How hair extensions got chic
When Katie Holmes stepped onto the red carpet at the Tokyo premiere of Valkyrie, you could hear the startled gasps all around.
It seemed that Mrs Tom Cruise had instantly transformed herself from a close-cropped, bed-headed mum into the young Dawson's Creek starlet who first caught her husband's eye.
Her mahogany-coloured mass of gleaming, groomed hair extensions upstaged the entire celebrity-packed event.
So long: Katie Holmes opted for a mahogany-coloured mass of gleaming, groomed hair extensions at the Tokyo premiere of Valkyrie
And it's not just Katie. Jennifer Aniston won't hit a red carpet without them, and Eva Longoria had some put in last week.
Just so we're clear, these are not the Lindsay Lohan/Britney Spears variety of extensions, either.
Gone are the days of WAG-style, waist-length, clumpy, hair swimming around the shoulders.
And Katie without the extensions...
Today's extensions are subtle, glossy and, above all, discreet.
'It's like having good plastic surgery - you're not supposed to notice it's there,' says one celebrity hairdresser who gave Cameron Diaz extensions for one of her films.
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'A great set of extensions can do as much for you as getting a little lipo or even some Botox: they make you look younger and healthier.'
Want some yourself?
Go for the cold fusion method. The hair is electronically pre-bonded (the strands are already connected to each other before they are put in) with no glue.
Eva Longoria had extensions put in last week (right)
So there is virtually no chance a stylist can mess up and burn your hair. They are also relatively quick to put in: a full head in an hour and a half.
The only downside is cost: a full head can cost £1,000 and lasts for around three months. Try Inanch Hair Salon, 020 7383 7607, www.inanch.com.
If you don't want to commit, try Hairdo clip-on extensions by Jessica Simpson and celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves. The shorter versions start at £59.
They are available in the UK at www.hqhair.co.uk and www.extensions.com.
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