Hair Secrets to Make Your Hair Extensions Look Natural

Struggling to make your hair extensions look real? Or can’t quite get them to lay how you want? We’ve revealed our best secrets on how to make your hair extensions look more natural, so you won’t be called out on your faux locks.

More often than not, the reason why your extensions don’t quite look as you pictured in your head or saw on Pinterest is because they haven’t been fitted correctly or they aren’t the right ones for your hair type.

You can try blending the wrong extensions as much as you want, but if they’re the wrong colour, length, or not installed properly, you won’t have an awful lot of luck.

So, if that’s the sitch, how do you deal with unnatural-looking extensions? 

Even though you can get super high-quality synthetic hair extensions for a reasonable price these days (like here at RiRi), there are still things you should consider to make them as natural and seamless as possible.

The three main things to consider are the colour of your extensions, the number of wefts you plan to use, and their length.

Of course, you should consider the same things if you are using human hair extensions, but due to their, well, real human hair look, it's likely you don't need to worry so much about their natural look.

But you'll still want them to look seamless, so it's worth taking some notes here.

So, how do you choose the right hair extensions for you? That's where we come in, bestie.

Let's give you the lowdown on how to choose your perfect colour, amount of wefts, and ideal length.

Colour-matching your extensions to your natural hair before you purchase your new locks can be the difference between them looking 10/10 and a bit meh.

Of course, if you're going for a two-toned look, it doesn't matter so much about matching your natural hair to your extensions, but if you're looking for an exact match, you want to make sure it's realistic.

Going in blind isn't always your best bet, so this is your sign to stop guessing! 

Colour matching your hair extensions is important for simply achieving a natural and balanced look. If you're aiming for a deep chocolate brown, but end up with a honey brunette, you're probably going to look a bit wild if that wasn't your aim.

When your extensions look natural, you’re more likely to feel natural and confident.

Not only that, but when you colour-match hair extensions, you can also style them without worrying about exposing mismatched tones. And none of us want that.

If you don't know what a hair extension weft is, it's literally the strip of material with the hair and clips attached to it.

Wefts can come in all shapes and sizes, including single-pieces, 3-pieces, and even 8-pieces.

So, why do you need to think about wefts when buying natural-looking hair extensions? Let's get into it.

For single-weft clip-ins — like our very own clip-in hair pieces — the perfect placement is in line with the top of your ears. That way, you'll get beautifully natural added thickness and length.

Just check out this application video below to see how easy it is:

If you're using more than one weft, though, like our Summer Teale 3-Piece , you should start with the longest weft first in the usual placement (maybe slightly lower if you have thinner hair).

The short wefts can then be used either at the sides of your head (providing you have enough hair to cover them) or just above the longest weft for added volume in that section.

As long as you can't see any clips of wefts and they aren't causing tension, you can clip them anywhere you think they're needed, and you'll have natural-looking extensions.

Make sure you leave a suitable gap of an inch between the wefts to create a natural blend.

The length of extensions is, for a lot of people, the main reason they want hair extensions in the first place. If you're seeking those luscious Rapunzel locks that you just can't quite achieve ( even with rosemary oil ) with your natural hair, that's where your RiRis come in.

But why do we need to think about the length of all things in relation to achieving a natural look?

Because, ladies, if you're going from a humble bob straight to a 26-incher, you might get some odd looks.

So, if you're making the mistake of not assessing the length of your extensions, let's talk about it in some more detail.

We actually have a few guides dedicated to helping you choose your hair extension lengths, so we recommend checking out those bad boys.

But for now, we'll give you the general gist:

If you're looking for super long locks, the best thing to do would be to gradually make the change . Start with an 18" or 20" extension , and after a few months, try out a 24" extension and see how you like it.

Below is a breakdown of our recommended hair extension lengths compared to your natural locks , taken from our article Hair Extensions Length Guide: What Length Should You Choose?

Nothing's stopping you from going long first, though. You should always do what makes you most confident and happy , and if you look a little fake, who cares?

If you’ve already purchased your extensions, but you think they look a little tired, and you simply can’t get them to blend, below are some extra tips for making them more natural looking.

Spoiler alert: It’s not that hard!

If you’re a human hair girlie, just like natural human hair, it needs to be washed to keep it looking fresh.

Leaving it to do its thing will cause it to look choppy, streaky, and a little Bridget Jones-esque— frazzled British woman vibes.

To wash your human extensions, we recommend a shampoo and conditioner suitable for hair extensions, like ours here at RiRi.

Our duo is amazing at getting rid of any dirt and build-up, leaving you fresh and clean. We recommend washing them once or twice a week. 

If you have clip-in human hair extensions, you should wash them in a clean sink filled with water, and if you have semi-permanent ones, you can wash them with them in your hair. 

If you style your natural hair before wearing your extensions, you’ll be surprised how seamless your locks will look.

If you have straight extensions, you should straighten your hair, and if you have curly or wavy, you should curl your hair.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, your extensions will cover most of it, but the styling will account for those bits of hair that insist on poking out .   

We imagine you’ll already be pretty on it with brushing and detangling your extensions when you apply them and remove them. But what about in between? Ah, got you.

Ladies, if you want seamless, natural-looking extensions, they need to stay blended the whole day . This is why taking a brush with you on your outings is so important.

Our Deluxe Hair Extension Brush will become your new bestie, you’ll be taking her everywhere! 

If you want soft, buttery hair that looks natural , too, you need our signature brush. 

Unfortunately, one of the biggest giveaways that you have extensions is the bottom layer of your natural hair. Which is annoying since there’s not really much you can do about it. Or is there?

If you have particularly short natural hair, or it’s a completely different colour to your extensions, there’s a chance it’ll poke out, exposing your secrets.

So, here’s what you do. Tie the bottom layer of your hair (underneath your ears) into a plait , and tie it with a small elastic hairband that would be undetectable in your hair.

Next, using bobby pins, clip your plait flat to the back of your hair. This might take a bit of trial and error to get it right, but stick with it. 

Place your weft just above the plait you’ve just tied to the back of your head, and voila, perfectly seamless extensions.

Girls, as long as you take these things into consideration, your hair extensions will look a million dollars. That’s just a fact.

And see, we told you. It doesn’t take a genius to achieve natural and seamless-looking extensions. Just a little more thought on the basics.

If you need any more help or advice on your extensions, please feel free to give us a message. But in the meantime, get your free colour match done!

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