How to Apply Hair Extensions for a Great Holiday Look

Beautiful long hair can be yours in less than 30 minutes when you apply a temporary bonding agent to hair extensions. Most beauty supply stores have various lengths and colors to match your real hair. Human hair extensions can be colored for a perfect match. Choose from curly, wavy or straight for the desired look. Do not buy the individual bulk hair. Use the extensions which come on a long sewn together length called wefts which can be cut into desired sizes.

You'll need one package of human hair extensions for most applications. For thicker looks, you'll need two packages of extensions. Choose a bonding agent to match the color of the hair. Dark seams need dark bonding agents, lighter colors need the light bonding agent. You'll also need scissors, a comb, hair dryer and hair clips.

Before adding the extensions, wash and dry hair thoroughly without using conditioner. Hair should be free of any kind of products such as gels, sprays, straighteners, etc. in order to insure the bonding agent adheres to the shaft of the strand.

1. Starting at the bottom of the head from ear to ear, part hair with a comb horizontally. Clip the upper hair away from the part to expose the area where you'll be adding the extension.

2. Take the clip in hair extensions length and measure from one side of the head to the other along the part. Cut the proper length to fit your head and lay flat on the counter to easily apply bonding agent to the seam. (Most people use about six lengths of extension which equals six parts in the hair from ear to ear adding six layers to the existing hair.)

3. Apply the bonding agent to the seam. Quickly lay the seam along the part, close to the scalp but not on the scalp and blow dry on low. The dryer will act as a more permanent bond and set fast instead of waiting for the bond to dry.

4. Next, lay existing hair over the bonded hair and make a part, approx. 1/4 inch above the previously applied hair extension.

5. Repeat from step 1 until all the extensions are applied.

Extensions can be easily applied by a friend or you can do it yourself. Since the bonding agent is waterproof, you can take showers, wash your hair and comb through it using a wide toothed comb or loop brush. Do not use heated styling irons on synthetic hair. Extensions from real hair can be curled as if it were your existing hair. Cut and style the hair as if it were your natural hair. Remove extensions with a bonding remover. Replace light brown hair extensions as needed. Most extensions will last up to one week without removing depending on how they were bonded into the hair.