All about hair extensions – methods, textures & length

Hair extensions – a guide from Fairwithhair

Hair extensions give you length, volume or colour effects without waiting for your own hair to grow. We have worked with hair extensions for 17 years, and in our salon and shop by Odenplan in Stockholm and our salon in Uppsala we help customers every week find the right hair and the right method. Here we've gathered the most important things to know before you choose.

The difference between extensions and the extension method

The extensions are the hair itself, while the extension method is how it is attached to your own hair. Some types of extensions, such as clip-in, halo and ponytail, you put in yourself. Others, such as tape, keratin and hair weft, are installed by an extension specialist and stay in for several weeks or months. Find all our human hair extensions in one place.

Hair extension methods

Tape-in extensions are attached with thin pieces of tape on either side of a section of your own hair. The result lies flat and is moved up every 8–10 weeks. Keratin and nail hair are attached strand by strand with a keratin bond, stay in for 3–4 months and are then redone. With micro weft, the hair weft is attached to micro rings without sewing, glue or heat, and is moved up every 2–3 months. Butterfly weft is a weft with pre-punched holes that attaches to micro rings and is never sewn. With a sew-in, the hair weft is sewn onto a braid with needle and thread, and a full weave often uses a lace closure or frontal. Mesh is a net with a hairpiece on top and wefts at the back, made for you if you have fine hair. Compare all methods on the page hair extension methods.

Extensions you put in yourself

If you'd like longer or fuller hair now and then, for a party or the weekend, clip-in extensions, halo hairband and ponytail are easy options. They go in within minutes without glue, tape or heat and come out in the evening. Halo is available with and without clips, and a ponytail extension attaches in seconds around your own ponytail.

Human hair extensions – Classic, Premium and Luxury

All our human hair extensions come in three qualities. Classic is affordable human hair but not Remy. Premium and Luxury are Remy hair, where the strands lie in the same direction from root to tip, so the hair tangles less and lasts longer. Luxury is our highest quality and can be coloured both darker and lighter. If you want extra full ends, Luxury is also available as double drawn – read about the difference between single and double drawn. If you want the thinnest solution, there is invisible weft.

Textures – straight, wavy, curly and Deep Wave extensions

For extensions to blend in, they need the same texture as your own hair. We have straight extensions, wavy extensions, curly extensions and Deep Wave extensions, as well as Yaki and Kinky for Afro hair. Curly extensions are one of our most searched categories, and we have curly human hair as hair weft, tape and clip-in. Read more about all hair textures.

Choosing the right length, colour and amount

Extension length is measured straight, and the final result depends on how long your own hair is. The colour should match your lengths, not your roots, and a blend of two shades often gives the most natural result. See our guides on choosing length and choosing colour, and the full colour chart. The amount depends on how much of your own hair you have and the result you want – with keratin we count from 20–40 strands for highlights up to 160–200 strands for extra fullness.

Extensions for fine hair

If you have fine or thin hair, the attachments need to be light and the amount well balanced so your own hair isn't strained. With thin patches or hair loss, mesh or a hair topper may be a better choice than traditional extensions. If you lose your hair for medical reasons, the requisition (rekvisition) can in some regions also be used for hair extensions – read more under requisition or on our page all about wigs.

Caring for hair extensions

The right care keeps both the extensions and your own hair looking good. Use shampoo and conditioner for extensions, keep conditioner and oil away from the attachments and brush gently. After a tape installation, wait 48 hours before washing your hair. What gets used up at a move-up is mainly refill tape, wax bonds and micro rings, and you'll find everything among our tape-in extension accessories, keratin accessories and hair care for extensions. Read all our hair extension care advice.

What affects the price of hair extensions

The price of hair extensions depends on the hair quality, the length, how much hair is needed and the method you choose. Luxury Remy hair costs more at purchase but lasts considerably longer and can be reused at a move-up, so it's worth calculating the cost over time. If you're looking for budget extensions, Classic is our most affordable human hair, and synthetic extensions are an option for temporary looks.

Hair extensions in Stockholm and Uppsala

We install all methods in both salons: at Norrtullsgatan 26A by Odenplan in Stockholm, in what is often called Stockholm's largest hair shop, and at Skolgatan 49 in Uppsala. You can see and feel the hair in the shop, and we match the colour to your own hair. We see customers by appointment, and the consultation is free. Read more about the salon in Stockholm and the salon in Uppsala.

Why choose Fairwithhair

We have worked with hair extensions for 17 years, have our own salons in Stockholm and Uppsala and sell extensions in all textures and qualities in our online shop, with delivery within 2–3 days. We help you choose the right hair, the right colour and the right method, and we're there afterwards with move-ups, reinstallations and advice.