Tape-In Extensions

I decided to get tape-in extensions at the end of November 2019 for a few different reasons. As you guys know it was not the easiest year for us and the stress was more than I have ever dealt with in my whole life. Between fertility issues that made my hormones go in all different directions as well as losing our house to an electrical fire, my hair was thinning like crazy because the stress was at an all time high. My whole life I have had pretty thick and curly hair, hard to manage when I was younger but as I have gotten older I very much appreciate it! So when it started changing drastically, on top of everything else that was changing in my life, I decided to do something about it.

We all have different hair so my thin hair could be very thick for someone else, it’s just all perspective. Me getting the extensions was to start the process of trying to feel like myself again and to fill it in while my hair grew back and thickened up again (hopefully). They were amazing for that reason, it was one less thing I was worrying about and could focus on other things!

The process:

I went to Jenna Crew at Sola Salon in Lutherville and she first colored my hair to make me fully brunette after having balayage for a while, I very much needed the change! She got one row of tape in’s for me (which is 10 strands of hair) and dyed them to match the color of my hair, I don’t think that is always necessary tho! While she was coloring my hair we also did the consult for the tape in extensions, she sometimes has the colors that work but most of the time she has to go get them so I ended up going back a few days later to get them back in. It was SO fast and easy, which was amazing! After she put them in she trimmed my hair and the extensions together so they would flow seamlessly! I was not able to get them wet for 48 hours so the adhesive has time to dry properly then after that you are good to go! 

Upkeep:

What I love about these tape-in extensions is that you don’t even really know they are there! I use a wet brush and it doesn’t interfere with the taped in part, I try not to tug at them too hard when brushing but other than that I don’t have to do anything differently which is amazing! I curl my hair the same way, I can put my hair up or french braid it so there is not much difference! I also love that they are affordable and you can continue to use them over and over! When they are grown out or start to grow out I can remove them on my own and bring them to my next appointment to get put back in, I really like that because my appointments don’t have to be dictated by the extensions. I can keep them out until I am ready to go back in for my appointment or if I want to take a break I just hold on to them until I want them back in! To get them out I just bought 99% alcohol and a spray bottle on Amazon and sprayed it onto the adhesive of the extension and they come right out! 

Without extensions when I noticed my hair was thinning out:

With the extentions:

Without the extensions after having them for a few months:

I took my extensions out recently because they needed to be moved up and I was very pleasently surprised at my hair. I could tell the thickness was coming back, my hair has been growing like crazy which I was happy about. It feels like things are going back to normal! So, when I went in to get them moved up I ended up chopping it and leaving the extensions out! If I put them back in with the short hair I would have had to cut the extensions short and I didnt want to do that. So, I am embracing my natural hair for now and I might put them back in once it grows out a bit to add in that fullness again, but we will see!

Overall, I think they are a really great option for anyone who is looking to add some volume to your hair (they are not recommended for length) without having to commit too much financially or timewise! They look great mixed with natural hair and the upkeep is mininal. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below, happy to share more!

xo,