By Hair Extension Specialist Nicole Petty at Milk + Blush

This year short hair has dominated, with women showing no fear in cutting their locks.

According to Google data, search for the ‘mixie’ cut (pixie and mullet) has risen by 1,500 percent in recent months, the ‘bixie’ cut (pixie and bob) by 156 percent and ‘French bob’ by 84 percent.

However, while the bob is predicted to be huge in 2022, making the chop can be a big decision, especially for those who have long locks.

So, what do you do if you miss the versatility that comes with having long hair? Well, the secret is to invest in a set of hair extensions.

Here, Nicole Petty, Hair Extension Specialist at Milk + Blush shares her top tips for anyone who’s made the chop but isn’t quite ready to wave goodbye to long-haired life just yet and wants to invest in some extensions.
1. Do your research

Before committing to a set, consider what type of extension you are going for. For example, clip-in hair extensions are the best option for a quick fix, as they are easy to maintain, clean and take-off, while tape extensions are a more permanent yet natural-looking low-maintenance option.

Quality is crucial, too, if you want them to last a bit longer. Synthetic hair might be cheaper and look shinier, but will most-likely get tangled easily and not hold styles or textures. Remy – human hair with the cuticle still intact – which is slightly more expensive, will last a lot longer, blend better and be easier to style.

And it’s important to opt for the right length and colour to suit you. Lengths generally range from 12″ to 24″ inches – with 12″ or 16″ the recommended for anyone with short-mid length hair. Meanwhile, most suppliers provide a shade matching service, where you send in a picture of your hair in natural light to allow the experts to provide the best match possible.

2. Fit them in properly

To avoid any mishaps, you’ll want to add a thicker set of extensions of 200-280g worth of hair, to transition from shorter to longer hair seamlessly.

After fitting your extensions, the section of hair at the nape of the neck will be the most prominent, particularly for those with short, blunt hairstyles. To avoid the choppy extension look, conceal this shorter, bottom layer of hair by plaiting the hair flat against the nape of your head and, if it’s too short, twist the hair and pin it or tie it into a small bun. You can then begin clipping your first weft to this pinned section and work around the head, section by section.

To create a perfect blend and conceal any bluntness, double up on wefts by stacking and layering them on top of each other around your head, no more than two at a time and clipping them to enough hair to hold the weight comfortably.

Finish by adding texture with waves or curls for a seamless blend after you’ve clipped the extensions into your hair.

3. Take care of them

To keep extensions in tip-top condition, brush them regularly using a soft brush, starting from the tips in a downwards motion – never from the top.

When it comes to keeping them clean, we advise against washing our clip-in wefts. Instead, use a spray like RemySoft Daily Refresher – the spritz coats the hair in silicone which replenishes them similarly to how your natural hair oils soften your hair.

If you do decide to wash them on the odd occasion, use a sulphate free shampoo and avoid scrubbing too hard. Rinse thoroughly before blow drying on low heat or air drying all of the wefts on a flat surface and gently pat away excess moisture from the hair using a microfibre towel.

Always make sure you store your extensions in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and that they are completely dry when you put them away – this will prevent any nasty mould or bacteria from growing.