The Different Types of Hair Extensions

When looking for a hair extensions shop, you want to find one that offers quality products. Low-quality hair extensions will not look like natural hair and will leave you with a dull look. Dirty blonde clip-in extensions might be off-color and overly yellow, whereas extensions meant to resemble afro kinky hair may simply appear knotted or doll-like.

There are diverse types of hair extensions you can choose from. Some can be used together to create a more uniform look, or one which is thicker than if only one were to be used. When you find a hair extensions shop online or in person, you will see a variety of possible choices. They fall into two primary categories: partials, and pieces.

Partial Hair Extensions

These vaguely resemble wigs, because they are larger pieces of hair which are kept together. They can be either glued, taped, or clipped in, or they can be taken off and on like a wig. Examples include: frontals and closures.

Frontals are placed on top of your head and contain sizable portions of hair at the front of the scalp. The top and back of the head piece are left bare, which is where other types of extensions can be used. You can find these in all types of styles, from afro kinky hair to Vietnamese straight.

Closures are similar, but have a less dramatic effect. These are pieces of hair which are much smaller and are placed based upon the desired style. Closures can also come in an array of styles and can be used to achieve the desired middle part or side part style of your choice.

Hair Extension Pieces

The alternatives – and more commonly used – are clip-in extensions, tape-ins, and sew-ins.

Want most of your hair black but a small portion dirty blonde? Clip-in extensions can do that. They come in as wide a variety of colors, styles, and textures as everything else. They are the most temporary version of extensions, as they can be pulled in and out of the hair at random.

The middling option is tape-in extensions. These are taped into the hair, often under other false hair pieces or beneath the person’s natural hair. They are not overly difficult to remove yourself, although they take a lot more effort than clip-ins do. Many people prefer a friend assist them.

The most permanent extension pieces are sew-ins. These are sewn into the person’s natural hair, or their larger hair pieces like frontals or closures. They can be removed, but it takes time to do so, and often require the assistance of another person to help. The benefit to these is that they are much less likely to come out when you go about your daily activities.

Which Is Better?

All hair extensions have their unique benefits, and no one is inherently better than the other. Truthfully, they work best when multiple variations are used to create a single look. For example, a frontal with sew-in extensions to form a style that is long in the front but up in the back.