I wear tape extensions and love long hair. I find women with well-groomed long hair super attractive and feminine. However, not every woman has naturally perfect long hair and that’s when hair extensions can help. Sometimes your own hair is just too short and takes months or years to get the length you want. Sometimes, however, the hair is simply too thin from the mass that it looks really beautiful in the overall picture. 

There are many different types of extensions, of which I have already tried three different variants over a longer period of time. I used to have clip-in extensions and braces, then bondings and most recently tape extensions.

Since I always get questions about what I can recommend and how it feels, you get my personal assessment of the different variants.

Bondings as hair extensions and hair thickening

With bondings, individual thin strands are welded into the hair, so to speak. You wrap a thin strand of hair with the additional hair. The connection points, the bondings are heated with a special device and permanently worked into the hair.

The bondings are broken after about 3-6 months with a pair of pliers and so only removed from the hair. The hairs sit extremely firmly in the hair and are the first days even after the insertion almost a little uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

Especially when sleeping you feel the hard bondings as disturbing, but you get used to it after one or two nights and after the feeling. In general, you can hide the bondings very well under your own top hair and style all hairstyles with it. Perfect also for braid wearers and for sports.

Every now and then you have to go to the cleansing cut or even equalize the bondings a little bit. Due to the fact that you naturally lose your own hair and then they can not fall down, the hairs remain in the bondings.

Due to the dead hair roots, small nodules and tangles can form. Therefore, you should always remove the hair roots or have them removed. Bondings are a perfect solution, especially if you also want to work with shades and want many small strands. For me still a very good solution.

Tape extensions as hair extensions and hair thickening

With tape extensions, about 3 cm wide flat strands of hair are glued into the hair. You take a wide strand of your own hair and glue a wide strip of hair, the tape extensions, underneath and over it. You immediately get a really nice hair picture, because it looks extremely even. The tape extensions are loosened after 3-5 months by using an extreme amount of oil to loosen the glue.

After inserting the tape extensions you have no annoying feeling on your head and no pressure points. You can enjoy your new hair immediately and you can style it as usual. Depending on the type of insertion, you can also wear a braid with tape extensions.

One has clearly less knots by own hair roots and has even the feeling that the own loose hair of the Tapes easily loosens. The tapes also grow out normally, as with normal bondings and always hang lower. Depending on the thickness of your own top hair, the tapes remain hidden even when growing out.

For a perfect hair picture when leaving the hairdresser and for an event immediately on the same evening, absolutely recommended. It is almost impossible to get more uniform than with tape extensions. My first impression was still wow!

Clip-In Extensions as short term hair extensions for long hair

You have to imagine the clip-in extensions similar to small hair clips. You get them as single strands of hair or even several clips connected together. Practical if you only want to have long hair on weekends and do not want to wear extensions permanently.

A big disadvantage with this version is that you should adjust the strands to your own hair from the length after each insertion, so that individual strands are not longer or shorter than the rest of the hair.

Also, you get the strands in different quality and often not from human hair. I personally found the clasps on the head uncomfortable and oppressive. The more barrettes are connected to each other, the more difficult it is to use them without noticeable spots.

With barrettes with a hair extension, it is often difficult to find your own shade and create a long hold for hours. However, the look can often be seen and is quite easy to use. At least if you like to wear a braid, you can add clips to it for an evening out.

However, with this type of hair extension, the extensions very often quickly stand out and then do not look high quality.

Comparison – what is better bondings or tape extensions?

I think here everyone has their own preference and each variant has its advantages and disadvantages. The hair looks beautiful and long with both tape extensions and bondings. Depending on the amount used, the result is a great and full hair look.

I personally get along very well with both hair extensions and can’t imagine my life without extensions.

I like the flat and wide tapes, but also the thin strands with the bondings. The tapes feel much softer on the head, the bondings harder and firmer.

I can still imagine both variants and have a minimal tendency (49.99 to 50.01) to go back to bondings next time, because I wear a braid quite often in everyday life and feel that it was a little more inconspicuous with my head shape with the bondings (quite personal assessment).

If the price decides, tape extensions are often a little cheaper than bondings. However, everything depends on the quality and number, as well as length of the strands.

I have seen different prices from under 400 EUR to over 1000 EUR. For me, long hair is part of the lifestyle and who likes it elegant or glamorous, should definitely give it a try.

Hair extensions from Melina Best hairdresser in Cologne

I have had my last bondings and also tapes inserted at Melina Best Friseur in Cologne and was super satisfied with the respective result.

Melina is and remains simply THE specialist for beautiful long hair. The trend hairdresser in Cologne is also known for perfect and natural balayage strands.

Melina Best hairdresser in Cologne, NRW hair extensions, hair thickening, extensions, Balayage

Pantaleonswall 65, 50676 Cologne, stop Barbarossaplatz

Opening hours: Tue. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Phone: +49 221-93284950

Web: melinabest.de
Price for Tape Extensions (125gr. – 45cm length): EUR 495,00

I am already looking forward to my next visit to the dear Melina and her team and I am still happy about my beautiful and long hair, for which I always get compliments.

Even though balayage is not necessary with me and my dark hair, I am always thrilled when I see the results of Melina’s other customers.

It speaks for itself when all the Instagram influencers and TV series stars, as well as footballer wives, go to Melina Best again and again for a haircut and the results always look perfect.

But best make your own impression on the Instagram account of Melina Best hairdresser.

I was looking for a long time for a hairdresser who does not always just want to cut shorter, but rather conjures up beautiful long hair.

With Melina I have found just that and go to the hairdresser without that slack feeling. I know that the result always looks even more beautiful than I imagined before.

You can see and notice immediately that Melina also loves to have long hair herself and is just a really lovely person overall. So it’s no wonder that she got a great regular clientele in a short time.

I would also travel from Berlin and Munich to get an appointment with Melina Best and travel back with beautiful hair.

Therefore my absolute recommendation and Melina does hair extensions with bondings as well as with tapes. Have fun with your new hair!