When it comes to investing in something, the first question you may ask is, “How long will this last?”—whether you’re talking about hair extensions, shellac manicures or even something as basic as a jar of your favorite night cream; and rightfully so. When you spend your hard earned cash on a product, it’s important to keep in mind how much, and how long it’ll last for you.
So today we’re going to dive into the different kinds of hair extensions available and how long each of these would last you. To help you educate yourself about the various types of hair extensions available, we’re giving you the lowdown on what these hair extensions are, how long they last and how you can take care of them so that they last as long as possible.
How long do hair extensions last?
Fusion/Pre-Bonded Hair Extensions (3-4 Months)
Fusion hair extensions or Pre-Bonded hair extensions are attached to the root of the hair with a tool that looks similar to a hot glue gun—this tool attaches hair to individual strands of the natural hair for a fuller, natural looking appearance.
How Long Do They Last?
This type of hair extensions usually last up to 3 to 4 months, depending on how well you treat them. This covers how you wash your hair, how often you style with heating tools and even using the right hair brush since these extensions are attached at the root of your natural hair.
How Do I Take Care Of Them?
While you do not need to invest in any special hair care products like shampoos, conditioners, etc, (you can continue to use your regular hair care routine)—you do, however, need to have these hair extensions repositioned every 2-3 months.
Tape In Hair Extensions (4-8 Weeks)
There is no discrepancy as to what tape in extensions are—as the name suggests, these hair extensions are literally taped together on either side of your natural hair using an adhesive weft tape. They are fairly popular because it doesn’t require heat and also lets your natural hair grow out easily.
How Long Do They Last?
Tape In hair extensions will last you anywhere from 4-8 weeks. If taken care of well, you can have the same extensions taped back in for a fresher look.
How Do I Take Care Of Them?
One of the most essential tips to remember is to never comb or brush your tape in hair extensions when wet. Make sure to dry well and brush through them with a hair extension brush. This will help them last longer and look more natural.
Clip In Hair Extensions (3-6 Months)
In a nutshell, clip in hair extensions are the least damaging, easiest to use and the least permanent type of hair extension there is. These come in strands that have clips attached to the base that are super simple to clip in to your natural roots.
How Long Do They Last?
If you regularly use your clip in hair extensions and care for them well, they can last you anywhere between 3-6 months and sometimes even over a year. But again, like all hair extensions this depends on how well you take care of them.
How Do I Take Care Of Them?
We recommend washing them with sulphate free, natural products after 30 wears. Be mindful of drying them well before you brush them out as not doing so could cause breakage and damage causing your extensions to wear out quicker.
Sew In Hair Extensions (6-8 Weeks)
To have your hair extensions sewn in, you’d need to have your natural hair braided into cornrows first and then these extensions would be sewn onto the braids with a needle and thread. Individuals with thicker hair usually opt to have their hair extensions sewn in.
How Long Do They Last?
Sew In hair extensions are fairly permanent and would last you anywhere between 6-8 weeks. It is recommended that the maximum time you should have a full weave is 4 months as it could affect the growth of your natural hair.
How Do I Take Care Of Them?
It is important to moisturize the scalp, nape as well as the edges of your weave at least once a week using deep conditioning products that help moisturise the hair to keep it looking natural and healthy.
Microlinks (3-4 Months)
Also known as micro bead and micro loop hair extensions—these hair extensions are applied by taking small sections of natural hair and attaching tiny wefts of hair to it. No heat or glue is involved in this method.
How Long Do They Last?
These microlink extensions would last you for 3-4 months depending on how well you take care of these. Because these beads are attached at the roots of your natural hair, it is important to treat them with extra caution and use natural products.
How Do I Take Care Of Them?
You can treat these extensions just like your natural hair and use the same styling products but just like fusion/pre-bonded hair extensions, your micro link extensions would need to be repositioned every 2-3 months as the natural hair will move the microbeads away from the scalp.
Wigs (10-12 Months)
These are perhaps the type of hair extensions that you’re most familiar with, and was possibly your introduction to the world of extensions. Wigs typically are attached to either a plastic or net base which hold the hair in place, which usually covers your entire head.
How Long Do They Last?
Natural wigs, when taken care of well can last upto a year whereas synthetic wigs last anywhere between 4-6 months.
How Do I Take Care Of Them?
Steer away from heat styling as much as you can because it could cause damage to the wig and result in quicker wear out. Along with this, you can make sure not to brush your wig when wet and store it away in a case away from dust for your wig to last you long.
We hope you got all the information you need on the different kinds of hair extensions available and just how long each of these would last for you. Which one of these would you opt for? Tell us more about your experiences with extensions at
