You’ve likely had plenty of clients coming into your salon, flashing you photos of gorgeous, voluminous, freshly-colored beach waves and asking for the same thing. As a stylist, you can probably tell that those photos are typically supplemented with hair extensions.

   While not one of our beloved clients is the same as another, hair extensions should accommodate all hair types. The good news is that conformability is a weft extension’s middle name.  Stylists have specifically been turning toward using more and more sew-in extensions to accomplish their clients’ hair goals. Especially as of recently, sew-ins have become all the rage—thanks to social media. Instagram feeds are regularly flooded with the perfect, full locks seemingly crafted with hand-tied wefts, and for a good reason. Aside from being some of the most effortless and manageable types of extensions, sew-ins can also be customized to meet all of your one-of-a-kind clients’ needs. easiest

   Various types of extensions can’t be customized as easily as others in terms of color and texture. However, weft extensions are some of the most durable and adaptable. To make the topic of customizing weft extensions a bit clearer, we’ll give you a breakdown of some methods for customizing weft extensions, so you can blend them into your clients’ natural hair perfectly, every time.

Custom Colors

   With sew-in extensions, you’re not limited to the same color for all of the added rows. Plenty of stylists create custom colors by using multiple-colored wefts throughout the head. Using more than one color can result in a beautiful, natural, seamless look. Combining two to three shades for an entirely customized formula can undoubtedly give your client a beautiful balayage without the need for coloring or damaging already brittle hair. Building the various shades is as simple as coloring using foils. As long as you’re up-to-date on your color theory, it’s simple to just disperse the extensions throughout the hair and create the look that your client is dreaming of. You can either combine multiple shades of wefts to simulate a color that is difficult to accurately match or use them to add dimension to your client’s natural hair color. Combining various colors of wefts is an ideal solution for anyone who is hoping to avoid permanent color on their natural hair.

   Not to mention, for hard-to-match hair colors, coloring weft extensions to blend correctly is a breeze. Wefts themselves can be chemically colored, which is just an added bonus for adapting to a client’s wants.  It is recommended to use only semi-permanent or demi-permanent hair color, or permanent hair color with a mild developer such as 10 volume, and bleaching or highlighting is not recommended.  That doesn’t mean that some stylists haven’t bent these rules, but we definitely suggest that, if bending the rules, you must be comfortable and familiar with the durability of the extensions you’re working with.  While weft extensions are either machine or hand-tied, you can avoid the frustration of working around any clips, adhesives, or tape, and simply color all the way up to the thread. The opportunities for coloring with wefts are infinite!

The opportunities for coloring with wefts are infinite!

Chemically Treating

   Rather than having to turn down clients with particularly textured hair, weft extensions provide endless versatility. Although we do not recommend chemically treating sew-ins, including perming or straightening, many brands offer different textures and curl patterns to suit your clients’ needs. When your curly-haired clients are on the hunt for extra length or volume, it’s beneficial to recommend waved or curly weft extensions. 

Cutting and Shaping

Cutting and shaping are often necessary for extensions to blend naturally with your client’s hair. One of the most essential pieces of the extension puzzle—aside from color blending—is the finishing touch of a trim. Since sew-in extensions are 100 percent human hair, they can easily be added or shaped to create the perfect, customizable look your client is searching for.

For clients with shoulder-length hair, it’s simple to add hair extensions of different lengths to each row. For example, using 22-inch extensions at the head’s base and working your way up to 16-inch extensions toward the crown will give a natural look of layers. Not to mention, the extensions will do most of the work for you! However, it’s important to match your client’s hair density when adding any extensions to avoid damaging or adding unmanageable weight to already-fine hair.

In other cases, it may be necessary to shape the extensions, and potentially the client’s natural hair, with a trim. Blunt cuts are more difficult to naturally lay alongside added extensions, making it necessary to take away some weight prior to installing the extensions. Using thinning scissors is a simple solution.

Additionally, after installation, you can easily use a slide cut to blend the extensions into the natural hair in a seamless way. However, cutting extensions is not the same as cutting natural hair and should be done in one go rather than splitting into smaller sections like a regular cut. It’s essential to always cut on dry extension hair rather than wet. It’s also suggested that you point-cut to create a softer blend throughout.

Weft hair extensions can always be trimmed and shaped in a way that your client desires—whether it be a subtle curtain bang or a drastic angled bob. The options are endless; just ensure that you’re taking precautions when cutting extension hair as (obviously) it will not grow back as natural hair does.

Final Thoughts

Sew-in hair extensions are some of the most versatile on the market today. Wefts can be customized for various solutions: adding highlights to a client’s natural color, chemically coloring to perfect a color match, or cut to ensure that your client is getting the exact length that they expect to walk out the door with. Whether your client needs a last-minute, chemical-free color change or they’re on the hunt for the perfect voluminous balayage, your choices for customization with sew-in extensions are far from limited.