I Tried Natural Hair Extensions For a Week and Fooled Everyone

Shocker: this is not my hair. What you see above is all thanks to clip-in extensions.

It happened one night at about 1 a.m. Four hours into my eight-hour styling process, I hit that "f*ck it" moment. I had an important event the next day, and my coils were still soaking wet from the shower. There was no way my strands would be dry before heading to work (#curlygirlproblems). That's when I remembered I had a box of curly extensions stored under the couch from an old, DIY updo photo shoot.

The last time I wore extensions, I was headed to the beach for Spring break with cornrows. I've avoided weave altogether because a straight sew-in would require me to put heat to my natural hair almost every day. But over the last year I've spotted more and more extensions that cater to kinky, curly, Afro textures. So I was excited to finally have my chance to test them out.

My first day wearing the extensions, I fooled everyone into thinking the clip-ins were my natural strands. "Your hair is getting so long!" was the primary reaction I got from co-workers, friends, and even professional stylists. Once I revealed that the look was extensions, people wanted to touch - and I let them. I know it's against the black girl code, but I even removed a track in public (don't judge me) to prove the quality of these clip-ins.

During my three-week experiment, the extra inches changed my attitude, meaning I had more of it! Putting in those long curls made me more sassy. I finally had enough hang time for a proper Beyoncé-style hair flip. I was constantly whipping the wefts from side to side, which is something I can't do with my short strands.

I felt like makeup was an everyday requirement with such a chic hairstyle, which is out of character for me. My new look reminded me of the hair crushes I envy from Instagram. They always have a beat face, so I needed to up my cosmetic game to match. But the best part about these extensions is that I didn't have to do my own strands for a week (score!). Keep reading to learn all about my experience with extensions.

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