Review: Great Lengths Hair Extensions at Larry King

For some strange reason my hair has never grown past a certain point below my shoulders (why damn it why?) and being a lover of long, thick swaying manes, I became particularly enamoured with hair extensions.

I’ve tried many hair extension techniques, technicians, and hair brands and can proudly boast to be somewhat of an expert after 17 years of “hair enhancing.”

Great Lengths are a brand I’ve grown to trust and used over the years, but for a while had tried other suppliers. I would always find that the hair extensions applied would look fabulous and feel silky smooth for a few weeks, but would often become dry, frizzy looking and difficult to manage.

Such disappointments led me back to my first hair extension love – Great Lengths, and after my recent experience I don’t think I will ever look back.

Great Lengths was established over 25 years ago and the professional 100% human and ethical extensions are available across the world in over 60 countries. Famed for their high quality extensions with a high end look and feel, Great Lengths boast a vast range of 80 shades – all expertly blended by hand, including 40 base shades, fashion colours, balayage and root stretch.

My brother’s ultra glam wedding in the Amalfi Coast was coming up earlier this summer as well as a plethora of glitzy, “look at my hair everybody” holidays, so my barnet needed to look photograph ready.

I made an appointment at the celeb-adored  hair salon, Larry King in South Kensington – hailed “London’s Hottest New Salon” by Tatler and “Number One Salon 2018” by Harpers Bazaar.

My ultra warm and welcoming hair extension technician was the lovely Vicky Demetriou, who instantly made me feel relaxed and excited for my glamorous new look.

I explained that I craved a much thicker and longer style which could be easily styled to look picture-perfect and bold – basically as much fabulous hair as Vicky could attach to my head.

Vicky used a technique called keratin bonding where strands of silky-soft Great Lengths extensions were carefully applied to my hair shafts.

Great Lengths extensions have a patented protein polymer bond which Vicky carefully applied to my hair using gentle heat. The bonds (aka the bit which sticks to your hair) are made from synthetic keratin mimicking the molecular structure of natural keratin found in human hair and skin. I also learned that they match the pH value of 5.5 to be compatible with your hair, scalp and skin.

I chose lengthly 22inch extensions so I could style and curl them without loosing much length – short curly hair just isn’t a good look for me.

After a relaxing hour and a half spent flicking through glossy magazines and sipping on hot herbal tea, Vicky had finished working her magic and the end result was captivating.

My lifeless old extensions had been removed and my mane was now a glossy, long and voluminous flock of shimmering dark tresses worthy of a Conde Nast photo shoot.

My love and I showing off our bountiful barnets in Ibiza – mine with a little help from Great Lengths
Straightened with ghds in the Amalfi Coast pre brother’s wedding

On a serious (and rather exciting) note, a journalist at Conde Nast actually spotted the photographs below of my brother and I on my Instagram and asked to feature it in one of their magazines. 

My brother and I on his glitzy Italian wedding day after curling my hair with bendy, sleep-in rollers

As I minced around at my brother’s wedding under the Italian sun I felt confident, happy and thrilled that I chose Great Lengths hair extensions and Vicky to apply them so faultlessly.

It’s now been 4 months since I’ve had my extensions put in and I can honestly say that they have aged almost like a fine wine. The quality of the hair is still superb, and the bonds have all stayed in place – who needs random stands of hair falling out in public?

Four months post application after curling with heated tongs

As the maximum duration of time to wear these extensions is 6 months, I think I will enjoy swishing them around town for the next couple of months before hasty booking myself another appointment with Vicky at Larry King to go through the whole merry experience all over again.

Because mediocre hair is so last season…

 

 

 

 

 

Mitra Msaad

Editor in Chief