A starter kit should cover the whole cycle, not just the install, because the removal in eight weeks is the part beginners are least prepared for. What it can't include is the hair or the skill, and the second of those is the real barrier.
Starter kits in this category tend to be sold against the install and silent about the eight weeks afterwards, which is the wrong way round. The install is the exciting part and the removal is the part that goes wrong.
A first kit should be built for the whole cycle.
What a first kit needs to cover
| Stage | What it needs | In our system |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Tabs, and a way to press them properly | 60 tabs and the application tool |
| Wear | Aftercare knowledge rather than product | The digital guide, plus the aftercare guide on this site |
| Removal | A matched solvent | The Clean Remover, 4.0 oz |
| Re-tab | Fresh tabs | The same 60 tabs, if you have not used them all |
| The hair | Wefts | Not us. Hair is not something we sell |
The last row is the one to plan around. We make a system for attaching, holding and removing hair, and the hair itself comes from somewhere else. Anyone selling you a starter kit that includes wefts is in a different business from ours, and that is fine, it's just a different purchase. Before you buy either, work out how many tape-ins you need.
What has to be bought separately
- The wefts, matched to your colour. This is the largest cost and the hardest judgement.
- Sectioning clips, and a rattail comb if you do not have one.
- A second mirror, or a phone stand, if you're working on yourself.
- More tabs, if your density needs more than 30 sandwiches.
What no kit can give you
Colour matching, sectioning and cutting in. Those three decide whether an install looks like hair or looks like extensions, and none of them is in a box. The first is judgement, the second is practice, and the third is cutting.
This is the honest reason many first installs disappoint. The kit worked, the bonds held, and the result still reads as extensions because nothing was blended. Knowing that in advance is worth more than any product in the box.
A realistic first attempt
- Fewer wefts than you wantA light install that behaves beats a full one that comes out in three weeks.
- Sides and front yourself, nape with helpThe nape is where most tabs go and the part you can't see.
- Book a blendEven a self-install benefits from someone cutting it in afterwards.
- Plan the removal before you installKnow what you're doing in eight weeks. That is the appointment beginners are least ready for.
What we would tell a first-timer
Watch a full install and a full removal before doing either. The order things happen in is most of the skill.
If the budget stretches to one professional appointment, spend it on the first install and learn the removal yourself. That is the stage with the least skill and the most time.
And we sell four products, not training. The digital guide that comes with the Complete System is a quick-start written by a stylist, not a course.
What we sell for this
Close to this question
- Tape-in extension removal kit. Argues why a removal kit must include tabs, because a move-up is a removal plus a reinstall.
- DIY tape-in extensions. Rates each stage of the cycle for at-home difficulty, recommending which to take on and which to book.
- Tape-in extension tools. Tool-by-tool breakdown, arguing that pressure application is the one tape-specific tool.
- Tape-in extensions at home. Covers living with an install day to day, rather than installing or removing one.
Questions we get asked
What comes in a tape-in starter kit?
Ours is the Complete System: 60 tabs, the remover, an application tool and a step-by-step digital guide by email. No hair, because We don't sell hair.
Can a beginner install tape-ins?
The sides and front, often, with mirrors and patience. The nape is hard alone, and colour matching and blending are separate skills.
How much hair do I need to buy?
That depends on density and how much length you want, and it's a consultation question. We do not sell hair so we would be guessing.
What should I do before my first install?
Watch one done, plan fewer wefts than you want, and know what you're doing about the removal in eight weeks before you start.