[kristie m]

A few weeks go, Celeste posted about a method she's used to attach her clip-ins, allowing 24-7 wear without any damage. Here's the thread:

http://www.diyextensions.net/viewtopic.php?t=1991&start=0

I've been thinking about clip-ins for awhile now. When I wore them before, I found them a pain to attach properly each day. I found the attachments to be uncomfortable and unstable. But I have been intrigued by the idea of being able to have extension hair that I can put in and take out with ease. Sometimes a cool head with a clip-in or drawstring pony is just what I want, especially as the weather gets warmer.

Celeste's method involves making little ponytails with tiny rubber bands to slide the clip-in clips into, allowing a more secure attachment. Celeste said that once she'd placed the ponytails properly she could simply replace them after shampooing, in the same spots, so she never had to reposition the ponytails. Celeste said her clip-ins were so secure that she slept in them and even swam in them.

Intrigued, I bought some tiny rubber bands and started experimenting. Sure enough, with a little rubber banded ponytail, the clip-in clip stayed put. It slid right into the pony and clamped down firmly on the banded part of the hair.

Practicing making little ponytails around my head, I realized anew that I'm a spaz. I was ending up pulling out a ton of my own hair because I'm so uncoordinated at making those little ponytails.

Well, the other night I got to thinking that micro rings might be the perfect holder for those ponytails. Micro ringed ponytails are much easier for me to do. I stuck a few of them on my head to be sure and found that the clip-in clips slid right into the ponytails I'd made. The micro rings held securely, making a very flat ponytail to attach the clip to. I wore those micro rings for two days and they didn't budge one bit. I can even pull my hair up in a high ponytail and those tiny micro ring ponytails don't show.

I just had to make a set of clip-ins to give this method a try. I used two old Russian microwefts that had beautiful hair on them but had started to really fray at the top. I made one 11" wide horseshoe track with the two microwefts and one Bohyme microweft on top of them. This track has 5 clips sewn onto it. Then I used Bohyme microwefts to make a triple track 3 1/2" wide (with 2 clips) for the part side of my hair, to be placed I made another triple track with Bohyme microwefts, 5 1/2" wide (with 3 clips) for the side opposite my part. The hair is 16" long (as long as my own hair) and the clip-ins have about 3.5 oz. of hair on them.

Today I installed my hair! I started with the bottom, horseshoe track. I sectioned neatly around my head. Starting at one end, I used the track to show me where to place each micro ringed ponytail. As I worked, I clipped the hair into place so it was easy to see where to place the next pony. A total of 10 micro ringed ponytails allowed me to securely clip my three clip-in tracks of hair onto my head.

Here is a picture of one of my little micro ringed ponytails:


This is the kind of clip I used. It is 1 1/4" wide:


OMG! This install is so flat, secure, and comfortable! I'm certain I'll be able to sleep in it. Alternatively, it takes about 30 seconds to unclip all the hair and only about 5 minutes to re-clip it to the micro-ringed ponies. Because of this, I'm planning on taking my hair out most nights and reattaching it the next day. I'll be able to wash and color my hair with those micro ringed ponies in there. When my hair has grown out a bit, it won't take but a few minutes to pop off the old rings and replace them in the same spot.

I'm imagining a warm SoCal spring, summer, and fall, where I can put in and take out my extension hair at whim. I don't like wearing high ponies with extensions in because I find it tricky to hide the wefts. With this method I can take my extensions out and pull my hair up anytime I want to!

I'm really excited about this option for wearing extensions. It's got the advantages of a sew-in without the cost and the itchiness. It's as comfy as my tape-glue installs, but with NO adhesive. My extension hair will last forever because I won't have to shampoo it every time I wash my hair. And no 45 minute blow-drying marathons!!!

This is a great method for someone who doesn't want to mess with adhesives but wants more permanent, secure extensions than are possible with the usual clip-in technique. It would work great on a summer vacation where you took your hair out during the day to swim and then clipped it back in again for the evening.

Celeste, your idea, as simple as it is, is different than anything else I've ever heard. Thank you ever so much for sharing it.

I'll post some pictures of my hair eventually, but I can say that it looks just like it always does. I'll let you all know how this method wears over the next few weeks.
_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com

[Sheila]

Kristie that is a great idea using the micro rings. I love this method also. I had the same problem with the rubber bands, as I am also uncoordinated The other problem I have is I use Moroccanoil on and it seemed that everytime I used it the rubber bands would slip and come out easily and then I would have to put them in again and it got to be a pain. At first I thought they were not tight enough, but that was not the case. I wonder if using the micro rings I would have the same problem.

[kristie m]

Sheila, today I colored and conditioned my hair to the roots with a conditioner that leaves my hair smooth and shiny. I used my usual leave-ins, which cause my hair to be slick. My own hair is very fine and slippery. Well, I wore my clip-in extension hair all afternoon and then removed the clips this evening. Even with putting on and taking off my extension hair and wearing the clips for several hours, those micro rings didn't budge one bit! The secret is to clamp them very firmly along your hair.

When I had micro rings in with pre-tipped hair, they tended to slip. However, with the pre-tips in, you can't clamp the micro rings completely flat. The little ponytails I made today have very flat micro rings. I really don't think they'll be budging until I remove them. Yay!
_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com

[Celeste]

YAY!!!
Wow, I'm glad that you like this method. IT's really simply to do, and once I get my new hair, I'm gonna go back to clip ins for a while, too.
The one good thing about clip ins is, if you change your hair style daily, like I do, for example doing little braids (ala princess Leia out of star wars my boyfriend always says) on the top of my head the highest wefts of the side sometimes show. With clip ins I just removed them to do this particular hairstyle, at the moment I struggle, lol;)
If all the ponies are done correctly there is absolutely no reason why you couldnt sleep in them, I dont think. When I had individuals a couple of years back some of those were so bulky that they even bothered me when I was lying in a certain position on my pillow, but with the clip ins I never had any issue.
I'm glad you like the method and found a way that works for you!
woop woop for celestial clip-ins

[Sheila]

Excellent Kristie. I think I'll try that tonight. Is your hair pony a little wider than the clips?

[Frenchie]

Thanks you Celeste & Kristie for sharing your ideas + pics with us! What a great semi- permanent method it looks like!
I totally want to try it too. I have been wanting to try clip ins for a while to be honest, not as an every day use method, but more for an in between installs use.
I have very thining hair on top and a slight color difference at the roots, so I need LG to blend and cover things well, so I know clip ins only wouldn't be ok with me, but it could be nice to have a perfect top row + the rest as clip ins.
I think it is great for people on a budget too, who don't want to wash and style their hair extensions too often, in order to preserve them.
A new pack of bohyme would last forever that way!
And clip ins are also great for placement trials, and finding the right weft placement/right amount of hair is so freakin important too!
Anyway, big thanks to you girls!

[kristie m]

The opportunity to switch out hairstyles without having to worry about hiding wefts is one of the big plusses of this method for me. I'm obsessed with my clip-in and drawstring hairpieces because I love to wear my hair up. It is so hard to pull my hair back high (which is how my updos look best) without having a weft showing somewhere. I'm thrilled to be able to have long, thick hair one day and a cool, pulled-back updo the next! I'm working on a new human hair drawstring pony right now, and planning another curly one using Tanhair's SensualSynth. Summertime, here I come!

Sheila, I made my little ponies about an inch across and about a third of an inch wide. This seems to have been just enough to securely clamp the clip into the pony and not have excessive weight on the hairs. Once attached, I noticed that my tracks were VERY secure and flat, just like my tape/weft installs are when they're brand new. I love new installs because I like those wefts being snug up against my head. With the Celestial Clip-In method, I'll be able to move those rings up as needed so that my installs are always snug. Yay, and yay for no adhesives, yay for no stickiness, and double-yay for no big hairball at the end of an install!!!

Frenchie, I think doing a tiny top row with LG tracks that you could remove and replace as needed with the other tracks clipped in would be great. Especially if you removed the clip-ins at night, for exercise, and for shampooing, you're so right that one could make a pack of Bohyme last a LONG time! I don't wash my hair nearly as often as I'd like because it is such a pain to dry all that extension hair and I know my installs and hair will last longer with less-frequent shampoos. Being able to take my extension hair out easily will allow me to wash my own hair more often. It will also make it way easier to do my roots, which I touch-up every two weeks.

I'm happy to have a brand new method to share! After a pretty long time doing DIY hair extensions, sometimes it seems like there is nothing new under the sun. It's exciting having a cool new technique to play around with. Celeste, YOU ROCK!

_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com

[hflsales]

Hey Kristie! The micro ring idea sounds fabulous! Thanks to you & Celeste for letting us in on this great idea! I tried the tiny rubberbands & I ripped a bunch of my hair out. My question is, will it be painful to sleep on those micro rings sitting up against your head? This would be my only concern for this method.
_________________
Sexiest shoes on the planet!
www.heels4less.com
www.heelsforless.com

[kristie m]

I slept with them last night and didn't even feel them AT ALL!!! I tried micro rings with pre-tips and found them uncomfortable to sleep in. However, with just my own hair in the micro rings, and only 10 rings total around my head, I had NO discomfort when the hair was clipped in and NONE WHATSOEVER sleeping on them. I've got them out right now so I can exercise and my ponytail is perfectly flat, no little bumps or rings showing. This is amazing!
_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com

[hflsales]

Maybe I'll try a couple to see if they bother me while sleeping. How do you get flattened micro rings out without breaking your hair? Is there a special tool you need?
_________________
Sexiest shoes on the planet!
www.heels4less.com
www.heelsforless.com

[kristie m]

That's the next trick I'm working on, HflSales. I've used a serrated pliers to squeeze them open and then the double pronged micro ring remover if the ring gets crushed. I need to improve my removal strategy so have purchased two different kind of pliers specific for opening micro rings.



http://www.fusionhairsupply.com/id128.html

There's a demo on this site that shows how to use the pliers in the second picture to re-round the rings for removal:

http://www.fusionhairsupply.com/id33.html

As I work the kinks out, I'll let you all know. Any advice from experienced micro ring users on how to get those rings out with no damage would be greatly appreciated!
_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com

[Runner]

What an AWeSOME idea celeste and kristie!! And I love the name!!

This is why I couldn't keep my clips I made in...and they hurt before so Ima gonna havta try this myself when this current install finally falls off! LOL!!

Kristie, that first plier with the needle tool you have posted is the EZ Weft / Rinex tool. I have it, and it opens up the small 3.0 tubes/links, it can also open up the 3.5 tube but it won't be perfectly round. I love this one because it was easy to reround the tube when you have to remove the tubes/links by feel.

You can find it on ebay for 6.99 (+6.99 ship) at the moment but there are a few online vendors who sell this too. ...doctored locs is one of them.

http://www.doctoredlocks.com/catalog/EZ-Weft-Tools/

Hairpiece.com has a nice tool too that opens up tiny tubes (2.3, 2.7 and 3.0) but the shipping is $10 so it prompted me to do a search to find a better deal.
http://www.hairpiece.com/goods_detail.php?goodsIdx=1066&Index1=494

http://www.kingswigs.com/_e/I_Tip_Accessories/product/AP2008/ExtenTube_Opener_for_I_Tip_extensions.htm

http://store.ebonyline.com/ezt0015.html

Don't use the pliers with the cutter part towards the hinge (like the orange one you posted). That's an easy way to accidentally slice up your hair too!
_________________
Current Install :
21" Malaysian Virgin Remy 6oz
Installed with LG skin-weft style.

[kristie m]

Oh thank you for your help with this. I knew the rings I was going to have to do by feel would be the hardest. I guess I ordered the right tool.

You know, Runner, that was always my issue with clip-ins too. But with the Celestial method, the attachment process is fast and comfortable. I put my hair in today in five minutes and removed it tonight in less than a minute. I checked my micro ring attachments and they're all perfectly secure. I think this is THE installation method for me.
_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com

[Runner]

I wish I posted sooner!!

whoa, I love the speed and ability to remove the hair! That may also be a good thing for my long runs in the summer. I sweat so much I completely saturate my hair and I'm still dying from the heat!!!

I'll just attach a phony pony for those days so I can look kinda decent when I'm out, heh heh.
_________________
Current Install :
21" Malaysian Virgin Remy 6oz
Installed with LG skin-weft style.

[kristie m]

I take my hair out for exercise and sleep. The hair stays cleaner and my head cooler.
_________________
Do-It-Yourself semi-permanent eyelash extension kits that can give you a professional result with your very first application!
www.FlutterEyes.com