Sometimes you just need to shake things up a little; if you're looking for a hair transformation for the new season, look no further than Hollywood Hair.
Originally founded in Poland in 2015 by Klaudia Duszyńska, the brand has 12 salons across the countr and now at home next to Regent's Park. Hair extensions at the time were a taboo in Poland with lacklustre quality of services. After training in Belarus and Ukraine and learning the secrets of multiple methods, Klaudia created her own extension method, allowing a totally personalised service for her clients. Fast forward and not only does she have the argest network of hair extension salons in Poland, but now a home in London.
The salon is run by an expert team and clients are greeted with a wall of hair in every conceivable shade. After a consultation, your ideal shade is created from blending strands from multiple bundles, a painstaking process to ensure the exact hue is matched. I loved watcning them at work, taking a little bit of this blonde and a little bit of that brunette, blending them together and weaving them into to my real hair to check it would match. After nailing the colour, each extension is made by hand while you relax in the chair for a wash, scalp massage and blow dry. And then comes the fun part...
The actual install will take some time; dependent on how much hair you want it could be a few hours. Each individual extension is bonded into the hair within seconds, with perfectly neat rows circling the scalp and gradually building up thickness... don't be alarmed - at first they are loooooong - over 20 inches in fact - drifting down past my bum, I did have to get a snap of the seriously mermaid-worthy locks before they were cut it! After two hours of four hands expertly working their magic, the extensions were cut into my hair, trimmed in length and layered to make them look like they'd always been there. The colour match was astounding, absolutely spot on, and the thickness and volume - something which has alwasy eluded me - was astonishing.
Extensions need care - you must avoid washing for 48 hours to let the bonds settle and when you do, avoid alcohols and oils as they weaken the bonds. It took some getting used to the thickness and weight, sleeping in a loose plait and avoiding high ponytails that would pull at the bonds, but it really was a transformation like no other. I felt like a princess, a movie star, and Mariah Carey all in one - having hair extensions adds a layer of glamour to the everyday that I'd never thought about before. Whether they'll be in long-term remains to be seen, but for now I adore my new look.
Prices from £8 per 1g
www.hollywoodhair.co.uk
