My hair is often described as “baby hair” because it’s as fine as an infant’s. It falls past my shoulders and I can coax it into various shapes with sophisticated hair products. But unlike my sister, who had waist-length curly hair by the time she was 12, I did not get the long-hair genes in the family. So what do I do when I am cast in an opera as a 15th century Spanish maiden and I am supposed to wear longer locks?

Hair extensions!

Although most theaters have a variety of wigs available, I travel with clip-in hair extensions. This is often the quickest and easiest solution. Before my performance of Il Trovatore last Saturday, my fabulous hair stylist Kili prepared my mane:

First, she curled my hair into ringlets so that my straight hair would match the “wavy” extensions. Then she parted my actual hair (see left). And finally she added PutOnPieces synthetic clip-in extensions

I found them at a local beauty shop in L.A. for $29.99 but you can also buy them online.

I used the two-piece wavy system in the color “Golden Wheat,” which has subtle brown low-lights, but these wash out in the stage lights for a super blonde look. (My signature hair color.) They stayed in place beautifully; I sang a two-hour opera without worrying about my hair even once.

The clip combs are attached to the inner lining of the extensions on elastic bands so that they do not create an uneven line in your hair.  Just push the combs into your hair below the part and snap them shut:

And then allow the rest of your hair to fall naturally over the lining.

Now for a more contemporary look, I use straighter extensions with honey lowlights: And of course, you can always add in strands of red or brown (or purple or pink) if you want to add some cool highlights for a night out with your friends without frightening your boss the next morning. Just clip them in and unclip them when you’re done.

These extensions are fun and fast and they don’t damage your hair.  But those of us with sensitive hair do need to be a little more careful: I never sleep with my extensions, and I double condition my hair the next day. Never apply heat to synthetic extensions; only use your curling iron on human hair. Have fun!