Welcome to the ultimate guide to cutting hair extensions, whether you’re a seasoned stylist who wants a refresher, or a newbie who is curious about achieving a flawless blend with the help of your trusted shears. No matter if it’s clip in hair extensions or a set of professional hair extensions for a long-lasting makeover, eventually your favourite tresses will need a snip – and in today’s blog, we spill the beans on all the techniques to make it happen. From layering to texturising, get ready to read everything you need to know about how to cut hair extensions!
Why Cut? The Benefits of Trimming Your Clip-in Hair Extensions
@hannahcleaver.hair A few tips on how I cut & layer hair extensions that have helped me grow my client base. I hope they help you too! #hairextensions #haircut #cuttingtutorial #haircuttingtips #hairtransformation #haireducation ♬ original sound - Hannah Cleaver hair
Trimming hair extensions is the way to keep the added tresses looking fresh and healthy, together with your (or your client’s) natural hair. Together with appropriate layering, cutting hair extensions can help you achieve a seamless blend, hiding the added hair for a polished and natural finish. On top of that, it helps get rid of split ends, for a mane that always looks healthy and as glamorous as possible.
Blending longer hair extensions with a shorter haircut will always imply a little bit of cutting, and this is why it's important that you know how to cut clip in hair extensions! Let’s have a look together at how you can achieve a flawless hair extensions haircut, and read all the tips and tricks from our experts to find the perfect technique for your look.
Preparation: Essential Tools and Tips
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Wondering how to cut hair extensions? The first step is making sure you have your hair styling kit fully stocked for the best results! Here’s what you will need:
Cutting Techniques for Different Extension Types
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Different hair extensions will obviously require different cutting techniques, depending on the results you’re trying to achieve. Here’s some of the most popular options!
Layering
Layering is one of the first steps that one should take when wearing hair extensions, especially if they are seeking a hairstyle that is full of body, movement, and dimension. In the case of certain types of hair extensions, such as weave weft hair extensions, layering can also be a great way to reduce its density and weight – focusing on a hairstyle that will be easy to curl for glamorous blowouts.
If your hair is naturally thick and you’ve added hair extensions for length, strategic layering can help achieve a flawless blend whilst also reducing the thickness of your natural hair, for a more natural finish. Go for layers that help frame the face of your client, removing bulk whilst maintaining the desired effect. Curious about layering hair extensions? Read more about it in our dedicated blog: How To Layer Hair Extensions.
Thinning
Thinning is another cutting technique used to get rid of bulkiness, especially in clients that have thick and dense hair with hair extensions. Use your thinning shears to start the process, creating ultra-fine, minimalistic layers that can add dimension to the final hairstyle in a natural way. There are many ways to thin out a hairstyle with your thinning shears, and depending on your client’s desired finish and the type of hair extensions they are wearing, you might need to do some specific research to find your case-specific technique.
Weight Line Cut
Named after the area where the haircut carries the most weight, this type of haircut can usually be observed in blunt hairstyles including bobs and lobs. Running along the end of your hair (or your client’s hair), this technique mixes thinning to a blunt cut for a natural finish that is not too heavy on the ends, for a flawless blend that keeps the haircut sharp and glamorous yet modern. Some hair stylists prefer using a technique called “point cutting”, where styling scissors are used to snip through the ends to create a feathery finish. Depending on your skills and desired results, point cutting may be preferable to thinning shears.
Blunt Cut
The blunt cut has recently gained quite a lot of popularity, probably thanks to the many celebrities that have started swearing by it. It was all the rage in edgy and elegant bobs and lobs, and it can also be observed in longer hairstyles featuring hair extensions. To achieve a blunt cut, you’ll need to trim your hair at a 0-degree angle, making sure that your section is in line with the others and keeping each strand falling into place at an even length.
Blunt cuts are suitable for different types of hair extensions, creating the illusion of more density and volume – since the hair maintains the same thickness from root to tip. Specific types of extensions, such as double drawn hair extensions, are already pre-made with this type of finish in mind, and are often employed for glamorous and fuller looks. Cliphair’s double drawn hair extensions collection is made of superior-quality tresses, for a blunt finish that is also more manageable and features unmatched shine, less frizz, and a longer lifespan.
Blending Secrets: Achieving a Natural Look
@itsmethejb How I like to cut in and layer tape in extensions to create a seamless lived in haircut 🥰🥰 . . #hairextensions #hairextension #hairextensionspecialist #hairextensionsalon #tapeextensions #tapeextension #tapeextensionspecialist ♬ original sound - James Banks
Blending your hair extensions is essential. Giving them a trim (or an entire haircut) is only the first step! Correct styling, texturising, and (if necessary) colouring are all crucial steps for achieving a flawless blend. Hairstyles that feature curls, soft waves, and layers are usually very helpful to hide the hair extensions and conceal it among natural hair for a seamless finish. Want to know more? Check out our dedicated post: Cliphair Guides: How To Blend Hair Extensions.
Aftercare Tips for Healthy Extensions
Maintaining your hair and hair extensions as healthy as possible is the key for a hairstyle that will always be able to stun the audience, together with getting the perfect hair extensions cut, correct layering, and impeccable styling. Here’s a few tips and tricks to make the most of your Cliphair hair extensions:
Use Shampoo & Conditioner For Extensions
Using the right products when it comes to washing your hair, especially if you’re wearing professional hair extensions. Don’t settle for less, use only the best shampoo and conditioner for hair extensions! Developed by Cliphair, the Quench The Thirst: Deep Moisture hair care line features a shampoo for dry hair extensions, conditioner for hair extensions, and a deep conditioning hair mask for extensions that will replenish the moisture levels in your hair fibres, improving softness, elasticity, shine, and manageability in both natural hair and Remy hair extensions. 100% sulphate-free and paraben-free, this hair care line will revitalise dry and parched hair extensions from the very first use.
Trim Regularly
As natural hair grows, both hair and hair extensions will need a trim every now and then to keep those ends looking full and healthy. Another good technique to get rid of pesky flyaways and keep healthy hair is hair dusting.
Maintain Regular Appointments
Schedule regular re-fitting appointments to keep up with hair extensions maintenance. Slipping-off, overgrown roots, and other problems caused by not attending regular hair extensions fitting appointments are not only the main cause behind a mane that looks unkempt and unhealthy, but they can also become the culprit behind matting, tangling, dryness, hair damage, and more.
Protect Your Hair From Heat
Always use a generous dose of heat protection spray on both natural hair and added tresses to shelter them from heat damage. Cliphair Heat Protection spray is designed not only to create an invisible barrier on your hair to protect it from heat damage, but also to repair the disulfide sulfur bonds in your tresses, strengthening your tresses and shielding it from heat without weighing down the hair strands.
Troubleshooting Common Cutting Mistakes
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Oops! We've all been there. Got some choppy layers, uneven lengths, or cut a little too much? Here’s how to fix some common mistakes…
Speak To Your Client
Be honest, apologise, and work it out together. Keeping your client informed on what you’re doing is very important, and if you made a mistake, have an open conversation with your customer and find a middle-ground option that works for both of you.
Speak To A More Experienced Colleague
If you work in a salon, get a hold of a more senior colleague for advice, and find a solution that will be able to hide your mistake whilst trying to keep your client happy.
Use Hair Extensions To Hide It
If you made a mistake whilst cutting your client’s natural hair before applying hair extensions, chances are that you’ll be able to hide it with a good blend by using the Remy hair extensions your client asked for.
Check out our dedicated blog to know more about how to deal with a mistake in your haircut here – Top Tips: How To Fix A Bad Haircut.
Conclusion:
Ready for a haircut with hair extensions? By using the correct tools and techniques, you can easily achieve a flawless blend in your haircut. Layers, blunt cuts, hair thinning… There are so many options! Explore our collection of professional hair extensions to transform your client’s hair with a long-lasting makeover, or find out the perfect clip in hair extensions for a temporary transformation for a special occasion!
