Frequently Asked Questions
The questions worth asking.
Every extension brand has words. Virgin. Remy. Premium. Ethical. Tested.
The better questions are harder.
Who makes the hair? Who controls what happens to it? What was actually tested? What happens when something fails?
Here are our answers.
01
Why Prolonged Hair
Why does Prolonged Hair exist?
Because the extensions Whitney wore for our wedding cost thousands of dollars and fell apart within weeks, and nobody could tell us why.
Where did the raw hair come from? Who processed it? What was used on it? Who tested it? Who actually made it?
Those were the questions we had spent our careers answering in other industries. In hair extensions, nobody had an answer.
So we went and got our own. We bought hair from brands across the market and sent it to independent laboratories. Every brand in that sample set failed at least one material claim. We visited manufacturing facilities and met manufacturers willing to print practically any claim on a box.
We did not want to become another customer of that system.
We took over manufacturing facilities and operate them exclusively for Prolonged Hair. We buy the raw hair, process it, color it, construct the wefts and bonds, test every batch, and decide whether it ships.
The industry didn’t need another copycat brand. It needed a different model. So we built one.
Do you actually make the hair?
Yes.
We own and directly operate manufacturing facilities exclusively for Prolonged Hair. Nothing is made there for any other brand.
We buy the raw hair, process it, color it, construct the extensions, package them and sell them ourselves.
No finished hair enters our operation. No semi-processed hair enters our operation.
Our founders oversee operations daily and can perform the work at every station themselves.
Touring a factory makes you a tourist, not an expert.
Why didn’t you just find a better supplier?
Because a better supplier is still someone else’s factory, making the same hair for several brands, with your label on one of the boxes.
If you do not create the product start to finish and control every step of production, you do not control its quality. You inherit it.
Choosing a finished product from a catalog, changing a few specifications and putting your name on the box is not product development.
If we could not materially change the product and take responsibility for making it, there was no reason to be here.
What did you find when you tested other brands?
We bought retail samples from several brands across luxury, prestige and mass and sent them to independent laboratories.
Every brand in that sample set failed at least one material claim.
Hair sold as cuticle-intact without intact cuticle. Animal and synthetic fiber in product represented as human hair. Formaldehyde present on hair.
Not every sample had every problem, and 12 brands are not the whole industry. It was enough to act on.
“Trust us” is not a testing method.
Who makes it?
Whitney and Jonathan Sexsmith, together, with the people on our production floor.
There is no his side and her side. The raw hair that comes in, the specification it is made to, the shade that goes on it, the weft and the bond it becomes, and the records that have to exist before any of it carries our name are decisions we make together.
Two signatures release a batch. If either of us says no, it does not ship.
Either of us can perform the work at every station of production.
Is every production batch really tested?
Yes. Every batch.
Samples come from actual production, not from a set prepared for marketing. They go blind to an independent laboratory.
If one tested strand fails our specifications, the entire batch is discarded at our expense.
Not the strand. The entire batch.
Never discounted. Never moved into a cheaper line. Never shipped anyway.
Even after a batch passes, it still needs both founders’ approval before it leaves. Its batch number is on the bottom of every carton.
The test does not exist to make a marketing claim. It decides whether we sell the hair.
What if you can no longer meet your own standard?
Then we stop selling under it.
We will not quietly lower the requirement, substitute a lesser product and keep telling you the same story. If we can no longer make and verify what we promise, we close the doors before we ask anyone to trust something we cannot support.
Rejecting an entire batch at our own expense is what that looks like in practice.
02
The hair
What is Prolonged Hair made of?
Human hair, cuticle intact, aligned in one direction.
It enters our operation raw. Nothing arrives finished. Nothing arrives half-processed by someone else.
We do not process mixed-origin hair, sweep hair, previously processed hair, acid-stripped hair or inventory of unknown source. If it does not meet our intake criteria, it does not enter production.
Every batch is confirmed human by an independent laboratory before it ships. Not animal. Not synthetic.
We know what happened to the hair because we are the ones who did it.
Is it virgin? Is it Remy?
Remy, yes. Cuticle intact, every strand facing the same way, sorted by hand to keep it that way. Flipped cuticles catch on each other; that is where tangling and matting after a few washes come from.
Virgin: raw, yes. Colored, no. The raw hair enters our operation virgin. Once we lift or color it, it is not virgin anymore, and we will not sell you a blonde extension and call it virgin because the word sounds better.
We would rather tell you exactly what was done to the hair.
Why start with hair 28 inches or longer?
Because of the ends.
Hair thins toward the tips as it grows. Buy it at the length you will sell it and the last few inches look sparse.
We buy longer and cut our finished lengths from it, so the ends arrive as full as the lengths above them.
It costs more. Your client can see it.
What is the Pro•Lock™ Process?
Whitney’s seven-step process for everything that happens to raw hair in our facilities before it carries our name.
Hand sorted. Cleansed without acid stripping. Lifted slowly, in small batches. Colored with cosmetic-grade pigment. Finished without silicone. Checked at every stage. Then tested blind by an independent laboratory.
No acid-stripped cuticles hidden under silicone. No textile dyes. Hair made to be colored, toned and customized like natural hair.
Can every shade be lifted, toned or colored?
Yes. Every shade.
We do not acid-strip the hair. We do not hide it under a silicone coating. We color it with cosmetic-grade colorants in processing we control ourselves, so it behaves like healthy human hair under your color.
Clarify first, strand-test, and finish color services before you install. Processed hair cannot be returned.
Will the shade I ordered last year match the shade I order today?
That is the point of running the color ourselves.
Color is calibrated during production against our shade standards, not corrected after packaging. A batch that falls outside tolerance is brought back to standard before release or it does not ship.
Every carton carries its batch number, so if you ever see a shift, we can trace it to the batch and the records behind it.
Do you use silicone coatings?
No.
Silicone masking is how damaged hair is made to feel finished for a week or two. Then it rinses away.
If our hair feels good, it is because of the material and how it was processed. Not because of something covering it.
Do you acid-strip the hair?
No.
Acid stripping removes the cuticle to make hair easier to process. We keep the cuticle. Preserving the hair matters more to us than making production faster.
Do you use textile dyes?
No.
Only colorants approved for cosmetic use on the body. A Safety Data Sheet and a Certificate of Analysis are on file for every pigment and material we use.
Those documents tell us what went in. They are not a substitute for testing the finished hair, so we do that too.
What is the Genius Weft?
Our own weft, designed by Whitney and made in our facilities.
An ultra-flat, flexible seam with no return hair, so it sits close to the scalp. Cut it anywhere along its length.
Two 13-inch wefts per box, 25 g each, in 18 and 22 inches. Twenty-two shades.
Zero shedding is a promise no weft can keep, so we test instead. Fifty wash cycles. Less than 1% lost.
What is in a Mini Keratin Bond?
Handmade in our facilities, pre-formed and ready to install, for cold and thermal fusion.
0.5 g per strand, half the weight of a standard 1 g strand, with a 3.5 × 3.75 × 1 mm bond color-matched to the hair. 50 strands per bundle, 25 g, in 18, 22 and 24 inches.
“Keratin bond” is the industry name for the fusion attachment, not a statement of what it is made of. Our supplier markets the bonding material as “Italian Keratin.” Its Safety Data Sheet identifies it as a copolyamide hot-melt adhesive. We source that material and form and press every bond by hand.
We describe the adhesive by its documentation, not its trade name. Ask any brand to do the same.
How strong is it?
We measure it.
An independent laboratory tested Prolonged Hair against retail hair from other brands on the same equipment with the same methods.
Up to 4.3× break stress.
2.3× elongation before break.
Under a scanning electron microscope, the cuticle is still intact and aligned after processing to Level 12.
“Feels amazing” isn’t a unit of measurement.
How long does it last?
There is no honest universal number. Installation, maintenance, chemical services, lifestyle and reuse all matter.
We have clients still wearing the same Prolonged Hair wefts after two years. That is not a guarantee. It is what excellent hair, excellent installation and good maintenance can do.
03
Behind the chair
Which product do I use for which client?
Genius Weft for fullness and length. Suitable for all hair types, with a flat, flexible seam you can cut anywhere along its length.
Mini Keratin Bonds for fine to medium hair, and anywhere you need flexibility in placement, density and weight distribution. Thermal or cold fusion.
Many hair artists use both on one head. Wefts for the bulk, bonds where it has to disappear.
How do I match a shade?
With the Shade Selection Color Ring: a 5-gram, 14-inch swatch of every shade. Match in daylight against the mid-lengths, not the root.
Every Genius Weft box holds two 13-inch wefts, so you can blend two shades on one head without buying quantity you do not need.
Which lengths and shades do you make?
Genius Weft in 18 and 22 inches. Mini Keratin Bonds in 18, 22 and 24 inches.
Twenty-two shades, from Back To Black to Gold As Ice. Shade codes: R rooted, N neutral, NA neutral ash, NB neutral brown, NW neutral warm, WB warm brown, WG warm gold, G gold, GB gold brown, CB copper brown.
Not everything we make is listed. For other lengths, shades or configurations, ask.
Should I wash the hair before I install it?
Yes. We require it.
Wash it. Air-dry it. Inspect it.
If you find a manufacturing issue, contact us with the batch number from the bottom of the carton before the hair is cut, colored or installed. That lets us look at the product before installation variables enter the picture.
Why do keratin bonds shed, and how do I prevent it?
Most shedding blamed on keratin extensions is not a hair problem. It is bond failure, from one of three causes: improper installation, contamination, or adhesive degradation.
Hot fusion, cold fusion or ultrasonic, the method does not matter if the bond is not sealed. A correctly installed bond encapsulates the hair completely, locks at the top and bottom, and has no air pockets.
Before every install: clarify thoroughly, double cleanse if needed, no conditioner at the root, no serums, no oils, fully dry. Roots should feel clean, not silky. If it feels slippery, it is contaminated.
The full installation protocol is published for approved accounts. It is the standard our warranty is written against, so read it before your first install.
Keratin Bond Install Protocols → (login required)
What contaminates a bond?
Silicones. Oils and butters. Cationic conditioners. They persist in the hair for weeks, migrate downward, and reduce friction at the bond even after the client stops using them.
Before you install, ask about scalp serums, growth drops, detox sprays, scalp scrubs, hair oils, leave-ins, smoothing creams, dry shampoo, root sprays, deep conditioners and co-washes.
A perfect install cannot override chemical contamination.
How should my client care for it?
Sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. Conditioner from mid-length to ends, never on the bonds or the seam.
Brush morning and night, ends first, supporting the root.
Heat protectant every time. No direct heat on bonds or seams.
A professional peptide repair mask every one to two weeks. For clients who lighten, tone, gloss or heat style regularly, weekly.
Dry hair, a loose braid and a silk pillowcase to sleep. Never sleep on wet extensions.
Move-ups: Genius Weft every 6 to 10 weeks, Mini Keratin Bonds every 8 to 12, depending on growth, method and lifestyle.
Keep oils, butters, heavy conditioners and silicones away from the attachment areas. Ordinary use on mid-lengths and ends is fine. On the bonds, it is contamination, and contamination is not a defect.
04
Proof
Where does the hair come from?
We buy raw hair directly, globally, and we keep the receipts: sourcing, purchasing, shipment, intake and production records appropriate to the channel and the lot. No donor is under 18, anywhere we buy.
We do not repeat a supplier’s story. We have our own records.
We do not put a romantic country name on the box. A country name tells you where someone says the hair came from. It does not tell you how it was acquired or what happened to it afterward.
A country name is not a paper trail.
What do you test?
The material: is it human, and is it clean. The fiber: break stress, elongation, stiffness, and the cuticle under a scanning electron microscope. The finished product: color, weight, length and construction against its specification.
Records are a different kind of evidence. Sourcing, shipment and material documents tell us where things came from and what went in. The tests tell us how the hair performs. We keep both.
Does a certification prove the hair?
Only if it tested the hair.
A company certification tells you about the company. A factory audit tells you about the facility. An ISO certificate tells you about a management system.
None of them tells you what the hair in your box is made of, what was done to it, whether the cuticle is intact or how the fiber performs. Only testing the hair does.
A certificate about the building is not a test of the hair.
Why don’t you publish your records?
Because accountability and public disclosure are not the same thing.
Our records hold donor information, supplier relationships, shipment details, production information and laboratory material. We keep every record needed to support every claim we make.
We do not publish other people’s private information, and we do not hand competitors the blueprint to a supply chain we built.
Can I see your original laboratory reports?
No. Original reports are not distributed.
The results, methods and comparisons are published on Our Science, and every batch carries a number tying it to its own records.
What should I ask any extension company before I buy?
Who actually makes the hair?
Does finished or semi-processed hair enter your operation?
Who controls the processing and the color?
What is in the color, and can you show me the documents?
Is the testing independent, and is every batch tested, or was one sample tested once?
What happens when a batch fails, and who pays for it?
If a claim matters to your recommendation, it is fair to ask what sits behind it.
05
Working with us
Who can buy Prolonged Hair?
Licensed hair artists and approved salons. We do not sell to the person in the chair.
Whitney and Jonathan review every application themselves. Not every application is approved. We care where the product is installed, how it is represented, and whose reputation is attached to it.
I’m not a hair artist. Can I buy it?
No. Ask your hair artist to apply for an account.
We do not sell to clients and we do not give out partner salon information.
Do I need a certification to open an account?
A professional license and an approved application. No brand certification is required.
Education and certification: to be announced.
What does it cost?
Professional pricing is shown once your account is approved. It is never published, and neither is a retail price. What you charge your client is yours to set.
Do you offer samples?
No.
We do not give away finished hair to prove it has value. It proves itself in an independent laboratory before it ships.
If you want to work with the product, apply. For shade matching, there is the color ring.
What do approved professionals receive?
Professional pricing. Direct hair artist support. Access to professional resources.
And for professionals and salons who build with us, support from our marketing, not just materials for theirs: features, events, campaigns and social exposure when there is a genuine fit.
We do not promise every account the same relationship. The people who build with us matter to us.
Why should a salon owner care how the hair is made?
Because when hair fails, the brand loses a bundle. You lose the correction appointment, the time it displaced, the conversation, the review, and sometimes the client. A replacement bundle gives none of that back.
And ask the question your client would ask if she knew what to ask.
Do you want to wear hair from a sewer, a drain, or taken from a dead person at a morgue on your head?
Or would you rather wear hair you can trust, because you know exactly where it came from?
Our job is to take responsibility for everything we can before the hair reaches your chair.
Your reputation is behind every installation.
Ours is behind the hair.
Can I buy hair for another hair artist?
An individual account is for that professional’s own use. A salon account may buy for the licensed professionals working within that salon. Anyone outside that account applies for their own.
What if something is out of stock?
We tell you, with the best available production date, and you can cancel before it ships.
We will not rush a batch through production because somebody wants an appointment date. If the hair is not ready, it is not ready.
We would rather lose the sale than send hair we would not put our name on.
How fast do you ship, and do you ship internationally?
In-stock orders ship within two business days, and most ship sooner. Overnight delivery in the United States on orders placed by 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
International orders go by DHL Express or a comparable tracked service. Duties, VAT and import taxes are paid by the recipient and are not collected at checkout.
What is your return and warranty policy?
Ordinary returns within 30 days of delivery: unopened, unused, factory ties and hygiene seals intact. Hair that has been cut, colored, chemically processed, re-bonded or installed cannot be returned.
Manufacturing defects are covered for 30 days from delivery. The defect must exist at delivery and be reported, with photos or video, before the hair is installed or altered. Wash it, dry it, inspect it, then install it.
Bond softening or slippage after installation, contamination of the attachment areas and problems caused by installation or aftercare are not defects. They are covered by the Published Protocols, not the warranty.
Every claim starts with the batch number on the bottom of the carton. The full policy is kept in one place so you are always reading the current version.
No answer matches that yet. Try another word, or write to hairtosupport@prolongedhair.com.
Still have a question?
Good.
A good question is more useful than another claim.
hairtosupport@prolongedhair.com
+1 646-541-5788
Hair With Nothing to Hide.
