Article - Connections for Hair salon

Create a New Style at Connections for Hair
by Ashley Puderbaugh
Women's Edition magazine

Look at any fashion or celebrity magazine, and you can expect to see one thing in common with the majority of celebrities: Long hair is definitely in. So what do you do if you don’t have long hair but really want that look? At a growth rate of an average one-half inch per month, it would take nearly two years to get the look you are craving. Instead, you can achieve the cascading-hair look in just a few hours with extensions.

“Getting extensions is the cheapest way that you can completely change your whole look without plastic surgery,” says Jessica Palmisano, color specialist at Connections for Hair in Lenexa. “They can be life-changing and boost your confidence.” Bobbysue York, a hair extensions specialist, says extensions are also a great way to fix damaged hair. “We have clients who say their hair has never been more beautiful because the real hair underneath the extensions gets time to become healthier.”

Connections for Hair offers three types of extension methods, Bobbysue explains: the original fusion, a strand-by-strand technique similar to the Great Lengths brand but easier to remove and more affordable. It uses high-quality human hair; Mini locs, a strand-by-strand technique similar to the Euro Locs or Hairlocs brands but better-designed to resist slipping; and invisible extensions, which is a weft technique using high-quality human hair attached to an ultra-thin and lightweight weft.

Bobbysue says another way the stylists keep costs down for customers at Connections for Hair is by keeping all the extensions onsite. Customers don’t have to pay for shipping, which is why the salon is cheaper than most other salons, according to Jessica. “Plus, at other salons,” Bobbysue adds, “customers have to wait for it to get in and it may not be the right color. Or it’s the wrong length. Or it’s the wrong method. We don’t have any of those problems here.”

Christina Frazier opened Connections for Hair nearly five years ago. The full-service salon specializes in extensions, straighteners, and hair repair treatments. The three stylists say their main focus is on promoting hair growth and keeping hair healthy.

Christina, Jessica, and Bobbysue have more than 30 years combined in the business. Christina began working with extensions 13 years ago, long before they even became popular in the Midwest, she says. She trained Bobbysue on how to apply them. Besides extensions, Bobbysue does precision hair cutting, hairstyling, updos, and straightening. Jessica has offered coloring, painted highlights, and specialty perming for more than 15 years.

“We really should be called ‘correction specialists,’” Bobbysue says with a laugh. “We end up having to undo and redo bad coloring and extensions that stylists with little training have created. Or a stylist will put extensions in but won’t even cut them. So clients come to us to cut them and then just stay.”

The stylists’ commitment to maintaining healthy hair and a certain level of expertise seems to be apparent before they even begin styling someone’s hair. They first use a hair repair system on the hair called Biolustré. According to Jessica, Connections for Hair is the only salon in town that uses Biolustré, which fills the holes where your hair has been completely destroyed.

Straighteners are also a popular technique among customers. Jessica and Bobbysue offer two kinds of treatments: the Yuko Hair Straightening System and the Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment Straightener. Bobbysue says Connections for Hair was the first salon to use the real Yuko straightener, and is the only salon in the area that has the real Brazilian straightener. The Yuko straightener is more permanent—customers usually only get the treatment done once or twice a year.

Both stylists agree that the Brazilian straightener is the best straightener for hair that is already relaxed, damaged, or colored. “We tested more than six different types of Brazilian straighteners until we found one that was formaldehyde-free,” explains Jessica. “It can work on all types of hair, and it’s easy to maintain and is less expensive and takes a quarter of the time than the Yuko straightener.” According to Bobbysue, the Brazilian straightener is great for sun-damaged and frizzy hair. It is made up of keratin—a protein that is the building block of skin and hair—which means there are no harsh chemicals in it. The semi-permanent process lasts three to four months and then begins to fade out. But she says the hair will stay soft, shiny, and healthy.

According to Christina, many stylists are not properly trained in extension application methods so there are a lot of extension horror stories out there. Some people assume it’s a given that extensions will damage their hair, they come in and want to know how much damage they can expect. Christina says nothing could be farther from the truth!

“ We have several young women in their 30’s who came to us after surviving cancer. These women had less than an inch of hair. Now, after a few years of coming to Connections For Hair, their natural hair is so healthy and long people think they’re wearing hair extensions, but they’re not! Their natural hair has grown out stronger and healthier than ever before. We also fix improperly attached lace front wigs. We have some clients who come from surrounding states for this service. The bottom line is, if the extensions are applied and maintained correctly, they will not damage the hair. You can get the hair of your dreams today while your natural hair regains its beauty and vitality,” says Christina.

The key to finding a great style for a customer, says Jessica, is to find out about their lifestyle before ever touching their hair. In fact, that’s something all the stylists at Connections for Hair do. “With any of our services, we do free consults that last about 15 minutes,” says Bobbysue. “For anybody wanting to do extensions, we show them the ‘before’ and ‘after’ book. And we ask them tons of questions like, ‘Are you a swimmer? Do you like to style your hair? How often do you wear it in a ponytail? Are you going to have time to style it?’ These are things that we must know in advance to guarantee an individual receives the right style for them.”

Connections for Hair is located at 13624 W. 95th St. in Lenexa. General business hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, but each stylist is available for later hours one night each per week. For questions about pricing or to make an appointment, call 913-894-2662 or visit their Web site at www.connectionsforhair.com.