If you are interested in getting hair extensions to make your hair longer or fuller, you have quite a bit of options available to you.

Choosing the best hair extensions for you may be overwhelming especially if you really aren’t sure which ones are even available for you. Learning more about each type of hair extensions can give you a better idea of which one may work for your hair style as well as for your budget.

Synthetic Hair Extensions vs. Real Human Hair Extensions

Before getting into each type of hair extension that is available the most important thing to first choose is whether or not you want to buy synthetic hair or spend more money for better quality human hair extensions.

Synthetic hair extensions are made from chemical fine little fibers that resemble real hair. You will find that most synthetic hair extensions can’t be around heat like a curling iron as they may burn or melt. There are some more expensive synthetic hair extensions that will be chemically treated to allow for some heat but these are usually more expensive.

On the other hand, real human hair extensions may be more expensive, but they are made from actual hair. They can be curled, straightened and styled just like your hair and they look a lot more realistic.

Synthetic hair extensions definitely have their place though. If you are looking for something for just one night or even something funky and fun to use for a night out, synthetic extensions may be the best choice for you.

You can find synthetic hair extensions at lots of different places from Sally’s Beauty Store to online at Amazon.com. Best of all they are really cheap and you can even find some for around $10-$15 depending on how much hair you want.

If you are looking for real human hair extensions, here are the different types you can choose from.

Clip In Hair Extensions

Clip in hair extensions are your basic extensions that you can buy yourself at the store or online. They can be made of real human hair as well as synthetic materials as well.

They are super simple to put in your own hair as they just clip into the root of your hair. You can find videos online that will teach exactly how to clip them in for the best realistic appearance.

There are all kinds of different clip on hair extensions that you can find from natural looking hair in brown, blonde, black, and red as well as other less natural colors like pink, purple, blue, and green.

Clip in hair extensions make a great introduction to hair extensions and may be an option if you aren’t going to wear the extensions all the time or you just want to play around with different hair styles.

Fusion Bonded or Glue- In Hair Extensions

You will find that most salons use some sort of fusion bonded or glue hair extensions.  There are hot fusion hair extensions which are the most popular as well as cold fusion hair extensions.

With hot fusion bonded hair extensions the stylist uses a hot glue product to attach the hair extensions to the root of your hair. This is done underneath the hair in places where you can’t tell the hair extensions as placed.

Hot fusion extensions can last anywhere from 2-3 months in your hair.

Cold fusion hair extensions are slightly different and actually more expensive. It is a newer technology that used a keratin based glue to attach the extensions to the root of your hair. This procedure is gentler on your hair and last longer.

You will find that cold fusion hair extensions can last up to approximately 6 months but will cost you quite a bit more than hot fusion extensions.

Coil Hair Extensions

Another choice you have for a type of hair extensions are coil hair extensions. With these a tiny copper coil is used to string the hair extensions onto the root of your own hair.

Some women like this method better than the fusion bonded extensions because it is gentler on your hair.

If you are choosing coil hair extensions it is definitely recommended you find a good qualified hair stylist as it does take a professional to place the extensions so they look natural and you aren’t able to see where they are attached to your hair.

Sewn In or Braided Hair Extensions

Sewn in or braided hair extensions are often usually called weaves but are considered hair extensions.

These types of hair extensions take much longer to put in as you have to actually sew them into the roots of your hair or they are braided right into the roots. You can get your whole head down with a weave or you can choose to just add a few hair extensions underneath to add some fullness to your hair style.

You can actually buy these hair extensions yourself if you know someone who can put them in for you, but it is recommended that you find a professional hair stylist who can do properly so your hair looks as natural as possible.

These hair extensions can last anywhere from 2-5 months depending on how fast your hair grows and well they were sewn into your hair.

When deciding which hair extensions may be best for you and your hair, you consider the cost of the hair extensions as well as maintenance and the quality of the extensions. This will help you get the beautiful long and full hair you want with the best results.

Hair extensions can be a great way to make a dramatic change with your hair. You can go from a shoulder length bob to long layers to the middle of your back within a few hours.

Or you can get some matching hair extensions to make your hair look fuller and thicker and not add any length to your hair at all.

No matter the reason why you want hair extensions, you are probably wondering how much hair extensions are going to cost you.

There is no exact number when it comes to the cost of hair extensions as each salon and hair stylist will charge a different amount. But, depending on the type of hair extensions you plan on getting you can get an approximate amount that you may have to pay for your extensions.

How much your hair extensions will cost you will depend on these main factors:

• type of hair extensions
• style of your hair
• quality of the hair stylist

There are several different types of hair extensions and techniques in way they can be applied into your hair. If you are looking for a super cheap option, you may consider simple clip in hair extensions but if you are willing to pay a good amount of money for quality extensions you may want to consider real hair extensions with cold fusion bonding.

Here’s some more information to see what type of hair extensions may cost you to choose which ones may be in your budget.

Clip-In Hair Extensions

With clip-in or clip-on hair extensions you can simply by the extensions yourself and then just clip them in your hair. There is no need to visit a professional hair stylist to use these hair extensions.

You can buy clip-in hair extensions from beauty stores like Sally’s Beauty or even on online at Amazon.com. They sell both synthetic clip in extensions as well as real hair clip in extensions. The real hair extensions will run you a bit more than the synthetic ones.

Synthetic clip on hair extensions are rather cheap and you can easily buy them for less than $20. The thing to keep in mind is that they don’t usually last very long and some of them can’t be exposed to any heat from a curling iron or straightener.

If you want extensions that may last a little longer, you may want to check out real human hair extensions. These extensions are made from real human hair and you may even find “virgin hair” extensions which means the hair has never been dyed or processed at all.

The human hair extensions tend to look more realistic and they can be used over quite a few times. They will cost you a bit more than synthetic clip ins though. These extensions will range in price anywhere from $50-$300 depending on the type of human hair used as well as the color and length.

Hot Fusion Bonded Hair Extensions

If you want to get your hair extensions done by a professional stylist, hot fusion is one of the most popular techniques for applying the hair extensions to your hair.

With this type of hair extension, a hot glue solution is applied to the end of the hair extension and then adhered to the natural root of your hair.  There is a possibility of you getting burned, which is why it is important that you go to a qualified professional to get the hair extensions put in.

This type of hair extension does look really natural as it just appears the hair is coming from the head since it is glued right to your roots. These extensions should last anywhere from 3-4 months before you need them redone.

The approximately average price you will pay for hot fusion hair extensions is around $300 – $400. This includes the stylist applying them to your hair as well as cutting them and styling them to fit in with your hair cut. You may find that some higher ends salons will charge closer to $600-$800 for the base hair extensions and then may charge more for the style as well.

Cold Fusion Hair Extensions

Cold fusion bonded hair extensions are slightly newer and you may not be able to find a stylist who does this technique in all salons. If you can though find a stylist who does cold fusion hair extensions you should really consider getting these over the regular hot fusion.

Cold fusion is much gentler on your natural hair as you don’t have to use a hot glue to put the hair extensions in place. Instead a keratin-based polymer is used to attach the hair to your roots.

As mentioned this will cost you quite a bit more, but then again these hair extensions will last slightly longer as well. Cold fusion extensions should last anywhere from 5-6 months. Depending on the salon, these hair extensions cost approximately $1500-$2500. You will find that a lot more higher end salons carry these type of extensions, which also another reason why you can’t get them for as cheap at a lower end salon.

Coil Hair Extensions

These hair extensions involve using very small copper coils to string your hair through to attach it to the root of your own hair. This method is also gentler on your hair than the hot fusion technique.

The coil hair extensions can only be used in certain instances as some women with very thin or fine hair may not be able to use them as they may show through the hair too much. If you have thicker or coarser hair, it may not be a problem at all.

Coil hair extensions are also slightly more expensive as they range from $700-$1000.

Weave

A weave is quite a bit different then you normal hair extensions as they are not just adhered to your roots but they are braided into your natural hair at the roots.

Usually with a weave, the hair will cover your entire head, giving you a completely different look rather than just adding in 8-10 hair extensions in your own hair. There are some women though, that use a weave to make their hair look thicker and fill in any thinning spots they may have.

Just like other hair extensions, there are different types of hair you can choose from. There are real human hair weaves as well as synthetic hair weaves. The synthetic hair weaves may only cost you approximately $250-$400 while the real human hair weaves may be more expensive at around $800-$1200.

Now that you know ho much hair extensions cost you can have a better idea of what may work best for your hair as well as for your wallet. You may choose to go with the clip in hair extensions to see if the style you want will look good on you and then decide to go with professionally done hair hair extensions. Or maybe you simply want the best and need to find a good stylist who does cold fusion hair extensions.

One last tip before you decide to go get your hair extensions is to also consider not only the up front cost but the maintenance cost as well as how long the hair extensions will last. You may only want the extensions for a few months so it may be silly to get ones that will last longer. This is especially true if you tend to change up your hair frequently.

It’s not a bad idea to call around to different salons just to see what the base price for hair extensions is as well as do your own research for extensions you can do yourself.