A couple of months ago, we introduced the Babe Everything But Length portal—a place where you can learn all about extension applications for purposes other than adding length to hair. We offer solutions for problems such as thin mid-lengths and ends, uneven or too-short haircuts, fine or aging hair, and dull ‘dos. Altogether, we offer 7 different (and specific!) hair extension solutions in the Everything But Length portal, as well as techniques for achieving them in your own salon. If you don’t have time to visit right now, below you can find the top hair extension hacks that go beyond just adding length. Enjoy!

Micro Bonding
This new and exciting hair extension technique uses segmented Fusion hair extensions to conquer installations around the crown and hairline areas of the head! No more stopping at the horseshoe or tip-toeing around the sides; now you can install directly in the top-most layers of hair with confidence and full support from Babe! Best for filling in sparse sections of hair (due to thinning, balding, or bad haircuts), the Micro Bonding technique is also great for performing detail work, enabling you to achieve pompadours, A-line bobs, and more—even on short hair!

Volumizing with Single Sided Tape
You can achieve volume using any of Babe’s hair extension methods. But get this: you can also achieve volume using half the number of Tape-In extensions in a typical installation, saving both money and excess weight for finer-haired clients. To do this, take advantage of Babe’s Single Sided Tape—a tape strip that replaces the second Tape-In weft in a standard installation to seal the backside of the first weft. Using Tape-Ins and Single Sided Tape, you can virtually double the volume of an otherwise thin hairdo, and spare your client any discomfort in the process!

Mixing Methods
Just because you decide that Micro Bonding is ideal for the top layers of the client’s hair doesn’t mean you have to use this technique throughout! In fact, sometimes it’s decidedly better (and quicker!) to mix and match methods for the perfect installation. For finer-haired clients, consider starting with a Tape-In base, then incorporate Micro-Bonded Fusion extensions as you approach the top and front of the head. Similarly, you can mix Tape-In with I-Link to get the best of the weft and strand-by-strand methods in different parts of the hair, or opt for our hybrid method—Flat-Tip—to do all of that for you.

Bricklaying
Cover more area using fewer extensions, and prevent any gaps in your installation by employing the bricklaying technique. Place hair extensions so that they cover the gap between the hair extensions below them (in the previous row), just like a bricklayer lays bricks. Bricklaying is a staple of Tape-In installations, but it can apply to other methods, too. Take extra care to make sure that you’re always bricklaying extensions on the side of the head, and filling in the gaps between the sides and the back portions of the head.

Adding Stress-Free Color
Have a client who wants highlights or a funky color, but doesn’t want to expose their natural hair to the damage of hair dye? Hair extensions are here to save the day. Whether you’re using I-Link, Clip-In (for temporary transformations), or Micro-Bonded Fusion for very fine-tuned blending work, extensions can stand in for coloring jobs to give your client the hair-friendly pop that they’re looking for! You can even pre-color the extensions themselves to achieve more fantastical looks, like emerald or pastel hues. And don’t forget our ombre assortment of hair extensions, perfect for achieving the sought-after ombre look without a single drop of dye.

Blending Color at Once
When we talk about “color blending”, we mean the process of mixing more than one hair extension shade to produce a multi-dimensional color look (as opposed to blending at the end of a hair extension installation). Usually, to accomplish this, a stylist will alternate between the different colored strands, distributing them evenly throughout the hair. But there’s an even faster way to do it. Using a standard Tape-In installation method, select one weft of each color and sandwich them around the client’s hair, producing an instant blended effect. We recommend using the darker shade on the bottom side of the section to maintain a natural-looking color transition.

Did you try out one of these hacks in your own salon? Share a picture of the results with us via Babe’s Instagram account! We love to see your work!