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How To Safely Remove Tape Hair Extensions?
When it comes to hair extensions, we would typically only ever advise you have these removed by a professional, however during lockdown, the time may come where you need to remove your hair extensions to prevent any damage occurring to your natural hair. Therefore we have outlined our top tips on how you can safely remove your own tape hair extensions at home.
Top tip: If you are living with someone willing to assist you in the removal of your hair extensions, this will be significantly better for your hair, as once you get to the back of your head, you will not be able to easily see what you are doing.
You will need to ensure that you have all of the equipment you need to safely remove your hair extensions, without causing damage to your natural hair:
Pin Tail Comb
Removal Solution
Hairbrush
Sectioning Clips
Firstly, section off the top of your natural hair that does not contain hair extensions, and use a sectioning clip to secure that out of the way.
Starting from either side, you will need to focus on one tape section at a time, working your way around the head. It is vital to mention here that you will require patience to remove your hair extensions without damage, so please take your time and don’t rush.
Take your first hair extension, and spray the tape generously with a removal solution.
Take your pin tail comb, and slowly wiggle it inside the tape, between the two strips that are sandwiched together. It is usually easiest to go in at the middle of the sandwich.
Once the tail of the bomb is inside, give it a gentle wiggle to create an opening between the two tape pieces.
Spray more removal solution inside the opening you have just made, and this should begin to loosen the hair extension.
Repeat this process slowly along the width of the hair extension tape until the hair extension comes free.
Be sure to slowly pull the hair extension away from the hair once it is open, in case you find that there is some resistance and a little more removal solution is required.
Once the hair extension is free, use your comb to gently comb through the hair that was inside the hair extension. This may be quite knotty, so you will need to do this slowly. If you are having trouble detangling it, apply a small amount of oil or conditioning treatment to help it along.
Ensure the hair extension is fully removed and brushed through before moving onto the next hair extension.
You will find that some of your natural hair comes away when brushing through your hair once the hair extension has been removed, and this is completely normal. This hair is hair that has shredded away naturally during the time you have been wearing your hair extensions, and you can read more about shedding hair here.
These are the key points to follow to ensure the safe removal of your hair extensions; however, as mentioned above the removal process is intended for professionals, and requires a great deal of patience. That being said, if your hair extensions are due to be removed, you must be taking care of your natural hair, so you will need to weigh up if your hair extensions can be left in a little longer in the hopes that lockdown will be lifted soon, or if it is going to be better for your natural hair to remove your hair extensions at home by following the advice above.
We would highly recommend a video call with your hair extension technician so they can suggest when your hair extensions can come out, and to answer any additional questions you may have on the process.
Once your hair extensions have been removed, you can take some additional steps to look after your natural hair. So that when you can get your hair extensions fitted again, your hair is in as healthy a condition as possible.
Check out our top tips on caring for your natural hair once your hair extensions are removed here.
If you have already consulted with your hair extension technician and he/she has advised you to try to keep your hair extensions in until lockdown is lifted, then check out our top tips on lockdown haircare, where we run through some simple things you could be doing at home to help your hair extensions to last longer.
