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 ~Removal of Great Lengths~

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Blondie1972 View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 25, 2005
Location: Canada
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
There have been a few posts on here asking how to sucessfully remove Great Lengths Extensions... Just thought I would post what I did to remove mine so that anyone else who has a client come in needing them removed (or if you need to remove your own for some reason or whatever...) ~I did get all my info from searching posts on here though...
 
BTW~ I DID go to the salon to have them removed, but the extensionist wasn't being careful and was literally ripping my own hair out... so I had no choice but to leave (and someone HAS to be seriously damaging my hair for me to have the nerve to get up and stop what they are doing).  Seriously though~ I wasn't going to have much hair left if I stayed much longer....  I knew from reading posts on here that serious damage can occur from poor removal, so I didn't want to sit there while someone trashed my already thin and slightly fragile hair.)
 
So here is what I did:
 
I went and bought Rubbing Alcohol... Buy Isopropyl Alcohol~ 99% (not the 70%). 
 
I soaked a cotton ball with the alcohol and wrapped it around the bond.  I stuck a clip on the cotton ball over the bond and left it on for a few minutes while I did the same to the next few bonds. 
 
I would then go back to a bond that had soaked with alcohol for 3 to 5 minutes and crushed it with needle nose pliers while the cotton was still wrapped around the bond and hair.  At that point, some would slide right off while others I had to crush with pliers a second time once I took the alcohol soaked cotton ball away.
 
There were a few spots that had some tangling from shedded hairs so I just took my time and pulled the hairs out one by one so that I could do the least amount of damage.
 
Hope this helps someone out!

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malibu View Drop Down
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 17, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
Wow, that sounds like a nightmare! I've had the same experience with a stylist removing mark barrington extensions. It was torture.

Thanks for this info!

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
that is a  good  idea! the gl remover is a gel so its on there... the cotton ball does the same thing! that is a great post blondie1972

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
[QUOTE=malibu]Wow, that sounds like a nightmare! I've had the same experience with a stylist removing mark barrington extensions. It was torture.

Thanks for this info!
[/QUOTE]
 
 
what are mark barrington extensions?

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malibu View Drop Down
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 17, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
They're shrinkies but the dude put his name on it.

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Blondie1972 View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 25, 2005
Location: Canada
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
[QUOTE=barbielocs]that is a  good  idea! the gl remover is a gel so its on there... the cotton ball does the same thing! that is a great post blondie1972[/QUOTE]
 
Kinda funny that you mentioned that because I don't think what she was using was a gel.  I was a clear liquid that smelled faintly like nail polish remover (likely acetone) with alcohol possibly mixed in (not sure though). 
 
Maybe that was part of the problem, she wasn't using the proper remover solution~?  Regardless... now I am without an extensionist~ Darn it! 
 
I'm not too keen on doing extensions myself~ I don't think I have the skill.  Removing them was okay because it is mostly time and patience that you need and I didn't have to worry about making sure everything is installed properly.
 
I do have to admit that I REALLY loved my Great Lengths and have been thinking about getting them done again.  I think because I didn't pay the crazy amounts that some people have helped with my opinion though.  I paid $900 for the hair, the shampoo, conditioner, anti-tap, leave in and brush.  (Didn't even use the stuff though as I thought it smelled TERRIBLE... Plus I am hooked on my Pureology stuff and like the looper brushes better!) 
 
I then paid $100 per hour (CAD) for installation and it took 4.5 hours.  I'm certainly NOT saying that is a reasonable amount to be paying every 10 to 12 weeks for hair, but I do think I got a decent price compared to what I've heard others have paid.
 
Not really sure what I will do for 'hair' now.  I do like fusion because I wear my hair up a lot. 
 
 
 
 
Blondie19722006-09-22 17:43:50

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
[QUOTE=malibu]They're shrinkies but the dude put his name on it. [/QUOTE]
 
oh ok thankyou

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
blondie1972
 
the old gl remover from like 3 years ago was a liqued but never ever smelled like acetone...
 
the new one is gel and has no smell... it is kinda pricey for a bottle of it so maybe your salon was "making" there own to save $$$(not worth it though as they lost your bussiness)
another trick for gl is to shampoo the hair with head and shoulders for a week before removal.

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Blondie1972 View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 25, 2005
Location: Canada
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
Thanks barbie!  I had never heard or read that about the Head & Shoulders.

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FinaFina View Drop Down
Member
Joined: Feb 12, 2005
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm
The Great Lengths remover is like 95% Cetyl Alcohol. My Great Lengths extensionist shared this little secret with me back when I was like paying her mortgage with my GL habit (thank goodness those days are OVER!!). Their gel is simply another format for the cetyl alcohol. Get some cetyl alcohol, put it in a spray bottle or something where you can squeeze a few drops on it, let it soak a second, squeeze it with your pliers, and voila.

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 22, 2006 at 6:11pm

gl hair dreams Cinderella are all polymer based bonds... sulfates break them up and they tell you to say away from shampoo with high sulfates in them, as they will break up the bonds, hence any dandruff shampoo has really high amounts of sulfates so if you wash with it for a week or 2 taking them out will be easier, i ask all my clients too- so there is less stress on there hair and less time spent removing them! i also tell them to stay away from sulfate shampoo until then... there are many brands without sulfates in them too...

in a different post i listed all the ingredients of the gl remover in order so that it is no longer a "secret" to anyone!

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dolphingirl View Drop Down
Newbie
Joined: Jul 04, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: Sep 23, 2006 at 6:11pm
Hello Barbielocs,
 
I need your help because I have Great Lengths installed in my hair and I am fearing the day when I will have to get them removed and not having any control over the process of removing the bonds. I would much rather take them out myself as I removed Hairlocs shells from my hair and preferred that because I knew I would be gentle and if I made a mistake it would be my fault. Please tell me what I can buy to remove them. I know that GL is insistent about them doing the take down but I feel like I should have the right to remove my own extensions especially because I paid so much and it is my hair...... Please help me as I don' t know who I can trust to tell me the truth???
 
Respectfully,
 
Dolphingirl

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 23, 2006 at 6:11pm
hi,
start shampooing your hair with head and shoulders, use all the conditioner and serum you want as they will all break up the bonds.
blondie stated "
So here is what I did:
 
I went and bought Rubbing Alcohol... Buy Isopropyl Alcohol~ 99% (not the 70%). 
 
I soaked a cotton ball with the alcohol and wrapped it around the bond.  I stuck a clip on the cotton ball over the bond and left it on for a few minutes while I did the same to the next few bonds. 
 
I would then go back to a bond that had soaked with alcohol for 3 to 5 minutes and crushed it with needle nose pliers while the cotton was still wrapped around the bond and hair.  At that point, some would slide right off while others I had to crush with pliers a second time once I took the alcohol soaked cotton ball away."
 
and that will work great. if you can get your hands on ever clear(some states don't sell it) it would be the better than just rubbing alcohol.. use pliers with grooves in them as they help crush the bond better.
 
go slow and take your time or have someone help you. if  you do it wrong it will damage your hair... i always rent a movie and do it. when you are done wash and condition good. let me know how it goes and i hope this helps!
 
barbielocs2006-09-23 02:45:20

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dolphingirl View Drop Down
Newbie
Joined: Jul 04, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: Sep 23, 2006 at 6:11pm

Thank you Barbielocks!  I am so thankful I found this website. I really appreciate the time you took to answer my question. I believe that you are very knowledgeable and know you're stuff. I plan to take mine out at exactly 3 months. I heard that GL extentionists prefer you wait till 4-6 months because then the bonds are easier to take out. Is that true? I am thinking about the safety of my hair and too much weight by 3 months although my hair is really strong.

Thank you..........You are Wonderful!!!

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metalgirl View Drop Down
Elite Member
Joined: Dec 06, 2004
Location: United States
Posted: Sep 23, 2006 at 6:11pm
Actually , Mark Barrington was the first to invent/market Shrink Links, debuting them on 1991, years before any other kind of shrink tube extension was available.

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 23, 2006 at 6:11pm
[QUOTE=dolphingirl]

Thank you Barbielocks!  I am so thankful I found this website. I really appreciate the time you took to answer my question. I believe that you are very knowledgeable and know you're stuff. I plan to take mine out at exactly 3 months. I heard that GL extentionists prefer you wait till 4-6 months because then the bonds are easier to take out. Is that true? I am thinking about the safety of my hair and too much weight by 3 months although my hair is really strong.

Thank you..........You are Wonderful!!!
[/QUOTE]
 
thank you for the nice words,  for me i do mine every 3 months. i would never leave them in longer than 4 months... it will cause damage. the gl hair will be ok and so will the bonds but that does not mean that it is good for your hair.
 
i do have a few people who leave them in for about 6 months BUT... one girl cuts them out as she is not interested in growing her hair so she wants them cut below the matting
 
the others who leave them in only have a few strands in the front for color or added thickness... at the most i would say they have 6 strands... 3 on each side in the front... those are OK for longer because they are easy to watch to see if any damage is happening...
barbielocs2006-09-23 15:19:53

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barbielocs View Drop Down
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Location:
Posted: Sep 23, 2006 at 6:11pm
[QUOTE=metalgirl]Actually , Mark Barrington was the first to invent/market Shrink Links, debuting them on 1991, years before any other kind of shrink tube extension was available. [/QUOTE]
 
i didn't know that thanks
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