Curly Hair Extensions

How to match your curl pattern

Match by the curl, not the label. If you are leaving hair out, the extension has to disappear into your own pattern, so compare it with your hair washed, conditioned and air-dried rather than stretched. The hair texture guide covers every Mayvenn texture.

• 3A to 3B, loose and bouncy: Brazilian curly is the loosest of our steam-set curls, a big, soft curl rather than a defined coil. Raw Indian curly is one donor's own pattern, never steam-set, so it varies slightly bundle to bundle; the clip-in set runs 3A to 3B.
• 3B to 3C, defined ringlets: jerry curl is the most defined texture here, springy separate ringlets with a wet look.
• 3C to 4A, tight coil: Burmese curly and kinky curly both sit here, a springy coil that reads as dense volume more than as separate ringlets.
• 4C, coily: afro kinky curly is a dense coil built to blend with unrelaxed natural hair. It is the one to buy if you are leaving hair out at the crown.

Tighter patterns shrink. Length is measured with the hair pulled straight, so a 16-inch kinky curly clip-in set wears closer to 11 or 12 inches once it is defined and dry. Size up one length on the tighter curls.

Bundles, closure, frontal or clip-ins: which do you need?

Curly closures run from 2x6 to 7x7, and frontals come in 13x4 and 13x6. 6x6 and 7x7 are HD lace only. The full lace range is on the closures page.

Every curly clip-in set is in the grid above; the full textured clip-in line also has the straight-pattern sets.

How many bundles for a curly sew-in

Curly and kinky curly hair builds volume fast, so two to three bundles often looks fuller than four straight bundles at the same length. Most curly sew-ins take 3 bundles. Past 20 inches, buy 4, because virgin hair tapers toward the ends. A closure or frontal replaces your leave-out, not a bundle, so the count barely moves when you add one. 3-bundle deals give you three consecutive lengths at 100 g each, priced below buying them separately. The full chart by length is in how many bundles of weave you need.

Caring for curly extensions

• Detangle only when the hair is wet and slick with conditioner, in sections, with fingers or a wide-tooth comb, from the ends up. Never dry comb a curl.
• Wash with a sulfate-free shampoo, deep condition, and apply leave-in and curl cream while the hair is wet. Scrunch, don't rub, then air dry or diffuse on low.
• Between shampoos, co-wash with conditioner only, or refresh with water and leave-in from a spray bottle instead of rewashing.
• Sleep on silk or satin: a bonnet, a scarf or a pillowcase. Friction at night is what turns a defined curl into frizz at the nape.
• Heat is the one thing a curl does not recover from. Keep hot tools at 250 to 300°F with a heat protectant, and know that a jerry curl that has been flat ironed stays straight.

Curly hair extensions: questions people ask

Do curly hair extensions tangle?
More than straight hair, because each curl can catch on the next, and most of it starts at the nape from friction and dry combing. Detangle only when the hair is wet and coated in conditioner, working from the ends up with fingers or a wide-tooth comb, and sleep in a silk or satin bonnet. Tighter coils such as afro kinky curly need the most detangling.

How long do curly human hair extensions last?
A curly sew-in lasts 6 to 8 weeks, 10 at the outside. Past 12 weeks you risk matting and traction damage at the roots. The hair itself outlasts the install and can be reinstalled if you keep it detangled and away from high heat. Raw curly hair lasts longest, a year or more with care.

Can you straighten curly extensions, and will the curl come back?
Yes, within limits. Keep a flat iron at 250 to 300°F with a heat protectant and a steam-set curl comes back when you wash it and let it air dry. Go hotter and the pattern loosens for good. Jerry curl is the exception: once it has been flat ironed, it stays straight.

How do I match curly extensions to my natural hair?
Compare against your own hair washed and air-dried, not stretched. Loose 3A to 3B curls match Brazilian curly or raw Indian curly. Defined 3B to 3C ringlets match jerry curl. A 3C to 4A coil matches Burmese curly or kinky curly, and 4C hair matches afro kinky curly. Size up one length on the tighter patterns, because they shrink.

How many bundles of curly hair do I need?
Three bundles for most curly sew-ins, four past 20 inches. Curly hair builds volume faster than straight, so three curly bundles often look fuller than four straight ones at the same length. A closure or frontal replaces your leave-out, not a bundle, so the count stays the same when you add one.

Curly bundles or curly clip-ins: which is better?
Bundles if you want one style that stays in for 6 to 8 weeks and you are fine braiding down. Clip-ins if you want length and volume on your own schedule with no install: they clip in under your own curls and come out the same day. Clip-ins work best when your hair is already curly enough to blend with the set.

What type of hair extensions are best for curly hair?
Human hair in a pattern that matches yours, because a real curl survives washing and reinstalls. For no leave-out at all, wear bundles with a closure or frontal. For a sew-in with leave-out, pick bundles in your own curl pattern. If you wear your natural hair out, clip-ins add length without straightening your hair first.

How much do curly hair extensions cost?
At Mayvenn, in-stock curly bundles start at $61 each and 3-bundle deals start at $187. Curly closures start at $60, frontals at $98 and clip-in sets at $110. Length, lace size and raw versus virgin hair are what move the price within each type, so check the length you need on each product.