Fine vs. Thick & Thin Hair Extensions Explained (2025)

Even though we have written hundreds of articles about hair extensions, there are always new and exciting questions that our community asks. Today, we will talk about the differences between thin and thick hair and which configuration one should buy.

First, if you want to know all there is to the thickness of the hair as well as gain more knowledge about hair extensions, please see our detailed guide about buying hair extensions. It goes into great detail and includes information about textures, colors, attachment types, and more.

For everyone else, here is a summarized version that will help you out. It’s also important to check our cheat sheet at the end of the article.

The thickness of the hair is determined by the hair extensions’ weight (in grams) and length. Many guides don’t necessarily provide a complete picture. The thinner the hair, the lighter it is, and vice versa.

Thin Hair Extensions Increase Length

If you want to increase the overall length of your hairstyle, then thinner (and lighter) hair extensions will do the job. Light hair extensions weigh less than 100 grams.

This is usually the cheapest option and might not give you the results one was hoping for. That is unless your hair is extremely fine. Only a tiny percentage of women have fine hair. If you are unsure, go with the next option.

Weight: 40 to 90 grams per set
Price range: $25 to $50

My Hair Extensions Are Too Thin

So, you’ve just got yourself a new pair, which is not what you expected. Are your hair extensions too thin? You can return AiryHair products within 30 days and get your money back or replace them with a thicker set, even for used hair.

Otherwise, you can order a second set from the same supplier and add additional strands or clips. Every store should let users know the required number of bundles. We do that!

Medium Thickness Hair Extensions Add Length & Volume

The second option is somewhere in between. If you also want to increase your hair volume slightly and look healthier, consider hair weighing 100 – 130 grams.

These are the medium-thickness extensions that will suit most women. Our clients sometimes paint a far worse picture than it is, rating their hair fine despite rocking medium-thickness strands. Medium-thickness hair is also the easiest to blend.

Weight: 100 to 130 grams per set
Price range: $50 to $150

Thick Hair Extensions Makes You a Hair Goddess

On the other hand, if you want a massive hairstyle that looks like one of those shampoo commercials, go with thick hair extensions. Such extensions are the most expensive and weigh around 200 grams.

Some women want to be discrete about additional layers of hair on their heads, while others go all out with the most drastic look. If your budget allows it, go for it!

Weight: 150 to 200 grams per set
Price range: $100 to $250

We are not yet ready to let you go. Before ordering hair extensions, one must know a few other things.

• What if there is no weight info? Some hair stores will use grams per strand instead of total weight. For example, 26-inch extensions (1g / s). What does that mean? It means that each strand weighs one gram. To understand hair thickness, multiply grams per strand by the total number of strands (usually 50 or 100).
• Don’t forget hair coverage. Remember that thinner hair will not cover as much head as thicker extensions. Often, thin hair adds a few additional strands of colors to the overall hairstyle or covers damaged hair.
• Don’t forget about hair shape. Having learned the difference between thick and thin hair extensions, you might just get thick hair and call it a day. However, while weight describes hair thickness, it does not identify the shape. Do you want your hair to have a V shape on the back (with thinning ends) or a flat shape? For the second option, you need to select double drawn hair extensions during checkout. Follow the link to read more about single and double-drawn hair.
• It’s actually weight vs. length ratio. We wrote the guide with the 20-inch or 50-cm extensions in mind. 10-inch hair extensions will be thicker than 30-inch hair, assuming they weigh about the same. To learn more about the calculations, see the third section of our hair extensions guide.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, most women should get hair extensions that are of at least 100 grams in weight. That will not only transform your look but do so on a medium budget, increasing the overall length and volume. Buy thin extensions only if you have extremely thin hair or want to add a few color-popping strands to your look. Thick hair extensions are for women that don’t care about the price and want the best thing there is.