My Complete Tape-In Extension Care Routine

My real routine is simpler than people expect: wash about once a week with a bond-safe shampoo and conditioner, follow with a leave-in, protect with a heat protectant before any hot tool, brush thoroughly end-to-root with a wet brush, and finish with a lightweight oil on the ends. That's genuinely most of it — extensions are a lot less daily work than clients assume.

A quick note: several of the product links below are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission if you shop through them — at no extra cost to you. I only point you to what I actually use on my own extensions and recommend to clients.

My weekly wash-day routine, start to finish

I wash my own tape-ins about once a week. Here's exactly what that looks like: I shampoo and condition with Olaplex No. 4 and No. 5, then spray in a heat protectant and detangler before I touch anything with brush or heat. I brush all the way through from ends to roots with a wet brush — thoroughly, so nothing gets left tangled near the scalp — then follow up with a little oil through the ends. If I'm going straight to bed, I dry it and put it in a loose braid. If I'm just going about my day, I let it air-dry as much as possible and brush through periodically to keep tangles from forming.

What I do every single day (not just wash day)

Daily, I consistently brush through my hair to keep tangles from ever forming — that's the habit that matters most. If I'm putting any heat on my hair on a non-wash day, I always spray in a heat protectant first, and I keep every hot tool at 350°F or below. Then I run a couple of squeezes of a lightweight hair oil through the ends.

Bare minimum vs. "these will last forever" care

The bare minimum is a heat protectant and a hair oil — that alone will keep you out of trouble. But if you want your extensions to genuinely last as long as possible, add in the Olaplex shampoo and conditioner system, a professional-grade heat protectant, and a weekly or biweekly hair mask. It's not complicated, it's just a couple more steps layered on top of the basics.

Masking without touching the bonds

I recommend a mask at least every other week — more often if you're washing frequently or using a lot of heat. The key is where it goes: focus it on the mid-shafts to ends only, and let it sit about 15 minutes. You have to avoid getting it anywhere near the tape or the bond — if the mask reaches the bond, it will cause the tape to break down and the hair to slip out.

The biggest mistake that undoes everything else

Forgetting to reapply heat protectant. People remember it on wash day, but the mistake happens when you're restyling already-dry hair — re-straightening, touching up curls, anything with a hot tool — without spraying in protectant first. If a heat protectant hasn't touched your hair that day, spray some in before you pick up a hot tool. And keep an eye on the actual temperature setting, not just whether you used protectant at all.

If you can only do 3 things, do these

• Brush end to root, every time — don't neglect the root area, where mats commonly form.
• Use a good shampoo and conditioner — Olaplex No. 4 and No. 5 is what I recommend.
• Never skip heat protectant — K18 or Amika The Wizard, applied before any heat touches the hair.

The thing most people never expect

I wash my own hair once a week, and clients are always surprised — they assume extensions mean more work, when in my experience it's actually less. The only hair I ever really have to touch up day-to-day is the top layer, where the extensions aren't attached. Using the right products, leaning on dry shampoo, and styling in a few different ways all help you stretch the time between washes — even with more hair than you started with.

In the Livonia area and thinking about tape-in extensions, or due for a move-up? Find me here or book an appointment.