You do not necessarily need to pay a stylist big bucks to put in hair extensions. With a little practice, you can master this skill yourself and save yourself a significant sum over time. Clip-in hair extensions are fairly easy to attach and can be found in countless colors that blend naturally with your own hair. Hair extensions can be used to add instant length and volume. They can also be used to give yourself highlights or lowlights.
How To Put In Hair Extensions
If you have purchased hair extensions and need guidance putting them in your hair, follow these simple steps:
1. Work Your Way Up
When installing clip-in hair extensions, you always want to start from the bottom and work your way up. Start by sectioning off your hair, grabbing the tresses at the crown of the head and pulling them up into a bun at the top of your head. This should allow you access to the bottom layers of hair.
2. Add Texture to Your Hair
Clean hair tends to be very smooth, which is not a good environment for hair extensions. Clip-in extensions need some texture to grab onto. If your hair is freshly-washed, add some dry shampoo and hairspray to the roots to create texture. This will help prevent the extension clips from sliding out.
3. Tease the Roots
Create even more texture by teasing the roots of your hair. To accomplish this, take a small section of hair in one hand and a back comb in the other. Tease the roots in the areas where the extension clips will be. Repeat with all sections of hair.
4. Open the Combs
Most hair extensions have two to three clips which help secure the extensions to the hair. If you have small filler pieces, there may only be one clip. Start with a larger section of hair extension with three clips. Open all of the combs before inserting the extension into your hair.
5. Attach the Clip
Find a section of hair that you backcombed and slide the clip into the teased area from the top of the roots. Once in place, snap the clips shut to create a secure fit. Ideally, you want the extension as close to the scalp as possible. This will create the most natural look.
6. Let Down More Hair
Once you have attached your hair extensions to the bottom layer of hair, take out the bun at the top of your head and release more hair. You want to release about one-inch width of hair to attach more extensions to. Spray the roots of this new section with more hairspray to create texture.
7. Back Comb the New Hair
Grab your back comb again and tease the new layer of hair that you released. When backcombing this layer, be careful not to disturb the hair extensions underneath.
8. Secure Another Extension
With the next layer of hair teased, grab another piece of hair extension. Once again, release the combs and slide the extension into your hair, trying to stay as close to the roots as possible. Secure the hair extension in the same way as before.
9. Add Side Pieces
In addition to adding hair extensions to the back of your hair, you will also want to add extensions to the sides of your head. These pieces should be placed just above the ear but far enough back so that they will not be visible once you let your hair down. If needed, you can overlap the extensions to better hide them.
10. Back Comb the Remaining Hair
With the back and side pieces in place, release the rest of your hair from the bun. Start to section off this top layer of hair and back comb in the same way you did before, being careful not to disturb the extensions underneath. Add texture to this top layer to help hide the clips better. Start the backcombing process in the middle on the top of the head and move back towards the extensions.
11. Style Your Extensions
Once you have finished backcombing, give your hair a generous spritz of hairspray to help keep it in place all day. If you are using extensions made of real human hair, you can also style it in any way you prefer. You can safely use heat tools like curling irons and flat irons on human hair extensions. This allows the extensions to better blend in with your natural hair.
Benefits of Hair Extensions
Once you have learned to put in hair extensions, you can maintain long, voluminous hair that looks and feels natural. Clip-in hair extensions are very affordable, are reusable, and can be used for many months before they need to be replaced. Hair extensions are the ultimate way to transform your look without having to make a permanent change.
