MOORHEAD - Addy Bolgrean was getting her hair cut at the Hideaway Salon about a month ago when she first saw the latest hair trend: feather hair extensions. She knew she wanted them.
"At first, it seemed weird to have bird feathers in your hair, but they're really unique looking," Bolgrean says.
Now a cluster of cream and gold-colored feathers - yes, they're real feathers - peek out of her shoulder-length, deep burgundy-hued hair. They augment the funky style she sports as a 22-year-old college senior at Minnesota State University Moorhead. But she's also able to hide them when she's at work. Straddling the student and professional worlds, she liked that flexibility. And though they're currently attached to her scalp, they're temporary.
Feather hair extensions - sold under the namebrand Featherlocks - have hit Fargo-Moorhead big time in the past month, especially among teen and 20-somethings, salon owners and stylists say. They've also had clients in their 50s and tween-age girls sport the bright, wispy add-ons.
"Hair extensions are such a great thing," says Sandy Anton of the Hideaway Salon. "This is another part of hair extensions that adds a little flair."
ADVERTISEMENT
Not everybody wants to add length, Anton says, but some women want an extension to add color or drama to their hair. And feather extensions are commitment-free; moms like that their young daughters can add a colorful streak to their hair without damaging or altering their natural locks.
The feathers are thin - perhaps an eighth- to quarter-inch wide - and from 8 to 16 inches long. A small silicone bead is thread onto a strand of hair next to the scalp, and the feathers are clamped into the bead. The feather extensions do need to be applied and removed by a professional.
Once applied, the feathers stay in the hair for six to eight weeks before they grow away from the scalp. The feathers can be reused. They can also be shampooed, blow-dried, flat-ironed and curled with a curling iron.
"Pretty much anything you can do with your hair, you can do with the Featherlocks in," says Ruth Casler, owner of Jaz Salon in southwest Fargo.
They're available in warm or cool colors that mimic natural hair tones, as well as bright fashion colors like lavender, magenta, red, turquoise and electric green.
Hideaway Salon charges $6 to $8 per feather, plus a $20 application fee per appointment, Anton says. At Jaz Salon, it's $15 for the feather and application, though if you buy two, you get one free, Casler says.
"They're a great way to accessorize your hair," Casler says.
The company that sells Featherlocks to salons also offers Puppylocks - feather fur extensions for the stylish pooch.
ADVERTISEMENT
The human-geared Featherlocks have been seen on celebrities like Selena Gomez, Hillary Duff and "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler.
Stylists expect prom-goers will add feather extensions that match their dresses. One hockey mom headed to her son's game got feathers in the team's colors, Anton says.
"It's another way for people to express their own identities," Anton says.
M.J. Capelli's Hair Salons are offering rooster feather hair extensions, though they're not the Featherlocks brand. The salon charges $5 per feather and $3.50 per application spot.
General Manager Sue Cote says she put a few in her almost-13-year-old daughter's hair. Her friends deemed it "so cool."
"It's a new trend that's starting to come to Fargo. You see something new and fun and you know people are going to want it," Cote says. "They're fun colors, and it's something different and unique."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Sherri Richards at (701) 241-5556
