Nikki, Dee, Monica and Ronnee
‘The team is fabulous. My extensions look amazing… and the detox scalp therapy was incredible. I feel like a new woman.’ – Jennifer Bell
Understated London in Fulham is far from the usual salon. Yes, all the expected styling options – cuts, washes, blow drys and colouring – are on the menu. But that doesn’t explain why clients worldwide make a regular pilgrimage to the hair boutique on New Kings Road.
The reason they do so are hair extensions – in particular, ultra-fashionable hand tied weft extensions. ‘It’s true, customers travel from Dubai, Singapore and even Australia to see us,’ says Understated’s charming owner, Dee Greenwood. ‘We source all the hair ourselves and produce the wefts and blend colours in-house: the result is an undetectable set of bespoke extensions.
‘Very few teams provide that level of individual attention or have our depth of expertise. I would say 90% of London salons use tape extensions, and that’s simply because they are easy to train on. However, given a choice, people love custom-made hand tied wefts: they look natural, don’t harm the hair and deliver a precise volume, length and colour. I’ve been using the method for 15 years: it’s hands-down the best.’
All Understated’s extensions are available in a wide array of colours, textures and lengths. The hair itself is 100% human and comes from Eastern Europe – browns from the cool north and blondes from the warm south – and Dee uses collectors/donors who she has known and worked with for many years.
‘Investing in hair extensions is such a personal process, so the first step is to get in touch with Ronnee, who manages our front-of-house, and arrange a complimentary consultation in person or over Zoom. We discuss the look the client wants and recommend the most suitable method (others include Keratin Bond extensions and Hollywood weaves).
‘It can be tricky to achieve an exact colour, so the advice of Nikki, our resident specialist, is essential. Most importantly, she is totally comfortable working with extensions.’ Hand tied wefts are not the only speciality that makes Understated stand out from the competition. Scalp Therapist, Monica, provides a remarkable range of tailored treatments designed to boost scalp health and rejuvenate hair of every type.
‘At the last count we had 26 [see website for details] and I keep adding new ones,’ she smiles. ‘The Scalp Detox and Hair Botox are very popular: the former uses oils I mix myself and it’s the ultimate in cleansing and also renews cells and boosts circulation. The latter is perfect for restoring texture to dry, lifeless hair and it repairs split ends and makes curly, brittle hair more manageable.’Hair extensions are not purely about fashion. Dee is also the driving force behind the Reid Trust, which is named after her late mother.
‘The idea is to help cancer patients who may lose their hair during chemotherapy. We can do the ‘big cut’ pre-treatment, save the hair and make a clip-in to wear post-treatment. It’s so important for confidence, dignity and femininity.
‘We’re a friendly team (six, including pooches, Gelato and Mika) and often clients spend most of the day here: they have their extensions taken out and washed, enjoy a scalp therapy session, get their highlights done, and the extensions re-fitted. We always treat natural hair and extensions as one complete style and take pride in our exceptional personal service.’
Understated London
69 New Kings Road
Fulham SW6 4SQ
020 3976 0379
info@understated.london
https://understated.london
https://www.instagram.com/understated.london