Tape-In Extensions Aftercare & Maintenance: A Stylist's Guide

Tape-ins are easy to live with once you've got the routine sorted, and the routine mostly comes down to being kind to the bonds and keeping your move-ups booked. Nearly every problem we see in the chair traces back to one of two things: oil sitting on the tabs, or someone pulling them out at home. Look after them properly and the same hair carries you through months of wear. Here's exactly how we tell our clients to care for their tape-in hair extensions in Wānaka.

The first 48 hours

The adhesive needs time to cure, so give it space. Don't wash your hair for the first two days, don't tie it up tightly, and keep it dry. That means no gym sweat, no swimming, and no leaning the bonds into a steamy shower. Two days of patience here sets the bonds up for the whole wear, so it's worth it.

Washing without loosening the bonds

Switch to a sulphate-free shampoo and wash around twice a week rather than daily, because over-washing is hard on both your hair and the adhesive. Shampoo the scalp, then keep conditioner, masks and oils to the mid-lengths and ends only. This is the big one: anything oily on the tabs will slowly dissolve the adhesive and slide the bonds out early. Rinse everything through well so nothing is left sitting at the roots.

Drying, sleeping and brushing

Always dry the roots and bonds properly, and never go to bed on wet hair, as damp bonds slip and matt. At night, a loose braid or a low, loose pony keeps everything from tangling, and a silk or satin pillowcase makes a real difference to friction. For brushing, use a loop brush or a soft-bristle extension brush, work from the ends up, and hold the root with your other hand to take the tension off the bonds. A quick brush morning and night stops matting where the tabs sit.

Heat, swimming and our dry climate

Keep hot tools away from the tabs, because heat at the bond weakens the adhesive, and always heat-protect the lengths before you style. If you're swimming, tie your hair up and rinse it straight after the pool or the lake. The odd protected swim is fine, but frequent chlorine and salt shortens the life of both your natural hair and the adhesive, and sweat over time can loosen bonds too. Central Otago is dry, so our hair tends to want a little extra moisture on the ends. Just keep it off the tabs.

Move-ups every 6–8 weeks

As your own hair grows, the bonds sit further down the lengths, so we bring you back every six to eight weeks for a move-up. We take the tapes out, clean and re-tape them, and reposition them back up at the root. The hair itself gets re-used move-up after move-up. It's only the tab that's replaced each time. Keeping this appointment in the diary is what protects your natural hair, so we always book the next one before you leave. If you want a sense of the bigger picture, we've written about how long they last.

Removal is always a salon job

This is the one we feel strongly about. Taking tape-ins out is a salon job, every time. We use a solvent that dissolves the bond cleanly, so it's painless and you don't lose any of your own hair. Peeling or ripping them out at home is the single biggest cause of damage we see, and it's completely avoidable. If you're ever wondering about the wear-and-tear side of things, we've answered do they damage your hair honestly.

Booking your care in

We stock the right sulphate-free shampoo, a heat protectant and a loop brush in-salon, so you can take the whole routine home with you. To see your options, have a look at our hair extensions page, then book your move-up online, or call us on 03 443 1040 and we'll get you sorted.

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