Average Cost of Hair Extensions

Hair extensions have become a core part of most women’s beauty routines. And why shouldn’t they? After all, those wefts instantly transform your looks by adding length and volume to your hair. But from buying hair extensions to their daily maintenance, the cost of wearing hair extensions can vary by the extension type, hair quality, brand, and more. 

Let’s look at the average price of hair extensions, price difference based on extension type, and installation and maintenance cost of the wefts.

Average Cost of Hair Extensions

As stated above, many factors determine the exact cost of hair extensions. There’s quite a significant range of price points—the average cost of hair extensions is between $90 and $950. On top of that, consider the cost of installing the wefts, which can run from $200 to $500 per salon trip. And if you choose to install the extensions by yourself at home, you may still have to spend about $100 (depending on your extensions’ type).

How much are clip-in hair extensions, you may ask! Or, you may wonder: How much do tape-in hair extensions cost? Check the following table for a breakdown of the average price of the most common types of extensions:

Hair extensions’ prices vary significantly, depending on the type of extensions. Here’s a quick summary to help you make a choice:

• Clip-in hair extensions are overall the least expensive among all extension types.
• Tape-in and cold fusion wefts are more expensive.
• Any extension made of 100 percent Remy human hair is more expensive, but is also high-quality compared to synthetic extensions.

Human Hair vs. Synthetic Extensions - The Cost Differences and Benefits

The primary factor determining the cost of extensions is whether they are made of human hair or synthetic fibers. While human hair wefts cost about 40 to 50 percent more than synthetic extensions, the benefits are worth the price. 

Human hair wefts look more natural, blend seamlessly with your hair, and last longer than their synthetic counterparts. Also, you can wear and treat them just like your natural hair and rest assured that they won’t get tangled like synthetic wefts. 

On the other hand, synthetic wefts are artificial fibers instead of natural human hair. As such, they don’t look entirely natural, and blending them with your hair becomes a challenge. Moreover, you cannot style and treat them like human hair extensions. 

We highly recommend you get human hair extensions instead of synthetic ones. The initial investment may seem high, but human hair wefts will save you a considerable amount of money in the long run.

Hair Extensions’ Installation and Maintenance Cost

Hair extensions’ maintenance cost also depends on the type of extension. Let’s have a look:

Clip-in Extensions

Clip-in Extensions require care, but their maintenance cost is far lower than other extension types. You can apply these extensions by yourself at home and save $100 to $130 that you may otherwise pay to your stylist. Also, you can remove and reapply the wefts at home, thanks to the tiny clips that make it possible. 

Tape-in Extensions

Tape-in wefts are high-maintenance. It would be best if you visited a salon to have the wefts taped in unless you’re a stylist yourself. Be ready to pay around $200 to $300 for a one-time installation. Also, you’ll have to visit your stylist every six to eight weeks to adjust the extensions. Each salon visit for adjusting the wefts (move-up appointment) can cost you between $150 to $300. 

Sew-ins

Sew-ins fall between clip extensions and tape extensions in terms of maintenance cost. Like tape-ins, you’ll have to go to a salon to install sew-in wefts. Be prepared to pay $150 to $350 for the installation. On average, it takes four hours to apply sew-in extensions. But once installed, they require very little upkeep.

Micro Links

Micro links are also high maintenance since they require weekly maintenance. The initial installation can cost between $120 to $200. And, you’ll need to visit a salon every two or three weeks for bead adjustment because the beads loosen over time. The stylist will move the beads closer to your hair’s root. Each appointment for adjusting the beads can cost you $100 to $250.

Fusion Extensions

Fusion extensions are costly in terms of application and maintenance. They’re installed strand by strand; complete installation can take a stylist several hours. The average cost of installing these extensions is $1300 to $1600. Also, you’ll need additional salon appointments for maintaining the extensions ($300 per salon visit). We don’t recommend fusion extensions because the benefits are not worth the cost.