Our Stylists Reveal All Their Best Clip-in Hair Extension Tips & Hacks

Have you ever installed your hair extensions yourself, and they just don't look quite right? Or perhaps you're a hair extensions stylist starting out and need some tips to make sure you get it right? Well, our hair extension pros are here to help!

Our incredible team of hair extension experts and stylists have been in the game for a really long time, so we know all the tricks of the trade – from choosing the right extensions to installing them properly to caring for them. 

We’ve put together a list of our favourite clip-in hair extension tips and hacks that’ll help you achieve great results. Because when it comes to hair extensions, the devil really is in the details.

It goes without saying you can't achieve great results with poor-quality hair extensions. 

Your hair extensions will definitely be noticeable if you're working with cheap or poor-quality extensions – they will stick out, feel uncomfortable, and won't blend in with your natural hair.

Hair extensions made from high-quality synthetic fibres or human hair are the best choices – they look and feel more natural, so you can be sure they’ll blend in with your own and look great for much longer.

Our team only supplies and works with hair extensions of the highest quality, so you can be sure you'll get beautiful results that last.

You can’t just clip-in your extensions to tangled or matted hair. It’ll make achieving the look you’re after more tricky, and the extension clips might be secure properly to your hair. 

So, make sure your natural hair is clean and brushed before installing new hair extensions – you don't want damaged or dirty hair to throw your look off.

That’s not to say you need to wash your hair every time you clip your extensions in; you just shouldn’t wear them when your hair is overly greasy or knotted. If you need a quick way to get rid of hair grease, spritz a bit of dry shampoo to your roots and tousle your hair.

Sulphates are known to cause dryness, irritation and colour-fading, all of which you obviously don’t want for your hair.

That's why we recommend washing your hair with a sulphate-free shampoo before you install the extensions. This will ensure that your natural hair stays healthy and strong and will help you get great results.

When you’ve washed your hair, make sure it's completely dry before installing the hair extensions. Damp or wet hair will make it difficult for the clips to grip, so only put your extensions in once your hair is dry.

And don't forget – no matter how tempted you are – avoid using a hairdryer on full heat or over-brushing your natural hair. Both of these can cause damage and weaken your hair, making it much harder to get the results you want.

This isn't an absolutely necessary step, but giving the ends of your hair a trim can make a huge difference to the overall appearance of your hair and help the extensions blend in more seamlessly.

Split ends can make it harder for hair extensions to blend in with your natural hair, so you should either trim your own hair or get a professional stylist to do it for you. We advise our customers to get their hair trimmed every 6 weeks or so.

When they're not being worn, hair extensions require proper storage to help them look their best and avoid matting.

The simplest way to use a hair extension hanger like the RiRi Hair Extensions Hanger With Clips. If you want to protect your hair further, the RiRi Hair Extensions Bag can help keep your hair safe between uses.

Simply pop your extensions in the hanger, slide the bag over, and zip up. You can hang them up and away from anything that might tangle or damage them until you’re ready to wear them the next day, or whenever you need them.

Caring for your extensions is super important to ensure your clip-ins looks their best and that they stay in place for longer.

Our team always recommends using a professional quality shampoo, conditioner, and styling product specifically designed for hair extensions. The RiRi Hair Extensions Care Full Set is ideal for this – we’ve bundled up all our haircare essentials, including our shampoo and conditioner (full size and travel size), hair extensions booster, and argan oil. These products help to keep your extensions hydrated and keep them looking smooth and healthy.

As for the tools, you'll need a brush made specifically for extensions and, if necessary, some extension tape or glue if you're using bonded extensions. We recommend the Signature RiRiDeluxe Hair Extension Brush to keep both your extensions and your hair healthy.

It’s so important that you learn the correct way to install clip-in hair extensions to get the best results. 

Different types of hair extensions will require different installation techniques, so be sure to research the right method for the type of extensions you are using. For example, you may need to learn the correct way to clip-in hair extensions or how to apply tape-in extensions correctly.

But here, we’re talking about clip-in hair extensions. In this case, you'll need to make sure that your natural hair is parted in the correct spot for the extensions to be installed and clipped into place.

You'll also need to make sure that each clip is securely closed so the extensions stay put close to the roots and scalp. If the clips are not secure enough, then the extensions will be too far away from the scalp and won't look natural, which is not what we're going for here!

You can see our beautiful Niamh showing us how easy it is to put in our clip-in extensions on our TikTok below:

Hiding your hair extensions is an important part of getting natural-looking results. If your extensions are not properly hidden, they’ll be too visible and will ruin the whole look.

With clip-in hair extensions, you'll need to make sure that the clips are securely closed and that the extensions blend in with your own hair. To do this, you can tease the root area of the natural hair so it looks thicker and can hide the clips more easily.

A texturising spray can also help to blend the extensions in with your own hair, as can some well-placed backcombing.

If you're using bonded or tape-in hair extensions, make sure that the bonds are properly covered and blended in with your natural hair. This may require teasing and spraying for a more natural look.

Different hairstyles are also great for hiding hair extensions – braids, buns, and half-up/half-down styles are all great!

No set of hair extensions is going to last you forever. Human hair extensions last longer than synthetics, but even they have a limit.

Trying to revive extensions that are well past their prime is a fruitless effort, especially with longer hair extensions that may become matted more easily. 

Replacing your old hair extensions can also be a great excuse to try a new style!

When it comes to applying hair extensions, make sure that you take the time to learn the correct techniques. Knowing how to install and style hair extensions correctly is essential if you want natural-looking results every time.

Use our top tips above or head on over to our blog or follow us on social media for even more #hairhacks!