For the past 3 years, I’ve been chasing hair goals;to be exact, it’s my Pinterest “Dear Hair Dresser” Board – check it out. You can agree, these images scream “I want that hair, too!!!!” Almost every photo is the same: a Balayage color, beach waves, much longer than the hair I ever arrive with at my salon appointments. My usual hairdresser, Rachel Lewis – owner of Hair Journey in St. Bonifacius – matches my requests the best she can with my hair, including working with the texture, original color, current length.You know, all the things. Hair dressers aren’t magicians! In one appointment, she can’t make my lion’s mane as fly like my hair models, no matter how much I beg her. I leave happy, my hair is fresh and it always feels good. A few months later, I head back; same pictures pinned, same goals. Finally, at our last appointment, she broke it down to me: “You will never get this hair unless you get extensions!” Insert tear-face emoji, I was slightly disappointed but again left happy with a fresh do.
After that appointment, I was on a power walk with a girlfriend talking hair. I told her what Rachel said, “My hair goal dreams will never come true unless I get extensions.” Like the smartass she is, she goes “Get extensions! Try it and be done!” I said, “Ok cool, I’m going to manifest extensions.” About 5 days later, a random ding hits my IG inbox. Laura Lee Hair Design commented on a video I posted, in which I talked about my baby hair regrowth from losing hair after having Ruby. She said, “I do extensions and they would totally help with your regrowth.” OMG! I couldn’t fire back fast enough. “Tell me more.”
We chatted over the next few days; I told her my Hair Goals and showed her images from my Dear Hair Dresser Board. She said, “DONE, that’s easy!!” And then I went into freakout mode: I’m not sure extensions are for me, they seem high maintenance, and sometimes look cheap and fake. I don’t want to see clips because I wear my hair up 90% of the time. I hate washing my hair, I’m always sweating and I went on … and on.
Laura Lee was super informative; she broke it down for me and told me I needed hand-tied hair extensions. “This way, you can wear your hair up, you can sweat, and you won’t see anything.” Wait, what? For real! Clearly extensions have come a long way since I last looked into them as a an option for my hair goals. Laura does a lot of extensions! She is trained in Easihair Pro and teaches others how to do extensions. Her reputation for hair extensions is top-notch, she’s knowledgeable, honest and stocked with tons of options! If you have hand-tied extensions, you buy the REAL hair (from someone in China that actually grew it.) I have Chinese hair and, if I take care of it, it can last for a year!!! I can brush my hair like normal. I can style as usual and, finally, I have the bomb balayage, long-length hair I’ve been dreaming of for 3 years!
Here’s my before and after!
Laura Lee Hair Design is located in St. Louis Park (off Excelsior Blvd.), and she rents a studio inside Salon Concepts. For those who’ve been chasing hair goals like me, check her out! She’s offering 20% off when you mention this blog! Trust me; if you are nervous, I was, too. But like anything else, I’m wondering why it took me three years to try them! I’m so excited to style them, braid them, put them in a cool pony, dress them up and down and, of course, throw them under a hat this winter! As always, if you have questions, let me know!
Here are some Pro Tips from Laura:
*If you are thinking about extensions and the hair professional tells you after getting the extensions you will have to wear your hair curly/curled, this isn’t a good sign. She (or he) will be trying to cover something up, either trying to hide a color or length blend! (This is why she wanted me to do a before and after with straight hair!)
*Sleep with the extensions in a super loose braid.
*Avoid conditioner at the root or top of the hair; this is a good tip whether you have extensions or not.
*Hand-tied hair extensions turn out to be the same cost, if not cheaper, than other options. Hand-tied extensions cost more up front but you keep the same hair for up to a year and you don’t have to go in as often to get them tightened. Usually, you will go in every 8 weeks instead of 6-ish weeks with other options. Also with other types of extensions you have to buy new hair every other time.
Laura Lee Hair Design – DM on IG or Call: 612-998-5060 to Book!
