Hair extensions are popular with all ages and ethnicities, according to Michelle Allen, who sells extensions to customers from Scandinavia to Latin America through her company Nature Girl. "All ethnic groups are wearing them now," says Allen, who sells premium-quality hair that is customized for each client.
Last summer, Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue launched a line of color extensions for curly hair, to add highlights without the damage that color and bleach can cause. They last two to four months and enable people to get colors different from what they could get with their own hair.
"Every time you want to change your color or look, there is a risk of damage," says Christo. "With highlight extensions, there's no risk at all." And if you don't like the blonde streaks or the red highlights, you can take them out.
Clients come in for a consultation to match the texture of their hair. It takes about a week to get the extensions from a company in California that customizes the 100-percent-natural hair to each individual.
"I don't want people to know it's an extension," Christo says. "I want them to think it's their natural hair. It makes the client happy, and it makes us happy."
