Hair Goddess of NY Hair Extensions: Why they’re different, better for your hair, and what to expect
When my mom said, don’t perm your hair and box dye it or it will fall out, I should have listened. My poor poor processed hair has been through it. At one point I dyed my hair unicorn colors with vivids. While I’m waiting for the collagen, vitamins, and supplements to rewind time I’m relying on The Hair Goddess hair extensions.
I’ve had hair extensions since college and have quite literally tried them all. From sewn in, micro beaded, tape-ins, clip-ins, keratin bonded, and the halo. So I decided to save you time and share everything you need to know about hair extensions.
The Olivia Christensen salon in NYC is where I get my Hair Goddess Hair Extensions, yes even from Atlanta. They’re that good. You might have heard of Christina, The Hair Goddess of NYC. She had a show on TLC and is the hair extension queen!
Hair Extensions 101
What quality hair should you use?
Remy- Remy hair is the finest quality human hair available on the market today. Remy Hair refers to human hair that retains the cuticle layer, the outermost part of the hair strand, flowing in the same direction, the way hair naturally grows. The delicate process which maintains the cuticle in hair wefts is the key advantage of Remy hair keeping it soft and silky, smooth and shiny, long-lasting, and tangle-free. Simply put, Remy Hair is gorgeous hair! We have selected the very best among the Remy hair choices. Our hair is the Rolls Royce of hair.
Different Types of Hair Extensions
To embrace the quality of The Hair Goddess extension system, you must first understand the basics of other systems as well. You might already have been a victim of one of these unpleasant systems.
- Microbead (aka I-Tip, I-Link)
- Wefts (sewn in, hand tied beaded)
- Fusion (aka Glue-In, Kera-Link)
- Flat-Tip (Hybrid)
- Clip-In (Ready-To-Wear, DIY)
- Halo (Ready-To-Wear, DIY)
Wefts
Wefts are either sewn into the hair by braiding a section of your own hair horizontally on your head and then sewing the hair extension weft into that braid or they can be attached by adding a row of beads horizontally on your head and then sewing the hair extension weft into those beads.
Sewing an entire weft of hair extensions can cause damage because it’s a lot of weight in the same section which pulls on your hair. Also the weight of the weft can cause the beads to slip down or the corners to unravel. If that happens you either have to clip in the section that is hanging down or take out the entire weft meaning you’d have no hair extensions in that section until you could get an apointment. Definitely not ideal.
If they do last, the hair extension will just grow down and you’ll get them moved up every 4-6 weeks.
The con from sew in or hand tied wefts is that an entire weft of hair is a lot of weight that is not evenly distributed into your hair so it pulls heavily on your own natural hair which can cause hair loss in those sections. It also looks the most unnatural in my opinion because it’s not evenly blended.
Bellami is a popular type of weft hair extensions. They are not my favorite because of the way they are sewn together. They have a “mustache”. Meaning the hair is folded over when it’s sewn so you can feel the ends of the hair, like a mustache, against your head. Ick. Some people love them, but it annoyed me every. single. day. I had to take them out.
Types of Wefts:
Machine tied- Machine weft extensions are a collection of hair sewn together by a machine. The wefts themselves are thicker and weigh a bit more. Machine wefts can be cut because of how they are made– making them more durable and sturdier.
Hand tied- The “hand tied” refers to the way that the hair extensions themselves are made. … Because the sewing machine would require the weft to be big enough to grip while sewing the hair to it, machine tied wefts are heavier and denser that hand tied wefts are.
Clip-Ins
Clip-in hair extensions are the DIY solution for easy length, volume, or color change-ups and require no commitment. Since you have to put them in every time you want to wear them, clip-ins require the most work.
Depending on how often you wear them, and how well you care for them, a good clip-in extension should remain usable for up to a year or longer.
Clip-ins come in 1-inch to 8-inch wefts. If you get a length of 24″ inches they can weigh up to 240 Grams. That is a lot of weight pulling on certain sections of your hair. Since the weight is not divided out equally it can cause damage to your hair. Plus, the hair extensions are usually clipped into the same section of hair which can cause damage.
Clip-ins are also temporary and I’m all about saving time. I barely want to do my hair once a week so putting extensions in every day is a no for me. What if one falls out at dinner? No thanks.
However, if you’re new to the idea of hair extensions and just want to test out what you’d look like with longer hair, clip-ins might be a good starting place. I’m not great at applying lash strips and the same goes for clip-ins. I just couldn’t get the hang of it. My hair is pretty thin as well so they never stayed in well.
Halo
The halo hair extension is a newer type of hair extension that does not attach to your own hair. Instead, it makes use of your head’s natural shape and sits comfortably on your head like a crown with a hidden wire. However, your own natural hair will sit on top of the halo firmly holding it in place.
It’s not recommended to sleep or swim in as this is a temporary and daily removable hair extension solution.
Tape-In Hair Extensions
Tape-in extensions are shorter 1-2″ wefts, rather than individual strands, that use an adhesive tape to attach the extensions to the head. They’re typically preferred for their shorter installation time and flat, seamless appearance (when installed properly).
Definitely not my favorite as they are more visible, in my opinion. Imagine little 2″ pieces of tape showing throughout your hair. It’s a no from me. They are not heat resistant and they don’t offer 360 degree movement.
Fusion Hair Extensions
Fusion (otherwise known as glue-in or Keratin bonded) extensions use small keratin bonds that are melted, shaped, and reformed around the hair to create a sturdy, long-lasting connection.
While they are harder to remove, they require less overall maintenance than other methods. As with the other methods, maintenance is required every six to eight weeks as your hair grows.
Again, not my favorite. Mine got extremely tangled and had to be cut out at the salon. Yikes! I steer clear of any type of bond or glue around my hair now.
Microbeaded Hair Extensions
Microbeaded Hair Extensions otherwise known as I-Tip or I-Link, microbead extensions use tiny beads to attach extensions to the natural hair. The beads are then crimped down to hold the hair in place after the bead is threaded on to the hair near the scalp area. Microbead extensions require consistent touch ups, but can last anywhere from three to six months depending on the extension quality and care routine.
This is the closest method to The Hair Goddess Extensions as her extensions are microbeaded onto your hair. These provide 360 movement, are not visible, can be used on thin or thick hair, and my all time favorite. They are the safest and most gentle on your hair and don’t cause damage.
It’s a one to one ratio much like lash extensions so the weight of the hair is distributed evenly. If one happens to fall out you save it to be reinstalled but in the meantime the rest of your hair still looks amazing.
Hair Goddess of NY Extensions
About the Hair Goddess
Christina has been a licensed cosmetologist for over six years. She started as an apprentice at a large salon in New York, and through the years has developed her own extension method. Olivia Christensen Salon is the ultimate female-owned small business success story. When she was 18, she started her hair extension business out of her parent’s garage, and more than a decade later, she now owns two successful New York salons.
Christina specializes in working with cancer patients and is honored to change their lives. Christina has changed women’s outlook on themselves as she helps build their self-esteem, confidence, and self-image. These qualities enable women to feel empowered at work, school, taking care of their families, and everyday life.
If you have been researching extensions, you have found the method that will absolutely be life-changing. It’s the main reason I fly from Atlanta to NYC just for hair extensions. She is THAT good. She’s 1000% increased my confidence because I feel like a glam goddess with her extensions.
Christina works with all hair types and textures from Caucasian (baby fine) to African American hair. Christina listens to her clients and works to make her clients have the hair they’ve always longed for.
The Hair Goddess Difference
The method.
Christina’s method is like no other. The Hair Goddess method is the best and healthiest for your hair because much like eyelash extensions each extension is beaded to a small section of your own hair without heat, glue, or sewing large sections into your hair. Meaning, the weight is much less so it won’t pull out or damage your own hair. I cannot stress how important this is. When you get hair extensions, the goal should always be to preserve your natural hair, let it grow, and keep it healthy.
What sets the Hair Goddess Of NY aside from other hair salons & stylists? At Hair Goddess Of NY, there are many different hair textures for all different individuals; Polish, Russian, Italian, Indian, Greek, Spanish, and other ethnicities. You will not receive this option from anyone, other than Christina at the Olivia Christensen salon.
***She honors all of her clients’ privacy, including models, actresses, & socialites, and will not advertise who she works on. To find out more about her system of undetectable virgin hair extensions visit www.hairgoddessofny.com
The Experience at Hair Goddess of NY
Christina has been doing my extensions for over a year and she’s not only insanely talented, but she’s also one of the most genuine, nicest, hard-working people I know. I usually order a salad and a glass of wine and just enjoy catching up with her and the team every time I go in. They feel like family.
You know how some salons are pretentious and make you feel self conscious and uncomfortable? This is not that. Despite how beautiful and talented everyone at the salon is, they make you feel right at home. Christina even has a private room if needed.
If you live in the NY or NJ area, make an appointment with her and the incredible Sandra, who has miraculously managed to fix the brassiness in my hair. She’s magic with color. Shoot, even if you don’t, fly in. It’s worth it. I remember Christina telling me her farthest customer flies in from Dubai for hair extensions. I was like, yeah…makes sense. (Alexa, play Ain’t no mountain high)
Hair Goddess of NY Extensions
Hair Goddess Of NY offers full cuticle custom imported hair extensions. Matched to your natural hair identically. Christina literally just eyeballed my hair color through a photo and was able to match the extensions to my natural hair perfectly. The blend was insane. She’s crazy talented. Her method is safely applied without glue, adhesives, or tension. They are undetectable and the hair is reusable for years. I would definitely say my hair got a glow up and was naturally enhanced.
Quality
The Hair Goddess system of virgin European hair extensions begins with 100% human hair imported from select regions of Europe and Russia. Through tons of leg work and research, Christina teamed up with an insider, and was able to secure through the U.S. government, the only independent importers of REAL virgin human hair. All other salons and individuals simply say “I have the best hair.” They simply repeat what their enormous supplier tells them. She is in contract with several now and am able to truly offer full cuticle human hair extensions. Christina uses Greek, Spanish, French and Italian hair extensions from Western Europe. From Eastern Europe, she uses Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, and hair from Ukraine. The textures she offers are straight, slight wavy, body wave, a natural wave, loose curl and curly hair extensions. Only a trained eye, like Christina’s, would be able to know which origins offers exact matching curls to the clients own.
Seamless placement
It is highly unlikely to apply hair extensions in the same place on every head, expecting the outcome to be a success. Every client is different and unique in their own way, with every head being so different, the placement MUST vary accordingly. Each individual’s hair grows in different directions, making it so important to apply these hair extensions properly.
Superior attachment
The Hair Goddess method uses tiny cylinder “links” to hold the hair in place. Cylinder is a safe choice because it allows the versatility of being able to still color your roots and style as usual. The links are colored with over 40 shades to be able to match the exact color of the clients root hair. There are also a variety of sizes to meet the texture needs of the client as well.
Christina’s method is definitely not a one size fits all. She has custom hair, custom lenghts, and a custom application for everyone. It makes you feel so special to know everything was done for you.
Commitment
I’ve never seen any other stylist work with the care and effort that Christina does. Her primary concern and goal is not about making a sale, but satisfying her clients needs as well as changing their lives.
How is the application done?
Human Hair extensions are attached to small sections of your own natural hair at the root. Your hair is strung through a tiny cylinder coil (which will match to the color of your root) and the human hair extension strand is inserted, then gently and securely clamped. Your own hair lies over the attached extensions invisibly. They are so undetectable in each clients hair because she takes extreme care to match each individual’s head with an exact texture and placement. This is a safe, quick, and comfortable technique that does not use any chemicals, glue, polymers, sewing, heat, or damage to your natural hair.
Are they obvious or visible?
The picture above is me, wearing a full head of virgin human hair extensions from The Hair Goddess. Nobody believes they are hair extensions until I deliberately show them. Your extensions will be totally undetectable and Christina will be able to create an exact match to your own hair.
The hair extensions are always attached behind the hairline and away from your natural parting. They will feel like your own hair, look like your own hair, and you may even forget that you are even wearing them. I know I do!
I travel… a lot. What I’m most impressed with is how well they do at the beach. When my hair gets wet, they dry with the prettiest natural wave. I almost never have to do my hair on vacation and I love it!
How do I care for my hair extensions?
One of the great aspects of this system is you will be able to care for your hair extensions as you choose. This hair can be bleached colored, and permed as normal. Hot tools are no danger. You can even touch-up your color or relaxed roots while wearing these real human hair extensions.
You don’t need to change your lifestyle. You will still be able to be active and engage in all your normal actives; like swimming, exercising, and dancing without worrying about damaging your new hair. These human hair extensions are easy to care for and most importantly, comfortable to wear. Remember, these full cuticle human hair extensions are in as pure a state as is possible for hair to be.
I was amazed when I learned this from Christina because when I had other luxury hair extensions in the hair stylist at the salon refused to color them because she said they would literally melt off. I was also told not to use hot tools on them. So the fact that you can treat The Hair Goddess hair extensions like your normal hair speaks volumes. That’s how good the quality is.
Will the extensions hair match my natural hair?
Matches are rarely an issue. Every individual receives a custom order. She specializes in importing the exact texture and color needed. Christina imports from various origins depending on the texture of your hair. She is in contract with several small independent importers from different countries around the world. See “QUALITY” for further information.
How long does my hair have to be to get extensions?
Christina recommends that your natural hair be at least 2-3 inches long to cover the tiny cylinder coils. However during a consultation they will see if your desires and needs exempt you from this. She’s done hair extensions on hair as short as 2 inches.
How much do Hair Goddess extensions cost?
First and foremost, the total cost is derived from the purchase of the hair and the fee to design and apply these custom human hair extensions. The hair is reusable FOREVER with proper maintenance and care. The root tips are encapsulated with a protective shield that will not crack or shed, allowing the hair to be reused over and over again. As a matter of fact, you can remove them at any time and change your look with a fun, short style, and come back to me down the line to re-install them!
Let’s talk about what you’re purchasing:
- You are buying 100% custom imported virgin hair, with an intact cuticle, guaranteeing tangle free.
- The purity of the hair allows you to reuse it for a lifetime. It is HUMAN hair. You will not have to keep buying new “bundles”. My hair extensions are basically pure ponytails cut directly from the donor’s head.
- The price quoted at your consulation will be determined by the natural texture, country of origin, custom color, length of your own hair, length of desired hair, and the amount needed to receive your ideal style.
- They do not harm your hair with ANY type of chemical when applying your extensions.
The initial fee may sound like more than it really is. Keep in mind they are reusable human hair extensions. NO OTHER strand-by-strand method offers this high quality. Most will charge you anywhere from $1,200 to $2,000 EVERY time they need maintenance! They actually CANNOT even maintenance them because the hair is not reusable! You will have to keep buying new “bundles” of hair. Other “reusable” hair extensions will last about one year. Why pay the same amount as those and get so much lower equality?
Now the numbers
- Extensions for volume ranges from $600 to $1500
- To change your length at all, the price begins at $1,500
- The price is based solely on your desires and needs
I don’t doubt that you will love the versatility. Look into the other stylists available. Do research. Ask a lot of questions! Learn for yourself, the difference of The Hair Goddess virgin hair extensions is major.
To order hair, Christina requires a deposit of about $700 for length, less for just volume. Once she places the order, the hair will arrive in about a week. They call to let you know it has arrived and then you can schedule a time to apply it. When you come for the application process you will bring your remaining balance with you
What about maintenance?
You will be able to go up to 8 weeks before needing any scheduled upkeep. After that time, you will go in for maintenance.
At your maintenance:
They open the coil, slide out the extension hair, and comb through the new growth and get rid of the normal shed hair that has been locked in (including the estimated 100 hairs we lose each day), rethread a new coil, reinsert the extension hair and close the coils.
The maintenance process is pretty simple if you come to back within 8 weeks. After that time frame, there is usually a lot of new growth with tangling at the root. While this is not always a dangerous problem, it is very time-consuming to comb out, and the fee increases. In other words, the sooner you come back for maintenance, the quicker, easier, and less costly to manage.
Hair Goddess of NY Locations
Staten Island
115 3rd St, Staten Island, NY 10306
Manhattan
321 E 48th Street, New York, NY 10017
Contact Info
646.726.499
Instagram:
Olivia Christensen (salon): @oliviachristensensalonnyc
Hair Goddess (extensions): @hairgoddessofny
Sandra (color): @oc_sandra
