WHAT ARE
TAPE EXTENSIONS?
And how do they work?
And how do they work
What are tape extensions?
Tape extensions are the most popular and continually developing extension method in the industry. Tapes are made of thin strips of human hair with medical-grade adhesive tabs at the root, designed to be sandwiched between your natural hair for a seamless blend. They come in a variety of different colours and lengths to be customised to your hair goals, which can be cut and styled at your convenience.
North Professional Hair’s human hair tape extensions come in 3 distinct styles: Original Tapes, Invisible Tapes and Invisible Root Glaze Tapes.
Original Tapes are the most popular and affordable option sold at North. These tapes are made with a translucent adhesive, which allows the tape to blend and sit comfortably with your natural hair.
Invisible Tapes are a development of our Original line, designed to be virtually invisible when installed; perfect for if you have particularly thin, damaged or fine hair. The unique style creates the illusion that the tape extension is growing naturally from your root - making it indistinguishable from your own hair.
Invisible Root Glaze Tapes build upon Invisible tapes, designed with the same illusion as the invisible, but finished with a bespoke colour at the root created by technical colour experts. These extensions blend seamlessly with your natural hair, for a natural, lived-in and lower-maintenance look.
Tape extensions work by being ‘sandwiched’ outside of a thin section of your natural hair with medical-grade adhesive glue strips at the top, then secured using professional pliers. This process is then repeated to meet your hair needs and goals - some clients may want a full head of extensions, whereas others may just want sparser areas filled.
The extensions are removed using an alcohol-based remover between the two sandwiched tapes, which are then slowly pulled away from your natural hair once the glue has lost its stickiness. In some cases, your stylist may require a solvent-based remover for additional support. Your natural hair will then be washed to ensure no product or residue is left behind.
Your tape extensions can then be refitted every 6 to 8 weeks (depending on your aftercare routine, general maintenance, hair growth and lifestyle), by attaching replacement tape tabs to the tops of the extensions.
By following your stylist’s aftercare advice, your tape extension fitting should last anywhere between 6 to 8 weeks before needing a refit. However, this will also depend on your lifestyle, hair growth rate and general maintenance.
If you continue to follow your aftercare advice and treat the extensions like they are your own hair (remember - they’re made of human hair), your tapes could last you up to a year!
However, the lifespan of your tape extensions really does depend on how the extension hair is cared for. There are many different lifestyle and styling factors that can reduce how long your tapes last, so it’s always important to discuss everything with your stylist during your initial consultation and if anything in your life changes once you have your tapes fitted.
Check out our handy table of tape extension pros and cons, brought from our ‘Your Guide to Tape Extensions’ blog:
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Lightweight | Can become expensive |
| Suitable for most hair types | Needs regular refits |
| Quick and easy application | Not ideal for wearing hair up |
| Least damaging | Glue can cause reactions |
| Versatile for different hair needs | Needs to be fitted professionally |
| Reusable | Needs specific products for aftercare |
Tape extensions are extremely versatile - making them the perfect extension method for almost all hair types!
If you have particularly thin or damaged hair, tape extensions are the safest method to add length and volume to your natural hair without compromising its integrity. Tapes can also be used to fill in sparse areas around your head, commonly known as ‘fillers’.
If you consider yourself to have thick hair, tape extensions can be used to add additional length without going overboard on volume. They are also very easy to disguise in thick hair. Tapes can feel heavy though, so we recommend having your hair thinned before installation, if you believe this could be an issue.
However, if you have a natural wave or curl pattern, you may struggle using tape extensions. Unfortunately, there isn’t currently a market for pre-waved or curled tapes, meaning that you would need to style your extensions or natural hair almost daily in order for the tapes to blend.
