Hair Gossip

It’s time to put another myth to rest: “Hair extensions are breaking off my hair.” Let’s first define “breakage”. Broken hair means that the bead, bond, or tape has completely been ripped off of your scalp, leaving you with an extremely short or bald patch of hair with nothing attached to it. It would look like someone cut off the strand along with the extension bond. These situations rarely happen and it’s pretty hard to do unless you take a pair of scissors or rip them off yourself. The truth: Hair extensions DO NOT break off your hair. Shedding, however,...

We like to talk to stylists to get into the nitty gritty of the hair extensions biz. We often hear funny and heartwarming stories about how women have been empowered and transformed by their hair extensions, but occasionally we hear some horror stories too! Don’t worry, these anecdotes aren’t meant to freak you out, merely to inform. Someone far more intelligent than me once said (and I read this on the internet, so you know it’s true) “Smart people learn from their mistakes. Really smart people learn from the mistakes of others.” Here’s a few of the mistakes we’ve seen,...

DONNA BELLA BUSINESS TIP FOR February 22, 2011 Question: I hear the word “knap” used all of the time in my local salon and I don’t want to feel stupid by asking what it means or where it is. It seems to be used in a variety of ways. Some stylists refer to the knap as part of the hair while others talk about the neck. Which is it? Justi, B. – Bullhead City, Arizona Answer: The word Knap originates from Old English and refers to the crest of a hill. So, over time, we have added a definition to...

DONNA BELLA BUSINESS TIP FOR January 13, 2011 Question: I am getting good at applying the actual hair extensions but struggle organizing the hair in orderly sections at the beginning of the process. I really don’t understand how to get the hair out of the way for easier handling and how to divide the work area on the back of the head. Jafra, T. - Madison, Wisconsin Answer: You are asking about “sectioning the hair”. To section properly, all you need is a rat tail comb an some large clips. Diagonally, divide the clients hair into two equal halves right...

DONNA BELLA BUSINESS TIP FOR December 31, 2010 Question: For almost fifteen years, I have had long hair but to be honest with you, I’m bored with my hairstyle.  I’m going to cut it and use extensions from time-to-time so that I have more variety. An organization called Locks Of Love will apparently use my hair to help children who have lost their own hair because of medical issues.  Can you tell me how to go about donating my hair to this or another worthy cause? Linda P – Aberdeen, Washington Answer: Great idea!  With Locks Of Love you’ve found...