New to hair extensions? Here are the basics about the I-Tip hair extensions.

Hair extensions are a way to add length and fullness to hair. Actual human hair is attached to existing hair. There are several methods of doing this, and I-Tip is Babe’s beaded method of hair extensions. Small bundles of hair -- called strands -- are attached to hair near the roots with a small bead.

Each pack of I-Tip hair contains 20 strands of hair. Each of these strands has a small, shoestring-like tip that holds all the individual hairs together. A strand is made of 1 gram of hair. A full head of I-Tip hair is about 5 to 9 packs of hair. This means you could have 100 - 180 strands of I-Tip hair or more for a full head installation.

What makes I-Tip unique are the beads. The beads used for I-Tip extensions are very small. They are the perfect size to hold both the natural hair and the tip of the hair extension. There are a few different kinds of beads, but they are all small and soft enough to be crimped down to hold the hair and the hair extension in place.

The bead is threaded onto a small section of hair near the client’s scalp. The tip of the hair extension strand is placed into the bead, and a special hair extension tool is used to crimp and flatten the bead so it stays in place.

After installation, the stylist blends and trims the hair so the hair and the extensions blend together and look natural.

In a full head installation, there are rows and rows of beads installed. Sometimes women only have a few strands installed to add pops of color or highlights.

I-Tip hair can last for a long time. As you wear I-Tip extensions for a few weeks, your hair will grow as it normally does, and that growth causes the bead and hair extension to move further and further away from the scalp. That’s why it’s important to go in for touch ups every few weeks so your stylist can adjust the beads by moving them closer to the scalp.

I-Tip Extensions last for 3 to 6 months.When it’s time to take out all the extensions, the stylist use the Hair Extension Tool to uncrimp the beads and slide the strands out of the beads.

You shop for Babe I-Tip Hair by at your local distributor.

Want to learn how to install Babe hair extensions? Check out our Online Education program.