Welcome to 2024, where trending hairstyles make your hair dreams a reality. The most common requests hair stylists are asked to create for clients are to give them longer hair & beautiful hair color. In this article, Alexa Steeves, a professional hairstylist, will go over ways to achieve such hair goals through the use of encapsulated bead hair extensions & dimensional hair color.

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Meet The Expert
Alexa Steeves
Expertise: Hairstyles, Hair Extensions, Blonding
Alexa is a second-generation hairstylist in Connecticut, specializing in blonding, balayage, and encapsulated bead hair extensions. She owns her own salon and a hair extension education company, and shares her expertise as an instructor at her local cosmetology school.

Trend #1 - Hair Extensions

Trend #1 - Hair Extensions
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Encapsulated Bead Hair Extensions have been on the rise since 2019. Today, they are a highly sought-after service that many stylists proudly offer. The number one question we hair stylists hear when it comes to hair extensions is:

“Will they damage my hair?”. I can confidently say no, they do not damage hair. My clients actually find their hair grows fuller & stronger while wearing encapsulated bead hair extensions.

That is because, unlike other hair extension methods, they don't use any glue, adhesive, or heat to install. So with expert installation & proper home care clients should not experience any hair breakage or loss! [Check our Hair Extension Maintenance Guide]

These extensions are especially great for busy clients, the moms who can't spend hours in the salon, and even the athlete who has been told she can't have extensions because of her lifestyle. But hair stylists can proudly offer encapsulated bead extensions to almost anyone & everyone!

These extensions are especially great for the busy clients, the moms who can't spend hours in the salon and even the athlete who has been told she can't have extensions because of her lifestyle.
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Some key points about encapsulated bead hair extensions are as follows:

  1. Maintenance is a dream! Encapsulated bead extensions only need to be adjusted every 6-8 weeks and with the right, specially-trained stylist, these appointments should take less than an hour!

  2. They are extremely versatile and can cater to most people’s lifestyles, including athletes! Because these extensions don't use any adhesive, most clients have no problem wearing them, no matter what hobbies or sports they take part in.

  3. Hair extensions are not just about adding length. They can also be used to add body and volume to the hair.

  4. Encapsulated bead extensions are almost invisible! Unlike other hair extension methods like tape-ins or fusions, you can not see the installation point. They lie flush to the scalp and can be lifted fully up into a ponytail without poking out. The variety of trending hairstyles you can wear is endless! The beads, which are the installation point, are completely encapsulated by the hair, making them blend seamlessly into the client's natural hair.

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Trend #2 - Dimensional Hair Color

Trend #2 - Dimensional Hair Color & Chunky Highlights
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Another popular hair service that we will see an influx of this year is dimensional hair colors. Solid platinum blondes are out! Make way for multi-dimensional hair colors, dare I even say chunky highlights!? We are going to see lots of blondes adding lowlights & brunettes adding highlights. One reason is that it creates a more “expensive hair color” not literally, but a more expensive-looking hair color. A color not just any stylist can recreate. This a color only a professional, master colorist can create by using techniques like balayage, teasy lights & block coloring.

Brunette Dimensional Hair Color & Lowlights
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You may ask, “What's the best way to achieve 2024 dimensional hair color?”. There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to coloring our clients' hair, as each color is custom, specifically created for them. However, my favorite foiling technique lately is a chunky teasylight with a lowlight in between. As seen in my favorite “expensive brunette” hair color.

Dimensional colors are a great service choice for many clients as they will grow softer & more blended than traditional highlights due to the multiple colors in the hair, leaving less of a line of demarcation when the natural hair grows. Which aids in the longevity the clients get out of their color! This is ideal for clients because who wants to be in the salon every 4 weeks? Most people can’t possibly do that!

What to Expect This 2024, Hair Edition
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Now how are the two connected? Extensions & dimensional colors go hand and hand. Any hair extension specialist knows you should never install just one color of hair extensions, you should always add multiple shades in the same family. Even my blondest clients have multiple extension shades to create a stronger blend and to make it look as natural as possible. As shown below. This approach is crucial for achieving the trending hairstyles of 2024, blending innovation with natural beauty.

Conclusion

As a stylist, I'm proud to be here sharing my thoughts on this year's hair trends. These services are greatly impacting the beauty industry by giving clients the hair they've dreamt of. Hair extensions can change the way someone views themself, I have personally had clients cry in my chair in awe of their new look. We as stylists play such a big role in how people feel about themselves, even if it's just a quick wash and blowdry, they leave more confident than they did walking in.

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