I thought this day would never come. After seeing all of the curly hair gurus on YouTube and Instagram rave about afro-textured clip-in extensions, I was left wondering when would it be my turn. Surprisingly, a few weeks ago my supervisor asked me if I wanted to try some clip-ins for an advertorial and my heart was elated.
The last time I wore extensions was fifth grade and they were the signature 90’s box braids that my mother let me get because I loved Moesha. Since then, extensions never sparked my interest. I have witnessed what improperly installed and poorly maintained sew-ins could do to your scalp and glue wasn’t even on my radar. Wigs were always a distant option because a quality human hair unit will easily run you over $700. I was fine just wearing my natural hair loose or rocking headwraps when I needed a break, but that did not stop me from gawking at the beauties on my Instagram newsfeed.
It was my turn to obnoxiously whip my hair with every switch in my stride.
Finally, when I received that fated Google chat, I was excited that now was my opportunity. It was my turn to obnoxiously whip my hair with every switch in my stride. It was my time to shine! Ok, I’m being dramatic, but seriously. I love that more women with Type 4 hair like me are getting more options. No more trying to blend shiny, Type 3 hair with your frizzy coils. Now with Xotica Hair, you have an affordable option with great quality.
First impression
The Xotica Hair Afro Kinky Clip-ins are packaged well and not difficult to remove. The wefts are easy to separate without tangling or shedding. Do not be confused by how defined the curls are; this gives you the options of leaving them intact or adding more body and frizz by gently combing down the shaft with your fingers or a wide tooth comb. I received the 20” and 22”, because well, go big or go home.
Installation
To prep my hair for installation, my hair was set in two-strand twists on wet hair with Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-in Treatment and Camille Rose Naturals Style Setter. After wearing twists under a headwrap for two days, I unraveled them and lightly fluffed the next morning. Then, I separated my hair and attached the first weft. It is best to start from the bottom up so that you can use the extensions closest to your nape as the base.
Try to not fluff your hair too much before adding the clip-ins, because you will need to fluff as you blend the textures. Too much fluffing prior to adding the extensions remove all your definition.
Style
This hair provides a lot of styling options. You can use it to create a dramatic bang or reposition them for the perfect part. I prefer a sexy, side part to compliment my round face, but maybe with the added length and body, I’ll feel more comfortable with a center part. Until I get my blending skills on par, I feel comfortable wearing a half up, half down style.
I love the options to use the 3 clip or 2 clip wefts for the front or back of your hair. Since it is human hair it blends will with my texture and is easy to wash, since I am already familiar with this texture. If you are searching for afro-textured clip-in extensions, these are definitely worth the investment.
Have you tried clip-in natural hair extensions?
