Hair Extensions are something that I had always been passionate about learning.  Having long hair myself I have always taken a lot of interest in them.  I have spent hours researching different brands and techniques for applying extra hair.  Even when speaking with friends, hair extensions have always been marred with the horror stories of hair being pulled out, being left with bald patches or them just not blending at all.  Over the years I had seen and heard the worries that many people experience if hair extensions were not applied and cared for correctly.  I was adamant that I would not be the one to offer such an experience to anyone so when I was offered the opportunity to be trained by Racoon International, I jumped at the chance as I knew what a good reputation the brand had.

       Lorna, Natalie & their first model

The education was delivered to us over two separate days with literally just Natalie, myself and the Tutor who had travelled all the way from Brighton and was the current expert in England.  This niche learning environment allowed us to absorb all of the Tutors knowledge as well as ask individual questions of our own.  The first day was an intense theory session with a short practise on a mannequin to get the right amount of bonding in just the right shape and place.  The bonding is not a glue, it is a blend of organic ingredients designed to work with the flexibility of the hair movement as well as securely hold the extensions in place.  All of Racoons hair is human hair and can be coloured even once the hair has been applied.  We learned about why there are so many scaremongering stories available through the media and the correct way to apply extensions in a safe way for the guest and their hair. Day two was the application of a whole head of extensions on a real guest.  We were assessed throughout the whole procedure and our Tutor was more than happy with the level of our understanding and delivery of the extensions. 

The extensions have many benefits, you can use them purely to add thickness and body to the hair.  You can also use them to add length or colour which is a great alternative to using hair colour as it avoids using any chemicals on the hair.  You can add fashion colour or it can aid a gradual colour change. 

The removal process was also examined and our Tutor came back six weeks later for a third day of education to see that we were rotating the models hair correctly.  As the natural hair grows, the bonds grow down with the hair.  To avoid unnecessary pulling and damage to the natural hair, we were educated to advise that the hair is rotated every six to eight weeks depending on how quickly the natural hair grows and how well the hair and bonds are cared for at home in between visits.   The removal solution is soaked into the bond and it crumbles into a powder without damaging any hair allowing the extension to slide out gently.  The same hair is then prepared to be used again and again enabling the guest to save money by not reordering new hair every time.

After completing the course, the guests we had carried out our training on continued to have the extensions and I also gained some new guests due to the new service I was able to offer.  Two of my new hair extensions guests were extremely unhappy with their hair at the time.  Their hair was lifeless, fine, short and had wispy pieces and they received such a transformation with the Racoon Extensions.  Kelly, a member of our admin team and Sarah who was a new guest to the salon as well as me.  Both ladies have an extremely busy lifestyle and had always had short to medium length hair.

Kelly started off with a short, fine bob length cut.  She always wanted to be blonder but was suffering from short broken strands of hair due to over use of a hot hairdryer on the top of her head.

Sarah had many questions and concerns about having extensions but desperately wanted a new look and was able to speak to Kelly and ask her questions which she honestly answered.  One of Sarah’s main concerns was whether or not she would have the time to upkeep them and deal with them on a daily basis as she is a very busy self employed electrician.

Kelly also having a young child as well as a business to run assured Sarah that actually since having the extensions, it has been easier for her to manage and she was surprised at how much more easy it was for her to style as Kelly used to wash her hair almost every day and was now managing three days and it still looked fabulous.

During each rotation of Kelly’s extensions, we would add more blonde into her hair using extensions to achieve the desired look as well as fine slices to her natural hair.  We were making a steady progress from mousy brown to blonde. 

Sarah particularly noticed how much her natural hair had transformed and grown as normally her own hair would be heated/straightened/styled frequently but the extensions had worked like a barrier around her own hair and it was the extensions that were predominantly being styled.  One comment Sarah did make was “How much easier it was and how much longer each style lasts” This was because of the weight of the extensions compared to her fine hair.

Both ladies kept their extensions in for about one year as they had got to a length that they were happy with and felt confident enough with their own hair.  Throughout the whole experience, both ladies received a multitude of compliments on their new hair and many were surprised to learn that the hair was indeed extensions as they looked so natural.

 Picture on left shows before and middle pictures are after the first set of extensions.

Once the extensions were removed, the change in both Kelly and Sarah’s hair was unbelievable.  Kelly’s hair is now just past her shoulders, by choice, so much thicker and blonder with no broken ends or shorter patches.  Sarah’s hair is also thicker and in much better condition.  her hair is also easier to control and style due to the extra growth.

 
  Kelly with0ut extensions today

I know that the extensions made my guests feel super confident and satisfied with their hair whilst the extensions were in and after taking them out.  Before doing the course and shortly after qualifying, I always had doubts about extensions in general.  However, since witnessing the effects and seeing the results I would swear by them.  I have seen so many fantastic outcomes over the last 14 months.  I feel proud to be able to advise my new guests who ‘hate’ their current look that I know for a fact I can 100% get them the result they have always wanted.  It is so rewarding to be able to offer a service that not everyone can deliver.  To really, truly satisfy a guest is an amazing feeling.

I honestly believe Racoon hair Extensions are the way forward for anyone looking to extend or improve the condition.  I love the fact that I am confident in what I do because I know it will benefit your hair.  One main feature that I love is, unlike other brands, Racoon International is the only process scientifically proven not to damage your hair if maintained correctly.  Each strand of ethically sourced hair extension is tailored to your hair texture so if you have fine hair, we will add fewer strands to avoid breakage and make sure that your hair can hold the weight of the extra hair.  I believe this is a key factor with this service.

If you require any further information, please call to make an appointment for a consultation with either myself or Natalie on 01205 368 368 or pop in any time to Salon Alchemy, 2nd Floor, Oldrids Department Store, Boston.

The views and opinions of this blog are from Lorna