Everything you need to know about Tape Hair Extensions

Everything you need to know about Tape Hair Extension

I’ve tried almost every hair extension method going. Wefts, micro-beads, clip ins fusion etc etc, and for the most part I’ve been pretty happy with the outcome. I’ve even used the terrible synthetic hairpieces when I’ve been really desperate to quickly establish that long luscious hair look. NEVER AGAIN. So, before you dive into the trend, it would also benefit you to know that women can get hair transplants too. If you feel that synthetic hair extensions are something your scalp can’t tolerate consistently, a more permanent solution may be needed. When I heard there was a new method being used widely by celebrities my interest was peaked. Tapes? Excuse me? Using tape to somehow magically stick hair to your head didn’t sound like a safe, easy or practical method to me. I had no idea how wrong I was. Here’s my experience with tape in hair extensions.

When choosing which hair to buy, the internet can become a scary piece. I always avoid the cheapest product. I’ve gone for this in the past and been let down by the quality of hair. These VL II Tape Hair Extensions are a brilliant quality and go such a long way. By two and a half packs in, I was beginning to feel that my head was already full! It meant that I could achieve the thickness I wanted.

What I really love about these tape hair extensions is that the hair is actually 2 inches longer than the hair length listed. This means that when you’re cutting and blending the hair in, you’re not losing the inches you’ve paid good money for. They come in 50 gram packs and on average 150 gram will suffice for a full head (unless you have VERY thick hair). As these tape hair extensions are real Remy hair, you can treat it as your own. That means you can curl and straighten it as you please, just make sure they’re good quality tools like from mdlondon and their BLOW hair dryer. Just apply a heat protection solution on beforehand, like you would anyway. There are numerous colour combinations available and with easy 4cm strips, they looked perfect to distribute evenly around my head. Best of all with the company I’ve used here (HairTrade.com) you can get quick, tracked the delivery.

One thing I’m always keen to know when it comes to hair extensions is how easy the application is. Ain’t nobody got time to sit for hours and hours to have their hair put in. Tape Hair Extensions take between 45 minutes to 1 hour for a full head application. It really is a quick method for a huge hair makeover.

As with all methods of hair extensions, there is some maintenance required on tape hair extensions. Here are my top tips for maintaining yours:

• Take time each day to untangle your tape hair extensions with a ‘tape friendly brush’ (hello tangle-teaser) – side note, do not brush hair when wet!

• Try not to dye or damage your hair extensions with unsafe products. Use sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner and gentle dyes.

• Have your hair regularly moved up every 6-10 weeks. You can give your own hair a good wash in-between refitting but don’t use conditioner on this wash.

• Put your hair in a braid every night before sleeping, this will make sure your hair doesn’t tangle and make it much easier for you.

They can last 6-8 weeks upon first application. Then they will need moving upwards as your hair will have grown and they will begin to slip a little with product build up. For safe removal, you’ll need some removal solution applied to your roots which will be gently rubbed in and ensure they slide off with no damage to your own hair. If you buy the same hair I’ve used here, they can last up to 24 months! That’s insane! The best hair I’ve used before has lasted me up to a year at most. So proper maintenance is definitely your best friend.

As per the maintenance instructions, ensure you’re using a good quality tape hair extension shampoo. Your hair needs to be washed a specific way in order to avoid tangling and ensure they stay in good condition.

1. Start at the root and slowly glide shampoo down through the hair. Do not take the shampoo all the way to the tip of the hair as it isn’t required. Try to maintain a gentle sliding motion rather than an aggressive swirling action.

2. To condition, follow the usual rule of working from the middle of the hair downwards. Avoid the tape area of the extensions as much as possible as it will weaken the bonds of the tape.

3. Rinse hair gently and then pat dry with a towel.

4. Now you’re ready to dry it, ensure you use a heat protector spray and then blow dry your hair. Section your hair and ensure it is completely dry. Try to avoid directly pointing hot air at the roots as this will again damage the bond.

5. Style as you wish!

I’ve found tape hair extensions to be FAR less painful than micro-beads. I described my first night wearing micro-beads as sleeping on 1000 needle pins. These lay totally flat on your head, so you shouldn’t feel any pain. The first few nights you may have a slight bit of discomfort but that’s about it.

I don’t even know how to express how much I prefer these to clip-ins. Clip ins often graze my scalp and I’ve suffered with severe pulling from them.

These are by far the best method I’ve used so far in hair extensions. Although they require maintenance, it is no more than previous methods of hair extension and the pain of application times is much lower than other methods. Have you ever thought of trying tape hair extensions?