Hair Extensions Specialists

Hair Extensions Specialists

Longer, fuller hair, done right.

A complete guide to every extension method, who each one suits and how to care for it, plus the salons to know in ten U.S. cities.

Client in the salon with long, waist-length blonde balayage extensions in soft waves, seen from behind

The approach

Great extensions are invisible.

Thicker, longer hair is possible for most people, and it looks remarkable when the method suits the hair it is attached to. The difference between a result nobody can detect and one that damages your own hair rarely comes down to the hair you buy. It comes down to the match between method and hair type, and the skill of the person applying it.

This is a resource for anyone considering extensions: every major attachment method explained plainly, who each one suits, what aftercare really involves, the trade-offs nobody puts in the brochure, and a directory of salons in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is written by the extension specialists at Patrick Evan Salon in Union Square.

Back of a head with hair sectioned up, showing a neat row of tiny keratin bonds placed along the nape
Bond placement, mid-application, by Patrick Evan Salon.
Close-up of fanned hair extension swatches in blonde, copper and rose tones

The match

Colour is custom. Texture is everything.

A seamless blend depends on three things: colour matched in natural light across root, mid-length and ends; a texture and wave pattern that mirror your own; and a density that your natural hair can actually carry. Specialists often mix two or three shades in one application so the extension hair moves the way real hair does.

Read the candidate guide

The Directory

Ten cities. The salons to know.

37.8° N

San Francisco

Union Square, home of Patrick Evan Salon.

 40.7° N

New York

SoHo, the Lower East Side, Brooklyn and beyond.

 25.8° N

Miami

Brickell, Edgewater, Coral Way and Pinecrest.

 34.1° N

Los Angeles

West Hollywood, Sunset and the Valley.

 41.9° N

Chicago

Gold Coast, Old Town and Andersonville.

 29.8° N

Houston

The Heights, Upper Kirby and the Galleria.

 33.5° N

Scottsdale

Old Town and Scottsdale Road.

 36.2° N

Las Vegas

Summerlin and the southwest valley.

 28.5° N

Orlando

Mills 50 and Thornton Park.

 47.6° N

Seattle

Queen Anne, West Seattle and the Eastside.

The key to a damage-free application lies in the details. There is no one-size-fits-all technique.

In the chair

The process, step by step

How each method attaches
Stylist holding a bundle of pre-bonded extension strands
Stylist placing a single strand extension close to the scalp
Extension tools laid out on a black tray: bond iron, clips and a bottle of oil
Finished result: long, glossy brown hair seen from behind in the salon
Before and after: brown hair at collarbone length lengthened to mid-back
Smiling client with long, straight brunette extensions after her appointment
Stylist sealing a bond with a heated tool near the client's crown

Resources

Before you book

CostWhat extensions costWhat drives the price, and the year-one budget. DamageDo extensions damage hair?The six causes, and safe removal. ThinningExtensions for thinning hairThe gentlest options. ColourThe perfect colour matchHow specialists blend shades. BridalBridal & event extensionsThe timeline to your date. GalleryBefore & afterResults from Patrick Evan Salon.

Length & Volume

Seven questions. One match.

Answer questions about your hair density, your goal, your routine and how much maintenance you want. The quiz weighs each of nine methods against your answers and explains why your match fits. Then take it to a consultation.

Take the quiz