Monday, September 30, 2013

Tape In Hair Extensions

I confessed months ago to taking the plunge and putting in extensions, full blown extensions, to have long hair.  I had been growing it out, and while I loved my shoulder length bob (some days I still miss it) I really wanted to try long, flowing hair.

Well, my hairdresser talked me into trying TAPE IN EXTENSIONS
How is this even possible? I wasn't sure I believed it until one of the other hairdressers showed me hers.
All smooth (no bumps from the weft) she can wear hats with ease, and best of all-
no tight scalp or pulling head after you get your extensions moved up.

I tried it- and first, let me show a shot of my hair 



















I am sort of loving my hair- 
so here is a list of pros and cons (compared to having a weft sewn in) 
after having them long enough to get them moved up.

PROS
*You forget they are in- literally. They feel so natural, you can lay anyway, wear any hat, lean back anytime.
Not so with a couple of wefts of hair across your head.

*Hair style time is much quicker.  There is not  one thick mass of hair, so it doesn't take as long to dry.

*It is much quicker to get them put in- and much less painful.  

*No discomfort time waiting for them to 'loosen' and grow out a day or two, these feel great the minute they are put in

*I feel they look more natural when styled

They look like this (you kind of have to look close)






















Can you see the strip of hair inserted (about an inch and a half or so) at my temple?
(please ignore gray roots that are also a bit frizzy)

I have about 10-12 of these all around my head, so the extensions sit more like clip ins, if you have ever used those.

CONS
*They are small and you do forget where they are- which means if you're not careful you could snag them, so be vigilant about using the right brush!

*They take a little longer to remove from the hair for the process of being moved up, and come out sticky.  Since I sort of help my hairdresser my hands get sticky as I peel off the old adhesive and apply a new bit of tape.

*You may have to "tuck" them in when you pull your hair up- just make sure they are covered by your own hair and not showing

*They can be more expensive. I use the BABE brand, and they are considerably more than my other extensions, but the hair is LOVELY and so soft. I really love it

That's about it for the cons- not a lot of bad to say.  I notice my hair grow out faster, but they are so soft and comfortable, I honestly forget I have extensions in at all.


Anyway, my last post generated a lot of traffic, and I have received a ton of emails with questions about my hair (why is it nobody wants to talk about their hair extensions???) so I wanted to post an update, and maybe if you were one of the people afraid of having a big piece sewn in, you might like this new alternative.

Not to mention- it is fall (yay!) so bring on the beanies! <3 br="" nbsp="">
***UPDATE INSERTED**
I have received a lot of emails and questions about if these pulled my hair out. I never had a problem with that.  My hairdresser used an adhesive release that made most of the tape pieces work out. Some took a little effort, but my hair did not break and it always felt fine.  After 18 months I have gone back to my natural hair, mostly for simplicity and time.  You can see in this post how it looks after that year and half, of which I pulled out my extensions to move them up every 5 weeks. It did not damage my hair at all, in fact, I felt like my hair grew better because of the strength and volume the extensions added.


For the record- I bought these jeans after reading a blog post on avoiding 'mom jeans'- and I kid you not, I followed her tips and found a pair that passed all her criteria, at SHOPKO, no less.

These jeans are magic. I wear them anywhere I know a camera will be (i.e.25 year class reunion).  They are the most flattering things in photos....so do your own research and figure out what jeans will be best on your body type.
Grab a beanie and zip up your boots...and enjoy the fall.