Questions
Everything people ask.
Extensions
Where can I get hair extensions in Chicago’s Gold Coast?
Megan Hudgin installs custom K-tip and beaded weft extensions in Suite 17 at Sola Salon Studios, 1163 N State St, Chicago. Start with the consultation form on this site and a recent photo of your current color and length.
Do hair extensions damage your hair?
Not when they are installed correctly and cared for correctly at home. Megan calls it a teamwork effort. Many of her clients wear extensions for a stretch to rest their own hair and see real growth when they come out.
K-tips or wefts: which is right for me?
Wefts add a lot of length and fullness quickly. K-tips suit finer hair and sparse areas, and they make a custom color easier to match. Megan decides with you at the consultation.
How much do hair extensions cost with Megan?
Extension prices are quoted at your in-person consultation, because the amount of hair, the method and the color work are different for every head of hair.
What hair do you use?
100% Remy hair, sourced from more than one supplier. Megan color-matches the extension hair herself, and with good care it can be reused for up to 12 months.
K-tips
What are K-tip extensions?
K-tips are small strands of hair attached to your own hair with a keratin bond. Megan makes the bonds herself for each client, matched to your density and blended to your color.
Are K-tips good for fine or thinning hair?
Yes. Megan recommends keratin bonds for finer hair and for filling in sparse areas, because each bond carries a small amount of hair and can be placed exactly where it is needed.
How long do K-tip extensions last?
K-tips are worn 3 to 5 months, then removed and fully reinstalled.
How long does a K-tip install take?
Between 1.5 and 3 hours, depending on how much hair you are adding.
How do I look after K-tips at home?
Brush morning, night and during the day, and finger comb between the bonds so they stay separate as they grow out. Sleep in a loose braid, a low pony or a bonnet.
Wefts
What are beaded weft extensions?
Rows of hair sewn into a beaded foundation along a row of your natural hair. They are the quickest way to add a lot of length and fullness in one visit.
How often do wefts need to be moved up?
Every 8 weeks. As your natural hair grows, the wefts are moved back up so they stay secure and clean for a healthy wear.
How long does a weft install take?
About an hour and a half. It is one of the quickest ways to add a lot of hair in a single visit.
How do I wash weft extensions?
Clip up each weft and wash in between the rows. Scrub the scalp gently so the outgrowth does not tangle.
Can I still wear a ponytail with wefts?
Yes. Megan asks at the install whether you pull your hair back and whether it is a high or low pony, then places the rows around that answer.
Color
What is lived-in blonde?
Blonde placed so it grows out softly, without a hard line at the root. It is built to go longer between appointments.
How much is a grey touch-up with Megan?
A single color or grey touch-up starts at $130 on her booking menu, and a gloss is $120. The final price depends on your hair.
Can I do a color consultation without coming in?
Yes. Send Megan a recent photo of your current color and length, an inspiration photo and a little of your hair history through the consultation form. Color services can then be booked online.
Why does my blonde turn brassy?
Hard water and mineral buildup are a common cause. Megan often recommends a shower filter, and home care matters as much as the color itself.
Do you do grey blending?
Yes. Grey blending with highlights is one of the color services Megan focuses on.
Fine hair
What are the best hair extensions for fine hair?
In Megan’s words: “Keratin bonds are great for finer hair. People who have finer hair or who want to fill in sparse areas are good for keratin bonds.” She makes each bond herself, matched to how much hair you have.
Can extensions damage fine hair?
They can if they are installed badly or not looked after. Installed correctly and cared for at home, Megan sees natural hair grow. She calls it a teamwork effort: she installs them correctly, you care for them correctly.
Does Megan wear extensions herself?
Yes, for more than ten years. She has finer hair and says adding hair has always made her feel good and confident.
Upkeep and move-ups
How long does a weft move-up take?
About 30 minutes on her booking menu. Wefts are moved up every 8 weeks as your natural hair grows.
When do K-tips need to be redone?
Keratin bonds are worn 3 to 5 months. After that Megan does a full reinstall, every time.
Can I reuse my extension hair?
Yes. With good care the hair can be reused for up to 12 months.
Color and extensions together
Why have one stylist do both my color and my extensions?
The person who colors your hair knows exactly what the extensions have to match. Megan says clients come to her from past stylists because she does both, and her color background is how she gets the extension blend right.
Which extensions are best for a custom color?
Keratin bonds. In Megan’s words: “If you really want a custom color, keratin bonds are easier to achieve that.”
What does color cost with Megan?
Custom balayage starts at $400, full blonding at $450 and partial blonding at $350. Extension prices are quoted at your consultation.
Balayage
How much does balayage cost with Megan Hudgin?
Custom balayage starts at $400. Full blonding starts at $450 and partial blonding at $350. The final price depends on your hair.
Does Megan use foils for balayage?
Yes. Her custom balayage is strategically placed foils, chosen to suit your skin tone and natural color. In her words, the blend is built into the foils and the placement rather than relying on toners and a shadow root.
Will my balayage grow out with a line?
Her clients say the opposite: the outgrowth is smooth, without lines or noticeable differences as it grows. That soft grow-out is what they mention most about her color.
Highlights
How much are highlights with Megan Hudgin?
Full blonding, a personalized full head of highlights or balayage, starts at $450. Partial blonding, fewer foils placed around the face, starts at $350. A bleach retouch starts at $350.
Full or partial highlights: which do I need?
Full blonding covers the whole head for a big change. Partial blonding refreshes your color with fewer, impactful foils around the face. Megan helps you choose from your photos at the consultation.
Can highlights blend grey hair?
Yes. Grey blending with highlights is one of the color services Megan focuses on, alongside low-maintenance blonding and custom balayage.
The studio
Is Megan Hudgin’s studio a full salon?
No. It is her own private suite, Suite 17 inside Sola Salon Studios on State Street. She works with one client at a time.
What does Megan do?
Custom K-tip extensions, beaded weft extensions and lived-in color: custom balayage, blonding and grey blending.
How is Megan rated on Google?
4.7 stars from 15 Google reviews, as of October 2026. A few of them are quoted on the homepage, in the reviewers’ own words.
Sola Salon Studios
Which Sola Salon Studios is Megan Hudgin in?
Sola Salon Studios at 1163 N State St in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Her private studio is Suite 17.
How do I find Suite 17?
Enter through the same door as Body High fitness. Let Megan know you have arrived, then wait in the seating area at the top of the stairs and she will come meet you.
How do I book Megan at Sola?
Color books online on her own menu. Extension clients start with the consultation form on this site, or call (815) 298-6762.
Booking and the studio
Where is Megan Hudgin’s studio?
Suite 17 at Sola Salon Studios, 1163 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610, in the Gold Coast. Enter through the same door as Body High fitness, let Megan know you have arrived, and wait at the top of the stairs. She will come meet you.
How do I book with Megan?
Use the consultation form on this site, or call (815) 298-6762. Color services can be booked online. Extension consultations are in person and scheduled by Megan.
What are Megan Hudgin’s hours?
Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm. Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. Closed Sunday. Appointments only.
What is Megan’s cancellation policy?
A card is required to book. Cancelling within 48 hours of your appointment carries a 50% fee, and rescheduling within 24 hours carries a 20% fee.
How long has Megan Hudgin been doing hair?
Twelve years in the industry. She trained at Paul Mitchell The School Chicago. Color was her first love, then she expanded into extensions and has been certified since 2020.
Next step
Send a recent photo of your color and length.
Send it to Megan with what you want your hair to do. Extension consultations happen in person at her Gold Coast studio.