We are all about shining a light and celebrating Black-owned beauty companies at COCOTIQUE. Whether you’re looking to add some length, or volume to your hair, or you want to switch up your look, then you will love Sleek by Hailey Human Hair Extensions. We are so excited to interview Founder & CEO Hailey Brown and introduce you to her luxury 100% human hair extensions. In addition to your self-care and makeup subscription boxes at COCOTIQUE, you can now find a variety of ponytails, wefts, clip ins, and tape ins extensions that range in styles from straight, wavy, curly to coily. Take a look at our one-stop self-care website for all of your self-care needs from head to toe. We know that you will just love these high-quality, luxurious hair extensions.
After not being able to find the right hair extensions that matched her hair type, Hailey decided to fill the void in the marketplace and help eliminate those same challenges for other women with her human hair extensions. Find out more about how Hailey’s promoting diversity in the hair industry and get some great install and maintenance tips.
How did Sleek by Hailey get its start?
I started Sleek by Hailey based on experiences I’ve had with the hair extension industry. Being the youngest of two sisters, I started wearing hair extensions at a pretty young age, straight clip in extensions to be exact. In elementary school, I actually relaxed my hair and it wasn’t until college where I grew out my relaxer and started to appreciate my curls. Whenever my hair was straight, I had easy access to extensions. I struggled to wear my natural curly hair out because it was so short with the shrinkage and I didn’t feel confident. With my curly hair, I didn’t have the flexibility of instantly adding length like I did by using my straight extensions. It was difficult for me to find reliable, high quality extensions that matched my unique curl pattern. I knew I wasn’t alone in this search of finding curly extensions, so that was the first point of my passion for starting Sleek by Hailey. The other point of passion, stemmed founding Sleek by Hailey was the fact that I didn’t like having to shop around at multiple hair extension brands to find extensions that matched all the different ways my hair can be worn or styled. I wanted to eliminate the challenges myself and so many other women faced when trying to find extensions. The hair extension industry is like two different worlds when it comes to straight hair and curly hair. I founded Sleek by Hailey with the purpose to Diversify the Hair Game by representing women with all hair types and textures.
What inspired the name Sleek by Hailey?
I wanted to have a brand that had a face to it. I wanted something that people could relate and understand the products are offered. These were important factors when established a name, because I didn’t want to have a brand that offered products just to do so. I can proudly say, that I use all of the products and accessories that we sell. “Sleek” was chosen because, not only did I think that it sounds great, Sleek is also a great descriptive word used when discussing hair and hair styling. All of our hair extensions are very sleek and can create very sleek looks.
What were you doing before started Sleek by Hailey?
I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Communications and Digital Media in April of 2021. While at Michigan, I was on the women’s basketball team with a full scholarship. I played basketball for more than half of my life and at every level. I got to travel the world, meet so many people and create lifelong memories but after graduating I was ready to start a new chapter. Shortly after graduating, I began the process of founding Sleek by Hailey in May of 2021. For months, I debated going back to school to get my Master’s degree or start a business. Clearly, I chose taking the risk of starting a business instead of going back to school and I am very glad I did. Maybe sometime in the future I will go back :)
What makes Sleek by Hailey stand out to other hair extension companies?
Sleek by Hailey stands out from other hair extension companies simply by our diverse products and their quality. We offer all hair extension types in any texture ensuring that our customers can find the right match. We make sure to cater to all of our customers by proving the ability to place custom orders if there is a specific hair color, texture or particular extension that is not included in our online selection or inventory. Additionally, shopping with us is guaranteed to be a great experience as we make sure to give exceptional customer service and answer any questions customers may have.
Talk to us about the quality of hair you use to create your hair extensions.
All Sleek by Hailey hair extensions are guaranteed to be 100% human hair and cuticle aligned. Our extensions are made with grade 12A Indian or European hair. Our luxury hair quality grants the freedom in styling since our extensions can be colored and hot tool styled. The options in creating different looks are endless, which is a huge benefit that comes with using human hair extensions. We carry a selection of raw extensions and remy extensions. These two terms get used loosely in the hair extension industry, so it’s important to understand what they mean and how it relates to hair quality.
To further emphasis, both of our raw and remy hair extensions are 100% cuticle aligned human hair. We will never sell or associate with synthetic hair in our brand. The difference between raw and remy hair is the processing that is done when the extensions are made. Our raw hair extensions are 100% unprocessed with no chemical treatments or coloring done to them. Our remy hair extensions have minimal color processing done to them so that the hair is already precolored for customers to buy. In simpler terms, our remy hair extensions have been color treated, while our raw extensions have not had any processing done.
What types of hair extensions do you offer?
At Sleek by Hailey, we offer straight and curly clip ins, ponytails, wefts and tape ins.
How many styles do you offer?
We offer a diverse selection in style for each extension type. Our range of styles are straight, wavy, curly and coily.
What are your top three styles?
1. Classic straight sleek ponytail with middle part
• Using our Natural Black Ponytail
2. Middle part straight clip ins with a waved face frame
• I use a custom color of our straight clip ins :)
3. Curly half up/half down look
• Using curly clip ins + curly ponytail
You have a great selection of wefted hair in many different colors and textures! How many bundles do you typically need for a full install?
The number of wefts needed for a full install depends on the length of hair being used. For lengths 16” and shorter, we recommend using 2 wefts. For lengths 18”+, we recommend using 3 wefts at minimum.
What is the best way to install your tape ins, so that they’re undetectable, and how long can you leave them in?
We always recommend getting our tape ins installed in salon or with a professional hair stylist for the best outcome. Our tape in packs come in a set of 40 pieces. Each piece has a gentle and easy applicable piece of tape that will stick onto the roots of your hair. The thin pieces of tape provide a true undetectable and natural look that can be styled in many ways.
The lifespan of our tape ins depends on the maintenance they are given. An install with maintenance appointments every 2-3 weeks can lead to an install lasting up to 2 months. The great thing about tape ins is that they can be reused and reinstalled many times.
What is the best way to install your clip ins, so that they’re undetectable, and how long can you leave them in or do you recommend they’re removed daily?
There are so many ways that clip ins can be installed – you would actually be surprised! The traditional and most common method to install them is by evenly sectioning your hair then securing the wefts onto your hair (as close to the root as possible), by using the clips at the very top of the weft. Continue to section and clip until the desired volume is achieved.
Another method is something we call “the braid down method”. This is a great way of protecting your hair while still having a very easy style. All you do is section off the front of your hair, (the part that will be left out). Then braid the rest of your hair and use bobby pins to secure the braids down. Once that’s done, you will then clip the wefts onto the braids.
We highly recommend removing our clip ins daily or after each use. They are not made for sleeping in and sleeping with them can actually cause stress to your hair, it’s also uncomfortable too. Thankfully, our clip ins are super easy to put in and take out so you’ll never have a problem with them in that sense.
I see you have 2 different volumes of hair for your clip ins. How do you choose the correct volume for your hair type?
Yes, we do have different types of volume for our clip ins. For our straight clip ins, customers have the option of choosing from a classic set and extra volume set. For our curly clip ins, customers have the option of choosing from an extra volume set and mega volume. Choosing the density level is totally based on personal preference and also related to the hair type of the customer. For fine hair, we recommend our classic set for straight clip ins, and extra volume for curly clip ins. Our extra volume straight clip ins and mega volume curly clip ins are designed to maximize volume and hair density. So, for a really full look, we recommend selecting those options.
How easy is it to match Sleek by Hailey hair extensions to someone’s hair color and/or texture?
Matching a hair color or texture is actually pretty easy. We like to promote a direct communication for questions on our hair and how to find a right match. We encourage emails or messages sent using our chat box on our website to answer any questions at sleekbyhailey.com
Finding the best match based on hair color and texture is easy as comparing your hair to the photos provided on our website.
Another great trick for finding a match is mixing hair textures. Some hair textures aren’t just one thing. It is common for women to have a mixture of hair textures. By combining textures, you will be able to create a better natural look. For example, if your hair is a combination of 3C and 4A, we would highly recommend buying one set or pack of each.
In specific to finding the right color, the great thing is that our extensions blend very well, so being slightly off on color is not something to worry about. Our extensions can also be colored too so if you are unable to find an exact color match, we would recommend finding the closest color to your hair and color it. Or, buy our raw extensions and start from scratch with coloring them. This is common to do with our wefts and tape ins.
What is the safest hair extension method?
I would say that clip ins are the safest extension to use. Our clips are very gentle on the hair and can be easily clipped in and out without causing damage.
What are the best ways to maintain Sleek by Hailey hair extensions?
Using an appropriate hair brush is super important when it comes to maintaining our hair extensions. Our dual boar bristle brush or bamboo paddle brush are two brushes that are great for hair extensions.
Hair storage and washes (when needed) are also very important. We offer hair storage bags with a hanger to properly store extensions when they are not being used. We highly recommend using the hair storage bags to fully protect the hair when it’s not in use or for travelling. Washing your hair extensions is a part of proper maintenance too. It’s important to wash as needed. Shampoo and conditioner can be used on the hair, as well as styling products such as gels, moisturizers, and leave ins.
How long do your hair extensions last?
Our luxury hair extensions will last minimally 1 year and can go up to 3 years, depending on the maintenance and care for the hair. When you use our luxury human hair extensions, you will get longer usage while being able to style in many ways. Investing in our extensions isn’t just for a one-time look.
What’s next for Sleek by Hailey?
As we have just reached our 1-year anniversary, our next focus is to really push our products and further build our clientele. We have received so much great feedback and reviews from our customers. We are very confident that our products and their quality speak for itself and we want to continue to make our customers happy.
What do you want women to know when they purchase Sleek by Hailey?
When you purchase from us, you will be contributing to our mission of Diversifying the Hair Game and joining our community that focuses on women empowerment. Using Sleek by Hailey hair extensions and products will enhance your natural beauty and allow you to feel your most confident, authentic self. Purchasing from us is more than just a quick buy, you will be investing in high quality and will forever be a part of our community.
To keep up with Sleek by Hailey you can follow them on Instagram and Facebook.