Replacement tape is what goes back on an existing weft at the move-up. The wefts are reusable, the adhesive is not, so every six to eight weeks the old tabs come off and fresh ones go on. A 60-tab pack re-tabs 30 sandwiches.
The economics of tape-ins only make sense once you see which part is the asset and which part is the consumable. The hair is the expensive, reusable part. The adhesive is the cheap part you replace every cycle.
Most of the frustration in this category comes from people who bought hair expecting it to be a one-time purchase and were never told about the tabs.
What happens at a move-up
- RemoveSolvent on both faces of each sandwich, rattail between the tabs, weft slides away.
- Check the strandClean and dry means the next step happens now. Oily means a clarifying wash first.
- Clean the weftOld adhesive off the weft track so the new tab has a flat surface to bond to.
- Re-tabFresh tabs onto the cleaned weft. This is where the replacement pack goes.
- ReinstallNew sections, higher up the head, because the old sections have grown out.
Steps one and two are why an oil-free remover matters. If the strand needs washing, the whole sequence stops for a wash and a dry in the middle of an appointment booked for a move-up. The full method, step by step: re-taping without a wash.
How many packs a year
| Working figure | |
|---|---|
| Move-up interval | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Move-ups a year | Roughly 7 to 8 |
| Sandwiches on a typical head | 30 to 60 |
| Packs per move-up | 1 to 2 |
| Packs a year | Roughly 7 to 16, depending on density |
Density is the variable that moves this the most. A fine-haired head sits at the bottom of every range here.
That is the number worth knowing before starting with tape-ins, and it's rarely quoted up front. At $45 a pack it's a real recurring cost, and someone deciding between methods deserves to see it rather than discover it in week seven.
When the weft itself is finished
- The track has thinned noticeably, so the weft no longer sits flat against a new tab.
- The hair has lost its integrity at the ends beyond what a trim fixes.
- Adhesive residue has built up at the track over several cycles and won't clean off flat.
- The colour has drifted far enough from the natural hair that it reads as a separate piece.
We sell no hair, so we've nothing to gain from telling you a weft is done. Good hair, well looked after, goes through several cycles. Adhesive is the part that never does. Check the base before you buy tabs: here is how to tell a weft is finished.
The recurring cost, stated plainly
Tape-ins are not a one-time purchase and anyone selling them as one is leaving out the tabs. Budget for seven to sixteen packs a year depending on density.
The figures on this page are working numbers from one salon, not an industry survey. Your interval and your density will move them.
Cheaper generic tabs exist and they will be cheaper. What you trade is the matched release at the next removal, which is a cost that shows up eight weeks later rather than at checkout.
What we sell for this
Close to this question
- Tape-in extension refill. Works out reorder intervals for each consumable so someone can plan rather than run out mid-appointment.
- Hair extension move-up cost. Breaks down the recurring move-up appointment by time, and what shortens or lengthens it.
- Tape for extensions. The head-term explainer: how tab packs are counted and specified, and why hold and release are a single decision.
- Double-sided tape for tape-in extensions. Compares roll tape against pre-cut tabs on consistency and station time rather than unit price.
- Tape tabs, three-cycle pack. Converts cycle-count buying into pack counts and explains why a fixed cycle pack cannot exist.
Questions we get asked
Can I reuse the old tape?
No. A pressure-sensitive adhesive bonds once. The weft is reusable, the tab isn't.
How often do tape-ins need re-taping?
Every six to eight weeks, which is the normal move-up interval. That is grow-out driving the schedule as much as adhesion.
How many packs will I need each time?
One to two packs of 60 tabs, so 30 to 60 sandwiches, depending on density and how much length is in.
Do I need to clean the weft before re-tabbing?
Yes. Old adhesive on the track stops a new tab sitting flat, and a tab that's not flat is a bond that fails early.