EXTENSION PRICES

For the past couple years the demand for hair extensions has been greater than the supply so the quality has gone down significantly. I have prepared this guide to buying extensions based on my own personal experience in the hopes that it will help shed some light on your search for the perfect extensions.

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Is it REALLY 100% human hair?

A lot of factories will add synthetic fillers to the bundles making them appear thicker and better quality than they actually are, which is why it's so important to ensure that you are buying 100% real human hair. Sometimes, the price point of your bundle will be the biggest indicator of this (for example, hair costing less than $100/bundle will likely contain fillers).

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What is virgin hair exactly?

Virgin hair (or raw hair) is hair that has never been processed or chemically treated, It is significantly more expensive than processed hair because it’s harder to come by. 

Virgin hair comes in it’s natural color which will vary depending on which country you’re buying it from. For example, the lightest shades of virgin hair come from Brazil and Peru. One of the most popular options is Indian temple hair, but many have raised questions on whether it can be ethically sourced or not. Asian hair is, in our opinion, the best quality and most likely to blend well with a variety of hair types. It is known to be softer and silkier than other types and comes in a dark brown color that is naturally straight. It is important to note that virgin hair will behave just like your own hair and can be permed, colored and heat styled quite easily. We prefer to order virgin hair in its natural state and allow our customers to have it professionally colored by someone they trust. 

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Single Donor Bundles

Even harder to come by still, are bundles collected from a single donor (meaning all the hair in a bundle comes from one person). Single donor hair has the advantage of keeping the texture the same and the cuticles running the same direction to prevent tangling and breakage. 100% human, virgin hair coming from a single donor will be the best quality of hair that money can buy. Again, the price point of your bundle will reflect this so be wary of suppliers offering a luxury item at an usually low cost. 

How are extensions rated?

We cannot find an internationally recognized grading system or governing body in place to evaluate the quality of extensions. Some suppliers like to rate their own hair extension quality (using numbers between 6 and 12) but in our experience these claims are biased and impossible to verify. There is nothing stopping suppliers from falsely promoting low quality, processed hair, full of synthetic threads, as top quality virgin hair so it’s important to buy from a supplier that you trust. These relationships are difficult to build and require a great investment of time and funds to “sample” hair bundles for quality and consistency. 

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How much hair will I need?

That depends on how thick your own hair is, how much shorter your hair is than the desired length and of course what the desired length is. Since extensions are sold by weight, you will find that shorter hair bundles are thicker and you won't need as much of it to achieve volume. We are happy to provide you with a free consultation to determine how much hair you will need but as a general guideline, the majority of clients purchase 2 bundles.

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How long will the hair last?

Cheaper hair will tangle after the first few washes, damaging the hair faster causing more breakage, However, good quality hair (if taken care of properly) should last up to a year before you’d need to replace it.

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Which installation method is best for me?

At the Ruse salon we only provide the sewn in beaded weave method because, after trying every method available, we strongly feel that this method is the most cost effective and will result in the least amount of damage to your natural hair

What will my total cost be?

This will depend on how much hair you’d like to install and how many rows you would like. More rows provide a natural look because the hair is spread out and it is better for your natural hair because the weight of the extensions is distributed more evenly. We recommend a free consultation to determine what will work best for you. As a general guideline, most clients install 2 bundles of hair costing between $440 and $560 (depending on the length you choose) and install 3 rows at $70 per row.

You should be able to reuse your hair for up to a year and so your maintenance costs will be the tightening of your rows every 6 - 8 weeks (at $70/row). We do understand that can be a big investment and can offer an alternative, If at any point you’d like to stop getting them sewn in, we can do a final removal for $20 and turn your extensions into clip-ins for free!