality – how you have your extensions installed is just as important.
At Olivia Christensen Salon we’ve developed a special installation technique that blends your extensions to naturally match your hair. This technique also ensures that your extensions are being installed correctly every time.
Wash Your Extensions Carefully
Oftentimes people feel like they can’t wash their hair when they have extensions in – but that’s far from the truth. In fact, it’s important to wash your hair like normal – but you need to wash your hair less frequently and with greater care.
We recommend brushing your hair carefully before washing, being extremely gentle with your scalp, and avoiding harsh chemicals in your products.
Sleep on Silk or Satin
Whether or not you have extensions, we recommend that you switch to a silk or satin pillowcase. Silk pillowcases prevent dryness and hair loss. We also recommend against sleeping with your hair in a bun, or ponytail or leaving it flowing freely. Instead, put your hair in two loose braids and wrap a silk scarf around your head.
Avoid Using Too Many Products
When it comes to the number of products you use on your hair – more does not equal better. We recommend using fewer products on your hair and instead focusing on the quality of those products and how you use them. Things like dry shampoos should be used sparingly (because they tend to dry your hair out) and we don’t recommend using a heat protectant as most of them contain harmful ingredients that may cause the extensions to slip out.
Brush Your Hair Often
Lastly, make sure that you are brushing your hair often. There’s nothing worse than tangles and knots in your hair extensions. So one of the best (and easiest) ways to maintain your hair extensions is simply through brushing them. Brush your hair when you wake up, when you style your hair for the day, before you shampoo, and before bed every night.
Different types of hair brushes work well for different hair types, so make sure to ask your stylist what they recommend for you.
With proper care, your high-quality hair extensions should last you for months. It’s so important to make sure that you are attending your hair extension maintenance appointments and following strict hair extension care instructions to maintain your beautiful new hair.
If you’re ready to take the leap and get high-quality hair extensions, make sure that you book a consultation appointment with us today.
Did you know that all hair extensions are not created equally? Since the rise of popularity around the world for human hair extensions, there have been some shady practices to actually obtain the hair needed. Too often we’re unaware of the journey that hair has taken to get to our salons.
At Olivia Christensen Salon, we are dedicated to making sure our clients only get the best. For us, one of the most important parts of our business is making sure we know where your hair comes from. We import our hair from various countries depending on our client’s texture, density, and color. And we carefully blend our extensions into our client’s hair – which is generally unmatched in the hair extension industry.
Today, let’s dive into the various types of hair used for extensions and how you (as a consumer) can know that you’re getting real human hair extensions.
Where Do Hair Extensions Come From?
A Refinery29 piece of journalism came out in 2018 exposing the fact that too often hair extensions are taken from disenfranchised women who have their hair cut for sometimes as little as $2-$3 as payment.
But even with hair that has been sourced responsibly, many famous hair extension brands are from China – and they can’t guarantee authentic, full-cuticle human hair.
The problem is that you simply can’t mass-produce human hair extensions. There isn’t enough donated hair to keep up with the demand. That’s why many large-scale brands claim that they use human hair, but really they use synthetic hair with a silicone coating.
And dealers have figured out plenty of ways that they can ‘fake’ hair extensions to make you think they’re real.
One of the cheapest ways to source human hair is called ‘fallen hair’ and it’s hair that’s been collected from drains, hair salon floors, and hair brushes. The hair is collected and combed before being processed with chemicals, coated with silicone and even combined with synthetic or animal hair.
But our level of quality human hair isn’t something that you can fake.
We Promise Quality
How can we guarantee that you’re getting the best hair? Because we make the effort to always know where our hair extensions are coming from. We make sure that we work with trusted hair dealers and that we always know how the hair is sourced and we source our hair from Western and Eastern Europe.
It’s so important to make sure that the hair we use is fair-trade. That the women have willingly parted with their hair and that they’ve been fairly compensated for it. The most important thing for you to worry about as a consumer is that you’re working with a salon that knows where they get their hair from.
And more often than not, you can trust a salon over a company selling clip-in or ‘mass’ produced extensions because as we mentioned, it’s impossible to mass-produce human hair. You’ll be able to tell if you have quality extensions because of how they feel and look to your touch. Real human hair extensions should be able to be styled however you style your hair (heat styled, blow dried, etc) and they should last around 1-2 years.
At Olivia Christensen Salon we can promise that you’ll always be receiving quality hair and quality hair extensions. Not only do we make sure that we’re always sourcing the best, but we also take the time to mix our hair extensions by hand.
Each strand of your hair is unique. Rarely is someone’s hair all one color, but instead, it’s a blend. One of the best ways to make sure your hair extensions look natural is to match the natural blend of your hair. We often combine 2-3 colors in each strand.
These unique color patterns are designed to match your natural hair identically, giving you a full, beautiful head of hair. And with Olivia Christensen Salons, you can be sure that you’re always getting the best. Our extensions start at $1,500 and can go up to $6,500.
Welcome to Olivia Christensen Salon and our new blog. Let’s get to know each other and give you some exciting updates about this blog, brought to you directly from the Olivia Christensen Salon Team.
About Christina Oliva
Our founder, Christina Oliva is an award-winning hair extension specialist who has helped clients around the world regain their confidence and fall in love with their hair. There’s a reason she’s known as the Hair Goddess of NY, but her career wasn’t always so glamorous.
Christina started her hair styling career over 18 years ago in her parents garage on Staten Island. She quickly gained devoted clientele and became a master of her industry thanks to her precision, compassion and intricate beaded extension technique.
Since those early days, Christina has expanded her business to two intimate spaces in New York (NYC and Staten Island). She works with experts and world-class stylists to bring a sense of luxury to your local neighborhood salon. A place where you can walk in and be treated like family, and walk out with gorgeous, healthy hair.
However, ‘Hair Goddess’ is not Christina’s only title. She’s also a devoted wife and mommy to three beautiful children. Her twins, Simona and Anthony and her rainbow baby, Naomi.
Today, Christina is one of the most sought after hair extension specialists in the world. Whether her clients are suffering from hair loss or want to regain their confidence, she tailors each experience to their unique needs.
Who are our clients?
As one of the most sought after hair extension specialists in the world, Christina has had the opportunity to work with many celebrities over the years. She recently worked with Jessica Markowski from Owning Manhattan and Olympic Medalist and TV presenter, Kaylyn Kyle Heath.
In the past, we’ve worked with Dorothy Wang, Alix Earle, various politicians, and elite models. Always keep an eye out! You never know who you might see sneaking out of our private room.
But Christina also has a long history of helping women who’ve been through cancer treatments. Most women know the power of great hair, but gorgeous locks can be especially transformative for women who’ve been through cancer.
Our approach to hair extensions go well beyond the salon. We hope this blog will serve as a resource for our new and returning clients. Each week we’ll post exciting salon updates, tips and tutorials for hair care and more information about our stylists and products.
Make sure you’re following Christina Oliva on Instagram (@hairgoddessofNY) and our salon page (@oliviachristensensalonnyc) for style inspiration and amazing transformations.
If you’d like to book a consultation for hair extensions with Christina, contact the salon today.
