Published October 2026. Written from typical UK salon price ranges, our customer reviews (including women who switched from tapes, rings and bonds), and our own returns policy. We sell non-permanent extensions only, so read it with that in mind.
You have been quoted a few hundred pounds for tapes, bonds or rings, and the idea of waking up with long, full hair every morning is very appealing. Before you book, it is worth knowing exactly what "permanent" commits you to, because the fitting is the smallest part of the bill.
The short answer
No hair extension is truly permanent. "Permanent" means attached to your own hair until it grows out, so tapes, rings and sew-ins need moving up every 6 to 8 weeks and keratin bonds every 3 to 6 months. In the UK that usually means £150 to £850 to fit, plus £60 to £120 every move-up, so the first year costs far more than the quote.
Non-permanent extensions cost once, need no salon and come off at night. If you want the look without the upkeep, start by comparing an invisible wire extension with the quote in front of you.
What "permanent" really means
Every permanent method works the same way: small sections of extension hair are fixed to small sections of your own hair, close to the scalp. The fixing might be a strip of tape, a tiny metal ring, a melted keratin tip or a thread sewn onto a braid. Once it is in, it stays in, day and night, until a stylist takes it out.
The catch is that your own hair keeps growing, at roughly a centimetre a month. After a couple of months the attachments have drifted far enough from your scalp to show and tangle. So "permanent" really means semi-permanent with a standing appointment, the move-up, where every attachment is refitted higher up. That is where most of the money goes.
The permanent methods, and what each one commits you to
Here is what each method asks of you over a year, next to the two non-permanent options. Fitting prices are typical UK salon ranges for 16 to 22 inches, hair included, from salon price guides in October 2026. Your quote will vary, so ask for the move-up price in writing too.
The first-year figures add six move-ups at £60 to £120 each, which is what a 6 to 8 week cycle works out to. They are estimates, but the shape holds whatever your salon charges: a permanent method is a subscription, and the fitting is the first payment.
What the salon quote leaves out
Money is the obvious one. These are the parts people tell us they did not expect:
Time in the chair. A full head is a long appointment, and every move-up is another one. Over a year that adds up to several afternoons.
You cannot skip an appointment. Miss a move-up and the attachments sit further down, tangle at the root and pull. Holidays, a busy month or a tight budget do not pause your hair growing.
Living around the bonds. No oils near the roots, careful brushing, longer drying, and sleeping in a loose plait so the attachments do not matt.
Your own hair never gets a day off. The weight hangs from the same small sections around the clock. For strong, thick hair that is usually fine. For fine or thinning hair it is the real risk, and we cover it method by method in our guide to the least damaging hair extensions.
What women who went permanent told us
Many of our customers come to us from a permanent method. They liked the look, and left because of the upkeep or what it did to their own hair:
"After wearing micro ring extensions for the last 4 years I finally decided that enough is enough so came across these extensions and ordered the 14in."Leila F., verified buyer
"Having had years with fitted extensions that have damaged my natural hair, this is so easy to use and helps make my hair look thick and long."Sian G., verified buyer
Neither of them gave up on extensions. They gave up on extensions that could not come out. That is the real choice here: not whether to wear extensions, but whether they have to stay in.
What non-permanent gets you instead
An invisible wire extension is one long piece of Remy human hair on a thin, clear wire. The wire rests on your head like a headband, under your top layer, and your own hair falls over it to hide it. Nothing is glued, clamped, taped or sewn to your hair, so there is nothing to move up and no appointment to keep.
It goes on in about a minute and comes off at night, so your own hair spends every night free of weight. Because the hair is never heated, glued or clamped during a refit, the same piece typically lasts 6 to 12 months of regular wear. And if you change your mind about the colour, you can exchange it rather than having it cut out.
It will not do everything a permanent fitting does. But for length and fullness without a standing salon bill, it costs about what a year of move-ups alone would.
No salon, no move-ups
Invisible Wire Extensions
One piece on a clear wire, hidden under your own hair. Nothing attached to your strands, on in a minute, off at night.
100% Remy human hair · 12 to 18 inch · from £89 · Rated 4.7 "Excellent" on Trustpilot · Free UK delivery · Free colour exchanges
Shop invisible wire extensions →"After deciding I wanted to give my hair a break from tape ins but still have the choice to wear longer hair I thought an invisible wire would be the best solution. It was super easy to put in and once I'd got used to it and its placement it was really comfortable."Johanne M., verified buyer, five stars
Who should still choose permanent
We sell removable extensions, so it would be easy to say permanent is never worth it. That would not be true. A fitted method is the better buy if most of these describe you:
You want it in around the clock. Sleeping, swimming, the gym, a fortnight away. A removable piece comes off at night and is not made for swimming in.
You want a dramatic change in length. Our longest piece is 18 inches. Waist-length hair is a salon job.
Your own hair is thick and strong. Healthy, dense hair carries attachments far better than fine or thinning hair, which is where fitted methods cause the most trouble.
You can budget the upkeep for a year. Not just the fitting: every move-up, at the time your hair needs it.
You have a stylist you trust. A permanent fitting is only as good as the person doing it, and you will see them every couple of months.
If that is you, go permanent with our blessing. If it is only one or two of these, the five questions below will help you decide.
Five questions to answer before you book
- 1What is the move-up price, and how often? Multiply it by six and add the fitting. That is your real first-year cost. If the number makes you wince, it will not feel better in month four.
- 2Is your own hair fine, thinning or breaking? If yes, think hard before hanging weight from it day and night. Shedding more than usual is a reason to see your GP first, not to book a fitting.
- 3Do you need it overnight? Be honest. Many people want the look in the day and do not mind taking it off at bedtime once they know it only takes a minute.
- 4How much length do you actually want? Measure from just above your ears to where you want your hair to end. Up to 18 inches, a removable piece can do it. Beyond that, it is a salon job.
- 5Have you tried the look first? Wear a removable piece for a month. If you find yourself wishing you could sleep in it, permanent may be right for you, and you will book knowing the length and colour you like. If you love the nights off, you have saved yourself the subscription.
Where a removable piece stops
The same honesty applies to us. A wire piece is not the right answer for everyone:
It needs some length to hide under. The wire sits under your top layer, so your own hair needs to reach about your collarbone. At chin length the wire will show at the back, and small clip-in pieces at the front are the better option.
It adds hair from about ear level down. It brings length and fullness to the back and sides, not to the parting or the hairline. For a thin front, small front pieces do that job instead.
A full piece can be a lot of hair on very fine hair. Weight rises with length, roughly 90g at 12 inches to 120g at 18. One customer with fine hair found exactly that, and sent hers back:
"The hair was great,but with having fine hair I just wasn't that comfortable with so much hair. So I returned the product and the customer service was very good and I received a refund very promptly."Chantal L., verified buyer
If that sounds like your hair, start at 12 inches, or start with front pieces.
For shorter or finer hair
Face-Framing Layers
Two small pieces on inch-wide clips for fullness at the front, where a thin hairline shows most. Light enough for fine hair, and nothing stays in overnight.
Front clip-in extensions · 100% Remy · £36 · Free UK delivery · Free colour exchanges
Shop Face-Framing Layers →Your next step: get the shade right first
Whichever way you go, colour is where extensions most often go wrong. Send us two daylight photos through our free colour match, one of your top layer and one lifted to show underneath, and we will suggest your shade. If you want to see it against your own hair before you buy a full piece, a single clip-in tester costs £3.
If a piece arrives and it is not right, you have 14 days to return it. Exchanging for another colour or length is free, and a cash refund costs a £10 admin fee. That is a very different commitment from a fitting that has to be cut out.
Try the shade first
Colour Match Me Tester
A small clip-in strand in any of our shades, to hold against your own hair in daylight before you commit to a full piece.
Real Remy human hair · £3 · Testers are non-returnable · Free colour exchanges on full pieces
Order a £3 tester →Common questions
Can hair extensions be permanent?
Not truly. Methods sold as permanent, such as tape-ins, micro rings, keratin bonds and sew-ins, are attached to your own hair and grow out with it at roughly a centimetre a month. They need moving up every 6 to 8 weeks, or every 3 to 6 months for bonds, so they are better described as semi-permanent.
How much are permanent hair extensions in the UK?
Typical UK salon prices for 16 to 22 inches, hair included, run from about £150 to £650 for tape-ins, £250 to £800 for micro rings and £450 to £850 for keratin bonds. Move-ups usually cost £60 to £120 each and come round every 6 to 8 weeks, so the first year often costs two or three times the fitting price.
How long do permanent hair extensions last?
Each fitting lasts 6 to 8 weeks for tape-ins, rings and sew-ins, and 3 to 6 months for keratin bonds, before it has to be moved up or redone. Good tape-in and ring hair can be reused for several refits; bonded hair is usually finished when the bonds come out.
Are permanent hair extensions bad for your hair?
They can be, especially on fine or thinning hair. The weight hangs from small sections of your own hair day and night, and fitting and removal use tape solvent, heat or clamps. Strong, thick hair fitted by a good stylist and moved up on time usually copes. If your hair is already shedding more than usual, see your GP before booking.
What is the best non-permanent alternative?
For length and fullness at the back and sides, an invisible wire extension: one piece on a clear wire, hidden under your top layer, with nothing attached to your own hair. For a thin front, small clip-in pieces. Both come off at night and need no salon appointments.
Can I wear non-permanent extensions every day?
Yes. A wire piece or small clip-ins can be worn all day, every day. Take them off at night, and with a wire piece there are no clips on your own hair at all. Most Remy pieces last 6 to 12 months of regular wear.
