A tape-in install runs bottom to top in rows, with each row hiding the one below it. Section, check the thickness, place the lower tab, close the sandwich, press across the full tab, then move along the row. Order matters as much as position.
Placement rules tell you where tabs can go. They don't tell you the order to work in, and the order is what keeps an install from becoming an argument with gravity.
This is the sequence, and the honest account of where the time goes.
Before the first tab
- Clean, dry hair with no conditioner or oil anywhere near the roots. A freshly conditioned head is a bad start.
- Wefts laid out in the order they will go in, longest and heaviest at the bottom.
- Sectioning clips, a rattail comb and the application tool within reach.
- Tabs still in their liners. Peel at the moment of use, not in a batch.
The sequence
- Clip everything up, leave the nape row downWork with one row visible. If two are down, one of them is getting in the way.
- Take the section and check itLight through it. This check happens every single section, not once at the start.
- Place the lower tabAdhesive face up, sitting under the section, in from the perimeter.
- Close the sandwichSecond weft directly over the same section, faces aligned. Misaligned faces leave an exposed sticky edge.
- Press across the full tabNot a thumb in the middle. Full area, firm, with the tool. This is the step that makes the bond.
- Move along the row, then drop the nextFinish a row completely before releasing the row above it.
The step people rush is the pressing. A pressure-sensitive adhesive makes its bond under pressure, so a light press is a fraction of the bond you paid for. It is also invisible at the time and only shows up as a tab slipping in week two.
In the chair, and at home
In the chair
Two hands free, direct sight of every row, and a client who can be asked to tip their head. A full head is a comfortable appointment rather than a long one, and the time goes on sectioning rather than on sticking.
At home
The nape is the problem. It is where most of the tabs go and it's the part you can't see. Two mirrors or a propped phone, and a realistic expectation that the back row will be your worst work. Many people install the sides and back with help and do the rest alone.
If you're doing this alone for the first time, do fewer wefts than you want. A light first install that behaves is worth more than a full one that has to come out in three weeks.
Where the time goes
| Stage | Share of the appointment |
|---|---|
| Consultation and colour matching | Real time, and the part that decides the result |
| Sectioning | Most of the hands-on time |
| Placing and pressing tabs | Less than people expect |
| Blending and cutting in | Necessary. An uncut install reads as extensions |
What this guide is not
It is not a substitute for training. Sectioning, colour matching and cutting in are the three things that make an install look like hair rather than like extensions, and none of them is learned from a page.
It does not cover colour matching at all, because Hair is not something we sell and would be guessing.
The Complete System includes a step-by-step digital guide sent by email after the order. This page is the shape of it rather than a replacement for it.
What we sell for this
Close to this question
- Proper tape-in extension placement. Diagnostic: the four placement errors that cause damage, traced from symptom back to cause.
- Tape-in extension placement. Defines the safe zone and its four boundaries, and explains the consequence of crossing each one.
- Tape-in extension tools. Tool-by-tool breakdown, arguing that pressure application is the one tape-specific tool.
- DIY tape-in extensions. Rates each stage of the cycle for at-home difficulty, recommending which to take on and which to book.
Questions we get asked
What order do tape-in extensions go in?
Bottom to top, row by row, starting at the nape so each row hides the one below it. Finish a row before releasing the next.
How long does an install take?
A comfortable appointment rather than a quick one, with most of the hands-on time going into sectioning rather than into placing tabs.
Can I install tape-ins on myself?
The sides and front, with mirrors, often. The nape is actually hard alone and it is where most of the tabs go. Fewer wefts on a first attempt is good advice.
How hard should I press the tab?
Firmly, across the full area, with the tool rather than a thumb. Pressure is what forms the bond, and under-pressing is invisible until a tab slips.