These two photos were taken at different times in the year, however, there is no way that my hair could have grown that long so fast.  Wanna know the secret? Hair extensions!

There are a variety of different kinds of hair extensions on the market today.  There is bonded, glued, braided, tape, clip-in, synthetic, real, etc.  There are a lot.  I do have some knowledge of semi-permanent extensions, however, I have never gotten them done myself (mostly because of price, they are very expensive).  I do know quite a lot about clip-in extensions because I have been using them for the last three years at least.

I have gone through a few pairs of extensions since I started using them. All three were different brands, different kind of hair, and weight.  Okay, say what?  If you are interested in getting hair extensions there are a few things you need to learn first.

Synthetic vs. Real Hair vs. Remy Hair

With clip-in extensions there are a few different kinds of out.  There is synthetic hair, real hair, and remy hair.   I have tried two of the three and my favourite is hands-down remy hair.  I’ll explain why.

I have never tried synthetic hair myself because you cannot curl, straighten, or use any heat on them. It will literally melt the hair.  This kind of extension is the least expensive of the three because it’s not real human hair.  The most popular brand I would say that offers synthetic hair would be Jessica Simpson’s Hairdo, which come pre-styled so you don’t have to use hot tools on it.

Real hair are probably the most common hair extensions that you will find on the market.  The hair comes from a variety of places, whether it be India, China, etc.  Usually what happens is companies will collect the hair and then tie it into a weft (a row of hair).  The problem with human hair extensions is that over time they will start to tangle and create a bird’s nest effect.  Or at least mine did.  I couldn’t wear them for 10 minutes before they would start to tangle, it’s super annoying.  The reason the hair would tangle easily is because it’s not remy hair.  Remy hair is human hair that is attached at the cuticle, so therefore the hair all runs the same way.  Okay, let’s think of it this way, the cuticle of a strand of hair is attached in your head, with remy hair, it’s similar to your actual hair, with non-remy hair the cuticles aren’t all running the same way, thus creating tangles. Because of this, remy hair is usually the most expensive of the three.  However, if you are going to get extensions, I highly recommend getting remy hair because it will last you longer and won’t tangle as much (remy hair can still tangle depending on how often you wash it).

With human hair extensions as well as remy, you can curl them, straighten them, colour them, etc.  With that being said, it is recommended that you try to find the closest match, if there is no match then choose a shade lighter and dye them to match.  Remember, like your own hair, it is easier to go darker on lighter coloured hair then it would be to go lighter on dark coloured hair.

As for washing, it is recommended that you wash them about eight to 10 uses.  I don’t wear mine everyday, I wear them probably once or twice a month (usually if I’m going out on the weekend), so I will wash them every two months or so.  It’s very important to deep condition them; if you don’t have a deep conditioner, then apply loads of conditioner, concentrating on the ends.  Also, if you use hot tools on them make sure you spray them with a heat protectant.

How Long Will Extensions Last Me?

Again, I’m talking about clip-ins here, but they can last anywhere from a year to three years depending on often you wear them, the products you use on them, if you use heat tools, etc.  There are a variety of factors involved in making the lifespan on your extensions longer.

What Should I Look Out For When Choosing Extensions?

I highly recommend remy hair extensions.  They are the pricier of the three kinds, however, if you search around you can find some great extensions for a good price.  The ones I have currently are Foxylocks Extensions, they come in two sizes (we will get to this in a bit) and are a little over $100 US and CDN (last time I checked they were $114 CDN plus shipping; they come from the UK)  I really like these and highly recommend them.  I first found out about them from the owner, Imogen, who has her own YouTube channel.  The hair is very soft and easy to work with and is thick (the best part because I have thick hair).  Other extensions I recommend (I haven’t tried these but have heard good things about them) are Luxy Hair Extensions (they also have a YouTube channel) and Dirty Looks extensions.

Okay, let’s get into weight now.  There are a variety of different kinds of weight for extensions out there. The kind I have are 160 grams (Foxylocks also come in a 120 gram set as well).  So what does that mean?  Let’s put it this way, the higher the number, the thicker the extensions.  Now, with that being said, the weight is also taking into account the clip as well, so therefore, the weight of the hair is a bit less than 160 because that number includes the clips.  I have a pair of extensions that I bought in a store here that were very thin on the ends and just looked unnatural coupled with my own hair.  Why?  Because I have quite thick hair, I need the extra grams for it to blend well.

L: Rainbow Hair Extensions R: Foxylocks Hair Extensions

As you can see in the photo there is a considerable difference in the thickness of the hair.  I would say that the extension on the left would be around 100 grams.  If you have thin hair, then it would probably be okay for you if you just wanted to add some thickness to your natural hair.  If you have thick hair, I wouldn’t waste your money.  Also, as a side note, the extension on the left was actually more than the one on the right (I didn’t pay full price for the one on the left, but the actual price was more).  It just shows that you should shop around and see what is the best bang for your buck.

The Process of Clipping them In

I’m not going to go into full detail about how to clip them in, but basically you get a certain number of wefts, I believe I got 10 in my set  (two four clips, two three clips, two two clips, and four one clips) and you go from the bottom up.  So basically you separate your hair and clip them in starting at the nape of your neck using the four clip ones, then make your way up.  Like I said there are tons of videos on YouTube on how to clip them in so I won’t bother going into too much detail.

In terms of blending, it can be a bit tough if you have shorter hair.  I myself have a blunt cut hairstyle (no layers), so it is a bit tough for me to get them to look natural (I hardly wear them straight because I find it a bit obvious, if they are curled then they match better).  You can of course bring them to your hairstylist and get them to cut them to make them blend more naturally; I wouldn’t recommend doing this yourself.

That’s all I can think of for now in terms of clip-in hair extensions.  Like I said the most important thing is knowing what kind of hair you are getting (remy vs. synthetic vs. human hair) and how many grams it is.  I know that a lot of hair extensions I see in stores don’t say how many grams the extensions are and that can be a bit deceiving, especially if they are expensive.  Do you research and find a pair that fit you.  I do recommend ordering online because I have had the most luck with that, however, with that being said, you may be taking a risk with colour.  Also, search for reviews whether it be a blog post or a YouTube video, I found that that really helped me in deciding on a pair that suited me.

I really hope this helps and if you have any questions please let me know.  Also, if you have hair extensions, let me know which brands you recommend, I would love to know for future references.

Lastly, don’t forget to enter my Fusion Power Bandz giveaway!  I also have another exciting giveaway coming up soon!

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