A New Wave in Hair Accessories: Crystal, Tinsel and Feathers

The words "hair accessory" are taking on a whole new meaning.  Inspired by some of our favorite rockstars creative hair 'do's , Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, we can now experiment with our locks in brand new ways.  Great Lengths recently introduced Swarovski Crystal Extensions and feather and tinsel hair extensions are also all the rage. "Women are seeing celebrities experiment with their hair and think it's beautiful and attainable," commented Jan Marie Marteca of the Ted Gibson Salon.  "They're going to start to embrace everything from pastel pink highlighted extensions to pops of tinsel."

The Swarovski crystal extensions last as long as regular Great Length extensions (about three to four months) and are bonded to your hair.  I first saw the feather hair extension while at the Sundance Film festival and think it looks best when the feather is the same tone as your hair.  For instance, if you have brown hair, go with a brown feather so it blends nicely and acts as an accent and doesn't look cheesy.

Beyonce sported gold tinsel at the Grammys this year and Jan spotted tinsel extensions at this year's Hair Show. They're finely knotted around a few strands of your hair and last a few weeks.  The accent may look cute for a special occasion (Grammys anyone?).

Long, Full Hair is Mine Thanks to the Ted Gibson Salon & Great Lengths

I'm so excited because I just got home from the Ted Gibson Salon where Jan-Marie Arteca hooked me up with Great Length extensions!  I feel like whipping my hair back and forth!  Yes, I noticed I'm using a lot of exclamation points already, but I literally just got home and am that happy. As you know, I've expirimented with extensions before and have taken a break for quite some time.  Most recently, I've been wearing clip in extensions for TV segments and spokesperson gigs to add fullness and length to fine hair.  I feel like having good hair makes a big difference in how I carry myself.  Therefore, when having the chance to get Great Lengths I jumped!  In case you're unfamiliar, Great Lengths are real human hair that's bonded to hair through a protein bond.

Jan used six bundles and three hues to seamlessly blend all of the hair into my natural hair.  "If you take care of them properly, they're not damaging to your real hair," she commented.  Since hair sheds as it grows out, it's important to brush it several times a day to free up loose strands from the bond so they don't become matted.  The proper brush is also important.  A Mason Pearson is perfect, but any mix of nylon and boar bristle paddle brush will do.  I can wash my hair regularly with a sulfate free shampoo (which is about three to four times a week) and make sure to keep conditioner away from the bond.  Another important tip is to make sure to dry the bonds as soon as I get out of the shower so they don't slip.

After all of the hair was added, stylist, Eugene Smith, cut a few inches off and added shape to them so they really look like my natural hair.  For people who don't know me, they'd never be able to tell I'm wearing extensions.  All in all, I added about four inches in length and a ton of fullness.  My Great Lengths are expected to last about three to four months depending on how well I take care of them.  Let me tell you, I'm going to baby these beauties!

*All of my before and afters will be up on my Glamour.com column soon!  Stay tuned!

My Spring Makeover

If you could change anything about your appearance what would it be?  For me, it was my hair.  After speaking with Ted Gibson about new the new platinum seamless extensions he was carrying I decided to take the plunge and surrender my hair to the man who transformed Kate Gosselin with a weave a few weeks prior.

I was treated like an A-lister and had Jason Backe apply the extensions and Ted do the shaping.  (I thought only Anne Hathaway received that kind of treatment.)  And you wouldn't believe who was sitting in the salon with me... none other than Kate Gosselin herself having her extensions redone.  Most likely preparing for her huge debut on Dancing with the Stars.

I sat in the chair as Jason and Ted consulted and came up with my coloring and decided to give me wavy hair over straight like my natural texture and mix in a lighter shade of brown in the front.  A bit skeptical at first, I knew I was in the hands of two master minds and was going to come out looking like a million dollars and I was right.  All my life I had fine, straight, dark hair and now I have what I'm calling Kardashian hair!

I got Platinum Seamless extensions, which last anywhere from six weeks to three months depending on how well they're taken care of.  They've been out for a long time, but the glue was recently reformulated and just now received met the standards of the Ted Gibson Salon.  They're strips that are about 2" each that simply stick to the root of your hair.  Compared to Great Lengths (like Kate Gosselin's), which are little individual bundles that are bonded to your hair.  A full head of Platinum Seamless costs anywhere from $950-$1,500, whereas a full head of Great Lengths varies from $3,000-$5,000.

Everyone wants what they can't have right?  Well, after speaking with Jason and Ted I realized that thanks to all of the different types of treatments available today, there's no reason you can't have the hair you want.  It's like investing in a quality pair of boots for a season.  Skip the Louboutins and go for Steve Maddens and invest in your hair once in a while.

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