How HMF Hair Extensions Came To Be…

So how does a retired teacher and stay at home mom with no experience in the hair industry end up owning a hair extension brand?

Well, it happens like anything else, HMF Hair Extensions was born out of necessity or as necessary as hair extensions can be. I am a big fan of Shark Tank and had heard over and over that the best businesses come from filling a hole in the market, and I found there to be a large hole in the market!

Following my second pregnancy, I decided to cut all my hair off! My natural hair was limp and stringy, and I wanted it to look and feel better. I had short hair in the past and it was very on-trend at the time to have short hair. I loved my short hair until we decided to renew our wedding vows for our 10th wedding anniversary and I realized I didn’t have long enough hair to style in a special way and I really wanted my hair to look similar to when we were married originally… which was long!

I started growing my hair out and became frustrated by how long it was taking and felt stuck in the “awkward” phase. So, I decided to try out hair extensions. The only method that my hairstylist at the time offered was tape-ins. When I was quoted a price for three packs of hair I almost fell on the floor, and it didn’t even include the cost of install! I decided to look for other hair options and purchased three packs at a more comfortable price point. I was fearful that I wouldn’t like having hair extensions, that they would bother me or be too difficult to maintain myself, and thus did not want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on the unknown.

I am so glad I didn’t buy the more expensive tape-ins because I quickly realized that tape-ins were not the installation method for me. I had to wear too many sandwiches to create the look and length I wanted, and they didn’t mesh well with my lifestyle. I did however love the way I looked and having my hair look great for days after washing and styling. While it took longer for me to wash and style the extension hair, overall, I saved so much time because I was only washing and styling 2-3 times per week instead of every single day. This also saved my natural hair because it wasn’t being constantly stripped of the natural oils and heat-styled over and over again daily.

So, I went in search of an installation method that better suited me. I am a psychotic researcher, I get excited about something and learn everything there is to learn about that subject, and so learning about hair extension and installation methods became my latest obsession. I desperately wanted a hand-tied sew-in method, but it was extremely difficult to find a stylist that provided this service anywhere near where I lived and driving an hour or more was not something that worked for me at this juncture of my life. So, I tried keratin fusion bond extensions, this time from a highly well-known company. It was Indian hair and held up pretty well. However, it required a keratin treatment (another added expense) for me to personally be able to style it without being overly frizzy, it shed a ton, and the color of the blonde while beautiful didn’t have the “icy-ness” I wanted and lusted after from Pinterest.

Then it finally happened!!!! I was able to get a beaded row sew-in installation method! I was beyond excited; the stylist was also new to this installation method and we decided to try a machine weft extension (from a big well-known company). The hair was BEAUTIFUL, but the seam was sooooo thick that I couldn’t put my hair in a ponytail, which was a big problem for me.

It then became time to try a hand-tied weft (from yet another big, well-known company) the hand-tied wefts changed everything regarding putting my hair up! I was so happy! However, the shedding was ridiculous, I spent more money than I care to think about on these extensions and within FOUR months I was unhappy with how thin the extensions appeared and was horrified that I would again need to invest in new hair.

That was when I decided it was time to explore other options so that other hair extension wearers/lovers, especially those doing so for the first time wouldn’t waste their time, energy, and hard-earned money on disappointing hair extensions.

I was very naïve to this business when I started, I trusted manufacturers when they told me I was getting “10a” hair, which I now know doesn’t really mean much of anything. I tried extensions in my own hair on my own dime from more factories, companies, manufacturers, and countries than I care to reminisce about.  I learned so much about how hair is collected, donated, sorted, sold, and obtained, it was crazy. There were pros and cons to everything. I realized at the end of the day that the business model I wanted to execute wasn’t going to be possible because the fact of the matter is that you get what you pay for. When you buy an inexpensive extension from an unknown foreign source off social media there is a reason it is so inexpensive, and the damage and frustration it causes is never worth it. If this is your only option, please do not ruin your precious hair.

Once I realized I had to change my plan I did more research, conducted more meetings, more thoroughly vetted potential manufacturers until I was comfortable finding what I believe to be the best product available. One that I personally wear every day and one that I felt comfortable taking your hard-earned money for, one that I can stand behind and assure everyone that they are getting what they deserve.

Let’s face it, the name of my company is HMF, I am high maintenance, I like nice things, I enjoy luxury things, places, brands, and products. My hair extension brand is no different, it is luxury. When you wear HMF extensions they will be so natural-looking and gorgeous, no one will know you have them in unless you tell them, or they run into you at the salon (it’s inevitable isn’t it?).

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! I know it was long! As always if you have any questions or comments, please reach out!

xx,
- Jenna