Hey!

You may hear from some companies, like GL that you can leave them in your hair for up to 6 months.  That is not a good idea.  That can in turn be very damaging to your natural hair and isn't recommended.

As for how long they will last in your hair, that depends on the wear and tear they take from you.  My hair doesn't always tend to last as long as some others do because I am constantly curling or straighteneing it and it is #613, so it has already taken a beating, lol.

You can do any of these installs on your own, but until you get the hang of it, it is good to have a helping hand there to help with the back of your head.  Otherwise just get a lot of mirrors up and be ready for a sore arm!  lol!  If you're stuck doing it alone!

i wasnt sure that i could do them myself, but i was determined....

i have a large table top mirror strategically placed on the bathroom countertop so that when i look in there i can see the reflection of the back of my head in the large wall mirror (i wouldnt be able to do without the mirrors!).....i read a lot, bought the stuff ( i have clipins,microlinks,and protac...which i havent used yet), i practiced just putting a strand or two underneath where it wouldnt be so noticeable at first, once i decided to do my whole head my hands tired out ( i have lupus and my hands tend to go numb sometimes)....so i divided up my installation over three days. I think even if i were physically able to get it all done in one long session, mentally i get irritated at it.....you really have to wait until you are in a good mood to mess with something like this !

anyway, for me it was great to get to do something with a clear definate result, i am someone who is always going to mess with my hair...and adding extensions is a lot better than many of the things ive done to my own head !