Clip-Ins + Braids For Festival & Bridal Season—Start Scrolling!

Festival and bridal season are here, so start mastering those clip-in extension techniques for adding length and volume to braided upstyles. Who’s a go-to Insta follow for this type of education and inspo? New BTC Team Member and winner of the Hairdo USA styling contest, Antonio Estrada (@antestradahair)—he slays everything from sleek and structured infinity braids to textured fishtails and Dutch braids. And, while we were all on location during the Hairdo It Girl photo shoot in Miami, we went on Facebook Live to cover clip-in extension application, plus how to braid and hide that extra hair! Get the tips and watch the video below.

To Master The Clip-In Application…

Use Precise Placement To Hide The Clip-Ins

• When using clip-in extensions, visualize the style before creating it because upstyle and braid placement will determine where to apply the extensions.
• For this look, Antonio created three braids up top—one in the crown area and one on both sides of the head—so he didn’t apply the extensions higher than the occipital or on the sides. (Watch at 23 minutes!)

Use The Right Products

• Adding length, fullness and braids for a perfectly-styled end result won’t happen without the right products. Here’s what’s always in Antonio’s kit:
  • Hairdo USA 10-piece Clip-In Extension Kit because they give him the chance to transform any client quickly and without any commitment. (Plus, the extensions are made of real human hair, come in 13 different shades and feature a pressure-sensitive clip for ultimate comfort.)
  • Root touch-up spray (both blonde and brunette) to hide part lines and transparent spots between braided sections. (Brides and festival-goers don’t want to see their scalp line!)
  • Oribe Dry Texture Spray to keep clip-ins in place—apply to the root and tease lightly before applying the extensions. This will ensure they stay put without becoming loose or exposed. And if he needs to tame frizzy hair, Antonio goes for the Oribe Shine Spray!

Products Used

Hair Extensions

Hairdo 10-Piece Straight Human Hair Extension Kit

Hairdo

Styling

Dry Texturizing Spray

Hair

Oribe Hair Care Shine Light Reflecting Spray

Oribe

To Master The Braiding Technique…

Use More Tension On Infinity Braids

• Tension isn’t something all braids require, but it’s crucial when creating infinity braids!
• Keep your fingers as close to the braid and the scalp as possible and make sure the strand you’re weaving is pushed up as high as possible to the previous braided section.
• Infinity braids are best when created on long hair. (So they are the perfect option when using clip-ins!)
• Watch at 32 minutes for the full technique. 

Use Haircolor To Your Advantage

• Haircolor plays a role in how the end style looks. Blonde hair with a lot of dimension shows well on small, tight and detailed braids, while one-dimension brunettes often show better with bigger, pancaked-out texture.
• Remember this when deciding on a braided style and match the client’s hair with any of the 13 shades from Hairdo extensions!

Use A Tail-Comb To Create Volume

• Instead of teasing, Antonio likes to use a push-and-pull technique with the tail-end of the Pink Pewter Never Let Go Comb to increase volume.
• He finds teasing to be restricting and that it creates a texture that is too hard to work through. 
• Watch at 21 minutes!

To find out more tips and techniques, like how Antonio secures his braids by teasing the hair and for how he exactly applies those trusty clip-ins, watch the entire Facebook Live video how-to below! 

Peep behind the scenes at the Hairdo It Girl photo shoot! We had the best time on set—thanks for the invite Hairdo!

Check out this Boho braid created with clip-in extensions!