By Talitha, founder of Fox & Vamp
I remember buying my first hair extensions before I was even 15.
They came in one of those plastic hanging bags from the local hair shop. My friends and I would walk down together, choosing different colours and lengths, then spend the weekend clipping them in and feeling absolutely amazing.
Looking back, the colour match probably wasn’t perfect. Neither was the blending. But I remember how they made us feel.
We could experiment, get dressed up and try on a slightly different version of ourselves.
I couldn’t have known then that hair extensions would come with me through so many stages of my life. Through nights out, building my career, getting married and becoming a mother. Or that I would eventually build Fox & Vamp around helping other women experience that same confidence.
What I wanted from my hair changed at every stage. The feeling I was looking for stayed surprisingly similar.
My early twenties: experimenting and finding my confidence
By 18, I was going out, experimenting with my appearance and doing far too much to my hair.
There was bleach. There was breakage. There were decisions I probably wouldn’t make again.
Clip-in hair extensions, and later wefts, gave me the fullness and length I wanted when my own hair wasn’t looking its best. I loved being able to change my look. Bigger hair, different hair, something new for the weekend.
I still understand that excitement. Sometimes you want extensions because you love long waves, a fuller ponytail or the feeling of getting ready for a night out.
That is reason enough.
Knowing what I know today, I would also tell my younger self to pay more attention to the hair underneath. Damaged or fragile hair needs care, and any decision to add extensions should start with assessing what your natural hair can comfortably support.
Building my career: a more natural kind of confidence
As I got older and started building my career, my taste changed.
I wanted something polished and understated that felt like the woman I was becoming.
I wore 18-inch keratin bonds, close to my natural length. I wanted fullness, a beautiful shape and hair that felt consistently good.
I remember feeling sophisticated. As though I was beginning to look like the woman I wanted to be in my career.
That experience still influences how I think about natural-looking hair extensions today. Sometimes a little extra density through the ends makes all the difference. Sometimes you want to keep your existing length and make it feel fuller.
A subtle change can mean a great deal to the person wearing it.
My wedding: the hair I had always imagined
Then came meeting my husband, getting engaged and planning the wedding of my dreams.
For that moment, I wanted the hair too.
I wore a combination of 22-inch tape extensions, bonds around the front and clip-ins for an extra bit of oomph in the evening.
It was very me. Just with considerably more hair.
My own wedding hair involved several methods, but every bride needs her own plan. Bridal hair extensions should be chosen around your natural hair, your hairstyle and how you want it to look and feel throughout the day.
For one bride, that might mean temporary fullness with clip-ins. For another, it might mean professionally fitted extensions planned well before the wedding.
The important part is having a consultation and a trial, so you feel comfortable, prepared and completely yourself when the day arrives.
Motherhood and postpartum hair loss: finding my way back to myself
A few years later came babies.
I knew pregnancy would change my body. I wasn’t prepared for how upsetting it could feel when my hair changed too.
So much changes when you become a mother. Your routine, your sleep, your priorities and sometimes your sense of who you are. Seeing your hair become thinner can feel like one more unfamiliar thing at a time when you are already adjusting to so much.
Postpartum hair shedding, often called postpartum hair loss, commonly starts a few months after birth. Falling oestrogen levels can trigger excessive shedding, known as telogen effluvium. For many women, this is temporary, with normal fullness returning by their baby’s first birthday. (American Academy of Dermatology)
Knowing that it can be temporary doesn’t make the experience feel insignificant.
During that chapter, I wore bonds, and having fuller-looking hair helped my confidence enormously. When I felt like I was coming back to myself, feeling good about my hair was part of that.
It didn’t change everything I was going through. But it helped.
My experience is personal, though. Extensions do not treat postpartum shedding, and what suited me may be unsuitable for someone else.
Extensions can place tension on natural hair, and repeated pulling can cause traction alopecia. If hair is actively shedding, fragile or sparse, fitting extensions may need to wait. (British Association of Dermatologists)
This is where honest advice matters. A consultation should assess whether extensions are appropriate, and sometimes the right next step is to speak to your GP or dermatologist first.
You deserve to feel listened to throughout that process, without pressure to go ahead.
Perimenopause and menopause: making space for the conversation
I’m 38, and this isn’t a chapter I can speak about from personal experience yet.
But it is something clients are speaking about more openly, and I want Fox & Vamp to be a place where those conversations feel comfortable.
During perimenopause and menopause, some women notice changes in their hair. Their ponytail may feel smaller, or their parting more visible. Female pattern hair loss becomes more common after menopause, although thinning has several possible causes and shouldn’t automatically be attributed to hormones. (American Academy of Dermatology)
The emotional effect deserves attention too. Hair loss can affect self-esteem and body image, even when the change looks subtle to someone else. (British Association of Dermatologists)
For someone whose hair and scalp are suitable, carefully planned extensions may provide cosmetic fullness and support their confidence. That might mean a modest amount of volume or fuller-looking ends, rather than additional length.
The method, weight and placement need to be considered individually. So does the decision about whether extensions are appropriate at all.
Our role is to listen, assess suitability and explain the options honestly. When thinning needs medical investigation, that must come first.
Choosing hair extensions that suit your life now
The extensions I wanted as a teenager were different from the ones I chose for my career, my wedding or motherhood.
Your preferences may change too. So might your hair, your routine and the amount of maintenance you want to commit to.
That is why I believe a good hair extensions consultation starts with listening.
What do you love about your hair? What do you miss? Are you looking for length, fullness or a little more shape? How much time do you realistically have to look after it?
Then comes assessing your natural hair and scalp, discussing suitable options and explaining the maintenance involved.
No extension method is right for everyone. Having worn a particular method before doesn’t mean it will always be the best choice.
To me, putting hair health first means being willing to have those conversations, including when the best advice is to wait.
For every stage of you
When I think about those plastic bags of clip-ins, I smile.
I had no idea how many memories hair extensions would become part of. Or how often doing something with my hair would help me feel more confident in a changing life.
Sometimes I wanted to stand out. Sometimes I wanted to look polished. Sometimes I just wanted to recognise myself in the mirror again.
That feeling is at the heart of Fox & Vamp.
You might be experimenting with your look, preparing for your wedding, adjusting to motherhood or navigating changes you hadn’t expected. You might simply want beautiful hair for an ordinary Tuesday.
Your life doesn’t have to follow the same chapters as mine. Whatever stage you are at, we want to understand where you are now and help you explore what is right for you.
For the hair you choose. For every stage of you.
Considering hair extensions? Book a consultation at our Chelsea salon to discuss your hair, your goals and your suitability with the Fox & Vamp team.
