Hair extensions are honestly amazing. If you love them as much as I do, you know that it’s the perfect way to switch up your style and change your look. Whether you want fuller hair, longer hair, a pop of color, or whatever you need, hair extensions are a great option. I have tried various methods of extensions for the last ten years and consider myself somewhat of an amateur pro in the knowledge of extensions. Though I have encountered some hate for my obsession with the pricey purchase and the ideas around seeming “fake”, I say if it makes you feel good, then do it. We invest so much money into things that make us happy, feel good, or look good and extensions are something that I’ve always done that with. Whatever you spend your money on to feel that way is awesome, but if you’re wanting to try something new and pondering the idea of extensions or wondering what methods are better for your type of hair, I got you. Here are some of the methods I have tried and an honest review of each one!
Clip-In Extensions
Clip-In extensions are a great way to go if you quickly want to change up your look, wear them on occasion and be able to blend them into a variety of hairstyles. I wore clip-ins for a few years and loved how easily I could take them out and apply them in minutes. They also are great for the girls who want to do an updo or change their hair around periodically. Finding human hair extensions will be your best friend in comparison to synthetic extensions. Human hair extensions you can curl, wash, straighten and blow-dry and it won’t damage the quality of them too much! However, the downside to clip-ins is that they can be extremely damaging on your real hair if you wear them too often as they pull on the root of your natural hair. For girls with extremely thin hair, you may notice a lot of damage considering how many wefts you clip in and how often you’re using them. Also, you’re going to want to practice putting them in your hair often that way you learn how to blend them into your real hair or else you will get the awkward length of your natural hair and a separate length for extensions.
Recommendations – Luxy Hair Extensions, or Remy – The quality of their hair is awesome, and I personally recommend these to anyone seriously wanting to try Clip ins!
Tape-In Extensions
Tape-Ins are a great way to go if you want something that lasts longer, and you don’t have to take in and out of your hair. Tape-ins last about 4-8 weeks and are taped with an adhesive in a salon to your natural hair. I have worn tape-ins for a couple of years and absolutely loved them. Although extremely pricey at first, you generally pay for the hair and the application at first appointment. Given I have thin hair, the tape was super thin, and you could not see them whatsoever. After the 4-8 weeks, you will need to get them professionally moved back up into your hairline as it grows out but can be done in a short amount of time. The move-up is about an 1/8 of the cost you originally paid, and you can keep reusing the hair for 6-8 months as long as you take good care of it. These extensions are not as damaging on your hair considering they are aimed at a market for girls with thin to medium hair. This method I noticed the least amount of damage and my hair grew about 3 inches and became healthier while I had them in! You’ll want to avoid oil-based products with these in due to the adhesive becoming easier to slip but other than that somewhat low maintenance!
Hand Tied and Weave Extension
Hand tied extensions and weave extensions are a great way to go if you want something that lasts longer and allows for great mobility of your hair. Hand-tied extensions are put in by hand tying the extension into your natural hair whereas a weave consists of braiding your natural hair and threading the hair into your natural hairs braid. With these, it can be somewhat timely, however, when ordering hand-tied extensions or weaves, you generally get more hair then with tapes, thus costing a little more in price depending on where you go! These extensions are great for thickness and length while blending seamlessly with your hair. Like the tape-ins, you will need to get them moved up about every 2-3 months depending on the hair and specific method but are super manageable. The only downside to hand-tied extensions and weaves are that they can do pretty good damage to your hair if you have fine or thin hair. Whether you find a weave method or hand-tied, both are a great option for those who have thicker hair and want something seamless!
Let us know if you have tried any and what your favorite it!
HCXO