Keratin bond extensions attach small strands of hair to your own with a keratin bond, one section at a time. Because every bond moves independently, a good set behaves like your own hair — you can tie it up, part it anywhere and forget it's there.
They're the most versatile method we offer and the one our extensions specialist is best known for. Here's how they actually work, without the sales pitch.
What a keratin bond is
A small section of extension hair is pre-tipped with keratin — the same protein your hair is made of. That tip is warmed until it's pliable, moulded around a section of your own hair close to the root, and left to set. The result is a bond roughly the size of a grain of rice.
There's no glue gun, no sewing and no metal. The bond is firm but flexible, which is why it sits flat and doesn't snag on a hairbrush the way a badly placed weft can.
Who they suit
Bonds work on more hair types than any other method, and that's their real advantage. They're often the right call when:
- You want genuine length, not just thickness. Bonds can be placed higher and denser than tape without showing.
- Your hair is layered or shorter. Tape needs a reasonably solid section to sandwich; bonds don't.
- You wear your hair up. Individual bonds disappear in a ponytail in a way a row of tape can't.
- Tape has shown through before — usually a sign the top section is finer than the set allowed for.
They need your own hair to be in reasonable condition, because each bond hangs off a small section. If your hair is mid-way through a repair, a good stylist will tell you to wait rather than take your money.
How long they last
The bonds themselves stay in for three to four months. After that they've grown down far enough that they start to show and tangle, and they need removing and replacing.
The hair is a separate question. Looked after properly, a good set of hair often survives a second fitting. Looked after badly — dry heat, no brushing routine, going to bed wet — it won't, and no amount of expensive hair will save it.
What the appointment involves
A full head takes around four hours. That breaks down roughly as:
- Colour match first. Extension hair is matched to your mid-lengths and ends, not your roots, and often blends two or three shades.
- Placement. Section by section, working up the head, keeping bonds off the hairline and away from anywhere you part.
- The cut. This is the step that separates extensions that look expensive from extensions that look applied, and it's the one most often skipped.
Removal
Always a salon job. The keratin is broken down with a solution until the bond crumbles, then it's combed out. Nothing is pulled. Done properly it takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on how many bonds, and your own hair comes out intact.
Picking bonds out at home is where almost every horror story starts.
The honest version
Extensions are a commitment. They need a brushing routine, the right shampoo, and a return visit every few months. If that doesn't fit your life, tape-ins or simply a good cut will make you happier. A stylist worth booking will say so at the consultation.
See the keratin bond menu or meet Jack, our extensions specialist. Consultations are complimentary.
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