*Disclosure: I did receive my set of Clip in extensions as a gift from Beyond Hair and was paid to post an in-feed photo on my Instagram. This blog post is not sponsored. All images and opinions are my own. Facts about the extensions were retrieved from Beyondextensions.com*
Over the past few weeks I have been getting lots of compliments (thank you!) and questions about my clip-in extensions so I wanted to share my thoughts in a blog post.
I figured it would be fun and easier to read the post in a Q&A format! I included questions you all asked over Instagram and in person. I also came up with a few to cover the rest of the topics!
BEFORE
AFTER
Q: What are clip in extensions?
A: Clip in hair extensions are what they sound like – hair extensions with clips you attach to your natural hair. Each set of Beyond Extensions comes with 10 “wefts” or rows of clips of hair. I have the classic set in the 20″ in Light Blonde.
Q: What do you like most about them?
A: I love that I can install them and remove them whenever I want/need to. There is no way they would survive a night at the hospital with all the PPE so I like that I can put them in on my days off and take them out before I go back to work.
I also like how natural they look in my hair. The color matches exactly! They don’t bother me and are not too difficult to maintain.
Q: What do you not like about them?
A: I know I said the maintenance is not too difficult, and they only take 20 mins to install but to do that everyday can be tiring.
I also have to brush them multiple times throughout the day, like once every 3-4 hours since they get tangly easily.
Q: How do they compare to other types of extensions? Are they Damaging?
A: I have only tried one other type of hair extensions but have a general understanding of a few other types. To be honest they all sound like a lot of maintenance and can easily be damaging, but it sounds like clip ins can be one of the least damaging methods. I haven’t noticed any damage so far but the hair would get tangly when I used to sleep with them in.
- Halo extensions – one long band of hair with a thin elastic. you wear it like a headband and put half of your real hair over top. The one I tried was super heavy and the elastic broke before I could even wear it – it was too loose for me, so I tried using bobby pins to keep the hair in place as the brand recommended. I could see the bobby pins and that’s about the time the elastic broke. I also had a lot of trouble trying to cover the elastic with my real hair, the color didn’t match and looked fake. Granted, it was a pretty cheap one and I am sure there are better ones out there. But that was just my experience with another brand I tried.
- Hand tied extensions – these you get installed professionally and aren’t supposed to be damaging to your hair (tying hair in your hair and having other hair attached to your hair for months sounds really damaging to me though…) There are a lot of things you have to be careful about when you have hand tied extensions like not going to bed with them wet. It also takes hours to install or move up. And they can easily be well into the $1,000s.
- Tape-ins – just hearing the word “tape-in” sounds damaging!! These are another type of extensions you can get done professionally but it just sounds like you’re asking to just destroy your hair. Apparently you can buy them too, and install them yourself? I don’t know, it just doesn’t sound good haha. From my research it sounds like they last 3-4 months and you have to get them moved up every 6 weeks.
Q: How do you get the color to match?
A: Beyond Extensions sends you a variety sample pack with replicas of the shades of hair. The hair in the sample pack is synthetic and not the exact type of hair you will receive, but the colors match. I believe they recommend going a shade lighter if you are in between colors (I would personally recommend this too).
When you receive your hair box in the mail, there are two separate sections. The bottom window has one small weft of hair that you can practice with to make sure it matches. If not, you can send the box back. Just be sure not to open the bigger top window with the rest of the hair! Once that seal is broken you cannot return them.
Q: Can you sleep with them?
A: It is not recommend to sleep with them in. I did this at first before I knew better to save me the 20-25 mins it takes to install them. However I noticed doing that would make the hair more tangly and loose. Sleeping with the extensions may shorten their lifespan too so I would not recommend doing so.
Q: Do you wash them in your hair?
It is recommended to wash your extensions in the sink after every 7-10 uses.
Q: How long do they last?
A: It depends on what type of extensions you buy, how well you care for them and the type you get. With the right care all Beyond Extensions are made to last 6 months and beyond.
Q: Did you get them installed professionally?
A: No, I install them myself. It would totally be easier to have someone do it for me and I’m sure they would look better and more even, but it is not worth it for everyday use since you can’t sleep with them in. I would suggest getting them installed professionally only for a special occasion like a wedding!
Q: How much do they cost?
Beyond extensions range from $179-699 depending on the type and length. They are made to last -12+ months. They are worth it to me! And so much more affordable than any you would get installed in a salon.
Q: Do they hurt? Can you feel them in?
A: No, they do not hurt and I can barely feel them most of the time. If I don’t clip them onto enough hair sometimes it pulls, and I just have to readjust. So as long as they are in right I don’t have any pain!
Q: I want them just for volume. Is that an option?
A: Yes! All the extensions can add both volume and length. They come in 3 different lengths: 16″, 18″ and 20″ – I have the 20″ and I do love the length but would also be interested to try the 16.” You can also have them trimmed professionally for an even shorter length.
As I mentioned earlier, you do not need to add all of the wefts of hair. My head is on the smaller side and I found that the long wefts that go on the front sides of my face are a lot for me. I usually don’t add those and just do 8 out of the 10 total!
Q: Is it worth it?
A: YES! I totally think Beyond extensions are worth it. The maintenance is not too high in my experience. I take about 20 mins to install them, 10 minutes to curl and brush, and several minutes brushing throughout the day. It only takes me about 5 minutes to remove. From my research the clip ins don’t seem as damaging as other types of extensions – I have not experienced any damage so far actually. And, I feel like I am saving my hair in a way because I don’t have to use as much heat on it. The extensions curl super fast and hold a curl pretty well.
The cost also seems a lot less than other types of extensions that could easily get you spending into the $1000s + per year. While you do need to take the time to install them each day you want to wear them, you don’t need to worry about paying a stylist to move them up every couple weeks or spending hours at many appointments. You can install them and remove them whenever you want which I find to be really convenient.
I hope I was able to answer all of your hair extensions questions, but if not, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you soon!
