All Your Tape Extension Questions Answered: Replacement, Single-Sided, and Express

Babe Tape-In specialists know that each style of Babe our Tape-In tapes are designed specifically for one job and are not always interchangeable. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Babe’s Tape-In method and its corresponding tools, we offer three varieties of products that assist in Tape-In installation and reinstallation: Single-Sided Tape, Replacement Tape, and Express Tape. It’s important to stock up on all of these products for complete Tape-In preparation and customization, as one alone simply will not cut it. 

What’s What & How To Use Them

Single-Sided Tape is used for custom Tape-In installation, serving as a replacement for one of the two Tape-In wefts used in an ordinary installation. It’s a one-sided tape strip perfectly aligned in shape and size to our Tape-In weft, and is applied to the reverse side of a hair section to seal the Tape-In bond. Ideally, Single-Sided tape is used during installations on finer-haired clients (video here). Single-Sided Tape allows for a lighter-than-normal Tape-In application with less weight on the client’s natural hair since only one Tape-In weft is being used per hair section (instead of two).

Replacement Tape is used for Tape-In reinstallation. It’s a double-sided tape strip that is also perfectly aligned in shape and size to our Tape-In weft. Replacement Tape is used to replace the old adhesive on used Tape-In extensions. After the extensions are removed from the hair, the old adhesive is removed, and the Tape-In weft is cleaned and dried. The Replacement Tape strip can then be applied to allow for reuse of the same hair extensions.

Express Tape is used for installation and reinstallation.  This type of double-sided tape is an alternative to using the original tape on the weft in addition to Replacement Tape. It has an enhanced formula for less residue on your customer’s hair which makes it a great option when you're pressed for time.  For example, with less sticky residue, there’s no need to clarify the client’s hair, cutting your installment time in half. Even better, it still has the same grip that regular Replacement Tape has - it’ll last 4-6 weeks before a move up is needed.  To use it, simply remove the tape from the regular weft before installation/reinstallation, align the Express Tape with the edges, and adhere to the Tape-In weft for maximum grip and ease.

All three types of tape are hypoallergenic, use surgical grade adhesive, and are skin safe giving you peace of mind to use them on even your most sensitive clients.

Things To Consider:

Even though Replacement Tape and Express Tape are interchangeable, you should never substitute these for Single-Sided Tape.  For example, if you were to try to use Single-Sided Tape instead of Replacement Tape/Express Tape during the reinstallation process, your Tape-In weft would not stick to the client’s hair. You might try to roll the Single-Sided Tape into a loop, as one does with scotch tape to use it as double-sided tape, but the resulting bond would be insecure, bulky, and would likely cause matting and damage to the client’s hair. 

Glueing two Single-Sided Tape strips together to form double-sided tape is also a bad idea. Beyond compromising the effectiveness of the existing adhesive and risking matting from excess glue, the two Single-Sided Tape strips would not stay together, as generic glue is insufficient to bind the plastic backings together.

Alternatively, if you were to try to use Replacement Tape/Express Tape instead of Single-Sided tape in the Tape-In installation process, you would cause unwanted matting in the client’s hair. Even if you were to seal one side of the Replacement Tape/Express Tape with ordinary tape to limit the excess stickiness, the material would not stand up to the client’s maintenance regimen, as other varieties of tapes and plastics are not designed to be washed, blow dried, or styled. Deterioration and hair damage would be inevitable.

The Takeaway

All in all, you can’t interchange Single-Sided Tape and Replacement Tape/Express Tape. Doing so would be ineffective, tedious, potentially damaging, and really wasteful—especially when you can easily purchase both for a modest price. On the flip side, you can definitely swap Express Tape and Replacement Tape since they essentially have the same purpose.

The best choice would be to have all three options on hand to serve you in the most crucial client situation.

Have comments, questions, or suggestions? Leave them in the space below, and we’ll get back to you ASAP!  Remember to share your Babe pictures and stories on any of our social media pages.  

Thanks, Babes!