Hair extensions + salt water = baldness

We are back from Jamaica and I came home with a very important lesson in hand. Learned the hard (and expensive) way, but learned nonetheless.

Hair extensions and salt water don't mix.

You see, I have been unsuccessfully trying to grow my hair out over the last year, but every time it got to that in-between stage (you know, the one where it no longer holds your style, but is not long enough to do anything with), I would go back in and cut it all off. So, I thought – why not try hair extensions. I had done this years ago and absolutely loved it, and it would be the perfect way to get through the next couple of hair growing grueling months.

So I did my research and found Pivocal in Sunnyvale – the website was ranked number one in the Bay Area and she seemed to have done quite a few applications so I set my appointment, bought my hair and spent hours in her chair trying to get the glam look. Well, the first try was unsuccessful. The hair she sold me became crunchy (yes, crunchy) within a week and felt fake, so we had to take it out and start all over again. Of course, her website states there are ‘no guarantees’ on the hair or the application, so I had to cough up more dough for a new batch of hair. This time though, we went with the high-end stuff (Russian virgin – I know, sounds silly, right?). But boy oh boy – does it look and feel good.

So off to Jamaica Chris and I go with my glam hair flowing in the wind. Then it happens. The second day we are there we had spent most of the time swimming in the ocean. We came in to shower for dinner and I end up with five extension stands entwined in my fingers as I am shampooing my nogin. Hmmm…that doesn’t seem right. Oh well, let’s just put those in my bag and we will deal with it when I get home. Day three – another two stands. Day four – I am swimming in the pool with my buddy Jen when she comes over to me with an extension strand in her hand. She said it had looked like a little water snake floating near the top. Now that is embarrassing. Day five – another two…and so on. By the end of the trip, I have lost 24 strands and have to keep my hair in a ponytail as I am almost ‘bald’.

So I am pissed. The extensions were supposed to last 2-3 months and it hadn’t even been 30 days. Of course, Pivocal will glue me back together – but for a fee. After all I have paid her to still not have the look I wanted, this seems wrong to me. When I asked her why I lost so much – she mentioned the salt water may not have been good for my extensions. Gee – you think? I had spent 14 hours in her chair between the two previous installations and mentioned on more than one occasion I was headed to Jamaica – she couldn’t have warned me about the possible hair loss before I set foot on the plane? Knowing this, I would have waited to do the application until after our trip. But no. Not a word from her beforehand. Only ‘pay me more and I will fix it’.

So I am done with Pivocal. She has a huge chunk of my money and I am left an unhappy customer. I am intentionally not linking to her as I do not wish to boost up her ranking any more – I merely give her company name to hopefully forewarn others out there not to use her services.

I am now debating whether or not to have them redone or pulled out completely and just suffer through the growing out stage naturally. I have found a really swell guy here in San Francisco (Damian at Hair Play) who did the extensions for a friend of mine and they look fabulous. So if I am going to redo them, Damian is my man. It only comes down to whether or not I can swallow the cost again as this is not an inexpensive process.

Guess it is time to buy a lotto ticket.

P.S. I have pictures of the clump of hair I lost and will post it later. I am sure you are dying to see it. :)