I-Tip & Micro-Link Hair Extensions NYC

What are I-tip extensions?

I-tip extensions are strands of human hair threaded through a small bead and clamped to your own hair — no heat, no glue, no adhesive of any kind. At our Upper East Side studio I-tips are $375 per bundle (25 strands), hair and application included, with the number of bundles confirmed at your free consultation.

I-tip — also called micro-link or micro-bead — threads individual strands of hair through a small metal bead alongside your own hair, then clamps the bead closed. No heat, no adhesive, no keratin.

It is the method to ask about if you want extensions but would rather nothing was melted, taped or glued to your hair.

Are micro-links and I-tips the same thing?

Yes. Micro-link, I-tip, micro-bead and micro-ring are different names for the same method: an individual strand of human hair threaded through a small bead alongside your own hair, with the bead clamped closed. Salons use different names, but the install is the same — no heat, no glue, no adhesive.

Beaded weft rows are a different install: a weft of hair attached along a row of beads, rather than strand by strand. If a photo you have saved says “micro-link” and shows a row, bring it to your free consultation and we will tell you which method it is and whether it suits your hair.

Who are I-tip (micro-link) extensions best for?

• Anyone who wants to avoid heat and adhesive entirely
• Clients whose hair has been chemically treated and who want the gentlest attachment available
• Hair dense enough to conceal and support the beads
• Clients who want the strand-by-strand movement of K-tip without the keratin bond

I-tips need a certain amount of your own hair around each bead to sit invisibly. On very fine hair the beads can show, and we will say so at the consultation rather than fit them and hope.

I-tip or K-tip — which is better?

Both are strand-by-strand and both move naturally. The difference is the attachment: K-tip uses a heat-softened keratin bond, I-tip uses a clamped bead.

I-tip involves no heat at all and the beads can be opened and re-used, which some clients prefer. K-tip bonds are smaller and lie slightly flatter, which tends to suit finer hair better. Neither is universally superior — it depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation is for.

How much do I-tip extensions cost in NYC?

Quoted per bundle, because the number needed depends on your hair density and the length and fullness you want. You get the exact figure at your free consultation, before anything is ordered.

I-tip extensions are $375 per bundle ($125 hair + $250 application) at our Upper East Side studio. How many bundles your hair needs is the part that varies, and it is confirmed in writing at your free consultation before any hair is ordered. Note that K-tip and I-tip are quoted per bundle, while tape-in is quoted as a full install — so the numbers are not directly comparable.

How often do micro-link (I-tip) extensions need maintenance?

The beads grow down with your hair and are moved back up to the root periodically. Because nothing is bonded or taped, the same hair can usually be re-used across several move-ups, provided it is looked after.

What hair do you use?

Remy human hair, colour-matched in person against your own hair in daylight.

Book a consultation

Free, and with no obligation. We look at your hair density, length, lifestyle and budget, and tell you honestly what will work.

Hair Extensions Manhattan
61 East 66th Street, Ground Floor, New York, NY 10065
(212) 737-7441

Mon–Thu 10am–7pm · Fri 10am–4pm · Sat closed · Sun 10am–7pm