Hair extensions are two costs, not one: the salon time to fit them, and the hair itself. Any quote that doesn't separate those two is hiding something.
People are often shocked by extension pricing, and usually it's because they were comparing a fitting fee against someone else's all-in number. Here's how it actually breaks down.
Part one: the salon time
This is the predictable half. It's the stylist's time to colour-match, place the extensions and cut them in, and it scales with how many pieces you're having and which method.
A small set of tape wefts is well under an hour. A full head of keratin bonds is around four hours. That range is why fitting costs vary so widely — you're buying hours, and a full head is a genuine half-day of skilled work.
Part two: the hair
This is the half nobody can quote over the phone, and the half that moves the total most. It depends on:
- Length. Longer hair costs disproportionately more, because the donor hair has to be longer to start with.
- Weight. Thick hair below the shoulders needs more grams to look natural, or it goes stringy at the ends.
- Colour. A single natural shade is cheaper than a blended blonde needing two or three shades mixed through.
- Quality. The difference between cheap hair and good hair shows in month three, not on day one.
Why quotes vary so much
Three salons can quote three very different numbers for what sounds like the same thing. Usually one of these explains it:
- One quote includes the hair and the others don't.
- One is for fewer pieces — "full head" isn't a standardised term.
- One includes the cut and blend, and one treats it as an extra.
- The hair grades genuinely differ.
Ask every salon the same three questions: how many pieces, is the hair included, and is the cut included. The numbers usually converge.
The ongoing cost
The fitting isn't the end of it, and this is where budgets get caught out.
Tape-ins need resetting every six to eight weeks. That's salon time, not new hair, so it's the smaller number — but it's recurring. Keratin bonds come out and go back in every three to four months.
Either way, plan for the maintenance before you commit to the fitting. Extensions you can't afford to maintain are worse than no extensions, because growing out a neglected set costs money too.
Where the money is well spent
If you're economising, do it on length rather than quality. A shorter set of good hair looks expensive. A long set of cheap hair looks cheap within weeks, tangles at the nape and can't be reused — so it costs more over a year, not less.
What to expect from a consultation
A proper consultation should end with a written quote split into salon time and hair, an honest read on whether your own hair is ready, and no pressure to book on the spot. Ours are complimentary and take about fifteen minutes.
See the keratin bond menu or meet Jack, our extensions specialist. Consultations are complimentary.
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