Why are celebrity hair extensions so bad? As Ivanka Trump and Love Islanders are blasted for ‘painful’-looking clipped-in locks, expert reveals where they’re going wrong
With access to the world’s finest designers, make-up artists and invitations to the most exclusive events, celebrities have all the tools at their disposal to look glamorous at the drop of a hat – so why are their hair extensions so terrible?
As UK viewers settle in to watch Love Island: All Stars on ITV2 in the wintry evenings, many have drawn attention to some islanders’ hair extensions which can be seen in their glamorous up dos.
And it’s not just the British celebrities who have been caught out – billionaire heiress Ivanka Trump was also called out for the visibility of her hair extensions as she watched the Super Bowl.
UK-based hair extension specialist Louise Bailey, owner of Beauty Club London, who explained many of these hair extension disasters can be avoided by choosing the right hair styles, securing the extensions in the right places and ensuring the colours are matched correctly.
She revealed many celebrities – including those with access to the very best hairdressers – have not managed to perfect the art of hair extensions in order to make them appear seamless and natural. For anyone wanting to ensure they did not make the same mistakes, Louise advised to visit a hair extension specialist rather than a hairdresser who may not be skilled in how to install extensions.
As the Love Island stars graft and get to know their potential love interests in South Africa for this year’s All Stars series, many viewers have found themselves distracted by the girls’ hairstyles.
Among the islanders who have caught the attention of the audience are Grace Jackson and Harriett Blackmore, BFFs who first went into the villa last summer.
Both girls have long and luscious locks; however they each rely on clip-in extensions for the length and thickness of their hair.
With access to the very best stylists and designers, celebrities have all the tools at their disposal to achieve glamour at the drop of a hat – so why are their hair extensions so bad? Celebs – including Love Island’s Harriett Blackmore – are being called out for their visible hair extensions online
Additionally, while in the villa they have chosen to opt for hairstyles that pull back their hair into tight ponytails and braids – which expose the extensions.
In Monday night’s episode, Harriett, who is coupled up with Ronnie, wore her hair in a French braid which swept her brunette locks away from her face.
As the episode centred around the islander trying to recover her childhood friendship with Luca Bish, many viewers were more interested in Harriett’s hair.
One person wrote: ‘Does Harriett not care about her hair? It’s season two and we still see the extension tracks?’
Another person wrote: ‘I love Grace and Harriett but why does (sic) their extensions look like that and why is nobody telling them?’
However, one viewer enjoyed Harriett’s hairstyle – even though her clip in hair extensions were visible.
She wrote: ‘I know Harriett’s extensions are showing but she ate this hairstyle up (minus the extensions showing).’
Another Love Islander who has been called out for visible hair extensions is Grace Jackson, who is also appearing in All Stars
It’s not just reality TV stars being called out for their hair extensions – First Daughter and heiress to the Trump empire Ivanka Trump was also singled out for her hairstyle at the Super Bowl
The president’s daughter attended the annual event, held this year in New Orleans, with her locks straight and hanging down her shoulders – but the extensions were obvious to many viewers
Grace Jackson, too, has drawn attention for her hair extensions in the villa, with people noting they’re often visible in her hairstyles.
‘I’d love to see Grace’s hair without extensions,’ one viewer said.
After a still of Grace cuddling up to Luca Bish was posted on X/Twitter, people expressed concern for the fact that the islander’s scalp appeared visible from where her extension had been placed on her head.
One viewer wrote: ‘Abolish hair extensions I’m so serious… like this is getting out of hand.’
She added: ‘Why are her hair follicles falling off the bone.’
Others chimed in to express concern that Grace’s skin looked ‘sore’ and ‘painful’.
Angelina Jolie also had a hair extensions nightmare in 2021 when she walked the red carpet in Rome for the Film Festival
Analysing Grace’s extensions, Louise, who posts on Instagram as @louisebailey_extensions, told FEMAIL: ‘The hair extension is the wrong colour at the root. We can see she has a super blonde extension next to her dark root.
‘It never looks natural when it’s not matched to the root.’
She suggested Grace should opt for a balayage extension which would give her the ‘perfect match’.
Louise added that, for Grace’s hairstyle of choice, she has positioned the extensions in the wrong place.
‘If you want to do French plaits or any hairstyle pulled off the face with extensions in, you should not have them placed so far into the hairline at the top without making sure there is enough of the natural hair around the edge of the hairline to pull up over the extension.’
Alternatively, she recommended removing the hair extension from that position on the scalp and instead placing it further down the head, where there is more hair to cover up the extension.
Louise also discussed the extensions of another islander from years past – Chloe Burrows.
While Chloe did not have clipped-in hair extensions on the show, the additions to her natural hair were on display when she pulled her locks back into a half ponytail.
Many viewers have pointed out Harriett Blackmore’s extensions are visible in the hairstyles she has worn in the Love Island villa
Louise explained that, when choosing a French braid hairstyle – or anything that pulls the hair away from the face – one should consider how much hair there is to cover up the clip-ins
Viewers have been divided over Grace and Harriett’s hair extensions – with some saying they don’t look good, while others argue they should be left to style their hair in peace
Louise said: ‘This is an absolute hash. Again, the hair colour is wrong because they haven’t matched it to the root. They’ve used all blonde hair in the extension.’
She added she believed the methods used, including extensions using a micro-ring, were ‘bitty’ and left the hair looking ‘disconnected’ and ‘very visible’.
Louise revealed she often works with brides for wedding up dos on their big day – and for such styles where the hair is pulled off the face, it’s preferable to remove some of the extensions from the front of the hair, where there is enough natural hair use for the style in the first place.
‘You’d remove the ones at the front… and then you’d just put them back in after the hairstyle,’ she explained.
And it’s not just Love Islanders who have fallen foul of bad hair extensions; First Daughter Ivanka Trump has also been called out for her hairstyle while watching the Super Bowl on Sunday evening.
Appearing in New Orleans with her father, Donald Trump, Ivanka wore her blonde locks in a straight style – but from behind, people spotted the obvious additions to her natural hair.
Louise explained she too had made the mistake of using extensions that were too light for her root.
Louise said: ‘Ms Trump has clip ins; she has tried to match the colour to the ends of her hair which is lighter than her rooted area. This is why we see the clip-ins at the root as they are the wrong colour.’
She recommended Ivanka also opt for balayage extensions, or to have the additional hair dyed specifically to match her roots.
