Hair Extensions: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Getting Them | Glamour

Long, voluminous hair is no longer a pipe dream. Thanks to hair extensions, anyone can now have long hair.

As a beauty editor, I’m constantly confronted with the sight of beautiful, overlong Rapunzel manes. So much so that I started to think, What works for stars like Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian must work for me too. Right?

“Extensions used to be seen as artificial, but that has changed,” says hair and makeup expert Armin Morbach. “Extensions are no longer just a trend, but an integral part of modern hair care and styling. They provide instant volume and are ubiquitous, especially among celebrities.”

But what I really wanted to know was: Do hair extensions look just as good in regular, everyday life, or do they only work if you have an entourage of stylists around you? Do they really work for every hair type, and how are they installed? Which method is right for me? And how much time is involved in styling?

I answered all of these questions and more by getting hair extensions myself. But first, I asked creative art director Tim Mathé from Lippert’s Hairdressers in Munich for his advice. Here’s what he said: “The most important thing is to see an expert so that the hair is not damaged. If the wrong method is used, hair can break, or sometimes hairpieces are simply too heavy to be used on fine hair, for example.”

Ahead, find out everything you need to know about getting hair extensions.

“Many extensions are made of human hair,” says Mathé. “This real hair can be attached to the hair in various ways, like in the form of tapes, bondings, or wefts.”

According to Morbach, quality is crucial. “You can recognize high-quality extensions by the fact that they look like highlights or seamlessly like your own hair color,” the expert says. “If you order online, you should either have the extensions dyed by a hairdresser or, if you have experience, adjust them yourself at home. Good extensions can be dyed, styled, and washed.”

Natural-looking extensions are trending—and more common than you think.

There are countless ways to lengthen your own hair, from methods that last between six weeks and six months to hairpieces that are only used for one-off styling. The most common methods at a glance:

“There are the right extensions for every concern and every color,” says Mathé. “Even small holes in the bangs can now be filled.” Tape extensions in particular are really suitable for every hair type, though it’s best if the hair is at least seven to eight inches long (think: bob length).

The choice of extension type also depends on how often you style your hair, says Morbach. “Those who style their hair frequently and in a variety of ways should avoid adhesive extensions, as the adhesive pads are often visible in plaited hairstyles,” the expert says. “It’s important to think about your own style beforehand.”

● Adhesive extensions: Suitable for women who usually wear their hair down.

● Clip-in extensions: Ideal for flexible styles, especially if you often wear braids or pinned-up hairstyles. They can be attached to the back of the head and then styled as desired.

From disco curls to Beyoncé's Texas blowout, hair maximalism is taking over.

“Generally speaking, extensions work wonderfully with natural waves or even curls,” says Morbach. “If the natural hair is more curly, we send the extensions in beforehand to have them permed to match the natural hair. This works up to a light shade of about caramel blonde.”

“Many manufacturers coat their extensions with a layer of silicone to make them shinier and last longer,” says Mathé. “This often looks like doll’s hair in your own hair.” If you use real hair extensions that don’t have that silicone layer, however, it will look like your own hair while wet or dry.

“The first step is to accurately determine your own hair tone,” says Morbach. “Many people misjudge their hair color, like as dark blonde when it’s actually light brown. As soon as the correct shade has been determined, you should choose extensions in exactly that color.”

“In general, your own hair is always prepared before insertion,” adds Mathé. “Either just by washing and blow-drying, so the extensions are matched to the natural hair color, or you dye, highlight, or tone and then match the hair extensions to the new color.”

Pro tip: Buy individual extensions first and color them at home to the shade of your own hair. This will give you a precise template, so then you can purchase high-quality extensions in the right shade. If you want to change the color later on, the extensions can easily be dyed at the same time.

Breaking down the key differences, according to hairstylists.

Beauty editor Anna Bader tried out exactly how hair extensions work.

I’ve worn a bob and long bob for three years, but now it’s time for long hair.

First, stylist Tim Mathé dyes my own hair. I opt for blonde strands in balayage and with gentle painting powder. Dyeing must always take place before the extensions are inserted.

Next, my hair is washed. Mathé finishes my freshly dyed blonde with a cool gloss beforehand.

My hair is blow-dried and straightened so that the extensions can be inserted correctly.…

.…And the base length is cut slightly so that the extensions can blend in more naturally.

Mathé chooses four colors of human hair extensions for me that will perfectly complement my highlighted hair.

He then starts at the back of my head and inserts the strands. Meanwhile, he tells me, “The hairpieces have so-called tapes attached to them, which in turn are coated with hair-friendly adhesive. These tapes are glued to your own hair from above and below using the sandwich technique.”

The advantage? “It’s a very hair-friendly adhesive that lasts a very long time and can be removed from the hair manually.”

Several rows of human hair are inserted along the back of my head in precise rows. In my case, a total of four packs were used. “If there is a lot of hair, a lot of hair needs to be inserted,” says Mathé.

At the end, the sides and even the front area are inserted. This ensures mega-volume.

Now the hair extensions, as well as my own hair, have to be adjusted again. Mathé cuts the hair with scissors.

All in all, it takes about 25 minutes to put the extensions in. And after a quick styling, I really do feel like I have hair on par with Jennifer Lopez. It’s so surreal that I burst out laughing for a moment. How great is it that you can get such beautiful hair in such a short time?

This is a before-and-after comparison of my hair extensions.

Styled, the hair extensions are simply amazing. I really do feel like a celebrity! The hair doesn’t bother me at all; I don’t even notice it when I sleep. And my fear that I would now have to spend hours styling my hair has not materialized. In fact, it’s the opposite: I now need less time in the bathroom.

At first, I was very worried that my hair would no longer look nice, or that it would somehow appear artificial, after the first wash. But this ended up being the opposite: The strands I put in matched my natural hair exactly. It even curled, and somehow fell more beautifully than before. Overall, I now wear my hair down a lot more often, which is probably also due to the extra strands at the front of my head, which frame my face so beautifully.

What’s especially great is that if I tie my hair in a braid in the evening, as Mathé recommended, I wake up in the morning with beautiful curls. For special occasions, I add a few curls with the curling iron in the face area and look perfectly styled. Sometimes, I also wear my hair straight. This takes a little longer with a round brush, hair dryer, and straightener—but it also looks very natural. My tip so that blow-drying doesn’t take so long: Use a microfiber towel first to suck the large amount of water out of your hair.

All in all, I am really impressed with the result and recommend hair extensions to anyone who wants long hair. I will definitely be wearing them for as long as I can.

However, Morbach says, “If you are used to styling fine hair, you will have to adapt to a more voluminous look as it requires a different styling. Good preparation and the willingness to adapt to these changes are therefore essential.”

“Extensions require just as much care as your own hair, as they react similarly to external influences. They can become greasy, brittle, or dry and take on odors if they are not cleaned and cared for regularly. What you do for your natural hair also applies to extensions,” says Morbach.

The expert recommends using special shampoo for extensions. “The general rule of thumb is: Clear shampoos without oil can usually be used, but milky shampoos should be avoided.”

Mathé’s advice? “Don’t wash your hair upside down, and braid it at bedtime so that the hair doesn’t kink or get damaged by friction.”

He also recommends that you use dry shampoo more often and apply leave-in conditioner to your hair to keep your extensions and natural hair looking good for longer. “Your hair will also grow faster if you wash it less often,” he adds.

Conditioner, hair-care products, and hairspray can be used as usual. However, use caution if you have blonde extensions: Heavily processed blonde hair shouldn’t come in contact with bleach, as it could turn the strands orange.

According to Morbach, most extensions are first bleached and then dyed to the desired color. As a result, they can resemble heavily damaged, bleached hair and require particularly intensive care.

“I always recommend using a tangle teaser or brush to comb the hair so that the extensions don’t come loose,” the expert says. “You can use them to carefully brush through the hair. In general, combing is particularly important at the roots to prevent the hair from tangling.”

The experts we talked to suggest avoiding exercise for a few days, because you should generally leave the adhesive to work for 48 hours after attaching it. Also, you shouldn’t wash your hair during this time.

It can seriously impact your skin.

“It depends on the method,” says Mathé. “Tape extensions last between 8 and 12 weeks, after which they have grown out and need to be removed.” That said, some extensions can be reused.

Extensions offer a lot of options when it comes to styling. You can wear any look that you would with your real hair—and even some you wouldn’t have before. The advantage of hair extensions is that you have more to work with, which allows the style to last longer.

“You can do any hairstyle you want, because the tape extensions are applied in such a way that they are invisible,” says Mathé.

However, there are some different techniques to keep in mind: “If you want your hair to look very full at the front when worn loose, then strands of hair will also be added to the sides at the front of the top of your head,” he says. “You should then make sure that the extension tapes are not visible when styling buns or ponytails.”

You literally can’t mess this up.

His tip? “Wavy styles look great with the diffuser,” he says. “But other methods also work great, like styling with the Dyson Airwrap, blow-drying with a round brush, or using straighteners and curling irons.” The fact is: You can do anything—treat extensions like your own hair.

This depends on the manufacturer, the quality, the method (bonding, tape), and the hairstylist. Therefore the question of cost cannot be answered in general terms.

My Hairtalk extensions with tape, which were applied at Lippert’s Hairdressers in Munich, cost 137 euros per pack of 12 strands measuring 25 centimeters in length; 45 centimeters cost 176 euros per pack of 12. A hair-extension application with human hair starts at three packs and has a styling fee of 68 euros. At Lippert’s Hairdressers, the cost of removing the extensions is 196 euros, including washing and blow-drying.

In American dollars and measurements, that comes down to:

This article first appeared on Glamour Germany.