God may not have blessed me with long luscious Kardashian-like locks but he DID bless me with an amazing hair stylist AND a set of tape-in hair extensions.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to have a thick head of voluminous, cascading hair. My frizzy, damaged, thin, hair has always been a source of great frustration. I’ve been wearing clip-ins for years but I wanted something that was always in my hair and I didn’t have to take in and out every morning and night.
After YEARS of questioning, and considering, tape-in hair extensions, I decided to give them a shot. I already wore my clip-in hair extensions almost everyday and they probably damaged my hair more than anything I was doing to it.
Where I had my hair extensions done. I don’t let anyone but Ally touch my hair. I’ve been seeing Nancy Chen from Super Remy Hair in China for 8-12 years. Read my full review of the salon here. I’ve learned to trust Ally because sometimes she tells me “no.” If I had it my way, I’d be platinum blonde! hehe. Nancy genuinely cares about the health of my hair and always helps me make the best decision when it comes to color/highlights. Nancy is also a master color specialist! You MUST check out her instagram page. It will have you SO inspired!!
How they’re attached. Nancy took about three or four inch hair extension track and attach a special kind of double-sided tape to them. Sometime we had to cut the tracks in half because my hair is insanely fine. She then sandwiched 10-15 individual hairs between the two extension tracks, and adhered together with the double-sided tape. Typical weft glue usually only lasts 2-3 weeks, but the tape-in method lasts around 2 months.
Styling. You can still pull your hair into ponytails, braids, half-up, half-down styles. I cannot however wear a high bun or high pony because the tape will show. I also am still learning how to blow out my hair with so much of it!
Comfort. The first couple of days were slightly uncomfortable (especially sleeping). The hair extension tracks were attached close to my scalp, so my scalp was sensitive. Nothing that kept me up at night though.
Potential hair loss issues. According to my hairdresser, the only hairs in jeopardy are the strands sandwiched between the extensions. My stylist also said we lose an average of 100 individual strands of hair a day, so comparatively, even the worst-case scenario damage wouldn’t be too big of a deal.
Upkeep. Don’t wash them very often. I honestly wash my hair maybe once a week. It keeps my natural oils on them and keeps them healthier. I also use Moroccan oil on them at least once a day which helps to keep them soft.
Tips from my stylist.
Sleep in a ponytail or a loose braid to keep the extensions from matting. Easy.
- Use sulfate free shampoo. Done.
- Brush your hair twice a day. Okay.
- Don’t use product with alcohol. Sweet.
- Don’t let your hair dry naturally. Since I have curly hair the tape would curl as well.
- I will buy new hair about every 9 months to a year depending on the brand and such. I ordered mine from Super Remy Hair .
My hair extensions. My tape-ins were from Super Remy Hair . Super Remy Hair has rooted extensions (darker towards the scalp, lighter towards the bottom) and since my hair had more of an ombre effect, this was the perfect options for me. My next set will be mostly blonde since I like to go lighter in the summer. A set is about $400-$500. I know, it’s pricey. Ugh. But I love ’em.
Overall conclusion. Tape-ins have been a great investment for me. I find myself putting less heat on my hair, actually takes me less time to get ready each day, and I can braid my hair or wear it in so many more fun ways. Washing my hair and blow-drying take a significantly longer amount of time, but it’s so worth it. I can’t imagine going back to clip-ins ever again!
If you have any more questions, I am answering down below!
xo,
Nancy