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©2013 HairUWear Inc.
Extensions pioneer and celebrity stylist Sheila Stotts breaks down the evolution of hair enhancement.
potatoes—to create the
voluminous shapes of
Victorian and Edwardian
hairstyles.
killing lighting of black and
white film.
1960s
Comedy Hour offers a
weekly trip to the outer
limits of hair design.
1920s
1980
Wigs and hairpieces lie
low as the popularity of the
sleek flapper bob ascends.
Brooke Shields goes
“naked” in The Blue
Lagoon but for her
extensions, which are
strategically placed, then
glued to her body.
1940s
The Golden Age of
Hollywood hairpieces:
1970s
The weave is born in
America’s parlors and
kitchens, as African-
1837-1912
Hairdressers use padded
forms—some made from
Wigs, placed on the head
and then cut with the
natural fall of the hair,
compensate for the volume-
American women
experiment with sewing
hair onto cornrowed braids.
1971-1974
The Sonny and Cher
1995
2001
Sharon Stone serves up a
one-woman retrospective of
1960s hairstyles in Martin
Scorsese’s Casino.
Great Lengths introduces the
Ultrasonic 5000 Application
Machine, an alternative
to external heat which
softens attachment bonds
by generating heat within
the strands via ultrasonic
vibration. Stylists experience
the freedom of more versatile
bonding, including a flat
bond profile for straight,
sleek and fluid styles.
2005
Great Lengths extensions
are used in Memoirs of a
Geisha, a film where the
elaborate styles were almost
characters in themselves.
Revolutionary new GL Apps opens a world of creative possibilities as well as new markets.
PHOTOGRAPHY: CORBIS (30 BC, 1920S, 1940S, 1960S, 1971, 1980, 1995) GETTY (1970S)
The Brothers
Grimm publish
Rapunzel,
forever bonding
little girls’
happily-everafter dreams to
the notion of
luxurious locks.
Previously a closely-held
insider beauty secret,
Great Lengths extensions
become a celebrity status
symbol when named “One
of The 40 Most Fabulous
Things on Earth” on VH1’s
Fabulous 40. Shortly
thereafter, extension
application services become
a staple on salon menus
everywhere. Great Lengths USA
launches with the
introduction of the prebonded strand concept
aided by its Thermal 3200
Application Machine.
Full sets of extensions
previously taking up to 12
hours can be accomplished
in half the time.
30 BC
1812
2004
Four-strand braiding, a
technique using synthetic,
heat-bonded strands and
requiring two stylists
working in tandem, expands
creative options but eats up
hours.
1992
The fall reigns supreme:
go-go dancers and suburban
housewives alike embrace
the ability to change their
looks in an instant.
Wigs like Cleopatra’s, made
from yak or horse hair,
identify wearers as members
of an elite segment of society.
Mid-1980s
T
his spring, Great Lengths USA will unveil a new technology that has been four years in the making. GL Apps by
Great Lengths is a revolutionary, high-speed extension system that requires no heat, bonds virtually invisibly
and lasts a minimum of six weeks. Best of all, says Great Lengths USA Program Director Brett Butcher, GL
Apps are made from the premium-quality hair that Great Lengths is known for.
“Our salons have been asking for this for a long time,” says Butcher. “Many salons that use Great Lengths premium
extensions have been expanding their business into lower-end tape systems. Until now, they’ve had to make do with
lesser-quality hair. GL Apps enables them to offer premium-quality Great Lengths hair to a wider class of clientele.”
Butcher explains that the company’s engineers developed GL Apps as an alternative to traditional tape systems
that are applied by sandwiching a strand of natural hair between two extensions, a method that results in bulky,
less-than-natural-looking connections. Instead, GL Apps are sandwiched between two strands of the client’s
natural hair, so the bond is flat and virtually invisible. “You can literally run your hand down the client’s head and
you can’t feel the bonds,” says Butcher.
GL Apps, applied with a simple crimping tool, are backed by a Safety Band, a clear film on the underside of the
attachment that prevents heat from the scalp from softening the bond, an innovation that results in longer wear. GL
Apps are also reusable.
In addition to opening new markets, Butcher says, GL Apps are opening up new creative possibilities for stylists
because of the quick application time and inconspicuous bond. “Our test salons have been using them for tons of color
work: highlights, lowlights, pops of primary color,” says Butcher. “You can even use them on very short hair because the
bond is so discreet.” GL Apps come in the same five lengths and 50-plus colors as Great Lengths’ premium extensions.
The new system will be available to Great Lengths certified stylists in April 2014, marking yet another innovation
pioneered by the company that has driven extension technology from the beginning. “We’re really proud,” says Butcher,
“because, once again, we’re leading the market.”
BEFORE
Creating natural-looking, all-over length is
easier than ever before, with new GL Apps.
Great Lengths USA takes the high road when sourcing and processing hair for its extensions.
D
ieter Ferschinger, creative director for Great Lengths
Germany, turned to new GL Apps to transform this
model’s look with extra length in subtle, face-framing
layers. “This is the fastest and easiest hair extension application
available,” Ferschinger says. He explains that, because of the
unique, two-sided form of the GL App and the added feature of
the Safety Band, it’s not necessary to align two separate tape tabs.
“No guesswork is needed to determine the amount of natural hair
to attach because the patented two-sided tape will only accept as
much of the client’s hair as it needs for a resilient attachment,”
Ferschinger says. “And because the tape is sandwiched between the
client’s natural hair, the attachment sites are virtually invisible.”
1 For a lengthening application, choose extensions no
more than twice the client’s natural hair length. Apply the
Safety Band to the bottom of the GL App, positioning
halfway between the crown and occipital ridge
3 After all GL Apps are in place, point-cut the perimeter
to take out weight as well as cut into the overall shape. If
there is a line where the natural hair stops, point-cut into the
natural hair to soften the line so it blends seamlessly.
2 Firmly press down with the GL App tool on the entire
point of connection. Continue adding extensions,
working around the circumference of the head. Since
the GL App bond is flat and virtually invisible, extensions
will have a natural fall and movement.
4 Use a slide-cutting technique to blend the natural hair
with the Great Lengths at the fringe area and create
layers that frame the face. Use a large-barrel curling
iron to create soft curls directed away from the face.
T
here’s more to leadership than technological innovation.
Though Great Lengths recently announced a
breakthrough new application process that advances
the evolution of hair extensions, the company has long
set the bar for quality, with procurement and processing
practices centered on respect—respect for the donor, respect for the
salon client and respect for the environment.
“All hair sourced for Great Lengths is from the Hindu temples of
India. This is the finest source of virgin hair available, and is the most
compatible with Caucasian and European hair textures,” says Great
Lengths USA Program Director Brett Butcher. Indian women and men sacrifice their hair at
local temples as an expression of gratitude to Hindu gods for good fortune, and to symbolize their
humility. It’s a ritual that’s a serious and heartfelt expression of faith, yet many procurers of temple
hair approach the purchase without respect for the sacrifice it represents. An article in the March/
April 2010 issue of Mother Jones magazine describes a network of suppliers, brokers and buyers
engaged in a crass process akin to commodities trading.
By contrast, Great Lengths proudly and uniquely sources every strand with the guarantee that
each one has been donated willingly and with the full consent of the donor. “We guarantee that
the donor has been treated with respect and care,” says Butcher. “A fair and reasonable price is
agreed upon for the hair, and the money paid to the temples to procure the hair is used solely for
charitable endeavors, not for personal or individual profit.”
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
LEFT: All hair for Great Lengths
USA extensions is sourced
from the temples of India;
Great Lengths’ facility in
Bangalore, India, tests hair for
previous exposure to chemical
processing; hair determined
to be virgin quality is shipped
to the Great Lengths facility in
Nepi, Italy, where it’s cleaned
and gently depigmented using
a natural osmosis process.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
LEFT: Hair is sorted by
color and length; colored,
bonded extensions, ready for
shipping; all Great Lengths
extensions undergo the same
rigorous testing and quality
control procedures.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
LEFT: Hair is sewn onto
cloth to ensure it remains
in the proper orientation;
Great Lengths doesn’t use
outside buyers or brokers, but
maintains facilities in three
countries, staffed by 1,100
employees worldwide; hair
undergoes Great Lengths’
proprietary colorization
process, resulting in healthy
hair in a wide range of
consistent, colorfast hues.
He adds that Great Lengths keeps a tight rein on quality by
working directly with sources, not through hair brokers. “We
operate and employ our own sourcing staff and facilities in
India so that we’re always 100 percent sure of our hair’s source,”
Butcher says. This results in hair of a predictably higher quality,
the starting point for a superior end product.
As hair is collected from the temples it’s separated by
donor—referred to as single drawn—and is sent to the Great
Lengths-operated facility in Bangalore, India. There it’s cleaned
and tested to determine if it has had any previous chemical
processing, including the use of henna. This is important
because Great Lengths’ unique, patented coloration process is
only effective on virgin hair. Once the hair has been deemed
virgin quality, it’s separated by length—referred to as “double
drawn”—and sent to the Great Lengths Factory in Nepi, Italy,
where it undergoes coloration and bonding processes.
“The only chemical processing performed on Great
Lengths hair is our colorization,” Butcher explains. He adds
that Great Lengths is the only company that doesn’t use any
toxic chemicals such as ammonia or bleach derivatives in the
depigmentation and coloring of hair, resulting in strands that are
colorfast with a healthy texture and feel.
“The benefit of our process goes beyond the hair quality,”
Butcher says. “It also makes Great Lengths International the
only company that can factually state that there’s no negative
ecological impact from our production process. This point
becomes magnified when compared with the significant
negative eco-impact created by all other hair processing
facilities, the overwhelming majority of which are located in
China and Indonesia where there are no effective regulatory
agencies to monitor such production.”
• From the day the hair is
sourced from the temple
until the day it’s deliverable
for application is 45
working days.
• Hair is shipped from
India to the Great Lengths
factory in Nepi, Italy by air
via a private courier.
• Annually, Great Lengths
processes more than 36
tons of hair, producing
30 million pre-bonded
strands.
• Including international
distributors, the Great
Lengths International group
has 1,100 employees.
• Great Lengths is
distributed in 50 countries.
KF: How does this
affect what stylists
FROM TOP: Great Lengths Education Director Darren Brokaw;
Great Lengths’ certificaton program is intense and hands-on.
iare able to achieve
behind the chair and
in their careers going
forward?
DB: As with any learned
skill set, one can only
excel after mastering
the fundamentals. The
Great Lengths classroom
is designed to give
stylists the fundamental
understanding and skill
set to deliver a highquality service of hair
extension application.
The reward of such
service delivery, as many
Great Lengths Certified
Stylists will attest,
doesn’t just change their
professional future—it’s
life-changing. Because this
service can be life-changing
for clients, it cements the
bond with the stylist in a
way that really goes beyond
client retention—it builds
relationships that can last an
entire career.
KF: I understand the
GL Apps certification
program is going to
be online. Is it open to
everyone?
DB: The GL Apps
certification will only be
available to stylists who
have already successfully
completed our three-day
certification for our premium
application methods.
KF: Will there be online
forums for stylists
using GL Apps to share
their creativity and
techniques?
DB: Yes, just as there
currently are for our
premium methods.
Great Lengths Certified
Stylists have a passwordprotected stylist login at
greatlengthsusa.com. Along
with forums for asking
questions and sharing ideas,
the stylist login area also
gives them GL co-op accrual
information, year-to-date
purchase history, marketing
material access and Great
Lengths Stylist news updates.
%
00
ETHIC
AL
SETTING FAIR
STANDARDS
00
L
E
KF: Given the
company’s
dedication to
hands-on time in
the classroom,
why did you
decide to offer
GL Apps training
online?
DB: Because Great
Lengths Certified
Stylists have
already completed
the professional
industry’s most
intensive education
in the application
of extensions.
Certifying online
for GL Apps will be a cake
walk for these stylists.
1
KF: Your
educational
programs
have a terrific
reputation.
What makes the
Great Lengths
educational
experience
unique?
DB: The difference
is in the time
dedicated to
hands-on. Great
Lengths USA
recently reviewed
the classroom
curriculums of five
major professional
extension companies. We
discovered that our threeday certification program
dedicates nearly four times
the amount of time to handson extension application and
cutting techniques, covering
a full range of application
types. Our quality group
of seasoned educators
understands the importance
of delivering a consistent
message that gives stylists
the skill set to deliver Great
Lengths services to their
clients’ expectations. When
those clients seek Great
Lengths extensions, rest
assured their expectations are
high, as they should be.
1
Great Lengths USA’s Education Director Darren Brokaw talks about the success
of their high-touch approach to education. —Karen Ford
% TR CEAB
A
Great Lengths is leading the way toward an upfront and principled hair extension industry by setting the
benchmark in fair standards and inviting competitors to work towards a common ethical stance. Prospective
customers can now seek the Great Lengths Setting Fair Standards Seal when researching salons for hair
extensions. Additionally, every bundle of Great Lengths now proudly displays this seal.
What The Great Lengths Setting Fair Standards Seal Represents
When clients see the Great Lengths Setting Fair Standards Seal, they can rest assured that the hair used is 100%
traceable, ethical and of the highest quality. The Setting Fair Standards Seal guarantees that Great Lengths® hair
extensions have met the following criteria:
• Every strand has been donated willingly and with the full consent of the donor
• The donor has been treated with respect and care
• A fair and reasonable price is agreed for the hair and the money used to procure the hair is used solely for
charitable endeavors, not for personal or individual profit
• A company representative has procured the hair to cut out unreliable middlemen and ensure full and direct
knowledge of the origin of the hair
• Exclusive in-house production processes are used from procurement of the hair to wholesale selling to ensure
full traceability
Great Lengths hopes that the Setting Fair Standards Seal will pave the way to unified ethical regulation of the hair
extensions industry.
To learn more, go to facebook.com/greatlengthsusa
greatlengthsusa.com
800-999-0809
©2013 HairUWear Inc.
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will transform your
professional future.
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©2013 HairUWear Inc.
Where extraordinary stylists deliver extraordinary
services to the industry’s most desired clients