When you book a consultation for hair extensions, the conversation usually settles on one number: the fitting. It is the figure that gets quoted, compared and quietly worried over for weeks in advance. What is far less often discussed is that the fitting is only the opening payment. Extensions are not a one-off purchase — they are a relationship, and like any relationship, they need regular investment to stay healthy.

Why the Initial Fitting Is Only the Starting Point

A full set of extensions typically runs from around £300 for a modest tape-in set to well over £1,000 for premium double-drawn wefts or bonded strands. That price buys you the hair, the fitting and a styling session, and it is genuinely good value for the transformation it delivers. But it does not buy you a finished, self-maintaining hairstyle.

Within weeks, your natural hair will have grown. The bonds, rings or tapes that were sitting flush to the scalp will have slipped downwards, taking the extensions with them. This is entirely normal — it is simply what hair does. Refitting is not a sign that something has gone wrong; it is routine, and it is where the true cost of extensions starts to reveal itself.

Before you commit, ask your stylist for a written breakdown of first-year costs, not just the fitting price. A reputable salon will happily provide it, and it is the single most useful thing you can do for your budget.

Refits: The Appointment That Keeps Coming Round

Refit intervals depend on the method you choose, and they vary more than most people expect:

• Tape-in extensions: usually every four to six weeks.
• Micro-rings and micro-bonds: every six to eight weeks.
• Sewn-in weaves: every six to eight weeks, sometimes sooner if your hair grows quickly.
• Keratin bonds: every eight to twelve weeks.

Costs per refit generally sit between £60 and £250, depending on your location, the number of strands and how much work is needed. Take the middle ground: eight refits a year at £120 each adds £960 to your annual spend. That is before you have bought a single bottle of shampoo. Some clients stretch their appointments by a week or two to save money, and it is almost always a false economy — grown-out bonds matt easily and can pull on the natural hair, undoing months of careful maintenance.

Specialist Products You Cannot Really Skip

Extensions are drier than natural hair, because they no longer receive oils from the scalp. The wrong products will break down bonds, loosen tapes and strip colour. A realistic kit includes:

• Sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner — two bottles every two to three months.
• A bond-building or protein treatment used fortnightly.
• Heat protection spray — essential before any tool touches the hair.
• A loop or soft-bristle brush and a wide-tooth comb for detangling.
• Sulphate-free dry shampoo for between-wash days.
• A silk pillowcase or hair bonnet to reduce friction overnight.

Individually these look modest at £12 to £30 each. Together, most extension wearers spend between £250 and £400 a year on aftercare alone, and that figure climbs if you colour or tone your hair regularly.

Replacement Hair: When Strands Reach the End of Their Life

No set of extensions lasts forever. Human hair wefts usually give six to twelve months of good wear; individual bonded strands and clip-ins often less, especially with frequent heat styling. Tell-tale signs include matting near the bonds, colour fading, shedding along the seam and a general loss of bounce that no treatment revives.

Replacement ranges from £150 for a partial refresh to £600 or more for a full premium set. Two practical tips: buy slightly higher quality hair than you think you need, since it survives more refits and works out cheaper per month, and keep a few spare strands in your colour for repairs between appointments.

Salon Visits, Styling and the Time Cost

Washing and drying extensions at home takes real effort — often forty minutes or more. Many clients find they book a professional wash and blow-dry every week or fortnight, at £25 to £45 a go. Add in colour appointments, which sometimes need two visits so the extensions are removed and refitted around the colour, and the annual total rises again.

There is a time cost, too. Longer appointments, gentler drying, more careful brushing. If your schedule is already tight, be honest with yourself about whether you can commit to that before you book.

Budgeting Realistically Across the Year

A sensible rule of thumb is to set aside £80 to £120 every month into a separate pot for extensions. That covers refits, products and a gradual replacement fund without a nasty surprise in any single month.

Ask your stylist three questions before you commit: how often will I need a refit, what will each one cost, and how long should this hair last? If the answers add up to more than you can comfortably manage, consider clip-ins, a partial set or a shorter wearing period. Extensions look their best when they are properly maintained — and they are far easier to enjoy when the costs have been planned for from the start.