Can You Actually Match Extensions to Your Natural Curls?

"I've never seen extensions that look like my hair."

That's what Jasmine said when she walked into my salon six months ago.

Jasmine has 4A curls. Tight, springy coils. She'd been wanting extensions for years but couldn't find anyone who carried her texture.

"Every stylist I've consulted shows me straight hair or loose waves," Jasmine said. "Nothing that matches my actual curls."

"What did they tell you?" I asked.

"That I'd have to straighten my natural hair to match the extensions," Jasmine said. "Or that curly extensions don't exist."

I'm Christian Michael. I founded Christian Michael Hair Extensions specifically because the industry was failing textured hair clients. Stylists either didn't carry curly textures, or they did but had no idea how to match them properly.

Jasmine's not alone. Thousands of curly-haired clients have been told "we don't have your texture" or "just straighten your hair to make it work."

That's not acceptable. Curly extensions absolutely exist. Stylists just need to know how to match them.

When Tanya's "Curly" Extensions Went Straight

Tanya came to me eight months ago to fix extensions that had lost their curl.

"Look at this," Tanya said, showing me her hair.

Her natural hair: beautiful 3B curls. Defined spirals. Her extensions: barely wavy. Almost straight.

"They were curly when I got them," Tanya said. "After three washes, they fell flat."

"What kind of extensions were they?" I asked.

"I don't know," Tanya said. "The stylist said they were curly. They matched perfectly at first. Then they just... straightened out."

That's the problem with cheap curly extensions. They're not actually curly hair. They're straight hair that's been temporarily curled with steam or heat. Wash them a few times and the curl disappears.

"You need extensions with a permanent curl pattern," I told her.

"How do I know if the curl is permanent?" Tanya asked.

"Real curly hair or properly processed Remy hair with a set curl," I said. "Not temporary steam curls that wash out."

We removed Tanya's extensions. Installed hand-tied wefts with a permanent curl pattern matching her 3B spirals.

"Will these lose their curl too?" Tanya asked nervously.

"No," I said. "The curl pattern is set. It'll hold wash after wash."

Eight months later: Her extensions still match her natural curl perfectly. No straightening out. No pattern loss.

What Happened to Kendra's Shrinkage Surprise

Kendra's problem was different: she ordered the wrong length because she didn't account for shrinkage.

"I ordered 18-inch extensions," Kendra said during her consultation five months ago. "But look how short they are."

Kendra has 4B hair. Significant shrinkage. Her extensions measured 18 inches when pulled straight. But when styled curly to match her natural texture, they looked maybe 10 inches.

"Why are they so short?" Kendra asked. "They're supposed to be 18 inches."

"They are 18 inches," I said. "When stretched. But your curl pattern has shrinkage. Curly hair doesn't hang at its full stretched length."

"So I should've ordered longer?" Kendra said.

"Way longer," I told her. "For your shrinkage factor, you probably need 24-inch extensions to look like 12-14 inches when curly."

Kendra was frustrated. She'd spent $1,400 on extensions that were too short for what she wanted.

"Can we fix this?" she asked.

We removed her 18-inch extensions. Ordered 24-inch with the same curl pattern. Installed them properly accounting for her natural shrinkage.

"These actually give me the length I wanted," Kendra said when we finished.

Five months later: She has the shoulder-length curly look she was trying to achieve. The 24-inch extensions shrink to exactly the length she envisioned.

"Nobody told me about shrinkage," Kendra said. "I wasted $1,400 because my first stylist didn't understand curly hair."

What Christian Learned Building This Line

When I started training stylists fifteen years ago, curly extensions were an afterthought.

Most manufacturers only carried straight hair or loose waves. Maybe a 2C beachy wave if you were lucky. Nothing for 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C textures.

"Curly hair is too difficult," manufacturers would say. "There's not enough demand."

They were wrong on both counts. Curly hair isn't difficult when you understand it. And the demand is massive. They just weren't serving it.

I built Christian Michael Hair Extensions with complete texture ranges. Not just straight and wavy. Actually curly. From loose 3A spirals to tight 4C coils.

But having the textures isn't enough. Stylists need to know how to match them. That became the foundation of my education program.

• Rule 1: Match the curl pattern visually. Not close enough. Exactly.
• Rule 2: Account for shrinkage. Stretched length means nothing. Final curly length is what matters.
• Rule 3: Use extensions with permanent curl patterns. Steam curls wash out. Real curly hair doesn't.

Those three rules transformed how stylists work with textured hair. Thousands of curly-haired clients over fifteen years who finally got extensions that actually match.

Where Jasmine Is Six Months Later

Jasmine came to me six months ago after being told curly extensions "don't exist."

She has 4A coils. We matched her exactly with k-tip extensions in the same tight curl pattern.

"These actually look like my hair," Jasmine said during installation. "I've never seen that before."

Six months later: Her extensions still match perfectly. She wears her natural curls confidently. Nobody can tell where her hair ends and extensions begin.

"I spent years being told I couldn't have extensions that match my texture," Jasmine said. "I just needed someone who actually carried my texture and knew how to install it."

Where Tanya Is Eight Months Later

Tanya came to me eight months ago with extensions that lost their curl after three washes.

Cheap temporary steam curls. We replaced them with hand-tied wefts with permanent curl patterns.

Eight months and countless washes later: Her extensions still have the exact same 3B spiral pattern they had on day one.

"My first extensions were straight by week two," Tanya said. "These are eight months old and the curl hasn't budged. That's the difference between temporary and permanent curl."

Where Kendra Is Five Months Later

Kendra came to me five months ago with 18-inch extensions that looked way too short on her 4B hair.

She didn't account for shrinkage. 18 inches stretched became maybe 10 inches curly. Not the length she wanted.

We replaced them with 24-inch extensions. Same curl pattern. Different length accounting for her significant shrinkage.

Five months later: She has the shoulder-length curly look she originally wanted. The 24-inch extensions shrink to exactly what she envisioned.

"I wasted $1,400 on the wrong length," Kendra said. "Because my first stylist didn't understand how shrinkage works with curly hair."

The Pattern All Three Discovered

Jasmine thought curly extensions matching her 4A coils didn't exist.

Wrong. They exist. Most stylists just don't carry them or know how to match them properly.

"I was told no so many times," Jasmine said. "I started believing curly extensions weren't possible. They're absolutely possible. Stylists just need to actually have the textures."

Tanya thought all curly extensions were the same.

Wrong. Temporary steam curls wash out in a few washes. Permanent curl patterns stay forever.

"My first extensions looked perfect initially," Tanya said. "Then straightened out. Permanent curl is the only thing that lasts."

Kendra thought 18-inch extensions would look 18 inches on her curly hair.

Wrong. Shrinkage means stretched length and final curly length are completely different. Her 4B shrinkage needs 24-inch extensions to look 12-14 inches curly.

"Nobody explained shrinkage to me," Kendra said. "I ordered based on stretched length. Total mistake."

Three Questions If You Have Curly Hair

Ask yourself Jasmine's question: "Have stylists told you extensions don't exist in your curl pattern?"

• If yes: Those stylists don't carry your texture or don't know it exists. Find certified stylists who specialize in textured hair.
• If no: Good. You've found stylists who actually serve curly-haired clients.

Ask yourself Tanya's question: "Did your curly extensions lose their curl after a few washes?"

• If yes: You had temporary steam curls that wash out. Get permanent curl pattern extensions that hold their shape forever.
• If no: Good. You have real curly hair or properly set permanent curls.

Ask yourself Kendra's question: "Did you order extension length based on stretched measurement?"

• If yes: That's probably why they look too short on your curly hair. Account for shrinkage. Order way longer than you think you need.
• If no: Good. You understood that shrinkage makes stretched length meaningless for curly hair.

Can You Actually Match Extensions to Curls?

If you've been told extensions don't exist in your texture like Jasmine was, those stylists don't carry textured options. Her 4A coils matched perfectly with the right stylist.

If your extensions lost their curl like Tanya's did, you had temporary steam curls. Her permanent curl pattern has held for eight months through countless washes.

If you ordered wrong length like Kendra did, you didn't account for shrinkage. Her 24-inch extensions give her the 12-14 inch curly look she wanted.

Ready to match your curls?

• Find certified stylists trained in textured hair
• Browse methods: hand-tied wefts, k-tips, tape-ins, genius wefts
• Get training on matching textured hair
• Contact us with questions

Thousands of curly-haired clients have finally gotten extensions that actually match their natural texture.

Christian Michael
Founder, Christian Michael Hair Extensions