Hair Trend: Feather Extensions

Last Thursday I briefly mentioned that I was contemplating getting a feather extension in my hair.  I know some of you haven’t heard about these yet, so I wanted to fill you in on this hair trend!  Feather extensions first started making news this past winter, mostly on the west coast, but now the feather fad is starting to travel east.

Here is a photo of Ke$ha with feather hair extensions.

Normally, I wouldn't want to follow in KeSha's hair footsteps, mainly because of this...

And this...

But, I do think feather extensions can be pretty cute, and a fun way to temporarily change your hairstyle.

The extension process is relatively quick and simple.  Basically, the stylist (or person applying the extension) takes a small strand of hair, slides a tiny bead up the strand near the root, and inserts a feather into the bead.  Then a small tool similar to pliers is used to clamp down the bead and secure the feather to your hair.  In fact, this process is so simple that kits are available for home use.  However, I think it would be difficult to apply to my own hair, so having a friend to help would probably be a good idea.

People have been seen wearing feathers of all sizes and colors.  Personally, I like the more natural colors such as brown, white, and black, but I think the bright colors look good with some girls style.  Men have also been getting in on this trend, but I don’t know too many fellows who would be daring enough to give this a shot!  Since the feathers can be applied fairly easily and also removed easily, you can add , remove, or change the feathers as often as you like.  However, if you want to keep the same look for a while, the feathers can last up to 6-8 weeks, and can be washed and styled just like the rest of your hair.  Salon services cost around $10-$12 per feather, while kits cost between $30-$50.  Kits are also available online.

While the more refined, professional side of me is wary of trying out this look, the hippy/bohemian side of me really wants to give it a shot!  Since I’m not ready to commit to the look, I think I’m going to swing by a local salon (there are currently only a handful of Chicago salons offering this service) to have a single feather added to my hair.  I have a feeling this won’t be a long lasting trend, but I think it would be a lot of fun to give it a shot while the look is still going strong!

So what do you ladies think about this look?  Is this a trend you think will stay around for a while, or will it come and go as fast as slap bracelets and Von Dutch?

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