For the second consecutive year, Great Lengths has been awarded winner in the Best Hair Extensions category at the prestigious Marie Claire Hair Award Included in the Tools and Accessories category, the winners are picked through a high caliber panel of judges who have reputation and status within the hairdressing industry. 50 experts were hand-picked by Marie Claire UK to sit on the judging panel which included the likes of Sam McKnight, Luke Hersheson, Katie Piper and Millie Kendell. GL Minis Strands were launched in October 2019 and have been well-received, not only by legendary titles such as Marie Claire but by the certified Great Lengths salons and stylists who have embraced the new additions for their clientele. Small and discreet, the GL Mini Strands allow for precise and tailored application and are great to fill in gaps at the sides, around the face and to add dimension to fringes. Great Lengths also launched mini versions of their GL Tapes (GL Tapes won the award for Best Hair Extensions with the Marie Claire Hair Awards 2019) and are constantly looking for ways to develop their application techniques and offering so that Great Lengths can continue to be used to embrace your natural look. Joscelin McCourt - CEO for Great Lengths UK and Ireland comments, “We are thrilled to have been awarded by Marie Claire again this year. Marie Claire is a title that taps directly into our core audience and the judging panel responsible for crowning our win only reiterates our beliefs in Great Lengths and the GL Mini Strands as the finest quality product that truly does make a difference for people. Expert opinion on this relatively new product for us is so important and very much appreciated, a big thank you to Marie Claire and to the panel of judges”.
All of Great Lengths hair come from religious donations. Broadly speaking, where do hair used for extensions come from? Let's be clear about it: it depends. Some virgin hair come from Brazil or Peru, some from Mongolia, some from Europe, but the most of them from China (even though very rarely advertised), as China is the biggest exporter and importer of human hair and harvests huge amounts from its own population. But one thing is sure: the finest virgin Remy hair comes from India. It is not so easy for a consumer to check the exact origin of the hair she's buying, so, as a result, few know where the hair come from and the journey they take across the globe. But at Great Lengths we can boast a virtuous sourcing process, as all of hair come from Hindu temples in India, where voluntary donations deriving from religious practices occur. The pilgrims are guided by an ancient Hindu myth based on the figure of Vishnu, who lost a part of his hair after being hit on the head by an axe. Thus, the angel Nila Devi offered a lock of her own hair to the God. Such gesture was so appreciated by Vishnu that he decided to grant the wishes of anyone who would donate their hair to him, as a way to show his gratitude. This is an age-old tradition and in earlier times shaved hair was just left to float down the river and go to waste. Nowadays there's a big buzz in the tonsure halls where the ritual takes place, as some temples are filled with as many as 650 barbers and pilgrims sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of them. The barbers work quickly and the hair is promptly scooped up and sold every few months by the temple authorities via e-auction. We usually buy our hair on the occasion of these auctions, guaranteeing the Temple a fair remuneration. All of the hair we buy is virgin, meaning that it is hair that has never been chemically treated, it is single drawn sourced, meaning that it has been cut or shaved directly from a single donor and it is Remy, meaning that all of the natural hair qualities are preserved by undergoing a specialist process at our production facility in Rome. All of these features make of our hair the ultimate quality material, while at the opposite end of the scale is standard hair - often used as a more marketable term for hair extensions whose life starts as hairballs, collected from combs and plugholes.
Who's wearing Great Lengths hair extensions? Long, flowing hair – an ideal of beauty exemplified by numerous female stars from the movie and music industry. Yes, hair extensions are pretty ubiquitous in Hollywood these days. But who, exactly, is wearing them? Quite surprising and exciting, is how real and candid stars have gotten about their decision to wear hair extensions. Notably, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amal Clooney and Natalia Dyer - just to name a few - have publicly stated their preference for Great Lengths extensions. Being on the rise since almost 30 years and having embraced almost as many real-life roles as she's had on-screen ones, Gwyneth Paltrow is a veritable chameleon, maybe the celeb that better represents all different possibilities given by hair extensions, as hair changes have always played a main role in her beauty transformations, if we think of her to carry off everything from sun-kissed waist-length hair extensions to a pixie cut. But talking about other celebs wearing hair extension, it's worthwhile mentioning also Céline Dion, who has chosen monochromatic Great Lengths hair extensions for the bun worn during the 2019 Met Gala in Los Angeles; or Jennifer Lopez who always chooses Great Lengths hair extensions for her extra-long pony tails. Even though hair extensions can be used to add more volume, or to give a bit more length, these women are more into changing up their look completely for special occasions, by using our extensions for pull-ups or for mermaid-length hair. But Great Lengths is popular also among men. No wonder if one of our clients is the American idol Steven Tyler, the lead singer and front man of Aerosmith, whose funky strands are branded Great Lengths. He is so affectionate to us, that he has also been the judge of the hair extension contest organized by Great Lengths USA.
A new definition of the classical before/after We aspire to enhance every woman’s unique personality through bespoke looks expressing different individual souls. This is the reason why we think that the traditional way to express the concept of radical change through the so-called before&after images is too limited to convey the whole potential of our message. It goes without saying, that the classical before&after images are an effective communication technique, which has become very familiar to the end consumer, who immediately understands the meaning of the message. On the other hand, given one and only before, our hair extensions allow for so many different after! As we perceived the simple before&after communication technique as limited, we chose to no longer use the “before and after” definition but, instead, the “beauty tech” name, meaning a technically effective look change demonstration, which still has an aesthetic appeal and a broader meaning, by showing the middle stages of the transformations as well as, most important, different final results that can be achieved, thanks to different hair styles. That's why, in our technical materials, you will find not only two images (before and after), but a whole sequence of pictures for each of our models. This means a flow of images, a dynamic storytelling empowering what extensions can do, in terms of not only length, but also volume. The sequence displays all the different steps of the transformation and gives value to the whole personality of the woman, by showing her face, her full body, by telling her thoughts, feelings and emotions about the transformation itself.
A partnership to make children's dreams come true. Hair loss can be a painful experience for adults and even more for young children, who live with particularly fragility, that is why we partner with The Little Princess Trust. The Little Princess Trust provides free real hair wigs to children and young people, up to 24 years, who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions. Introduced by James Henderson, salon owner of M Hair, Nottingham, our partnership was forged from our mission to provide 100% ethically sourced, traceable, premium quality human hair extensions. From this, the Little Princess Trust has exclusively agreed to accept donations of Great Lengths hair to create wigs for children and young adults in need. We have been cooperating with the Little Princess Trust for years, in England and Ireland, contributing to the production of wigs of natural hair. Doing so, we promote the recycling of removed extensions which, instead of being disposed, are turned into brand new products, ready to be used again. Removed extensions are collected in our distribution point in London and then sent to the charity. Our donation scheme is available in over 1,500 Great Lengths salons across the UK & Ireland and we are expanding our partnership worldwide. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has donated their Great Lengths extensions. You can play a vital role in helping to restore the identity of children suffering from cancer and alopecia. Photo by Caroline Hernandez @ unsplash.com
How to take care of Great Lengths hair extensions. WASHING YOUR HAIR Do not shampoo your hair for at least 48 hours after you get your extensions applied by your hairstylist. This time will allow GL Pre-Bonded or GL Tapes to set. For the regular care, it is recommended to shampoo and condition your hair at least twice a week, and be careful: never wash your hair with your head upside down - always keep your head upright! DRYING YOUR HAIR Gently de-tangle your hair before drying, following the brushing recommendations in this article. Towel dry your hair with a soft pressure, but never with a rubbing motion. Instead, use a blotting motion and wrap your hair in a towel to remove excess water. Always dry your hair thoroughly, do not leave it to dry naturally as hair is at its most vulnerable when wet. Blow dry on a low heat, starting at the roots and the attachment areas of GL Pre-Bonded or GL Tapes and working downwards with a GL Brush. Remember that styling products should only be applied to the lengths and ends of your hair and never to the GL Pre-Bonded or GL tapes itself. BRUSHING YOUR HAIR Great Lengths brushes are the most suitable for brushing your hair. Take small sections of hair and brush from the scalp over the extensions to mid lengths, being careful to tease any tangles out from the bottom lengths first. Do not back comb areas where the GL Pre-Bonded or GL Tapes are placed. For Pre-Bonded wearers, separate the extensions with your fingers on a regular basis to prevent matting. SLEEPING At night, tie your hair in a loose ponytail or a braid to prevent tangling and always choose a silk pillow to avoid friction. EXERCISE & LIFESTYLE Great Lengths hair extensions suit most lifestyles, however, please be mindful of the following activities, which may affect the lifespan of your GL Pre-bonded or GL tapes if daily or frequently repeated: Swimming, particularly in seawater and chlorinated water Sauna or steam room use Excessive aerobic activity. If you prefer GL Pre-Bonded, a great tip to try after these activities is to use diluted Great Lengths Anti Tap Water solution to restore your hair and scalp to its natural pH balance.
The most delicate pigmentation process for Great Lengths hair. We are proud of our delicate hair coloring process, taken from the technique applied for cashmere, as it is fundamental to reach the ultimate quality of our products. The typical method of bleaching hair using ammonium derivatives damages the cuticle layer, thus compromising the hair’s texture and condition. The bleaching agent also damages the hair, leaving it opaque and fragile. Instead, the pigmentation process of Great Lengths’ hair is as delicate as the pigmentation of the most precious yarn of all: cashmere. Our de-pigmentation process does not damage the hair and permits the removal of the black pigment without altering the quality of the hair. We rather remove all pigments from the hair, instead of destroying them as it happens in ammonia decolorization processes, which are as fast and cheap as aggressive. Thanks to our delicate de-pigmentation process, the hair’s structural condition and texture are maintained, as well as the silky feeling of virgin hair. And the new pigment has a clean, empty space to occupy. This ensures that the molecule sits firmly in place and thus the color will not fade out… just like your cashmere sweater! Great Lengths was the first company in the world to use this kind of treatment for human hair; this process, performed on virgin hair of extraordinary integrity, guarantees unparalleled quality. Doing so, the hair will endure the most dynamic lifestyle and any following chemical treatment, preserving color intensity and vibrancy. Photo by Jean Philippe Delberghe @ unsplash.com
Drum roll please…. GL Tapes! Having launched in 2018, GL Tapes have taken the industry by storm, featured in leading titles including Glamour Magazine, Look Magazine, Cosmopolitan and the Sunday Times, and welcomed VIPS such as Caroline Flack and Thuy Lee, who have sported them. With a full head application possible in as little as one hour in some instances, GL Tapes are perfect for the time conscious looking for a quick fix, lasting 6-8 weeks and with the ability to be re-taped up to three times. Now in its third year, the Marie Claire Hair Awards recognizes the very best in hair products, personalities and services in the industry. Voted by a mixture of reader panels and the editorial team the search for those to crown includes a dedicated process of testing and research. All winners were announced at a lavish breakfast ceremony at The Connaught Hotel, London – keep your eyes peeled for the Marie Claire January issue where we will be featured! GL Tapes use a hypo-allergenic, non-toxic, medical grade tape and are suitable for all hair types, with the ability to transform styles to add extra length, volume and colour and with a selection of over 75 shades to choose from. With an easy aftercare and maintenance regime to follow, GL Tapes are able to last up to six to eight weeks before a visit back to your chosen salon is needed. GL Tapes can also be reapplied up to three times without causing any damage to natural hair making these a true favourite loved by many clients and our GL Lovelies. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all our wonderful GL Tape salons and stylists who continued to carry out and showcase amazing transformations on their clients, using our award winning GL Tapes.
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