What Happened When I Got Tape

Oct 07, 2023

By Dianna Mazzone

I've had fine hair all my life. In fact, there are photos of me as old as age three with just a few barely-there wisps of hair. Fortunately, my scalp has long since filled out — but the strands that are there are just as baby-fine in texture.

So when I heard that hair extensions could be used not just to add length, but volume, I was immediately intrigued. But as someone who already spends a significant amount of time and money on their beauty routine, I also had my hesitations.

Enter, tape-ins, which require far less time- and financial-commitment than bonded extensions. "Tape-in extensions allow you to have a very quick service and a great transformation for minimal time," says hairstylist and extensions specialist David Lopez.

While bonded extensions are attached to hair by tiny keratin bonds about the width of a grain of rice, tape-ins come in inch-wide bundles held together by ultra-thin adhesive strips. Because of this, your pro is able to cover more ground more quickly, which cuts down on both the length of your appointment and the price tag for their time and expertise. (It's also worth mentioning that tape-in extensions themselves also cost less than their bonded counterparts.)

"A well-executed service can be as quick as 30 minutes to as long as two hours, depending on the amount of attachment sites needed for the desired result," says Danielle Keasling, a hairstylist and executive artistic director of Great Lengths. "The longer the application takes, the higher the cost. On average, most tape-in extension services vary from $500 to $1,500. With that said, a hairline sampling can be as little as $200 [while] a full mermaid lengthening service could run over $3,000."

Keasling also adds that, like the price of a haircut, this number can vary greatly depending on geographic location.

When I got lucky enough to find myself in Keasling's chair courtesy of Great Lengths, I wasn't sure what to expect — but the application process was totally painless.

Before I arrived, Keasling asked that I wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo. It's even better when this can happen at the salon: "A proper clarifying service [will] remove any buildup that will prevent the adhesive from adhering properly," she says.

After we snapped my "before" image, Keasling got to work color-matching my hair to the GL Tapes line. Ultimately, she used three slightly different shades of brown to mimic my natural highlights — though, if I'd wanted it, lighter or darker (or even brightly colored) extensions could have been used to create an ombré look.

Keasling used several shades of hair extensions to create a multi-dimensional look.

Keasling worked section by section and layer by layer, applying the tape-ins flush to my scalp as to best conceal the clear band of adhesive. Applying a full head of extensions on slightly longer than shoulder-length hair took about an hour and a half — the last 15 minutes of which was spent trimming and shaping to ensure a seamless blend between my natural hair and the extensions.

And just like that, my fine hair pretty much doubled in volume. My ponytail, which previously had about the same diameter as a dime, was so thick that I made a mental note to pick up some stronger elastics on the way home.

My hair still looked and felt like my hair (the extensions weren't at all heavy or bothersome), which is exactly the point, if you ask Keasling. "No one should ever say to you, 'Your extensions look so good!' That's like telling someone with great skin that their foundation looks great," she says. "Hair extensions should literally be [that]: an extension of the person's hair."

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Before and after applying tape-in hair extensions for added volume.

After admiring my voluminous new look, my first question to Keasling was how long it would last. "With proper application and maintenance, tape-in hair extensions can last on average six weeks," she says. "If you wash your hair daily, expect more of a four to five weeks [of wear]."

Aside from stretching the time between washes when possible, "proper and frequent brushing is key," says Keasling. (A flexible Wet Brush or wide-tooth comb works nicely on damp strands, while a paddle brush is best for dry hair; we like the T3 Detangle Duo.) "I recommend wearing a loose ponytail or braid when sleeping, exercising, or even when spending long periods of time outside in windy conditions," she adds.

You can style tape-in extensions as you would your natural hair, but Keasling and Lopez also suggests steering clear of oil-based products like serums and pomades as well leave-in conditioners, some of which can break down the adhesive.

Of course, over the course of six or so weeks, your natural hair continues to grow — and the tape-ins will migrate further away from your roots. At that point, they'll become more visible — and you'll want to make your way back to the salon to have them removed. Your pro will apply a solution that breaks down the adhesive, allowing for a "damage-free removal," says Keasling. Going the DIY route is kind of like peeling away gel nail polish instead of soaking it off with acetone: it can result in long-term damage to your hair.

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"There's a myth that tape-in extensions make your hair fall out. Hair falling out is from poor practices, either at-home not taking care of it well, or the stylist putting [the extensions] in not being trained properly," says Lopez, who is certified by Glam Seamless.

As I enter week four of wearing tape-in extensions myself, I'm already feeling a little wistful. But the good news is that some models can be used again and again. Great Lengths tape-ins, for one, can be reused up to three times. (A trained pro will re-tape the existing bundles of hair.)

So, to my newly beloved tape-ins: it's not goodbye, just see you later.

Read more about hair extensions:

Now watch the history of long hair:

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