The question everyone texts me first
What hair extensions actually cost.
I do not post prices, and I want to explain why rather than leave you guessing. It is not a sales tactic. It is that any number I put on a page would be wrong for most of the people reading it, and a wrong number helps nobody.
- Consultation
- Complimentary, ~30 min
- Quote given
- In person, after I see your hair
- Biggest cost driver
- Amount of hair needed
- Ongoing
- Maintenance every 6-10 weeks
Why there is no price list on this site
Every stylist who posts a price list is doing one of two things: quoting a starting figure that almost nobody actually pays, or quoting for one method on one kind of hair and hoping you fit it.
I would rather tell you the truth. The cost of your extensions depends on things I cannot know until I have seen and touched your hair. Anything else is a number designed to get you in the door, and I have spent thirty years not working that way.
What I can do is explain exactly what moves the number, so you walk into the consultation already understanding the shape of it.
What actually drives the cost
The amount of hair. This is the biggest factor by a distance. Someone adding fullness through the mid-lengths needs a fraction of what someone going from a bob to long, thick hair needs. The hair itself is a real cost, and more of it costs more.
The method. Some methods are quick to place. Others are slow and meticulous by design. Strand-by-strand work like K-Tip or Nano means placing many tiny bonds individually, which is precisely why it looks invisible and precisely why it takes longer than a row of tape-ins.
Length and density. Longer hair costs more to buy, and it takes longer to blend convincingly into your own.
Whether color work is needed first. If your extensions need to match a color we have not created yet, that is a separate piece of work before the install.
Your maintenance schedule. Most methods need moving up every six to ten weeks. This is the part people underestimate, and it is the number I make sure you understand before you commit to anything.
What you are paying for that does not show up on a receipt
Thirty years of knowing which method will not damage your hair. Nine certifications, so the recommendation is chosen for your hair rather than limited to the one system I happen to know. And the willingness to tell you no.
A cheaper install from someone trained in a single method can cost you far more than money. I see the repair work, and I would rather you never became one of those appointments.
The honest budgeting advice
Plan for the year, not the day. Ask any stylist you are considering what the maintenance cadence is and what it costs each time. If they cannot answer clearly, that is worth knowing before you book, not after.
And if the full look is out of reach right now, say so out loud. There is almost always a smaller version that still gets you most of the way, and I would rather build toward something than talk you into something.
Come and get a real number
Thirty minutes in the chair and you will leave with an actual quote for your actual hair, plus the maintenance figure so there are no surprises later. No obligation and no charge for the conversation.
Let’s be honest about fit.
A great fit if you…
- Are trying to budget for extensions and want a straight answer
- Have been quoted wildly different numbers around the Valley
- Want to understand what you are paying for before you commit
We should talk first if you…
- Want a firm quote without anyone seeing your hair first
Not sure where you land? That’s exactly what the complimentary consultation is for.
Common questions
Why will you not just tell me a price over text?
Because I would be guessing, and you would be planning around a guess. Two people can ask for the same look and need very different amounts of hair, different methods, and different appointment lengths. If I quote you low over text and then have to raise it in the chair, I have wasted your afternoon. If I quote you high, you may not come at all when it was actually within reach.
What makes one install cost more than another?
Mostly the amount of hair. After that: the method, because some take far longer to place than others; the length and density you are going for, since longer hair costs more to buy and takes longer to blend; and whether your color needs work before we start. Time in the chair is the other half of it. A full head of strand-by-strand work is a long appointment.
Is the ongoing maintenance the expensive part?
It is the part people forget to plan for. Extensions are not a one-time purchase. Most methods need attention every six to ten weeks, and the hair itself gets replaced periodically depending on how you care for it. I would rather you know that number before you start than discover it three months in. We talk through the whole year at the consultation, not just day one.
Is cheaper hair a false economy?
Usually, yes. Inexpensive hair tends to look right for a few weeks and then goes dull or tangles, and replacing it early costs more than buying properly the first time. That said, more expensive is not automatically better for your hair. Part of my job is matching the quality to what you actually need rather than selling you the most expensive option on the shelf.
What if I cannot afford what I came in wanting?
Then we talk about what is achievable now. Sometimes that is a partial install rather than a full head, or a method that costs less to maintain, or waiting and doing it properly later. I would genuinely rather send you away with a plan you can sustain than book you for something that strains you. That conversation costs you nothing.
Complimentary consultation
The only way to know is to sit down with me.
Consultations are complimentary, take about thirty minutes, and you leave knowing exactly what your options are, even if the answer is “not yet.”
Text (480) 209-2532 · By appointment at Altered Ego Salon, Tempe