Without a doubt, tape-in extensions are the modern-day love of the majority of women. Because of its many compliments, even prominent celebrities are smitten with this trendy hairdo.
Every accolade narrows down to the ability of these extensions to imbue length, volume, and healthy hair. On top of that, they’re widely available at pocket-friendly prices.
Cutting across different manufacturers, tape-in extensions cost from $200-$500 on average. The reason they’re considered the least expensive easy-to-install semi-permanent hair extensions.
This post will explain the elements that make tape-ins lie within that tape-ins price range.
Stay put and read along.
7 Factors influencing the Cost of Tape-in Extensions
Being that tape-in extensions could be your current interest, you may want to fathom what affects the prices. How much you part with could go beyond the average price range because of the factors stated below. Prices vary a lot.
1. Type of Hair
If you wear extensions often, you understand that extensions are human hair or synthetic. Similarly, tape-in extensions exist in those two material types. As for the human hair material, you’ll find pure virgin human hair or Remy hair from different donors worldwide.
The human hair could be Malaysian, Brazilian, or Peruvian, depending on the donor’s race and country of residence. Coming to synthetic hair, tolerance to heat determines the level of quality. These distinct differences in material quality and sources lead to variations in the market prices.
Of all the materials, human hair is the best quality and tends to be the most expensive. In the case of a single brand producing tape-ins of all these materials, the virgin hair prices are usually the highest. Synthetic hair is cheaper and more obtainable.
2. Hair Volume
How much volume you want for your natural hair greatly dictates your expenditure. The more packs of hair needed, the more money you will spend. And that takes us to how thick your hair is to determine the number of packs you’ll need to buy.
Every pack comes with a certain number of weft pieces, varying from brand to brand. Fine hair consumes 40-60 pieces, medium hair 50-70, and thick hair 60-80 pieces. Generally, 2-3 packs of hair could suffice for a full head with the standard 50g pack of 20 pieces.
| Hair Type | Number of Pieces Needed |
|---|---|
| Fine Hair | 40-60 pieces |
| Medium Hair | 50-70 pieces |
| Thick Hair | 60-80 pieces |
Please let me know if this is what you were looking for, or if you have any further
Remember, these pieces are individual wefts of tape-ins attached in twos to sandwich the hair. So, for instance, 40 pieces create 20 sandwiches in your hair. Knowing this beforehand will help you evaluate your spending, too.
3. Hair Length
Like hair volume, the more length added to your hair, the greater the value of the investment in your hair. Whenever you look forward to wearing longer tape-in extensions, factor in the cost increase. For example, the price of 16-inch tape-ins is higher than 12-inch extensions.
A 20-piece pack of 12 inches of tape-in extensions goes for $20-$40. On the other hand, 16 inches of the same pack gets sold at $40-$60.
Moreover, if your real hair is long, then you’ll have to invest in long tape-in extensions. If the hair is short, you’ll consider long to medium tape-in hair. Definitely, people with long hair needing tape-ins will spend more money than others to achieve the most natural seamless look.
4. Hair Color
This may sound ridiculous, but your chosen color will tell you whether you’ll save up some coins. Tape-ins come in a wide array of colors for flexibility of selection among users.
Natural colors include green, purple, red, yellow, black, and brown. Apart from these shades, we have unique ombre and balayage shades and combinations of two or more natural colors. If the color is more sophisticated, the tape-ins will cost you a bomb.
Similarly, if the tape-in extensions are dyed or bleached further, that would be extra costs for you. As said earlier, more style and sophistication make you part with more cash.
5. Location of the Salon
Installing tape-in extensions in high-end posh areas costs more than in smaller urban centers. Likewise, salons located in malls are equally more expensive than street salons. The services will be costlier because the salon’s geographical location impacts the pricing.
Several minor factors contribute to the variation. The prices become exorbitant in relation to renting and the expenditures for the salon to run effectively. Go where the charges are affordable as long as the services are professional.
Sometimes, the costs may be cheaper at a next-door salon than a salon miles away. But the level of skill is wanting. Traveling the long distance is inevitable for the sake of your hair safety unless you mind not running the risk of hair damage.
Most salons charge between $100-200 based on the salon location and the stylist’s level of experience. The charges may be lower or higher; that is just an estimate.
6. Re-application Fees
From the perspective of long-term use, tape-in costs seem economical. Tape-in extensions are reusable twice or three more times before you decide to discard them. In the second or third round of use, you will only think of re-application fees.
The re-application is every 6-8 weeks when the need to engage a trained stylist for re-installation arises. That’s when the tape-ins will have moved down due to natural hair growth. And because of hair shedding, you’ll need to remove the tape-ins and revamp them.
The fee lies around $50-150, mostly cheaper than the first installation of new tape-ins. The lower costs are more manageable on the wearer’s side.
7. Removal Fees
The removal charges for tape-in extensions are similar to re-application charges. When an extension professional does the removal for you, you will spend anywhere from $50 to $150. Saving these costs, you may trust your gut to remove them by yourself.
The removal process is much less delicate than installation. However, if you’re not confident with your ability, let the stylist remove them to minimize chances of hair damage. Having the charges in mind helps you plan the finances you require for your tape-ins till the last day of wear.
Conclusion
With this knowledge of the cost of tape-in extensions, you’re only left with buying them. Actualize your wishlist and don the tape-in extensions for a change of look.For prior information on how you’ll take care of them, read our tape-in extensions care guide.
