Clip-in hair extensions: beautiful result or hype?
What are clip-in hair extensions and how are they attached?
Clip-in extensions are perfect if you want to instantly turn your hair into beautiful flowing locks. But of course, on the downside, they have to be removed at the end of the day. So the clips are good for a party, a special date or just when you want to look different for a few hours. They are much cheaper than permanent hair extensions done in a salon. Another advantage is that the clips do not damage your own hair in any way.
Quality hair extensions are several strands of hair, each individually attached. Typically, 3- or 4-inch-wide pieces are placed at the back of the head in multiple layers, and a few 1- or 2-inch-wide pieces are placed on the sides. As the name suggests, each strand is attached to your own hair with a clip. With a little practice, clipping the extensions becomes quite easy and takes only a few minutes. Removing them is even easier.
You can usually find 14″, 16″ and 18″ clip-in extensions. Anything longer puts too much stress on your own hair.
Who can wear clip-in extensions?
Clip-in extensions are suitable for people whose natural hair is shoulder length or longer. If you have medium length hair, extensions can make it longer. If you have long but very fine hair, or if your hair is not in the best condition, clip-in hair extensions are a great way to give your hair richness and fullness.
However, clip-in extensions will not work for women with very short hair. Extensions only look natural when blended with your natural hair, so if your hair is short, people will notice that you are wearing extensions. If you have a short haircut but are dying for long locks, buy a wig that is similar in color to your natural hair. High-quality designer wigs look very natural—no one will guess you’re wearing a wig unless you tell them. If a wig isn’t for you, then you can opt for salon-made hair extensions that are either braided or glued onto your own hair. These stay for several months, but cost a lot more than clips.
Do clip-in extensions look natural?
It depends on the quality of the extensions you get. First, you should know that hair extensions can be made from natural human hair or synthetic fibers. I’ll be honest: synthetic hair extensions are cheap, but you get exactly what you pay for. They just don’t look good. High-quality human hair clip-in extensions, on the other hand, appear to grow from your own head.
If you search online, you will find many brands of clip-in extensions. It is best to go with a well-known manufacturer of hairpieces and extensions, such as Diva in a Box, PutOnPieces or Raquel Welch. See pictures of clip-in hair extensions (will be a link) from different brands.
Since the extensions are blended with your own hair, the color combination is very important. And the good news is that human hair clip-in extensions can be dyed to exactly match your hair color. However, I would not recommend doing it at home; it is better to dye the extensions in the salon. You can also use hot iron on the human hair extensions to curl them a bit.
How much they cost?
The cost varies greatly, depending on the material. Synthetic hair extensions will cost you less than $100. For real human hair extensions, you can pay anywhere from $200 to $400. However, you can get good discounts through online hair extension and wig stores.
Clip-in hair extensions can be a lot of fun. They will help you create a different image instantly, which is very important for a busy modern woman.