How To Style Long Hair Extensions

If you decided to give yourself the ultimate Goddess makeover and went for extra-long human hair extensions, chances are you are now left with the hair of an icon and not a single clue on how to elevate it to the next level. People with long, thick hair know the struggle a little too well: washing it, drying it and giving it the proper style can be physically demanding and extremely time-consuming. If you are new to the long hair care routine, these are the steps you shouldn’t skip to get the most of your royal mane - minus all the fuss. Long story short: how to style long hair faster? Read on to find out the secrets to an effortlessly gorgeous, extra-long cascade of hair. Incorporating heat protection into your styling routine is key to maintaining the health and vitality of your hair extensions.

Prep: How To Wash Long Hair

Knowing how to wash your tresses is the first step to the ultimate, flawless long hair styling routine. Some people love the reverse washing technique: if you’re wearing any permanent added hair such as nano ring hair extensions,  micro ring hair extensions or tape-in hair extensions, however, this method isn’t recommended as it may promote the sliding of your nano bond extensions or damage the adhesive of your tape extensions.

When wearing remy hair extensions, it is mandatory that you know what type of product you’re using under the shower: I can’t stress this enough - although they might work on certain hair types, shampoos and conditioners containing sulphates and alcohol are damaging for real hair extensions. Your ideal product is a paraben-free, sulphate-free formula that is kind to your tresses. Always make sure you rinse your mane thoroughly to prevent any product build up on your attachments.

Prep: Hair Masks For Long Hair

I have talked about hair masks quite a lot here, as it’s an amazing product that can help restore your tresses’ health and well-being after a week of pollution, mechanical stress, heat and whatnot. A good hair mask contains a few key-ingredients that work to nourish and repair your hair’s fibre. Check out our dedicated blog: The 10 Best Hair Masks Of 2022 For Healthy, Shiny Hair to find your perfect match. Always remember to keep the use of a deep conditioning hair mask to once or twice a week tops.

Drying: How To Dry Long Hair

This is where things get interesting: if you’ve been sleeping with your hair wet, please stop immediately! This is a weapon of mass destruction for your tresses, not to mention how damaging it is against real hair extensions! Hair matting, breakage, split ends, frizz and crinkly flyaways are a few of the aftermaths of sleeping with wet hair. Trust me, none of this is worth the time you think you’re saving by washing your hair last minute before going to sleep! Take your time to air-dry your hair at least around 70% before laying down in bed. If you use clip-in hair extensions, air-drying is also the best method to get them ready after a washing up session. Hang your hair extensions and let them air-dry somewhere safe overnight, so that they’re ready for you to wear them and style them in the morning!

Products For Long Hair

Using hair oils and styling products can make a huge difference with the final results and the hold of your styling (find out what are the best hair oils in our dedicated blog). Make sure to apply them before the hair is completely dry. If you’re going to apply any heated tools such as a blow-dryer, curling wand or flat iron, make sure you also apply a generous (but not too heavy) amount of heat protectant spray. Need to stock up? Get your Cliphair heat protectant spray to protect your hair and hair extensions. But before we move onto how to curl your hair extensions with a curling iron, there are a few ways to make the most of your long hair, damage-free.

Styling: Heatless Styling For Long Hair

This is where things get interesting. There are plenty of ways for you to style your hair and hair extensions without any heat damage. 

Velcro Rollers

First of all, you can try velcro rollers for big, bouncy blowouts that work wonders on long hair. Imagine the fluff and volume of an old Farrah Fawcett do, or Cindy Crawford’s mane in that old school Pepsi commercial. When it comes to curling, knowing how to section your hair with Velcro rollers is extremely important: while your hair is still slightly damp, match the same size as the hair roller and finish with a very faint spritz of hairspray. As a general rule, it's best to start with your fringe first - then work outwards from your crown.
Once your section is ready and finished with a light layer of fixer, it’s time to roll. Hold your section straight first, then roll the ends of your hair around the roller. The Velcro fibres will help in securing the hair in position! You should always roll them inwards, working your way up towards your roots. Secure them with bobby pins or styling clips and go onto the next section. Ideally, you should let the rollers sit on your head for around 6 hours.

Flexirods

Flexirods are made to be used without the assistance of any other tool – unlike Velcro rods, which will need to be fixed with bobby pins or hair clips. Flexirods are extremely simple to use: all you need to do is wrap your hair around the cushioned rod, which easily bends the way you want it to. This type of hair roller is the best to achieve ringlets or tight curls. For people with naturally kinky hair, flexirods can also be applied to stretch or widen the curls.
Like with Velcro rollers, flexirods are to be applied to damp hair – without forgetting to set them with a spritz of styling product. Depending on how much time you have, you can let your hair air dry or use a blowdryer on a low heat setting to speed up the drying process. Once ready, gently remove the rods and use your fingers to part the curls for a natural effect. You can always finish with a volumizing spray for optimal results.

Curling Ribbon

The curling ribbon is a new, comfortable way of curling your hair with no heat, no rollers and no flexirods. Usually, this styling accessory is around two to three feet long, and it can be bent in the shape you want to comfortably fit your head’s shape.

As per usual, it’s recommended to start with damp hair. If you’re starting with dry hair, you can also lightly but thoroughly spray it with water.

Part your hair either down the middle or into a side parting (wherever it usually falls). Then, place the ribbon right on top of your head, and secure it on top with a claw clip. Start wrapping one of the two sections around the ribbon, picking up more and more hair as you go (much like when French braiding). Keep wrapping away from your face towards your ends. Once you get to the bottom of your hair, secure your ends around the ribbon with a silk scrunchie. Repeat this on the other side, then let it sit for roughly six hours until dry; if you’re opting for the overnight option, you can let it sit on your head for as long as your beauty sleep lasts.

Styling Ideas For Long Hair: Protective Hairstyles

Did you know that many protective hairstyles are not only a way to tuck your ends in, but also to shelter the length of your hair to preserve its natural shine? Certain protective hairstyles such as plaits and braids will leave you with soft or even tighter waves and curls. Here’s a few protective hairstyles for long hair that you can comfortably wear and sleep in to wake up with a gorgeous new hairstyle.

Protective Hairstyles For Long Hair: The Classic Plait

This is the most basic braid you could imagine, obtained by intertwining three separate strands of hair and tied at the end with a hair tie or, in some cases, a ribbon.

Protective Hairstyles For Long Hair: The Dutch Braid

Similar to the French braid and often referred to as “reverse French braid”, the Dutch braid crosses its sections underneath each other instead of over one another. Together with the French braid, the Dutch braid is one of the most popular and trendy traditional hairstyles.

Protective Hairstyle For Long Hair: The Fishtail Braid

The fishtail braid resembles a French braid in its smoothly woven appearance – however, it only divides the hair in two sections instead of three. It can be incorporated in any of the styles above (think fishtail pigtails, fishtail crown braid, fishtail messy bun…) and it’s been a timeless classic since ancient Greece.

Protective Hairstyle For Long Hair: The French Braid

The double French plait is one of the most popular braided styles, together with their cousins - the Dutch braids. Easy and romantic, this hairstyle is the perfect choice for a beach date but also for a cheeky festival look. A must-try!

Protective Hairstyle For Long Hair: The Rope Braid

Rope braids (also known as twisted ponytail) are all the rage now - no matter how long or accessorised you want it, rest assured that it will be very, very trendy. Even a star like Hailey Bieber gave it a try. You can incorporate it in the style of Dutch braids or as a single, French rope braid. The world is your oyster!

Best Hairstyles For Long Hair

The awesome thing about long hair is that you can play around with so many different hairstyles and updos. Let’s see five trendy hairstyle ideas for long hair!

The Sleek Ponytail

The sleek ponytail is a must-try for anyone, long or short-haired, really. Hair parted in the middle, slicked back, and a long, thick, smooth ponytail as your statement hairstyle can go a long way. Hence its popularity among Hollywood’s A-listers such as Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and the queen of ponytails herself, Ariana Grande! If your hair is not plump enough (or you’re looking to add some extra inches to your long hair for the sake of drama!), you can always use Remy hair extensions to get the ponytail of your dreams. Check out our range of wrap-around ponytails for truly iconic results.

Hollywood Waves

Perfect for those who want to wear their hair down, but also want it to look extra. This glamorous hairstyle sees your hair crimped in glossy, soft waves. It’s a beautiful, timeless classic that has been trending in Hollywood and celebrity showbiz for a long time - hence the name! In recent times, this hairstyle has been quite popular for elegant soirees, high-end date ideas, and weddings. Hollywood waves stand out and give a diva effect that is going to be hard to forget. If you’re wondering how to give the look its final sateen look, the secret ingredient is Cliphair’s shine hair spray.

Mermaid Waves

Looking for a wavy hairstyle that is a little less pretentious, and a lot wilder looking than the classy Hollywood waves? Then look no further than mermaid hair. The look has been seen on quite a few celebrities over the summer, including runway queen Bella Hadid. Useless to say, people went bananas after seeing this look on Bella’s Instagram. Mermaid waves aren’t just a summer must, and it’s easy to see why they became so popular. Runways, holiday photos, and even TV shows have been touched by the magic of this crimpy hairstyle. If you’d like to make it yours, check out our mermaid waves tutorial blog post.

Claw Clip Hairstyle

This is a simple yet effective, trendy look to rock pretty much anywhere: all you need is your long, flowy tresses and a cute claw clip (also known as jaw clip). ICYMI: claw clips are back, and it’s official. After being the hottest summer trend of 2022, it looks like they’re here to stay - so why not make it your piece de resistance for a date hairstyle, a back-to-school look, or an office outfit? Trendy and practical, jaw clips are going strong on TikTok, where thousands of hair enthusiasts and influencers are showing off their glam updos. These hair accessories have also been spotted on celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez. You can read more about claw clip hairstyles and how to achieve them here.

Bubble Braid

Also known as the bubble ponytail, this hairstyle is nothing but another Y2K trend that has made a successful, raging comeback. Fairly easy to recreate, the bubble braid has been spotted on celebrities such as Oliva Wilde (who paired the look with thick, blunt bangs) and Gigi Hadid - who chose to bubble braid only her face-framing tendrils. If you’d like to steal Olivia’s look without committing to a pair of scissors, grab your clip-in bangs here.

Glass Hair

Nothing looks as gorgeous and sleek as glass hair on long, straight tresses a la Kim Kardashian. I mean, do I even have to mention this? Well, yes, I have to, but that’s not the point! The point is, when you are the owner of an infamously long, silky mane - chances are you will want to straighten it down and see how that look flatters you. With the right products and a little bit of patience, you can achieve the look of the stars too. Many celebrities, including gorgeous Lourdes Leon, have made this hairstyle their signature look at some point. I have talked more in detail about this product and how to implement it in your hair care routine in our blog: What Is Glass Hair Trend And How To Achieve It?

Retro Blowout

We’re going back in time with these hairstyles, way before the Paris Hilton era. Whether you’re going for a big, bouncy blowout like Alicia Silverstone’s in the movie Clueless, or something more along the lines of 80s Cindy Crawford enjoying a cold can of Pepsi with her big hair game on, rest assured that lots of beauty influencers and celebrities did get the memo indeed, probably even before you thought about these iconic looks from the past.
If you’d like to know more about this hairstyle, have a read at our blog: How to Achieve a Bouncy Blowout at Home.

Styling: How To Blow-Dry Long Hair Faster

To speed up the drying process with a hair-dryer, take off the nozzle for the beginning of the drying process, and direct the hot stream on your roots upside down. This will give a kick to your roots, boosting your volume! As soon as you feel your hair is almost completely dry, put the nozzle back on and use a round hair brush to fully dry the rest of the hair, smoothen it out and give it the desired shape. Always make sure you keep your tools on the cool/minimum heat setting for minimum damage.

Styling: How To Curl Long Hair Faster

Hair hack: section your hair in two, and tie them up in two ponytails, then curl it in sections. 

Why does it work? This method makes the sections much more manageable and cuts the curling process in half (quite literally). There are different ways to curl your hair extensions, and if you’d like to explore your options a little more in detail check out our blog: How To Curl Hair Extensions. 

Volume: How To Add Volume To Long Hair

Long hair can either look full of life and fluff, laying on your back and shoulders with depth and movement, or it can look flat and dull. Sometimes the right shampoo and an upside-down blowout don’t quite cut it - in that case, you may want to add hair extensions (in case you haven’t already). There are a few products you can choose, depending on your lifestyle and the desired results.

Styling Extensions On Long Hair

Nano ring hair extensions can be used to add a little bit of density to your mane: if you want to build a full, bodacious and glamorous makeover, you can use up to three or even four packs of our Remy quality nano bond hair extensions for the ultimate blowout. This is the perfect solution if your hair is thin or of medium thickness: nano tip hair extensions are discreet and almost imperceptible, allowing you to play around with updos and plaits without ever becoming obvious. They are also surprisingly comfortable to sleep in!

Clip-in hair extensions are an awesome alternative for those looking for a makeover that they can pop on and off depending on the occasion. A full-head of Remy clip-in hair extensions is the go-to product for those looking to add volume and length to their mane for a specific hairstyle, and single wefts can be purchased to add a little more body and plump to a set of plaits such as the Dutch braids, or to give more fluff to a carefully crafted messy bun. Clip-ins are also a good choice for those looking to recreate a special hairdo for an occasion such as a wedding.

Tape-in hair extensions are a less time-consuming take on permanent/semi permanent hair extensions. Those who have been blessed with thicker tresses may want to consider this as an alternative to nano ring hair extensions, as the application will take significantly less time and the results will be equally gorgeous. Tape-ins, however, are recommended to those that are likely to wear their hair down rather than in tricky updos, as the adhesive bands may become quite obvious with certain hairstyles.

Conclusion:

Having long hair is a great style and fashion choice these days, where the extra-long, super sleek hairstyles are coming back. Big blowouts are still a thing, and those with longer tresses can play around with their natural hair (or add hair extensions) to follow the up and coming trends and slay any outfit.