The Great Lengths at AllDolledUp Cork

May saw me start a transformation . I had the ugliest April of my life and while I loved my colour and cut I couldn’t make it grow any faster.I tried supplements, scalp exfoliation and not cutting it.  Like many women my age I want to look younger and long shiny hair emulates youth for me. Not one to rush into anything I have tried clip in hair pieces and extensions and loved the look it gave but was always concerned about the visibility and to be honest always found them to be warm, which with summer approaching wasn’t ideal.   So I looked into the mirror and thought is 37 a bit long in the tooth for long hair?

I had another concern too. Psoriasis. For anyone unfamiliar with this condition it affects your scalp. The scalp is one of the most common sites to be affected by psoriasis, and sometimes it is the only area of involvement. It usually extends to, or just beyond the hairline and commonly occurs behind the ears. Scalp psoriasis may appear in the form of red, raised plaques covered in fine white flakes (similar to dandruff), or the scale may become thickened, with an appearance like cradle cap. Yeah I am a crock. Rest assured it doesn’t impact your Psoriasis one bit, anyone using oils on the scalp isn’t suitable though.

Another concern would it take up my life trying to style the hair? Would it ruin he hair I had? and would it look fake? Would their be endless maintenance? Would I want to rip the weave out of my head after two weeks? Was I having a mid life crisis? Probably but if I was having one I was going to look my best while I was.

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If I was having a MLC I found myself sitting in All Dolled up in Ballincollig two weeks ago today and awaiting #TransformationTuesday. There were three people having them done while I was there and all three of us were blondes.Stephen was the hair maestro of the day and he is so passionate about hair and especially great lengths . The vibe is the salon is cheery and positive and Tuesdays are normally dedicated to education and Stephen is the great lengths educator in the salon so I really was in the safest of hands.  I had been out to the salon for a colour match previously as the hair is ordered to each client.I hadn’t ever had my colour done in the salon but that doesn’t matter. The colour of the Great Lengths comes in all shades so it will always blend seamlessly into your hair.   I saw the hair and thought there is no way all of that is going to fit on my head. There were about 100 individual pieces. As you can see from above photos my hair is fine but healthy enough and mid length. A few ( 4 ish) hours later and the pieces were in. Great Lengths are ethically sourced individually bonded extensions that give a fuller, longer more sensual appearance to the hair.The ethical sourcing of the hair is quite important to me. The older I get the more my conscience screams about doing things the right way. You can have varying lengths and are priced accordingly. I got 100 pieces of the length 30. You also get a special brush which is super soft and actually surprisingly good for blow drying. I have always used a paddle brush when blow drying my hair anyway so it wasn’t a big adjustment. The pics below are when I had them done and the day after where I just brushed out the hair and applied a bit of pink lippy.

So they have not in any way affected my Psoriasis. They also haven’t taken up my life trying to style them. The first 24 hours I spent admiring them in shiny surfaces which included spoons, mirrors and Snapchat.So one of the styles I like is when i just plait the hair at night and then take the plaits out. You can see that here. It is easy to do and they brush out well.

Then there is the wanded look. This is done with a Babyliss pro wand. I think this look is kind of the most me of them all. I find wands easy to use and although they can be a burning hazard if you aren’t careful I feel the give the most glam look.

Caring for them is similar to caring for your own hair except that you use  sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. I am using Blonde Angel Shampoo and conditioner by Kevin Murphy and I am washing hair twice per week, using dry shampoo between washing. Even my roots don’t seem that bad with them. Having said that you can colour your hair as normal on a half head basis while they are in.You need to dry the bonds always even if you are allowing he hair to dry naturally. I guess daily it has added around seven minutes to my regular hair styling routine. It takes about 4 minutes longer to dry them. All very technical but these are the questions I have had via social media most.Invest in a couple of shower caps and a hairnet. The shower cap for the shower and the hairnet for when you are tanning or applying body lotion. The hairnet gives loose control if you’ve styled your hair already. I also got some Invisibobbles for the snag free tying up of the hair for running. Those are probably tips for all hair types really. I also use a shower cap while I’m cooking so my hair stays smelling fresh. It’s handier than getting cooking smells ok your hair. This is a tip I’d always have had but more so with the longer hair.

Here are the details of AllDolledUp where I got the Great Lengths.The salon is fantastic, there is a lovely bright airy and most importantly friendly atmosphere there. Parking is ample nearby and there can be wait time for appointments. Prices vary depending on length and amount of hair.

http://www.alldolledup.eu/

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