As soon as I got engaged - I had visions of my big day. The dress, the venue, the flowers, the cake, the dress - and, of course, the hair. I have to confess, the latter made me feel a bit nervous. For as long as I can remember; I've had thin hair. I mean - there's quite a lot of it - buts it's thin all the same. And let's not even go there with my ridiculously wispy ends. The thought of having limp, lifeless hair in my wedding pictures was not something that I wanted, so I decided I needed some help in that department - and opted to fake it and get Tape hair extensions. I headed to Great Lengths - the hair brand have an incredible reputation as an entirely extensions-only company who fit the flowing locks of Caroline Flack and Demi Lovato - so I knew I would be in good hands.
My hair looked so thick and healthy on my wedding day
Vicky Demetriou - award-winning extensionist for the brand - fitted my extensions after giving me a first-rate consultation. I didn't want Rapunzel-long hair, but just added thickness that would look as natural as possible in my wedding pictures. Vicky understood that I wanted people to think my wedding hair was all mine. "Always have the full consultation with the end look in mind," Vicky advised. "Your extensionist needs to know as it’s all about the placement of the hair. This way when it comes to your wedding morning, your hair will sit in position without any of the attachments on show."
The before and after shots speak for themselves - what a difference!
GL Tape Extensions are one of the safest methods you can use - not only are they virtually undetectable in the hair and comfortable to wear, but the tape lies flat against your head and is fitted a few centimetres from the root, meaning your locks will feel comfortable and look completely natural. Result!
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The application process took just under an hour and my hair looked luscious, thick and dare I say it - wedding ready. Vicky explained: "Extensions are a great way to add that wow to your wedding day hair. For more permanent methods it’s always a great idea to have the hair attached around two weeks before, this gives you the time you need to grow into your new hair and make any adjustments needed."
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On the big day, my hairdresser knew just what to do and how to work with my new glossy head of hair. "Most stylists are totally used to working with extensions, especially on wedding hair," Vicky explained. "The most important rule with any extra hair is the simplest, 'do not pull' so metal brushes tend to be a better brush to blow dry your hair with."
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I couldn't have been happier with the result - I had my hair in a half-up, half-down style and my hair was curled to perfection. My stylist even pinned my curls up in separate sections and no-one could believe I had a helping hand. I felt confident and what's more, I didn't even need to brush it throughout the day - it felt so wonderfully thick and it just stayed in place.
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Best of all, they even lasted for my honeymoon. I had visions of them falling out while I was on the beach, but I couldn't have been more wrong, they stayed intact the whole time. "If you go for a more permanent extension and of course providing your vacation isn’t in nine months time, extensions are your number one accessory on your honeymoon!" Vicky said. "If you are lucky enough to find yourself in a hot country, make sure you use protective conditioner as you would on your own hair and thoroughly rinse out that saltwater."
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So how long did they last for? Well, six weeks later, they were gently removed in the salon and my hair returned to the way it was before - no damage at all.