How To Apply Clip In Hair Extensions

If you’re experimenting with applying hair extensions yourself, clip in hair extensions can seem a little daunting at first, but they really don’t need to be. With a little practice and perseverance, your hair goals can be achieved in a matter of minutes in the comfort of your own home, and at a fraction of the price you would pay in a salon. With this quick and easy guide, you will learn how to confidently apply, remove and style your own clip in hair extensions like a pro, and find out which ones are right for your hair type and desired look!

What Are Clip In Hair Extensions?

A clip-in hair extension is simply a weft or set of wefts of hair that are sewn or glued onto a discreet seam that has small, metal snap-clips attached, ready to be applied on natural hair. Clip in hair extensions have many variations in terms of thickness, weight, pieces, lengths, colours and seam materials to choose from to suit to all hair types and uses. This DIY temporary hair extension method is applied and removed on the same day and can be re-used for months if not years if looked after well. Check out our Ultimate Buying Guide to find the perfect type for your hair!

What Are The Best Type Of Clip In Extensions?

Clip in human hair extensions are the best option in terms of quality, longevity and appearance. Synthetic hair extensions may be cheaper on the initial purchase, but they will not last very long, they have a less natural appearance and have fewer styling capabilities. Your hair type will also determine the correct clip in extensions for you; so let's take a look at some multi piece clip in hair extensions together.

Double Weft Hair Extensions

The secret to this gorgeous type of hair extensions is in its name: made with a Double Weft instead of one, this type of clip-in is thicker, and naturally boosts volume in your tresses from the root. Suitable for all hair types apart from extremely thin hair.

Seamless Hair Extensions

Part of our supreme Remy Royale range, these luxury hair extensions are double drawn and cuticle-aligned, thus enhancing thickness, silkiness, and manageability. Perfect for people with medium and thin hair, the silicone-lined seam lays flat against the scalp hiding perfectly even in the finest of hair.

Ultra Volume Hair Extensions

For beauties who crave dramatic volume, our Ultra Volume clip in hair extensions are the thickest in our range, making them the perfect tool for big transformations or to blend in a blunt cut in thick-medium hair. This type of hair extensions is right for those looking to achieve that fuller, thick, and more glamorous look.

Classic Full Head

When it comes to full sets if clip ins, a Classic Full Head set is the same as a Double Weft as it has the same amount of pieces, but only features one weft instead of two, for a total weight of 130g, keeping things lightweight and gentle. This discreet and natural looking set is perfect for thin and fine haired customers looking for a subtle boost of volume.

Curly Full Head

If you’re after red carpet curls, then the Curly Head Full Head is the top-tier glamour hair extension for curly-haired beauties. From 115 to 160 grams of bouncy, corkscrew-like curls to add volume and length to natural hair, keeping you stylish with the mane of a lion. Suitable for all hair types and lengths.

How To Apply Clip In Hair Extensions Yourself?

Applying clip in extensions is easy, all it takes is a little practice. Follow these simple steps and our general placement guide to correctly attach your extensions for a full head look. Once you are confident in applying your pieces you can experiment with the placements to suit your head shape and the style you are creating!

1. Always section your hair neatly in rows before applying your clip ins to keep other hair out of the way, this will prevent any tangles or pulling and help to keep the seams discreetly hidden.
2. Don’t put the clip ins too close to your hairline or parting area or they could be seen through the hair. Leaving a 1-2 inch gap around your hairline and parting will ensure the clips stay hidden, professional extensionists call this area the ‘Red Zone’.
3. Gently backcomb your root with our Pintail Comb before attaching your clip in hair extensions, this gives the clips more grip and prevents them slipping out, this step is especially important for fine, soft hair.
4. Work your way up from the bottom instead of starting from the crown down. This gives you neater sections and more control over the hair.
5. If your worried about the top pieces being noticeable in fine hair, backcomb the hair above the row to give even more coverage.

How To Make Clip In Hair Extensions Look Natural?

Choosing the correct colour and thickness is essential to make sure your clip-ins look natural. For example, if you have very thick hair and want to add more length you will need a very thick set like the Ultra-Volume Full Head to blend out the ends of your hair. Curly styles also blend the best when using hair extensions, always wait and style the hair once all the pieces are attached as this helps to merge your own hair seamlessly with the clip ins for natural finish. At Cliphair we have a free colour match and advice service run by hair extension experts to guide you to your perfect clip-ins, click here to get in touch! If you would prefer to look yourself, read our blog How To Expertly Colour Match Hair Extensions for more information.

How To Apply Clip In Hair Extensions For Short Hair?

Using thick clip in hair extensions is the key to success when getting a makeover starting with short hair. This applies to hair that is naturally medium-thick, like when taking a blunt, thick bob or long bob to a long, flowy length. Thicker hair extensions will naturally blend out the transition line from your haircut to the added hair. If your haircut is particularly short, such as in the case of a pixie cut, you won’t be able to use clip in hair extensions – but you can still achieve a mind-blowing transformation with the aid of Nano Ring Hair Extensions.

Braiding your hair is also a great way of concealing the attachments, particularly when applying clip ins to short hair. Our Wraparound Clip In Ponytail is ideal for creating a stylish pony, plait or braided hairstyle that allows your natural hair to blend seamlessly and discreetly into your extensions.

How To Hide Hair Extensions In Thin Hair?

If your hair is naturally thin, don’t fret! You can still use clip in hair extensions to achieve your hair goals. Go for a set of Seamless hair Extensions or the Classic Full Head, these are the most discreet types of clip ins in our range. Lightweight and soft, our Seamless extensions have a flexible silicone seam that lays flat to your head, perfect for anyone who has thin/fine hair. Find out more in our guide: Everything About Seamless Hair Extensions.

Another sneaky trick to ensure flawless blending in thin hair is to go for a curly or wavy style, adding movement and texture to the hair gives the illusion of thickness and helps combine the extensions with your natural ends. This tip applies even when you are not wearing extensions.

Cliphair stocks a wide variety of blonde clip in hair extensions, from warm, honey hues to icy platinum, as well as brown clip in extensions for our beautiful brunettes, along with pretty much any shade you can think of! 

How To Look After Clip In Hair Extensions?

Make the most out of your clip in human hair extensions by taking proper care of them. With the right aftercare, Remy human hair extensions make a long-term investment that you can use and reuse for months.

• Use the Quench The Thirst: Deep Moisture hair care line to give your clip ins all the TLC they need and deserve. Enriched with Shea butter and Baobab seed oil, the 100% sulphate-free and paraben-free shampoo for extensions cleans the scalp and your hair fibres whilst replenishing the moisture levels in your tresses, whilst the silk amino acids and Rice protein-infused conditioner for hair extensions will help you soften and gently detangle your clip ins. Last but not least, don't forget to treat your Remy hair extensions to a deep conditioning treatment every few washes or so! You can do this by using the Quench The Thirst: Deep Moisture hair extensions mask, for intense hydration and improved shine, softness, and manageability.
• Always use a generous dose of Cliphair heat protection spray your hair extensions before styling them with heat-based styling tools such as flat irons and curling wands.
• Remember to brush your hair extensions before and after using them, to make sure they stay tangle-free. Our Detangling Hairbrush is extension-friendly and designed to glide through your tresses effortlessly, both wet or dry, without causing any damage. 

Find out how to properly take care of your hair extensions and how to wash them in our dedicated blogs: “How to wash hair extensions” and “How to dry hair extensions”