For those of you who don't know me, let me introduce myself: I've tried everything: hair supplements, frequent cuts, infrequent cuts, (opens in new tab) buzzing off and starting over again, picking up and putting down hot tools (opens in new tab). Frankly, it has not been fun at all. I understand that patience is a virtue, but these past few days I have not been feeling so virtuous. I want my hair down to my waist.

The inventor of hair extensions must have gone through a similar emotional process. I've tried clip-ins here and there, and I've spent a fair amount of time looking at extension installations on Instagram, but one word keeps coming up: tape-in extensions. For those of you who have heard the term but aren't quite sure what it is, here's another way to achieve your hair goals. Whether you want more volume, more length, or simply want to change your current style, tape-in extensions are calling your name.

Tape-in extensions have a name. Tape-in extensions are natural hair coated with a medical grade adhesive and then cut into 1-centimeter wide bundles of hair. Tape-in extensions are applied to the natural hair with a medical adhesive and, when properly applied, lie flat against the head, unlike many other types of extensions. Tape-ins fall somewhere between clip-ins and sew-in wefts. 'Tape-ins are for a much longer period of time,' says celebrity stylist Ruslan Nureyev (open in new tab).

Most stylists can bring in tape-in extensions purchased from an extension company. We recommend sticking with human hair extensions, preferably Remy hair. They will be a little more expensive, but they will last longer and look more natural.

In short, absolutely not. While it may seem easy to glue a bunch of hair to your own hair, there are plenty of possibilities for failure. Tape-ins last for four weeks or more and are considered a type of permanent extension. Nurev warns, "If you're going to do permanent extensions, you should definitely go to an extension salon." Says celebrity hairstylist David Lopez (opens in new tab), "Extension procedures like tape-ins, sew-ins, and strand-by-strand should always be performed by properly certified and trained professionals."

In short, if you don't ask your stylist to do it, you could end up looking bad. And more importantly, if you put them on crooked, unspaced, and in prominent places, they could damage your hair and make it look like you're wearing extensions. That makes no sense.

Hair stylists also cut and style extensions to make them look as natural as possible. Perhaps the biggest reason extensions look fake is if the new hair color does not match your natural tone. Stylists can dye tape-ins and help with color matching, so you won't be clocked with a new hair color that isn't really your own.

The same goes for removing tape-in extensions. Due to the strength of the adhesive, removing tape-ins improperly could mean damaging your hair, which none of us want. Tape-ins are reusable, so you want to make sure you take care of them so you can use them again and again. If you don't want to pay a stylist, clip-in extensions (opens in new tab) might be a good option.

"Absolutely anyone," says Nurev. 'Whether your hair is thick or thin, extensions can be used for all sorts of purposes.' If you want to add volume or length, tape-ins can help you achieve those goals. Straight hair has traditionally been handled with tape-ins, but now that brands are starting to offer more and more tape-ins for curly hair, women with curly hair can also benefit from this type of hair extension. So, while you're patiently waiting for your hair to grow out, you can wear tape-ins to get a great hairstyle.