sweater / jeans / sandals / necklace / vase / hydrangeas / light / round mirror / accent table / shower curtain / artwork / black and white rug / greenery

I’ve always been a hair person. And by that I mean that I’ve always taken an interest in styling my own hair, my little sister’s hair, my friends’ hair, and I even find myself staring at strangers thinking about how I would style their hair if I had a chance. Creepy, I know. Hair was sort of my thing for a while. I felt like I got compliments on my hair rather frequently and even modeled for a hair magazine! So fun! But all of that changed when I lost nearly 3/4 of my hair a few years ago.

Yup, you heard me right. The hair I loved to style so much was suddenly gone and I was left with extremely thin hair that was anything but fun to style. For those that are wondering, I lost my hair as a result of taking a very strong acne medication called Accutane. I was taking this medication to remedy my chronic acne. Not only did it not clear my skin, but it caused me to lose pretty much all my hair. So now I was left with an incurable acne condition and very little hair to hide behind. Awesome. (Click here if you want to read more about my skin journey and how I cleared my skin naturally).

I’ll be honest, it was a very challenging time for me. Being a ‘hair person’ and having to deal with hair loss was not a fun experience to say the least; However, I learned a lot and gained so much strength through my weakness like many of us do when we endure hardship. As my character was being refined by this unfortunate ordeal, I began to look into ways I could get my hair back again. Considering the painfully slow hair growth rate, I decided to try some clip-in extensions to get me through the awkward stages of hair growth… and I’ve been wearing them ever since!

In today’s blog post I’m going to share how I style my clip-in hair extensions as well as the other products I use to keep my hair healthy and growing back strong. You can shop this post by clicking the hyperlinks or the small picture icons!

Essential Products for Healthy Hair:

1. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo – I used natural, less expensive shampoo and conditioner for two years after I lost my hair. Little did I know it was further damaging my hair and wasn’t promoting healthy hair growth. Since I’ve started using Pureology products, my hair is growing in so much stronger. I know it’s a little on the expensive side, but it really makes a huge difference!
2. Pureology Hydrate Conditioner – Best shampoo and conditioner on the market in my opinion!
3. Pureology Colour Fanatic Hair Treatment Spray – Spray this one your hair before blow-drying to improve softness, shine, and protect it from heat.
4. Moroccanoil Treatment Light – Use one to two pumps on your hair, applying to the ends first, before blow-drying. This product is a miracle worker! Makes your hair so shiny and smooth.
5. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides – Add 1-2 scoops to a hot beverage once daily. I’ve been using this for 6 weeks and have noticed a huge improvement in my hair, skin, and nails. Such a great supplement!
6. Biotin – Biotin is a supplement that helps promote healthy hair, skin, and nails.
7. Silk Pillowcase – Not only is bedhead an unattractive look, but it also causes breakage and hair damage! Protect your hair while sleeping like a queen with one simple purchase. Silk pillowcases are also known to keep facial wrinkles at bay!

Extension Details

I wear clip-in hair extensions by Hair Couture. They have many option to choose from, but I wear the ‘clip-in length extensions‘. I purchase the 18″ extensions in the color 116 and have them cut by a stylist to blend with my hair. And yes, put the extensions in your hair when you have them trimmed! If you’re new to extensions, make sure to number them with permanent marker so you remember the order that you put them in. For ease of use, simply store your extensions by wrapping them in a silk pillowcase to keep them in good condition. 

How to Style Your Hair With Clip-in Extensions

1. Wash hair with Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner.
2. Apply Pureology Colour Fanatic Hair Treatment Spray and Moroccanoil Treatment Light to wet hair.
3. Blow dry your hair with a round brush. I’ve been using the same old blow-dryer for about ten years, but if I were to choose one, I would get this one because it’s simple and affordable!
4. Clip in your hair extensions (see video for tutorial). 
5. Curl large sections with a 1 1/2 inch curling iron (see video for tutorial).
6. Once the curls have cooled, run your fingers through the ends to break up the curls.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful! Feel free to send me a message with any other questions! Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram and subscribe to my blog for post notifications and daily inspiration.