Journal · The salon
What happens at a hair extension consultation
· 3 min read
Every set of extensions starts with thirty minutes in the salon. What we check, what to bring and what happens next.
In this article
Nothing is ordered or fitted until we've met. The consultation is the step that decides everything else, so it's worth knowing what it involves.
Why we start with a consultation
Extensions are matched to one person's hair. The shade, the method, the length and the number of packs all depend on hair we haven't seen yet. A photo can't show density, condition or how a colour reads in daylight, and those are the things that decide whether extensions blend or show.
The consultation is also a chance for you to ask questions without committing to anything. You're not booking a fitting by booking a consultation.
Before you come
- Wear your hair the way you usually do. If it's normally straightened or curled, come with it styled, so we can see how it sits day to day.
- Come with clean, dry hair, without heavy product at the roots.
- Bring photos of the length and volume you'd like, and of anything you don't want. Both are useful.
- Know how you wear your hair most days: down, up, or both. It changes which method we recommend.
What happens in the salon
We look at your hair
We look at the density, condition and texture of your own hair, and where it is thinnest or shortest. This tells us how much hair you need and which methods your hair can comfortably carry.
We match your shade
Your shade is matched in natural light, against the hair at the lengths and the root. Many people sit between two shades. Where it suits, we blend two, so the extensions have the same depth your own hair does.
A strand test
We test a small amount of hair against yours, so you can see and feel the match before anything is ordered.
We agree a method and a length
We talk through the methods that suit your hair and how you live: tape-in, keratin bond, weft or clip-in. If you'd like to read about them first, we've compared them in which method suits you. Then we agree the length, and how many packs it will take.
Your questions
Anything you'd like to know about wear, maintenance, aftercare or cost. We would rather you ask now than wonder later.
After the consultation
Your hair is ordered in your shade and length, and your fitting is booked for when it arrives. The fitting itself takes from about ninety minutes for tape-ins to about three hours for keratin bonds.
At the fitting, your extensions are placed, then cut and styled to blend with your own hair. You go home with aftercare to follow, and we book your next visit before you leave. Our aftercare guide covers what that involves.
What it costs
A colour consultation is $50, and it's redeemable against your fitting. Fitting prices are listed on the salon page, and the hair is priced separately, by method and length.
Booking
Consultations are by appointment, at Suite II, 584 Brunswick St, New Farm. You can book online, or call us on 0431 258 149 if you'd rather talk it through first.