Hair Extensions Consultation Checklist For Stylists

• Book A 15 Minute Consultation: An in-depth consultation typically lasts around 15-30 minutes, allocating enough time to thoroughly provide proper advice to the client sitting in your chair. You can offer these consultations free of charge, which we’ve seen with newer extension stylists to help get people in the chair. However, we suggest booking consultation appointments for $40 and offering that deposit to be applicable to the price of hair if the client proceeds with the extension process. That way if the client decides to not proceed with the service you don’t waste too much of your time that could’ve been utilized for paying clients.

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• Consultation Form: Extensions are a large investment for your client, so it's important to make sure they know exactly what they're signing up for. It's also really important for you to ask the right questions to make sure you are meeting your clients expectations. We've created a consultation form to make sure you're covering some of the most important questions and to keep them on record. Download our Consultation Form free of charge here.

• Hair History: Almost everyone you come across will be a candidate for at least one of the Sierra & Sage Methods. Regardless, it is critical to discuss color history, extension history, and their daily hair routine because there are a few cases a client may not be a good candidate for not only our method, but extensions in general! Are they a daily washer? Do they have extremely fine, thin or brittle hair? Do they have very thick hair above the shoulders? Have they experienced recent hair loss due to a medical condition or recent surgery? It’s important to use your best professional judgment and consider their hair health during the consultation. Other questions you may ask include: Have they had extensions before? If yes, which type and what did they like and not like about them?

• Hair Goals: There are a multitude of reasons and benefits for getting hair extensions. Are your clients looking to add thickness, add length or both? Are they looking to add color with their extensions without having to actually color their natural hair? Ask your client to bring inspiration photos and be sure to ask them what they like about their current hair and what they are looking to change. Understanding their goals helps set you up for success and potentially inspires them to refer new extension clients since you’ve assisted in boosting their confidence and enhancing their natural beauty.

• Review Maintenance Required: Extensions can be a huge investment for some of our clients with an even bigger expectation that their investment will have substantial longevity. During the consultation it’s important to discuss the maintenance required, such as move-ups and professional treatments, and the products needed, including using only professional products like heat protectant and moisturizing hair masques. Sierra & Sage Extensions offers a Wholesale Program which allows you to purchase our Friends With Benefits Extension Care Kit with a 40% discount, allowing you to sell our products to your clients, instead of them buying from us! The last thing you should want as a stylist is to send your client home without the information they need to care for their extensions, leading them to damaged hair, discomfort or disappointment. Sierra & Sage Extensions can last anywhere between 9-12 months with the proper home care and maintenance schedule but we must inform our clients the steps to caring for them through continued education. Each pack of our hair extensions comes with a Hair Care Instructions printout, but we also offer a free downloadable copy that you can print for your clients found here.

• Beauty Budget: Each client that sits in your chair will have a different budget for their extension services. Some guests will come for an extension consultation only to find that most, if not all, extension services are completely out of their budget. Avoid adjusting your pricing to meet their beauty budget, but instead offer a service that will help accomplish at least some of their goals. For example, if your client was looking for a more permanent extension method, such as hand-tied extensions, to add length but cannot afford the maintenance required for beaded weft extensions, offer a less permanent method like clip-in extensions to help them achieve the length they desire without having to commit to a more rigorous and pricey maintenance schedule.

• Determine A Game Plan: Now that you understand your clients hair history, goals, and budget it’s time to craft your game plan and simply execute it! Consider the client's budget and hair goals when determining a game plan for their extension type, method, and additional extension services. In these final consultation steps you should begin determining the best suited method, color matched shade, and discussing optimal length. We suggest keeping a Sierra & Sage Color Ring on hand and using at least two colors for the best blend. If the client has thinner hair, less density around the face, a more see-through look or they have a finer texture, then the Thin/Fine Method would be perfect for them! The Medium/Thick Method is perfect for stronger hair, with more density or coarser texture. The Seamless Method can be used on all hair types as it has similar reinforcement to the thin/fine method. We don’t always recommend the Seamless Method for our extreme thin/fine clients as you will generally need to use more wefts with this method, which can sometimes be too heavy for those hair types.

• Deposit & Waiver: When offering extensions, we find it essential to take a deposit for your services during the consultation to cover the costs of the hair. Requiring a deposit minimizes the high-risk of you paying for the hair out of pocket and that client either no-showing the appointment or overall canceling. Regardless, at Sierra & Sage we take all returns as long as the product or hair is unused and in its original packaging. Due to the price point and unpredictable nature of hair extensions, we recommend having your client sign a waiver prior to their service. This helps ensure your client is aware of any price points of the services. We’ve also created this waiver for you to download free of charge here.

The art of installing hand tied extensions is exactly that, an art! And as every artist needs a specific set of tools and materials to work with, so does the hand tied extension artist. There is a specific lineup of tools that a stylist needs to perform a successful extension install. 

It has been said that you are only as good as the tools you work with. In this article you will learn which tools are necessary for a flawless hand tied extension install.

Hand tied hair extensions

Hand tied hair extensions are thin wefts that average about 11 inches wide. They are quite literally “made by hand” and are not machine made. They usually range from 14-24” although you can special order longer lengths from some brands. 

Extension pliers

This is the type of plier you will use to clamp or secure your beaded foundation. These pliers should fit comfortably in your hand and be easy to clamp. The finer the tip, the more control you will have over your bead placement.

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Bead opener

This plier will be used to open the beads when it is time for a reinstall. Once you use this tool to open the bead, you can slide it out easily and comb the natural hair shed out of the bead.  

Crush bead opener

This is a specific kind of tool every hand tied extension artist should have in their toolset. It is only to be used in instances where the bead has been crushed and cannot be opened with the bead opener.

Silicone-lined beads

The safest type of bead to use in a track is a silicone-lined one. It gives protection to the hair by adding a cushion inside the bead. It helps the bead to not slip down the hair shaft as well. Silicone beads come in various sizes and each installation method prefers a specific diameter size. 

Weaving needles

You will need a curved needle to install hand tied extensions. They come in various sizes and you can use whatever feels best in your hands. Those with larger hands will find that a larger needle is easier to work with.

Weft clips

Wefts clips are an integral part of your tool kit when installing hand tied extensions. These small 1.5” clips are perfect for securing your wefts to your foundation before you begin to sew. 

Flyaway grips

Flyaway grips keep your hand tied extension installation clean and precise by keeping your track free of stray hairs. Your flyaway grips will allow you to work quickly without stopping to clean up your sectioning. 

Extension removal scissors

You will need a small pair of scissors specifically to aid in the hair extension removal process. The scissor tips need to be small enough that they can snip the thread within the track.

Thread 

There is a specific weaving thread you should use when sewing hand tied extensions. You can use cotton or nylon thread depending on the method you use to install the extensions. You should choose a color that best matches the root of the hand tied hair.

Wire bead threader

You will load your beads onto a wire bead threader. You can use one with a wood handle or a metal handle, it is personal preference as to what you can use. 

Weave comb

You will need a weave comb to section out your foundation and keep your sectioning clean and precise.

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