What to Expect When You Enter the World of Keratin Bonds
Keratin bond hair extensions are one of the most natural-looking, long lasting ways to add volume, fullness, or even highlights without bleach. Whether you’re a client considering bonds or a stylist offering them, it’s important to understand how they change your appointment flow and maintenance routine.
For Clients: What to Expect
When you start wearing keratin bonds, your salon visits shift slightly compared to your old routine. Here’s what you can expect:
1. Your First Appointment
- This includes the cost of the hair plus installation.
- Pricing depends on how much hair is needed - from a few bonds for fullness or highlights to a full head transformation.
2. Maintenance Appointments
- Color clients (6–8 weeks): If you color your hair, your touch-ups will take a little longer since your stylist needs to carefully work around bonds.
- Bond replacement (8–16 weeks): There’s no one-size-fits-all. Timing depends on your hair type, bond size, and lifestyle. Some need new bonds at 8–10 weeks, others at 12, and some can stretch to 16.
3. Longer Appointment Times
- Sectioning and coloring around bonds takes more precision.
- More hair = slightly longer blow-dries and styling.
- Even a small amount of extensions adds extra time.
4. Communication Is Key
- After your first bond appointment, your stylist will ask you to check in when you start losing a few bonds.
- About a week before your next booking, they’ll ask how many bonds have come out to adjust your service time.
- Over time, you and your stylist will find the schedule that suits you best.
5. At-Home Care & Products
- Extensions need more hydration and protection.
- You will go through extra leave-in conditioner, heat protectant, and serum.
- Your stylist isn’t “over-using” product - your new hair simply needs it.
For Stylists: Booking Tips
Adding keratin bonds into your service menu means adjusting your system a little.
1. Adjust Your Timing
- A 1-hour root touch-up client may now need 1 hour 20 mins.
- Always pad blow-dry time when fuller hair is involved.
2. Pre-Book Every Time
- Before clients leave, get their next maintenance on the calendar.
- At installation, explain that you’ll need them to check in when bonds start shedding.
- A week before their next appointment, confirm bond loss to adjust service time.
3. Plan for Rotation
- Maintenance varies 8–16 weeks depending on lifestyle, hair type, and bond size.
- Generate a smooth system by installing a fresh set and putting aside the old set for rebonding later.
- Assistants can help with pre-bonding to save you chair time.
4. Price for the Real Work = FACTOR IN
- Bonding materials including keratin tips, shields, and remover
- Extra products used such as hair serum, detangler, and heat protectant
- Extra stylist time for sectioning and blow-drying
- Assistant or junior stylist labor for rebonding
Quick Reference Guide
For Clients
- Appointments take longer once bonds are in place
- Maintenance varies from 8–16 weeks depending on your hair and lifestyle
- Communication with your stylist ensures smooth scheduling
- Extra products are part of healthy hair extension care
- Bonds can reduce the need for bleach when used for highlights
For Stylists
- Add 20+ minutes to color services for bond clients
- Pre-book and confirm bond loss before each visit
- Track grams installed & removed for accurate quotes
- Use assistants for rebonding work
- Price for materials, product usage, and extra time
