Get Long Hair Today!

 By B. Lee Cash

Lindsay and Beyonce do it. Britney used to do it. Paris will always do it. It's long hair without the wait, and it's so hot. Extensions are a fabulous way to get long hair...fast. They're not super expensive, and can last anywhere from three to six months. So what are you waiting for...Your own hair to grow out? Save yourself two years and find out here how to get the look you want in a single afternoon.

A Lengthy Option
"Clients show up for a full head of fun, long, sexy hair, or they say I've been trying to grow my bangs out forever," says Desmond Miller, a stylist at Chess & Burman Salon in Century City, California, who has given extensions to Pamela Anderson, Britney Murphy and more. "With extensions, your bangs are instantly long. You can do whatever you want." Here, Miller explains the extensions options: glued, sewn, looped or clipped. See if anything here makes you want to go long.

Copper Bonds
"There's no heat and no glue, and you can reuse the hair so touch-ups and maintenance make this a more affordable choice," says Miller. Copper bonds are little tiny copper cylinders at the top of the hair extension. The stylist puts that on a threader, and the piece of your real hair is pulled through, then the stylist uses another tool to close it. Basically it locks onto the hair, like a pinch, about a quarter inch from the root.

Best hair types: Thicker hair; African-American; curly or coarse hair

Price: $100-$500

Salon time: Two to four hours

Lasts: Two to three months

Care: Regular shampoo and conditioning. Comb through daily starting at the tip and working your way up. Do not comb from the root or you could pull on the bonds.

Best looks: "Copper bonds are a fast way to add just a little extra length in the back," says Miller.

Protein Bonds
"Protein bonding is a fancy way of saying I'll be gluing the hair on," jokes Miller. To accomplish this, the stylist sections off your own hair, beginning in the back underside, and quarter-inch pieces are separated. The hair extension has a dab of glue on the end that the stylist heats up, then presses to your own hair section near the scalp, and holds until it has adhered to your hair. "We can take tiny pieces, too, which works for putting hair around the face and hairline," says Miller. 

Best hair types: All hair types; works for super fine hair

Price: $200-$1,200

Salon time: Four to seven hours

Lasts: Three to four months

Care: Regular shampoo and conditioning. Brush from root to tips with a good paddle brush.
 
Best looks: "This option is excellent when you want that sexy, great lengths, big celebrity glamour hair," says Miller.

Weaves
"Weaves are mostly done on African-American hair, and can be done on the whole head -- which is definitely old school -- or just underneath to add length," says Miller. A stylist cornrow braids your own hair from ear to ear on the back of the head and underneath your top layer. The extension hair comes in panels that are sewn directly onto the cornrow braid.  Then your own hair is layered over the top. 

Best hair types: Best for healthy, strong, or course hair

Price: $200-$800

Salon time: Two to six hours

Lasts: One month

Care: Gently wash angling the water in a downward direction. Comb through daily starting at the tip and working your way to the root.

Best looks: "Definitely more black girls get this," says Miller. "Weaved hair takes a strong head of hair -- I've seen bald patches come from it."

Clip-ons
"I just love the clip-ons because women can have the benefit of glamour hair without the price or commitment," says Miller, whose own line of clip-ons is called Sunset Hair Strips. Whatever you want to do -- highlights, add a huge ponytail, add volume -- you can get as a clip-on. There are barrettes, Velcro, toupee clips, elastics, and banana clips in all hair colors, types and cuts. 

Best hair types: all hair types

Price: $5-$200

Salon time: None

Lasts: One night

Care: Brush the hair like you would your own

Best looks: "If you just want some fun highlights, or you want to clip a bit of fuchsia or purple into a crazy up 'do, you can!" says Miller. Glamorous!