[If you missed it last week, I started talking about my hair extensions how they are different than traditional glued-in or weaved hair. This week I’d like you to welcome a guest blogger and my hair stylist herself, Kelsi, as she explains the extensions a bit more, and goes over some common questions.]
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I recently did a full installation of Microlink extensions for Rachael and she asked me to write a guest post outlining some of the concepts of this type of extension, so here goes!
What are Microlinks?
Microlinks are a method of extensions where the extension hair is held to your natural hair by tension. Wefted or loose bulk hair can be attached using Microlinks but for the purpose of this post, I’ll be talking about installing I-tip human hair, which is the kind I use 99% of the time during installations, and the kind that I used for Rachael. The term “Microlinks” refers to a small bead made of pliable metal and coated in a thin plastic. Some are also lined with silicone for extra grip. If you can get the silicone lined ones, do!
What is I-tip prebonded hair?
As I mentioned, we’ll be talking about I-tip prebonded human hair. “I-tip” refers to the bond shape. Small bundles of hair are bonded together at the top with a keratin adhesive. The top of I-tips look like the end of a shoelace. These are not to be confused with U-tips, which look like a fingernail on the end. U-tips are used for fusion, or glue-in installations. I-tips can be used for fusion as well, but let’s not get into that.
“Prebonded” simply means that when you buy the hair, it is already bonded into small pieces and ready to be installed.
Different kinds of hair
There are many different kinds of hair on the market. I highly recommend that you get Remy/Remi hair or hair with a uniform cuticle direction, to avoid tangles. The difference is that hair stating that it has “uniform cuticle direction” has been processed and then gone through to make sure that all of the hair is laying the same way, post-processing. “Remy/Remi” means that the hair was removed in a ponytail fashion, and processed that way so it is guaranteed that all the hair is laying the same way. Cheap, low quality hair will often have a mixed cuticle direction, which will pretty much tangle up immediately. Many brands also completely strip the cuticle off of the hair. If in doubt, look for Remy or Remi hair. Rachael wears Doctored Locks brand hair, which has a uniform cuticle direction. Here is a link to the exact hair we used for her installation. Please do not purchase hair unless you know it’s what you need, in both tip size, color and texture.
Extension Color
It’s best to get your hair color matched at a salon that does extensions. They should have a color ring, which has small samples of the different colors in the line of hair that they use. Your other option is to buy your hair in person. Buying hair online can be tricky because the color of the actual hair can vary greatly from the photos.
Be aware also that the numbers used to label extension hair colors are not the same as the numbers used to label haircolor that you would color your hair with. So just because your hairstylist uses a level 7 haircolor on your hair at the salon does not mean that you should order #7 extensions. A level 7 haircolor will be a dark blonde, whereas a 7 in extensions is a medium brown. They won’t match.
I highly recommend buying hair that is as close to your own hair color as possible instead of trying to color it to match your hair. Extension hair can be very difficult to color, and often takes colors strangely. Some are very resistant to color and some absorb it much more than your natural hair would, so it can make it extremely hard to color the hair to match.
Extension Textures
Most pre-bonded hair that I have seen comes in a European texture (silky/smooth) and either is straight or has a body wave. Almost all of my clients opt for the body wave, which has more volume to it when you let it air dry. Either kind can be blown dry, curled, straightened, crimped etc. as it is human hair.
I have had some people ask me if there is curly prebonded hair. It may exist, but I haven’t seen it. I have seen curly wefted hair, so if you really wanted to do a Microlink installation, I supposed you could buy wefted curly hair and cut it off the track to make your own bonded bundles. However curl patterns are all so unique that it would be incredibly hard to match your curls to those in extension hair, so you may want to opt for a method like a weave, where the majority of your natural hair is covered and not incorporated into the style at all. If you have very curly natural hair and decide to use straight or body wave hair, be aware that you will need to straighten your hair after washing it. If you let it air dry, your own natural hair won’t match the extension hair at all.
How much hair do you need?
Most prebonded hair is measured in grams. For a full installation, I typically use about 100-150g of hair, depending on the thickness of the client’s own hair, and how full they want the extensions to appear. If you would like to use microlink extensions to just to add different colors to your hair, instead of to add length, then you won’t need as much hair. There are also different size tips that you can get, 2mm, 3mm, and 5mm. I recommend using 3mm tips.
How do Microlinks work?
A small section of your natural hair is threaded through the hole in the bead using a latch hook tool, which is similar to a crochet hook. The tip of the extension hair is inserted into the bead with your natural hair. The bead is crimped and the extension hair is held into place by tension. This process is repeated a couple hundred times until your installation is complete. Usually your entire head is used, with no space left out, except the upper most layer around your crown and where your hair parts. This way your own natural hair covers the beads from sight.
How much does it cost?
This is a really grey area. The cost of the hair alone (that I typically use) is about $100-$150 for a full head. Lower or higher quality hair will obviously vary. As far as the installation goes, it varies WIDELY from salon to salon. I usually charge around $150-$200 for an installation, not including the cost of hair. My prices are very low compared to a lot of other places. Some charge a flat rate, some charge by strand, some charge hourly. Some will allow you to bring your own hair, others will charge you for hair as part of the total process. Shop around, but bet on spending at least a couple hundred on the installation.
Pros and cons of Microlinks
This method of installation is very versatile and allows for the hair to move freely for a more natural look than other types of installations. No chemicals or heat are used in the process or the removal. Cons are that, like all extensions, if they are improperly installed they can be damaging to your hair.
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Kelsi is a Seattle-based professional hairstylist and blogger. Find her blog on hair, style and life at
[I hope that covered the basics of what you need to know. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Eventually we will be co-writing a follow-up post answering all of your questions. Until then, stay tuned next week for a post on the the many lessons I’ve learned wearing these extensions for the past 4 months.]
