Published in Style IconsView Article Source November 2010
The seemingly simple hair extension was given new meaning as Thomas Gold, son of Great Lengths founder David Gold, revealed the behind the scenes process at the factory of the 'Rolls Royce of Hair Extensions' - Great Lengths, in Rome. Hair by Great Lengths The Great Lengths process is one that has been attempted by companies hoping to replicate the quality - but still, 20 years on, its processes remain unrivalled.

The Great Lengths hair extensions process is one that has been attempted by companies hoping to replicate the quality - but still, 20 years on, its processes remain unrivalled.

David Gold began his career as a fashion store salesman at a high-end boutique in London in the mid 70s - at a time when one could argue that haute couture fashion was not really appreciated.

An installation in a London department store - that had people queuing for custom-printed t-shirts - first piqued his entrepreneurial enthusiasm, and Gold took the concept back to Italy where he opened a small stall in which to launch his textile printing business.
He later designed his own adhesives and screenprinting machines to cater to Italy's discerning tastes and it wasn't long before luxury fashion houses including Valentino came calling - earning him the title 'King of Transfers'.

David's success in his adhesive transfer business inspired him to apply his knowledge to hair - salons were already starting to use hair extensions but the synthetic hair was poor quality and the glue dissolved out after a few washes - so he set out to produce a polymer that mimicked the hair's molecular construction.

He then opened a hair salon in 1991 on London's George street called Great Lengths - the beginning of his hair extensions empire. Yet despite his imminent success, it wasn't all smooth sailing.
The hair salon turned over £74,000 in one month but a few months later clients came storming back into the hair salon wearing hats - the hair extensions had matted and tangled violently - this was because the hair cuticles were not aligned in the same direction (what is known today as non-remi hair extensions).
It was after the hair salon closed after just eight months and David moved back to Italy that Great Lengths then became the pioneer of 'remi hair extensions'.
It was back in Rome that David also learned the best hair comes from India. The concept relates to a tradition in India whereby men and women of all ages make the pilgrimage to Hindu temples to donate hair as a sacrifice to the 'gods' and Great Lengths hair extensions now contributes greatly to these communities funding temples, hospitals and basic needs in exchange for the what is coined, the 'world's best hair'.

"My Dad wanted to create a system of supreme quality. He was very depressed and let down by the whole process and the substandard systems out there that he was determined to find something better," said Thomas.

Constant challenges were met - the hair was black so he bleached it which then left it in very bad condition - he needed a system that was gentle on the hair. Now courtesy of an advanced osmosis system, Great Lengths hair extensions can create the blackest black to the blondest blonde.

The osmosis system uses high concentrations of felamelamine and a secret formulation that can take up to 20 days to a month to achieve the right level of lightening before the other colour processes can be applied to the hair.
"He learnt this process by understanding how wool companies process and colour wool fibres into beautiful garments. Apprehensive at first, the companies realised he was not trying to compete with them and so they taught him how to apply the same principles to hair," said Thomas.
"The difference with this system is that the cuticle is completely in tact and this is our biggest advantage over all of the other hair extensions in the world – the condition of the hair is incredible."
These advanced formulas and the commitment to finding the best hair extensions and not always the cheapest played a vital role in the company's growth.

"We were the first Hair Extension company ever at events like Cosmoprof and MCB in Paris and people were laughing at us - they saw hair extensions as a low-end product because up until then the hair quality was poor. They said long hair might be in fashion now but what about when trends change so we have always maintained we are not just about length, Great Lengths hair extensions is also about volume and confidence," he added.

With more than 50,000 hair extension salons globally using the Great Lengths hair extension system in over 62 countries it is an expensive operation to keep up the supply from the companies Italy headquarters - paying Euro wages and uses only remi hair which is a lot more limited than non-remi .

Five tonnes of hair is purchased every month which has a market value of around $500-$600 per kilo. Back in the '90s it may have been just $30 a kilo.

The ethical standards don't just extend to the sourcing of the hair - the company has installed a 30,000 litre underwater tank that treats and recycles water consumed throughout the osmosis process.

A Great Lengths hair extension is a carefully woven combination of multi-tonal strands - all made by hand by the 140 staff that work in the factory (with the help of some custom-made machines for the keratin bonding.
It's a complex process with an exquisite outcome - giving length, volume and confidence to women the world over.