Audrey Trullinger<\/a> told The Post she\u2019s been happy to pay it, every three to five months \u2014 as she\u2019s seen her hair grow back healthier and stronger.<\/p>\nYuabova\u2019s luxury approach to the hair extension process is luring a faithful clientele out to Queens, with her services commanding up to $7,500 per session \u2014\u00a0if you can snag an appointment. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
Singer Rita Ora is one of many celebs who\u2019ve made the trek to the outer boroughs for a good hair day in Yuabova\u2019s studio. @hairbyester<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it is absolutely expensive, if you care about your hair health and your confidence, it\u2019s a no-brainer to go to Ester,\u201d said Trullinger, who first started using Yuabova\u2019s services in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer prep is extensive and on the day, you are there from morning to night. K-tips are an art and Ester treats them as such,\u201d she said of the ascendant hair-ess.<\/p>\n
An appointment with Yuabova can last anywhere from four to eight hours, depending on how thick one\u2019s natural hair is or what a client wants to get done.<\/p>\n
Yuabova wants to remove the stigma surrounding hair extensions and bring the process out into the open, she said. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
Those with fine strands can usually rock the extensions for about three months without damaging their actual hair, while thick-haired gals can push it to five.<\/p>\n
K-tips, which Yuabova calls the \u201cBirkin bag of extensions,\u201d are strands of hair attached to one\u2019s real hair using a heat tool to melt a keratin bond, the same protein natural hair already has, which creates a strong, flexible and undetectable hold.<\/p>\n
Depending on each client\u2019s hair goals, she will add length or volume by blending different textured extension strands to mimic the natural hair pattern.<\/p>\n
Yuabova\u2019s open and honest approach to the process has women from all over the city \u2014\u00a0and the world \u2014\u00a0requesting appointments. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
Model and singer-songwriter Karen Elson\u2019s stunning wedding day look started with a trip to Yuabova\u2019s Queens studio (right). @misskarenelson\/Instagram; @hairbyester<\/p>\n
Yuabova didn\u2019t set out to become one of Gotham\u2019s top groomers \u2014\u00a0she holds a master\u2019s in clinical psychology and had a career as a licensed addiction specialist. <\/p>\n
The most she\u2019d ever done with hair was styling friends before weddings \u2014\u00a0at least until she went on maternity leave in 2018, when she found herself thinking about what to do next.<\/p>\n
After a $200 Groupon hairstyling course, cosmetology school and a ton of practice, by 2022, Yuabova, who came to New York City from Uzbekistan as a child back in 1996, had saved enough money to open her own studio \u2014\u00a0 transforming a rundown physical therapy office into a luxury haven for hair worth seeking out.<\/p>\n
Before becoming one of NYC\u2019s top hair whisperers, Yuabova obtained a master\u2019s in clinical psychology and had a career as a licensed addiction specialist. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
\u201cI built everything from scratch. No loans, no investors, just hustle and obsession with doing it right,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
You won\u2019t find any typical, cheaper-looking hair extensions here. Those, Yuabova said, often come from India and are a blend of natural and synthetic hair, like tape-ins ($150\u2013$600), sew-ins ($200\u2013$800+), or clip-ins ($20\u2013$200). Those are applied to a client\u2019s hair with a lot of painful teasing, tugging and tension, which in turn causes a severe amount of damage to the hair and scalp.<\/p>\n
Yuabova\u2019s clients, on the other hand, pay top dollar for virgin hair \u2014 hair that\u2019s never been dyed or chemically treated. This mostly comes from third-party vendors in Russia and Ukraine, who source long locks from donors in those countries, in exchange for money.<\/p>\n
Yuabova and her clients pay top dollar for virgin hair, procured from ethical sources in Eastern Europe. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
\u201cI handpick every bundle myself,\u201d Yuabova boasted. \u201cHair carries energy \u2014 I can feel its quality. I also cleanse every ponytail with an incantation.\u201d<\/p>\n
When visiting Yuabova\u2019s small but chic and whimsical salon, which is decorated with giant black gothic style mirrors, pink rugs and ornate lighting fixtures, clients get the royal treatment \u2014 WiFi, TV streaming, snacks and even wine or cocktails \u2014 while they sit for their hours-long transformation.<\/p>\n
Since the process can take a while, guests are encouraged to bring their own food or order delivery \u2014 on the house. Yuabova sees just one client a day, so everyone gets her undivided attention.<\/p>\n
Clients are made to feel like queen for a day at Yuabova\u2019s comfortable studio, which she converted from a rundown physical therapy practice. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
\u201cBrooklyn Nine-Nine\u201d actress Stephanie Beatriz is one of Yuabova\u2019s avid fans. @hairbyester\/TikTok<\/p>\n
\u201cMany clients have found me via social media. There wasn\u2019t one specific moment where I blew up online, but I found my videos resonating with more and more people and then working with celebrity clients who found me from social media.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while hundreds inquire about appointments, she\u2019s only able to accommodate a relatively select few. <\/p>\n
Yuabova intentionally keeps her booking window tight \u2014 only three months out at a time. <\/p>\n
\u201cHair can change fast,\u201d she explained, \u201cso if I booked six months to a year in advance, a client\u2019s hair might be in a totally different state by the time I see them again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apart from beautifying the stars and the who\u2019s who of New York, Yuabova also sells virgin (non-dyed), single-donor ponytails that she sources to other stylists. She also finds time to teach the art of K-tips to hundreds of students \u2014 in and outside of New York.<\/p>\n
While most people in the hair game want repeat business, Yuabova said that her goal is for clients to \u201cgraduate out\u201d of her services, that their natural hair grows stronger and thicker with each k-tip treatment \u2014\u00a0so that they eventually won\u2019t feel the need for extensions at all.<\/p>\n
But while she\u2019s working with them, she wants everyone to feel comfortable with the process \u2014\u00a0and to know that it\u2019s nothing to hide. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe see celebrities and assume that\u2019s their natural hair, right? We envy it \u2014 \u2018Oh, she\u2019s so lucky, she goes blonde one day, brunette the next.\u2019,\u201d Yuabova said.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I\u2019m here] to normalize the truth \u2014 that creative illusion is possible with extensions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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