Hair extension removal in San Diego: what happens, what it costs

Not every first set of extensions works out. They feel heavy, the color is off, they show, or you're simply done with them. Whatever the reason, taking them out carefully matters as much as putting them in.

Can you remove extensions someone else put in?

Yes. I remove hand-tied, I-tip and tape-in extensions, whoever installed them.

I don't install tape-ins — here's why — but I'm happy to take them out. I don't remove or install K-tips (keratin bonds) at this time.

How much does removal cost?

Removal is $10 for each started 15-minute interval, whatever the method.

Up to 15 minutes is $10, 16 to 30 minutes is $20, and so on. There's no typical total, because it depends on how much hair is in and how it was installed: some installs come out easily, some don't. As a rough guide, two rows of hand-tied usually take 15 minutes or less, especially if I installed them. I-tips take longer because they come out strand by strand, more like 20 to 40 minutes depending on how much hair there is.

If the removal is part of fixing a covered issue under my limited 30-day correction promise, there's no charge. Every maintenance price is on how pricing works.

How are hand-tied and I-tip extensions removed?

Hand-tied rows come out by opening the beads and lifting the weft away; I-tip strands are loosened with a tool and slide out.

For hand-tied, the beads holding each row are opened and the weft comes away. For I-tip, the heat-set tube around each strand is loosened with a tool and the strand slides free. Either way it's slow, careful work, done section by section so nothing pulls on your own hair.

At the end I comb out any residue and trapped hair. Some removals also need a wash afterwards; if yours does, we'll talk about it at the appointment.

Is some hair loss after removal normal?

Some shed hair coming out is normal: it's hair your scalp let go of naturally while the extensions held it in place.

It's normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. With extensions in, those shed hairs stay caught until removal, so they come out together. Breakage, tenderness or thin patches at the attachment points are different, and worth a closer look at the consultation.

Can I get new extensions after removal?

Often yes, after an honest look at how your own hair is doing.

At a free consultation I check your hair and scalp, we talk through what didn't work the first time — weight, placement, color or method — and I'll tell you honestly whether to go again now or give your hair a break first.

Can the hair you already have be reused? Case by case. I don't automatically turn down hair from another vendor; it depends on how it matches your hair and whether it will hold up through an install. Some hair is simply too heavy for your own hair to carry. If that's the case I'll tell you, and we'll talk about new hair that won't put your hair at risk. My job is to make your hair better, not worse.

Coming in for a reinstall?

Come with clean, dry hair and no product or conditioner on the ends.

That goes for a hand-tied or I-tip reinstall: clean, dry hair lets the new rows or strands sit and grip the way they should.

Not sure whether you want them out, fixed or redone? Start with a free, no-obligation consultation in my Mission Valley studio, or take the 60-second method quiz.