How to style hair extensions: 4 easy, flawless looks worth the try

How do you style hair extensions to look seamless and natural? What is the hottest extension trend taking over social media this season? If you’ve been looking for ways to transform your mane, you’ve come to the right place.

At 5S Hair, we don’t just provide premium extensions; we provide the expertise to help you wear them with confidence. With years of experience in the global hair industry, our team has identified the key features that make a hairstyle go from “okay” to “extraordinary” with this guide: How to style hair extensions step-by-step!

Preparing to style flawless hair extensions 

Before we even think about styling, let’s talk prep. The difference between seamless integration and a frizzy mess always comes down to what you do beforehand. Your hair needs to be prepared, hydrated and ready to go for any hairstyle!

Any hairstyle works best on clean, moisturized and detangled hair, so let’s get strands in formation.

Cleansing and hydrating

A fresh install demands a fresh scalp. Start with a moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoo to remove any buildup, then follow with a deep-conditioning treatment to lock in moisture. Keeping your hair hydrated from the start will prevent dryness and breakage later. 

Tips: If your hair struggles to hold moisture, try a steam treatment or deep-conditioning with heat to help those strands soak it all in. 

Detangling

Detangling like your style depends on it because it does. If you skip this step, you will be fighting through knots mid-install. Use a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush, starting at the ends and working your way up to the roots. The smoother your hair is, the cleaner, longer-lasting, and more comfortable your hair styles will be.

Expert tips: Apply a leave-in conditioner and a lightweight oil (like argan oil or jojoba oil) to keep your hair soft, shiny and tangle-free before styling.

Stretch your hair

If your natural texture is super oily or prone to shrinkage, stretching your hair before installing extensions will help with blending and longevity. 

You can stretch with those guide:

• A blow dryer on low heat
• Banding (sectioning hair with elastic bands overnight)
• The tension method (gently pulling your hair while blow-drying)

Not only does this make hairstyling so much easier, but it also helps your extensions lay flat and look effortlessly natural.

Sectioning your hair as a stylist

Your hair is finally clean, moisturized and stretched, it’s time to section it off. Use clips to divide your hair into even, manageable sections – this keeps things organized and makes the hairstyling process much smoother.

Be careful with heat – Thermal defense

Effective heat protection is not merely a suggestion. It’s a necessity because applying heat to human hair extensions, you are working with fibers that have likely undergone chemical processing. That means their cuticles are already more porous than the virgin one.

Now that your hair is well prepped and ready, let’s go to the fun part – styling it in your perfect extensions.

How to style hair extensions? 4 Hottest hairstyles you should try

1. How to make half up half down style for extensions?

This is the most versatile extension. Half up half down extensions hairstyle is quite easy but does require a specific strategy to ensure your extensions stay completely hidden. Let’s follow our guide to make it the perfect look!

• Step 1: Start by sectioning your hair. Creating a small triangle-shaped section of hair at the front of your head, near your forehead. To ensure a fluffy and natural look, it’s best not to detangle the hair before starting.
• Step 2: Clipping – Gently lift the triangular section and slip it away. You can use your fingers to part the hair or a comb, making sure not to tug on the wefts of the extensions.
• Step 3: Repeat on the other side.

Repeat the same process on the other side of your head. Part the hair with your fingers or a comb, lifting the section away from the rest of the hair and clipping it.

• Step 4: Creating the pony tail

Brush the remaining hair to the back to form the half up half down ponytail. Remember to keep the wefts of the extensions pulled straight up at a 90-degree angle, ensuring they blend seamlessly with your natural hair.

• Step 5: Brushing the wefts

Using a brush, gently smooth the wefts that are pulled straight up. Make sure to brush over them without pulling on your natural hair. This step ensures a cohesive and polished appearance.

• Step 6: Securing the ponytail: Take an elastic hair tie and wrap it around the ponytail. You can choose a color that matches your hair extensions. Making sure not to pull too tightly. If you feel any tension on your natural hair, release it slightly with your finger. 

2. How to style Twisted hair for extensions?

If you want to try out the princess look with your extensions, you have to try these hair extensions out! This style is excellent, unique and absolutely stands out. It is best for visiting weddings, cocktail parties or any formal events, etc.

Styling twisted hair extensions step-by-step:

• Step 1: Sectioning and prep the base

Start by sectioning your hair into a low or mid-height ponytail that will sit to ensure the wefts are covered when the hair is pulled back. Split your hair extension into 2 equal sections.

• Step 2: Twist and take both of them together and secure them with pins.
• Step 3 (optional): Continue twisting until you reach the ends. 
• Step 4: Use a small amount of styling gel or mousse at the tips.

Expert tip: For the fuller twists, part your sections slightly larger. If you want them being more defined, go for smaller sections.

Keep your extensions consistent but not too tight. You may want the twist to be secure, but not pulling at your scalp to cause any damage. 

3. How to style a braided crown for extensions?

A braided crown is the best idea for a wedding hairstyle. It is intricate, gorgeous and looks adorable with any outfit. You can rock this look for even festivals, romantic dates or just basic daily occasions. 

How to do style hair extension for braided crown step-by-step:

• Step 1: Sectioning. Create a clean center part or a deep side part, extending it all the way down to the nape of your neck to divide the hair into 2 primary sections. 
• Step 2: Begin a Dutch braid one by one. Start near your part line and move toward your ear. As you pick up hair, ensure you are grabbing an equal mix of natural hair and extension hair. 
• Step 3: Continue braiding along the hairline, keeping your hands close to the head to maintain high tension. 
• Step 4: Pull them together, braid all the way around and reach your starting point like a crown effect. Secure the end with a small, clear elastic. 

Expert tips: Gently pull on the outer loops to hide the transition points where your natural hair ends and the extensions continue. 

• Final step: Tuck the tail of the braid underneath the starting point of the crown and secure it with U-shaped pins. Position the pins horizontally into the bulk of the braid. Finish with a light mist of a non-alcoholic shine spray to glow the braided extensions up, giving the healthy, shiny and professional look.

4. How to style a low bun with extensions?

Buns are very chic and clean. They give effortless vibes and look great at the same time. It seems to be the easiest hair extensions to be styled. This hairstyle is a good option for those who have a thin hair type.

To create a flawless low bun with extensions, you must prioritize concealing the attachment points while ensuring the weight is distributed evenly to avoid scalp tension. Step-to-step to create your chic and effortless low bun:

• Step 1: Gather your hair at the nape of the neck. Keeping the tension low to avoid pulling on the extension attachments. 
• Step 2: Before securing, use a rat-tail comb to gently smooth the hair over your tapes or beads. Ensuring they are fully covered by your natural top layer. 
• Step 3: Secure the hair with scrunchies to minimize friction and prevent breakage.

FAQs

To make sure you have all your bases covered before you grab your hot tools, let’s look at a few quick-fire answers to the most common styling questions. 

1. How to style hair extensions so they look totally natural?

They key to style hair extensions so they look totally natural is making your hair and extensions move as one. You can try some methods:

• Blend them together
• Braid away the short layers (If you have a blunt haircut, the short hair at the nape of your neck will always give you away. Braid that bottom section of your natural hair and pin it flat against your scalp before applying your extensions.
• Opt for texture: Choose waves or curls to create volume and movement, which easily hides the transition line between your hair and the extensions.

2. How often should I style my extensions? 

It depends on which type of extensions you style!

• Clip-ins: You should only need to refresh the style with heat every 3-4 wears.
• Permanent Extensions: Limit heavy heat styling to once to twice a week.
• Heatless hairstyle: It can be done everyday because heatless methods don’t use damage-inducing heat.

3. What to avoid when styling hair extensions?

Avoid these major styling sins to keep your extensions looking expensive:

• Tugging on wet hair

Hair is weakest when wet. Never pull a round brush through damp extensions while blow-drying, or you will cause severe shedding and breakage.

• Oils on the bonds

Keep your sleek styling serums and hair oils strictly on the mid-lengths and ends. Applying them near the roots will cause tape-ins or microbeads to slide right out.

• High heat settings

Treat your extensions like delicate silk. Keep your curling irons and straighteners on a low-to-medium heat setting. Always prep with a high-quality heat protectant.

Final thoughts

Hope our 4 legendary hairstyles and the delicate guidance with the right prep and proper maintenance would help you to achieve a blend so seamless that no one will ever guess your secret. Treat your extensions with care, keep the heat low, and rock the flawless new length with total confidence. Not only will you figure out how to style your hair extensions, but you can also learn even more about hair care on our Blog right here!