Blending Out Short Hair With Kiki Hair Extensions
We all know how fun and exciting it can be to switch up your hairstyle and create a new look. A lot of people think their options are limited if their hair is quite short, which is why both clip-in and tape extensions are an excellent investment for those looking to extend their looks with little maintenance and instant results! Extensions are the ultimate hair accessory, allowing you to change up your look in a matter of minutes without damaging your natural locks. They’re also a great idea for the indecisive gals out there (Erm, us…) who want a trendy lob one day and Beyoncé worthy waves next.
Hair extensions can be intimidating to some, and for good reason. If you use unreliable products or place your extensions correctly, they are easily noticed and often hard to fix. The trick to beautiful extensions is choosing quality hair and a quality stylist who can get the process started for you. To help you feel confident with your new luscious locks, we’ve come up with some fool proof ways to blend your extensions with short hair for a flawless, natural look. In our opinion, there are a few “Must Haves” in order to successfully blend extensions with shorter hair. Doing your research is important, and we suggest you start by taking these 3 key elements into consideration:
Use High Quality Hair
It goes without saying, but you really should be sourcing premium, reputable hair when purchasing your extensions. The quality of your extensions will be far more noticeable to those around you when your natural hair is short, which is why it is so important to ensure your natural hair is seamlessly blended with your extensions.
Find Extensions That Can Be Custom-Matched To Your Existing Colour
The most tell-tale sign of unblended extensions is when someone’s existing hair colour doesn’t match their new additions! We know that it can be super daunting purchasing extensions online, but there are still several ways to ensure you’re choosing extensions that are as close as possible to your existing colour. Many online retailers will offer a colour matching service where you can send some photos of your hair (in natural lighting) and a specialist will find the perfect match for you.
It is also key to think about what tone your hair is, as this will make your colour selection as natural as possible. You may want blonde hair extensions, but are you an ash-toned blonde, or more of a golden blonde? Ideally, your hair will be able to blend with your natural colour in order to give you the highlights or lowlights that you are looking for. If you receive your extensions and still find that they’re not quite the right shade for you, you are able to dye them up to two shades darker, but we highly recommend that you don’t lighten them at all as extensions have already undergone a chemical lightening process and you will significantly weaken the hair.
The Weight Of Your Extensions
Just as you can customise the colour of your hair extensions, you can also customise the weight. The weight of hair extensions refers to how much hair is on the clip. If you have short, thick hair, you will need more hair “weight” on your clip. If your hair is quite thin, the weight on your extensions is not quite as important. Generally, tape extensions will hold a heavier weight of extensions than clip-ins.
For a full head of extensions, you will need approximately 150 – 200 grams of hair for your hair to look full and bouncy. By ensuring that you are using the most appropriate weight of extensions (which can be assessed by a stylist), your extensions will look both natural and effortless.
While those 3 components are crucial to consider when starting your hair extension journey, there are plenty of other tips and tricks that we would luuuurve to share with you! Keep these few extra things in mind and be on your way to luscious locks in no time!
Wash Before You Wear
Prior to their initial use, most clip-in extensions will have an ultra glossy finish to them. While their appearance is absolutely stunning and stands to rival the locks found in most Herbal Essences ads, they’re usually an easy giveaway that your hair is fake (Boooooo!). Don’t worry though, we have a simple solution. Wash your extensions before use! It’s as easy as that. It’s recommended to use a moisturising shampoo and conditioner in order to tone down that excess shine. Once washed, gently comb your extensions and leave them to dry overnight.
Ask for help
No hairdresser or hairstylist expects you to be a pro at doing your own hair extensions – that’s why we still have a job! Blending extensions into short hair is significantly trickier than if you had long hair and quite often results in an unnatural, unblended result. If you aren’t sure of how to go about them, it really is best to visit your favourite hairdresser and watch the process unfold (while having a sneaky cuppa!).
Trim, Trim, Trim
A great way to seamlessly integrate your extensions into your natural hair is by trimming them in order to match your extensions with your current cut. Most clip-in extensions are purposely made with blunt ends, so we suggest wearing your extensions to your next hair appointment and asking your stylist for a dry cut to help blend the extensions with your hair. If you currently have layers, kindly ask your stylist to cut longer layers into the extensions for a supernatural look that will be guaranteed to fool everyone around you.
Style It Up
while surprising and daunting to some, the easiest way to blend extensions with short hair is by whipping out your trusty curling iron! Try loosely curling your hair together (once the extensions are secured) for instant mermaid locks. Just as you would with your natural hair, never forget to use a heat protectant on your extensions before any kind of heat styling. This will protect the integrity of the extensions and help them to last longer without having any fried ends.
When it comes to extensions, there are always loads of queries – usually quite common in nature! We thought we’d save you the hassle and answer our 3 most frequently asked Q’s and provide you with some simple A’s!
How long does my hair need to be to use hair extensions?
For best results when investing in extensions, your own hair should be at least up to the chin. The shorter your hair is before extensions, the more likely you will need to have the hair blended with layers to avoid the extensions being obvious. Although there are exceptions to every rule, most extension specialists require a minimum of 6 inches of base hair length to successfully attach extensions to the scalp. Some can make do with a little less length, though this depends on the texture of your hair and whether it is likely to grow back straight, or with texture.
What haircut is best to blend in with extensions?
Generally speaking, the easiest way to blend your extensions with your natural hair is to opt for something long and layered. If your tips are cut bluntly, they are more likely to stand out to the naked eye and blow your cover. To work around this, our stylist's solution is to take your hair extensions to the hair salon to get your hair stylist to cut and blend them whilst they are clipped in – please don’t attempt this yourself!
What style is best for short hair with extensions?
Since you now have so much more hair to play with, we understand the excitement of wanting to style it in particular ways. To best flatter your new do, we recommend these styles:
Curled hair: Curling your hair extensions with your natural hair should really help to make those heavy ends undetectable when wearing hair extensions as any bluntness is easily disguised.
Straight hair: Straight hair CAN be risk in terms of helping your extensions to blend with your natural hair. However, if your natural hair is quite fine or if your ends tend to thin out, opting for a straight style can be super sleek and always on trend!
Ponytails: Whether you have short hair, mid length hair or already have long hair that is quite thin, you’re probably envious of those luscious, long ponytails (we are too). Hair extensions are a great way to create a gorgeous high or low pony tail and are super undetectable in terms of blending. A sleek, low ponytail looks great when straight and a nice bouncy high ponytail looks uber romantic with some gentle curls.
Big waves: We love big waves. Summer, winter, daytime or nighttime – WE LOVE BIG WAVES. They’re a classic look which can add that chic finish to your outfit. This particular style is perfect for mid-length hair to blend in a gradual motion throughout the waves.
Well, there you have it – our tips and tricks to utilising extensions with short hair. It isn’t impossible after all! We hope we’ve made the process a little less terrifying with this quick how-to guide and we expect you to rock those locks ASAP! We’d love to keep updated with our clients and our products, so feel free to tag us in those Insta worthy pics of your new do - @kikihairextensions
