Has Jane Fonda proved there's an age limit to wearing hair extensions?
Over the past 10 years or so, Jane Fonda has perfected her shoulder-length, highlighted blonde hair look. It's rare that she steps out of her comfort zone, but at Sunday night's Emmy Awards Fonda opted for a strong hairstyle. For some the fuller fringe would have been enough, but Fonda coupled it with long, super-straight hair extensions.
The noteworthy hair and make-up looks from the Emmy Awards 2017
"With her fringe, it looks as if it has been blow-dried and set into place with hairspray, which restricts the movement of the hair around her face and creates a more dated," says Lucy Jones, hairstylist at Larry Kings salon. "To soften the look, Jane could add more texture and movement to the style, which would help soften her features and bring a more youthful to edge."
The rules apply to Fonda's lengthy hair extensions. It's not uncommon for celebrities to employ extensions to bulk out their hair and provide more volume. Wearing extensions for length is a dated approach though as Fonda proved on Sunday. That's not to say there's an age limit to wearing extensions. We spoke to several experts for advice on how to do extensions right and avoid any mishaps regardless of your age.
"Always go to an experienced technician and ask where the hair is from and which type of bond is used," says Louise Bailey, founder of Extension Professional and master of natural looking clip-ins. "Good quality hair extensions put in by an expert will blend perfectly to your natural hair and won't cause any damage."
Permanent vs clip-in extensions
"Think about which type of extensions are best for you, as clip-in extensions create a really natural look and can be clipped in and out in seconds," says Bailey. "Like with your own hair, extensions need to be taken care of, washing and conditioning them and carefully brushing them so you don't pull them from the bond."
If you're not ready to fork out a sizable sum for salon extensions, you can do it yourself from £30 – with a little help, of course. At home clip-in extensions are the perfect way to experiment if you are thinking of having permanent hair extensions and want to try beforehand.
Always get colour matched
Shelley Brook, stylist at Daniel Hersheson (who make their own 'over-the-counter' clip-ins) says, "We always recommend that clients come into the salon to get colour matched and have the clip-ins fitted and cut into for a more natural finish. We can also teach how to put them in yourself as once you know how, they are very easy and look so natural."
How to apply clip-in hair extensions
"When putting the clip-ins in yourself, first of all spray the extensions with a salt or texturising spray and you can slightly tong the hair to give a more lived-in look," explains Brooke, "Then simply use your fingers for a rough guide of where to clip the extensions in – try not to think about it and simply using the index finger, take hair in sections starting at the nape of the head and place the extension in. Slightly tease hair with a brush, and continue to work up the head – but don’t go too high as you don’t want them to be visible."
Jane Fonda's hairstyles through the years
