Our Top Tips for Wearing Hair Extensions With Short Hair
Never have I ever cut my hair short and instantly regretted it… *90% of girls sip*
Ahh, it’s such a huge decision to make on an impulse, but we still do it. You wake up and decide “today is the day, I’m tired of my hair”, chop it off, and then BANG instant regret. If only growing your hair long again happened as quickly as you can say “I miss my long hair”, because chances are you’ll be saying those exact words for the next 8-12 months.
OR maybe you love your new short hair - you just want to switch it up from time to time. The right hair can make or break a cute outfit, so a gals gotta have OPTIONS.
Um, hi it’s Zala - did someone say they needed options? We’ve got them sis!
While you’re giving your hair the time (and let’s face it, the break) it needs to grow, we’ve got all the length and volume you need to serve looks all day, and you can get it instantly. Clip-in hair extensions are perfect for the babe who needs flexibility in their life. The best part is that you can experiment with so many different hairstyles with extensions for short hair! The key here is to ensure you blend the hair with your own hair!
But how long does your hair need to be for extensions? We’ll be honest - putting extensions in short hair can be tough. It’s quite challenging to hide the clips/bonds if you have a pixie cut, but if you have at least 6-7 inches of hair, your clip-ins can blend perfectly. And you still have the flexibility to try different styles.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything about applying extensions to short hair. You’ll also learn how to blend extensions into short hair so it looks as natural as possible.
Use Thick Hair Extensions
To seamlessly transition from shorter layers to longer layers, it's always a good idea to use thicker extensions. Remember that you will need more hair to keep those short layers from peeking through. If you have extensions with fine hair, you might want to use multiple sets to achieve your hairstyle goals. But we recommend you use one thick set of wefts, which should be enough to perfectly camouflage your short hair.
Hide the Short Hair Peeking Out at the Back of Your Neck
The short hair peeking out at the back of your neck is a big giveaway that you're wearing extensions. Even if your wefts and natural hair have blended to the point of perfection, some people can still tell by those baby hair strands that you have extensions in. The good news is that we've got a simple fix for this problem: comb out a small section at the back of your neck and pin the small hair up. You could even spray a little hairspray to keep those little hairs at bay. Also, that's where you should put in your first extension.
Use Different Colors
You know that dyeing your natural hair in multiple colors gives it more depth. And highlights are always on trend. The best thing about human hair extensions is that they are available in multiple shades. It’s a good idea to use different colored sets and mix and match them to add more dimension to your hair, and to perfectly blend them with your own. No one’s natural hair is really just a flat colour (which is why you’ll find Zala’s extensions have a beautiful dimension to their colour). You can even create a gorgeous balayage without ever needing to bleach your hair! By doing so, you'll also avoid the damage that otherwise comes with dyeing your hair.
If you've already dyed your short hair, using multiple colored wefts becomes a necessity. Be sure to pick weft sets that match the different colors in your hair and blend them together by clipping them in alternately. You'll be amazed by the outcome!
Tease the Roots for Enhanced Hold
If your hair is on the more delicate side, it may become difficult for the clip-ins to stay attached, or the hold of the clips will be weak. It might even pull at your hair a bit.. You can fix this problem by teasing the roots a bit with a comb, then spraying a little bit of hairspray on the teased section. You don’t need to tease the entire way along your roots, just the small section that the clip will attach to. This will create a better hold, and your extensions will stay securely in place.
Clip Them Higher Up
When wearing long extensions with short hair, you'd want to conceal the shorter layers as much as possible. One way to do this is by having the extensions sit higher on your head. This is totally perfect and helps cover your short hair layers. The long wefts, when applied higher up, will also hide the clips perfectly. So, when applying long extensions to short hair, be sure to start from the base of your neck and go up to the top of your head instead of stopping midway.
Pro Tip: Make sure the clips/bonds are still hidden, the hair on the top of the hair is typically finer (as it gets more damage from the sun). Once you’ve applied your extensions, take some photos of the back of your head (or get someone else to take them), so you can make sure those clips are hidden girl!
Add Face-Framing Layers
To blend the shorter layers of your own hair into your extensions more naturally, try using some wefts with shorter strands. While you can cut human hair wefts at home as you would do with your own hair, we recommend you go to your stylist for professional cutting. The shorter wefts will merge more seamlessly with your natural hair, creating a perfect face frame. It will also add a bit of flair to your hairstyle.
Throw in Some Curls
With straight hair, the shorter strands of your natural hair are more likely to be visible than if they were curled into each other. Straight hair is the most challenging to blend with extensions, particularly if you are going out for the night and your hair may become frizzier than the extensions!
For this reason, it’s a good idea to curl your extensions before placing them. And after clipping them on, gently curl your hair along with the wefts so they can merge together seamlessly. You can curl the top layer to make the transition look smooth and natural.
PRO TIP: You can curl the extensions BEFORE you clip them in, just clip them securely onto a coat hanger and get curling, you can also hang them back up on the hanger after wearing them, to keep the curls nice for next time.
With straight hair, the shorter strands of your natural hair are more likely to be visible than if they were curled into each other. For this reason, it’s a good idea to curl your extensions before placing them. And after clipping them on, gently curl your hair along with the wefts so they can merge together seamlessly. You can curl the top layer to make the transition look smooth and natural.
