If you've always wanted hair like Rapunzel, then Bradford salon 'Hair Extensions by Jessica' in Bradford can help.
Owner Jessica Aveiro has always had a fascination with hair extensions and their ability to transform not only a person's appearance but overall self-confidence.
"I think hair extensions are a big confidence boost and make people feel happy about themselves," she said.
Aveiro opened her own hair extension salon in Bradford three years ago, shortly after moving to town with her boyfriend.
"I always loved the small-town feel of Bradford," she said. "We plan on staying here and hopefully starting a family soon. We absolutely love it here."
After creating a business Instagram account and publishing a slew of before and after photos of her work, she started getting a lot of calls for appointments.
"I had so many clients messaging me wanting to come in," she said. This gave me the confidence to really get myself out there and grow professionally and personally."
She said she never expected her business to take off as quickly as it did, serving clients from all over the area, some of who come as far as Montreal and the U.S.A.
"I’m blessed to have met so many wonderful clients," said Aveiro. "The reactions and emotions I see when I’m done with their hair mean everything to me. I’ve shared so many tears with clients in my chair and I am so happy I can help them."
The idea to start a hair extension business came to her after struggling with her own hair growth due to stress and her anemia. Anemia is a condition in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells in your body which can cause weakness, fatigue and hair loss due to a lack of iron.
"My hair could never grow because of my anemia and I was always very self-conscious about it," she said. "I was in tears when I first got my extensions done. It filled in my hair and added beautiful length and colour, something I could never have before. I knew from that point that helping other women with their hair was something I wanted to do."
Aveiro was having hair extensions installed regularly to give volume and length to her lacklustre locks and became fascinated with the various hair extension processes and techniques available in the industry.
She took her courses and training with an extension specialist before becoming certified and learning how to apply and maintain hair extensions professionally. Eventually, Aveiro would like to take international courses to upgrade her skills and work with clients who have alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
A lot of Aveiro's clients deal with hair loss issues which can affect their self-esteem and confidence.
"It's very important that I make them happy because it makes me happy," she said. "I really want to work more with full wig mesh systems and extension methods that help people who have lost most of their hair."
There are various types of hair extensions and methods to install them. Aveiro offers nano beading, micro beading, hot fusion keratin and tape-in extensions. Each appointment can take anywhere from 1.5 to three hours.
"The method we choose to go with depends on the person's lifestyle and their hair type," explained Aveiro. "I always do a consultation to determine what works best for my client and figure out their goals."
Aveiro uses 100 per cent Remy hair on all her clients and notes that all hair extensions require maintenance, and anyone looking to have them installed should be prepared for the investment of time and energy with the aftercare.
"As your natural hair grows out we’ll periodically need to remove the extensions and replace them back up higher in your hair," she said. "I call this a push-up or maintenance appointment. It takes about two-three hours of work to remove the 100-200 pieces of extensions and reapply them to someone’s hair. It’s all worth it in the end because you get natural-looking hair that looks and feels amazing."
Aveiro's salon is adorned with all things pink, from the walls to the chairs and everything in between, including a pink coffee machine and mini-fridge for clients to enjoy a beverage during appointments. Aveiro says she has worked hard to create a cozy "escape" for clients to relax and enjoy while getting their hair done.
One day she hopes to expand her business into a storefront location.
Until then, she is happy running her business from home, continuing to help clients with their hair goals.
To learn more about Hair Extensions by Jessica, visit their website here.
