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10 | AUGUST 2008 | CALIFORNIA STYLIST & SALON
The Bene ts and Challenges of Hair Enhancement
Blue Highways
Jerry Tyler
Hair enhancement is one of the fastest
growing segments of the beauty industry.
It’s important to be aware of the challenges
that come with the major benefits and sudden
demand which affects both our clients and our
fellow licensees.
Most of these issues are already prevalent in
parts of the nation; therefore, several states are
already dealing with these issues proactively to
protect the integrity and professionalism in this
segment of the beauty industry.
The financial rewards offered by hair
enhancement can be truly amazing. Many hair
enhancement technicians charge upward of
$100 per hour for their services. A full-head
weave can command from $300 to $2,000.
Individual strands can cost up to $10 per strand,
with 100-300 strands per full head. But with
this source of financial potential comes responsibility—both
toward the client and for our
profession as a whole.
The expansion “hair enhancement” falls
into three categories based on the method of
attachment. They are multiple strand placement,
individual strand and non-surgical hair replacement.
Multiple strand placement involves the
placement of a hair weft attached by a sewn in
(weave) method, multiple track micro link or
latex bond. The advantage of this method is the
lateral anchoring of the hair weft, which creates
a durable secure bond that holds up to styling.
Individual strand placement involves the
placement of individual pre-bonded keratin
strands of various dimensions and lengths.
Methods of attachment are individual micro
link (no heat), fusion method (heat with purging
iron) and thermal adhesion (melted keratin
and gun method).
The advantage of individual strand placement
is that it is more natural and is easier to
blend with the natural hair. Attachment of multicolor
strands allows the effect of highlighting
without the use of hair color.
With over 40 percent of the adult population
experiencing some form of hair loss, either
due to medical issues or part of the normal
aging process, the demand for non-surgical hair
replacement is at all time high. Most HMOs
and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)
now pay for hair replacement as part of their
benefits for cancer and other patients who experience
hair loss as part of treatment.
The most prevalent forms of hair replacement
are lace front units for woman and
custom full or partial hairpieces for men. The
fabrication of these pieces requires specific
training and the results, due to advances in technology,
allow for maximum comfort, durability
and a realistic look that is hard to detect.
With the elevated demand for these services
has come an ever-increasing demand for human
hair. The demand is so great the average price
for human hair has risen 30 percent in the last
few months.
In the last two years, the amount of raw hair
purchased for export from India to China went
from $51 million to $250 million. Of that hair,
80 percent went to the U.S. market.
In China, where much of the hair is processed,
a large portion of the supply has been
diverted to create amino acids for food supplements,
therefore adding to the shortage of hair
available for enhancements—driving global
prices upward. Unfortunately, while these
prices are going up quality is going down.
With such a high demand, the current
shortage and with no real controlling authority,
some of the hair sold as human hair is mixed
with synthetics or even animal hair. Since most
of these suppliers carry an “all sales are final”
policy, consumers have no recourse or assurance
of quality.
When in the ethnic market, a high percentage
of all hair sales are made directly to the
client, who then has their hair professional use
them as part of their hair extension service. As
most synthetic fibers are only heat resistant to
200 degrees, imagine the unsuspecting client
who applies a thermal hot iron at 350 degrees to
what she thought was human hair. Or imagine
the customer with animal allergies who just
had animal hair attached to her head, which she
though was 100 percent human hair. These are
real issues of consumer concern.
The solution to the above issue is simple.
All hair sold should have a truth in advertising
claim based on the material safety data sheet
supplied by the importer, stating the nature
of the hair as a certain percentage of human,
synthetic or other hair. This way the consumer
or licensee purchasing it for attachment knows
what they are getting. The sheet should also
state the point of origin. In the area of business
ethics, a truth in advertising protocol in the sale
of hair should be within the scope of regulation.
The various methods of hair enhancement
offer untold creative and technical advantages.
This true both financially and in offering new
and creative services—but only if we address
the challenges that come with the territory.
If we assure we use safe techniques that
have long lasting results, we can enhance our
services without compromising the integrity of
the industry we have worked so hard to protect.
Jerry Tyler has been a stylist since 1975 serving as the former artistic director for
Vidal Sassoon Academy and currently as Director of Education for Carlton Hair
salons. He is also a licensed cosmetology instructor and has served as President of
the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.