Wouldn't it be fun to have long hair without having to grow it for 3 years and pay upwards of $2,000 dollars for salon extensions? I have been wearing clip-in extensions daily for the past 3 years and after 1000+ run-throughs I have learned the hard way what works and what doesn't.

Check out my 9 tried 'n true steps to master this technique:

Lauren "before"

You Need: A brush, a fine tooth comb, a large clip, 4 extension pieces (or more depending on the desired look), hair spray, and your preferred styling tools.


Step 1: Brush your hair and the extensions so that they are both free of tangles. It's also easiest if they are straight when you are putting them in, that way you can style them to look like they naturally flow together.


Step 2: Start from the back of your head and work up. Pull all of your hair into the large clip but leave a small section of hair down from about an inch up from your ear lobes.

Step 3: Tease the roots of this small section, starting from above, then from underneath. Depending on how thick or silky your hair is will determine how much teasing you will need to do for the extensions to stay secure. Very silky or thin hair may need some hairspray over the teased section. 

Take one of the wide extension pieces and clip the centre clip (the package may refer to it as a wafer) to the midpoint of the back of your head where you teased the root, and push the clip so it is secure. Try to get  as close to the roots as possible for maximum hold. Repeat with the two outer wafers.


Step 4: Let your hair down, separate another small section of hair from the top of ear across. Then repeat Step 3 to tease and clip in the second wide extension piece. Repeat as needed if you have 3 or more wide pieces to put in (depending on how thick you want your hair to be).

Note: make sure you always leave a significant amount of your own hair at the top so it safely covers all of the clip-ins.


Step 5: Let your hair down again. This time separate it so that all of the hair an inch above your ears is secured on top of your head. Now tease a small section of hair an inch above your right ear and attach one of the single-clip extensions. This piece should be placed far enough back so it does not show, but far enough forward so that it naturally falls in front of your shoulders. Repeat on the left side.


Step 6: Tease the top section of your natural hair to add a little volume, this will not only add a little lift to your look it will also balance out the extra volume you have now added to the bottom half of your hair.

Step 7: Check for any mistakes or visible clips.

Lauren "after"

Step 8: Style your new long-haired look as you wish. Depending on the length and cut of your natural hair some people will look better adding waves to their hair and the extensions to blend nicely, while others will be able to wear them straight. This might also include trimming the ends of your extensions so there isn't a huge divide between your natural hair and the added pieces.

Before and After

Step 9: Work it! Own that new head of hair--after all, it is your hair ... You paid for it!

You can find 100% human hair extensions packages at Sally Beauty Supply Store for around $100 depending on the length and the brand. My number one piece of advice is to make sure the colour you buy matches your hair almost perfectly (or be prepared to dye them both to match), you want them to look natural.

My 3 Cardinal Rules of Clip-Ins:

(1) Always check that there is enough hair covering the clips

(2) Tease Tease Tease! There is nothing worse than a clip sliding out and suddenly your hair is on the floor (or the parking lot pavement - I told you I learned the hard way)

(3) Make them look natural - as long as you use human hair you can cut, dye, wash, and style them however you wish
 
Have you tried clip-in extensions?  What are your top tips?