The Pros and Cons of Clip-In Hair Extensions

Your hair can say a lot about your personality and sense of style. As such, it should come as no surprise that people have wanted to find ways to temporarily change their hair for a very long time. From changing the way you part your hair to coloring your locks with temporary hair dye to extensions, there are many low or no-commitment ways to change the overall look at feel of your hair.

Today, we’re going to focus on clip-in hair extensions. Their benefits, and their drawbacks. Read on to learn more about these incredible products that give you the chance for no-commitment luxurious locks.

Pro: Clip-In Hair Extensions Are Versatile

One of the biggest benefits of hair extensions that you can apply with a clip is their versatility. You don’t have to commit to having the hair sewn in, or deal with the long-term maintenance associated with more permanent extensions. You can use them to add length, add volume, or simply to complement the hairstyle that you want to use for the day.

Con: They Can Damage Your Hair If You Wear Them Too Long

Of course, while clip-in hair extensions allow great versatility and ease of access, they aren’t meant for long-term wear. If you don’t have time or space to adjust them throughout the day, the metal clips many clip-in extensions use can start tangling or otherwise damaging the hair.

As such, it’s recommended that you take your extensions out before you go to sleep at night. Otherwise, you’ll wake up with a lot of tangles and even more pain. No one wants to deal with detangling fake hair first thing in the morning.

Pro: Easy to Apply and Swap Out

As we mentioned above, clip-in hair extensions are a low maintenance commitment. If you want to buy hair extensions without being locked into a certain color and style for a few months, clip-ins are the way to go. You just lift up your hair, find the place you want to boost your volume or length, clip in the extension, and go.

If you decide that you want shorter hair one day, or don’t feel like having blonde streaks anymore, you can switch to another length or color with ease.

Con: Only a Temporary Fix to a Permanent Problem

Alas, many of the reasons people use extensions are due to permanent problems. Problems like thin hair, a receding hairline, or brittle locks making it hard to grow them out will require greater intervention. You can read more about the ways people use extensions to bolster thinning hair from our fellow beauty bloggers.

In all of the above cases, when you get hair extensions, you’re using a cheaper, shorter-lasting solution for a long-term problem that requires more in-depth hair care. Consider speaking with your local salon to see if they know of a more permanent means to help you regrow or reinforce your hair.

Pro: Easy Access to Multiple Colors

Another major pro in favor of clip-in hair extensions is the massive rainbow of colors available to anyone who wants them. Want to try the latest buttery platinum trend, but don’t want to spend hours at the salon with a colorist? Clip-in extensions can fix that for you.

Tired of the blonde and want to go for something more colorful like pink or green or purple? You can switch it up the very next day. Then, if you’d rather opt for an ombre, or match your natural hair color, you can swap it out again. Clip-in hair extensions don’t force you to commit to matching one particular color for months on end.

Con: Cannot Be Dyed, and Often Use Low-Quality Materials

While we’re on the subject of color, it’s important to mention that most clip-in extensions cannot be dyed. This is mainly due to the materials used to make them not being compatible with most forms of common hair color.

Unless you want to drop the big bucks and invest in human hair clip-in extensions, you’ll be getting something with at least a little plastic content in them. Low-quality clip-ins might save you money when you initially decide to buy hair extensions, but they won’t look as good and can ruin the illusion you want to create.

How to Avoid Your Clip-In Hair Extensions Becoming a Pain to Wear

As we mentioned above, many clip-in hair extensions use a metal clip that can become extremely uncomfortable when worn for long periods throughout the day. There are a few ways that you can combat this potential source of pain, including but not limited to:

  • Give your head periodic breaks from having the extensions in throughout the day
  • Vary where you apply the extensions to avoid putting too much pressure on one spot
  • Make sure you clip your extensions into an area with enough support beneath them
  • Give your scalp the hair care and TLC it needs after a long session with clip-ins

By following these steps, you can keep your lovely new extensions from causing you undue pain.

Want to Learn More Before You Buy Hair Extensions?

We hope that you found all of this information on the pros and cons of clip-in hair extensions useful. If you did, and would like to learn more about the various kinds of hair extensions you can buy today, then why not check out our blog? We update each day with more fun and fashionable articles like this one!