I have been wearing clip in hair extensions for around 7 years on and off therefore, I feel as though I have a confident understanding of them to be able to create this guide for anyone purchasing some for the first time.

Below I will share a step by step guide that you should take into consideration before making your final decision on a set to buy.

1. Human, Remy and Synthetic Hair

Human Hair -

As it says in the name, it is in fact human hair and therefore can be treated similarly to how you treat your own. You are able to use heat on it, dye it and wash it pretty much the same (minus washing, which should not be done very often at all) however, you do have to do each of these with more care. The extensions are not getting the same goodness that your own hair is provided with while on your head therefore, if not treated with a bit more respect, the extensions will very quickly get matted and ruined.

Remy Human Hair - 

They are much like the traditional human hair extensions however of a much higher quality. They are manufactured to ensure that all the hair is running from root to tip unlike normal human hair which can be a mixture, reducing the quality.

Synthetic Hair -

Synthetic hair extensions are not real hair and therefore cannot be treated the same. You have to look after them with much more care and they will usually not last as long. You can't dye these extensions and you can only use heat on them up to a certain temperature (which the company your purchase from should state on their website). These extensions also have a plastic coating look to them and tend to get matted very easily too.

Overall, the Remy Human Hair are the best option to go for however, their prices will be much higher. The Synthetic Hair will be the cheapest option however, the quality will not be as good as the Human/Remy Hair and in my opinion, really not worth your money.

2. Length

The length is just based on personal preference and usually ranges from 12" to 24"+. The company I use only sells 20" so that tends to be the length I go for. However, this comes past my waist and is way too long for my liking therefore, I tend to get mine cut.

In my advice, 16/18" is a more natural look if you're wanting to add length to shorter hair. But it's really a case of trial and error to find a length that works for you. Therefore, I would go for a longer set as you can get it cut if it seems too long.

3. Colour

Every website should give you the option of returning the hair extensions if they are the wrong colour but make sure you read their returns policy before ordering, just in case. Most of the time you cannot remove the hair extensions from the actual packaging if you plan on returning them, so keep them secured and just hold them up to your hair.

Some companies may also offer a colour matching service. It usually consists of you sending them a photo of your hair taken in natural light and them picking a colour that they think best suits you from their range.

If you dye your hair, my advice is to buy the extensions that match the hair colour you dye it to. This saves having to dye the actual hair extensions as this can be incredibly damaging/drying.

4. Price

Prices will really depend on the quality and how much hair you get. You obviously do not need to go crazy and spend hundreds if you are on a budget but you should also be aware that if you are paying £20/30 for a set, the quality or thickness may not be all that great.

I have paid prices from £20 to £100, with those costing £100 being my favourite so far.

In terms of Synthetic hair, you will expect to pay a lot less than human hair. I personally don't have much experience with Synthetic hair so cannot really comment. However, my one piece of advice is to not spend too much on them as they will not last you as long anyway.

5. Weight

The weight of hair extensions is something a lot of people seem to ignore when purchasing online and this is a huge mistake. It's extremely important to take note of it in the description as this will be a good indication of how much hair you are going to get.

When I first started wearing extensions I made the mistake of not checking this and when they would arrive at my door, they would be extremely thin and look extremely unnatural. The heavier the extensions, the better. You'll get much more hair for your money and it will blend beautifully.

As a guidance, the hair extensions I purchase weigh 165g but the company sells extensions which range from 125g to 280g. It obviously depends how thick your hair is but mine is on the finer side and these provide me with plenty of hair. My advice is to not purchase any that are under 125g.

6. Company

There are so many different companies out there trying to sell you hair extensions; too many for me to have tried them all. Therefore, I don't have experience with every brand existing but my main piece of advice is read reviews!! Whenever you find a company that you think of purchasing from, the first thing you should do is Google and YouTube them. Check blogs and videos for photos and people's opinions and see what their experience has been with the extensions and the company.

I will be doing a post where I review all the companies I have tried but the ones I do want to mention on here are Foxy Locks and Milk & Blush. These are the two companies I continue to purchase from and have found they are the best quality for the best price. They both have their pros and cons which I can talk about in another post!

I hope this provided a basic guide to the essential things to consider before purchasing clip in hair extensions. I am in no means a hair professional and all of this information is based on my own experience over the years.

Thank you for reading! :)