21 Year Old's Diy Hair System Journey (pics)

Stubble

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So last night, my mum gave me a hand with installing my first ever hair system. This is the hair system I went with. It's a poly super thin skin system made by Lord Hair. I ordered it without getting them to give it a haircut, so the hair was really long (like 6+ inches). Before shaving my head, to get an idea of what it would look like, I placed it on my head and it just looked ridiculous. Was getting some negative feelings, but I kept going with it. Knew I had to make it work.

The first thing I did was cut away the excess plastic at the hairline. In all the video, this always looks so easy, but for me this was actually quite hard. All my scissors are blunt, so I had to cut tiny bits of at a time. Got there in the end without nicking into the hairline.

Next I made a hair template that was exactly the same size and shape as the base of my LordHair hair system. I did this by placing my hair system on my polystyrene mannequin head inside-out and then followed Curtis' guide for making hair templates. Once made, I placed this on my head to see how it fit. Thankfully, the stock base size of 8"x10" was a great fit for my head.

I tightened the hair template to my head using an elastic and got my mum draw my hairline on with a makeup pencil and then to cut below the outline of the template the whole way around my head. I took the template off and there was a shaved outline the whole way around my head. I cut off any of the remaining hair on top that was above this outline.

To stick down my system I used Ghostbond Platinum. My mum helped me with this part too. She said she felt more comfortable painting the back first, letting the glue set, sticking it down and then starting to glue the front, so we did that.

After it was all done, we did realise there was a crease in the system around the top centre of my head, but it's not a major issue. It's the first ever installation, so it's to be expected. I'll be doing some maintenance soon and getting to grips with how to fix things like that. However, the front of the hairline actually bent in on itself and got glued down, but with some C22 Solvent Remover I was able to fix it and get it straightened out nicely and re-glued. Was a good bit of practice.

Due to the hair still being 6+ inches in length, it looked ridiculous. Kinda looked like Serge from Kasabian. But I slept with it on, didn't experience any lifting that wasn't already there and got myself to the barbers' first thing today for a more realistic hair style. Would say the results were decent, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out on how to improve because it obviously isn't going to be perfect straight away. Here are a few before and after pictures:


Me before I had any serious hair loss (May 2017):
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After hair loss (April 2020):

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After getting my hair system installed and cut (July 2020):

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It does seem very dark (almost black) in these pictures, but the hair on my sides was always darker. Ultimately I feel it's a good match. I asked my dad and he agrees (if it wasn't, he definitely would tell me it wasn't). Any opinions/criticisms/tips are welcome.

Also, big ups to this community on here. So many little posts here and there where I was able to pick up useful bits of info. I appreciate it more than you all know. :)

If any of you have advice on taking better pictures please let me know. Probably aware that these could be more detailed.

Cheers.
 

ChromeyFirefox

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Looks really good! I have to say the blend is a little off but the colour match looks good enough that it's mostly OK.
 

Stubble

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Looks really good! I have to say the blend is a little off but the colour match looks good enough that it's mostly OK.
I do agree. Was hoping for the sides to be about 1cm longer than they are, but not overly concerned since the rest of it seems decent as is. :)

Was thinking of maybe taking 1.5 inches off the fringe and doing the same style, but not too sure. Gonna wait a week or two and see if I still feel that way.
 

Mystery411

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Looks great bro! I’d have your barber take some of the bulk out of the front. I agree with the blending issue mentioned earlier too. If you do those, it will look perfect.
 

new2this

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Think its looking pretty good dude. I would say the color match is good, and I actually think the density works well since you're a younger dude. It will also probably make the system last longer. The fringe looks good.

The only thing I would say is that I do agree the blend could be better. In my opinion (not that I am a hairdresser or anything), a good tactic is to have the length of the hairs on the edge of the system vary so it doesn't create that straight-across cropped look. It just allows the blend to look a little more natural and generally gives you more wiggle room as your side hair grows out. The other thing I would say is that you should always make sure the hair on the piece is more or less combed in the same direction as your side hair. In your second to last picture, the side hair is facing backwards while the system hair is facing forward. To a non-wearer this may not be a red flag at all, but in my perfectionist mind, it's important to have the hair facing in the same direction for a good blend. My side hair naturally goes downwards/forward (instead of backwards) on one side, and backwards on the other side, so I match that respectively, on each side.

Happy to share some pics if you DM me. I'm lucky to have gone to a good salon for my first few units, so I feel like I have some styling hacks that I want to share with the world!
 

Stubble

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Throughout today, my unit was loose and rubbing against my head, so I decided to take it off despite only going 3 days with it on. Initially, I only put a layer of glue on my head, instead of putting one on my unit as well, so I wasn't expecting to have it on a week anyway. Sadly there is some irritation (presumably from the Ghostbond Platinum). I used to get this same kind of irritation when I let hair gel build up in my hair:

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Any advice on what to do next? I'm planning on not wearing my system for a few days, ordering Liquid Bandage (or some sort of scalp protector), waiting until everything is healed up, shaving the top again and then putting the unit back on. Is this the right way to approach things? Any other tips?

As for the actual maintenance. It took me 2+ hours to get all of the bond off my head and unit. To get it off my head, I used C22 (I've heard mixed things about this - some recommend it, others are against it)? The majority of time was spent scraping the glue off the polyurethane skin. I'd spray a small area with C22 and scrape at that area with my finger nails. The Ghostbond would form into little balls of glue and I would scoop them off with a plastic spoon and rub them into a tissue. Once there were no clumps left, I ran it under water and rubbed it with some handsoap. Currently drying it out, but it still feels like there is miniscule layer of residue on it. Is this normal?

Cheers, guys.
 
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ChromeyFirefox

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First of all you need to leave C22 for a while to work. Some even recommend overnight.

Secondly C22 is oily. You will need to take that oil off afterwards, normally with dish soap.

I wear lace with a poly rim but I generally dislike the idea of a full bond. I do a perimeter bond to just make the cleanup easier.

If this is your first cleanup it will take a while. Mine took about 6 hours and now it takes 20 mins.

Also how you remove glue from lace is by dabbing on cotton wool and then rolling it, and repeating until there is no more sticking.. But unsure for poly.

The final tip is to eventually just buy 2 units at a time and get them both cut in. Swap them out so you can control when you do the cleanup.
 

BaldBearded

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First of all you need to leave C22 for a while to work. Some even recommend overnight.

Secondly C22 is oily. You will need to take that oil off afterwards, normally with dish soap.

I wear lace with a poly rim but I generally dislike the idea of a full bond. I do a perimeter bond to just make the cleanup easier.

If this is your first cleanup it will take a while. Mine took about 6 hours and now it takes 20 mins.

Also how you remove glue from lace is by dabbing on cotton wool and then rolling it, and repeating until there is no more sticking.. But unsure for poly.

The final tip is to eventually just buy 2 units at a time and get them both cut in. Swap them out so you can control when you do the cleanup.

The only issue with swapping two units... the cut must be identical. I tried it, could not get it to work.
 

BaldBearded

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Throughout today, my unit was loose and rubbing against my head, so I decided to take it off despite only going 3 days with it on. Initially, I only put a layer of glue on my head, instead of putting one on my unit as well, so I wasn't expecting to have it on a week anyway. Sadly there is some irritation (presumably from the Ghostbond Platinum). I used to get this same kind of irritation when I let hair gel build up in my hair:

View attachment 144577

Any advice on what to do next? I'm planning on not wearing my system for a few days, ordering Liquid Bandage (or some sort of scalp protector), waiting until everything is healed up, shaving the top again and then putting the unit back on. Is this the right way to approach things? Any other tips?

As for the actual maintenance. It took me 2+ hours to get all of the bond off my head and unit. To get it off my head, I used C22 (I've heard mixed things about this - some recommend it, others are against it)? The majority of time was spent scraping the glue off the polyurethane skin. I'd spray a small area with C22 and scrape at that area with my finger nails. The Ghostbond would form into little balls of glue and I would scoop them off with a plastic spoon and rub them into a tissue. Once there were no clumps left, I ran it under water and rubbed it with some handsoap. Currently drying it out, but it still feels like there is miniscule layer of residue on it. Is this normal?

Cheers, guys.

Try using a scalp protector before applying the adhesive to your scalp.
 

Stubble

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First of all you need to leave C22 for a while to work. Some even recommend overnight.

Secondly C22 is oily. You will need to take that oil off afterwards, normally with dish soap.

I wear lace with a poly rim but I generally dislike the idea of a full bond. I do a perimeter bond to just make the cleanup easier.

If this is your first cleanup it will take a while. Mine took about 6 hours and now it takes 20 mins.

Also how you remove glue from lace is by dabbing on cotton wool and then rolling it, and repeating until there is no more sticking.. But unsure for poly.

The final tip is to eventually just buy 2 units at a time and get them both cut in. Swap them out so you can control when you do the cleanup.

Yeah, I was only leaving the C22 on for like 1 or 2 minutes last night then wondering why the Ghostbond Platinum wasn't coming off easily. Noted. Will spray the C22 on and leave it for a while next time.

Yeah, I tried handsoap to take off the C22 last night and it obviously didn't take it off completely. Will try dish soap and scrub a bit harder next time.

It was my first cleanup. Going from 6 hours to 20 minutes sound promising!

Yeah, I've heard that using 2 units simultaneously is the way to go. I'm thinking of trying a Lace/Poly hybrid for my next one. I would hope to run this simultaneously with my full poly unit. Surely that would be quite do-able as long as I buy some tape for the lace parts on the hybrid's base?

Thanks for the reply with those super useful tips! :)

Try using a scalp protector before applying the adhesive to your scalp.

Yes, I definitely will before putting this unit back on. Are there any alternatives to Walker Scalp Protector? It looks like that's the one I'll be going for.
 

BaldBearded

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Yeah, I was only leaving the C22 on for like 1 or 2 minutes last night then wondering why the Ghostbond Platinum wasn't coming off easily. Noted. Will spray the C22 on and leave it for a while next time.

Yeah, I tried handsoap to take off the C22 last night and it obviously didn't take it off completely. Will try dish soap and scrub a bit harder next time.

It was my first cleanup. Going from 6 hours to 20 minutes sound promising!

Yeah, I've heard that using 2 units simultaneously is the way to go. I'm thinking of trying a Lace/Poly hybrid for my next one. I would hope to run this simultaneously with my full poly unit. Surely that would be quite do-able as long as I buy some tape for the lace parts on the hybrid's base?

Thanks for the reply with those super useful tips! :)



Yes, I definitely will before putting this unit back on. Are there any alternatives to Walker Scalp Protector? It looks like that's the one I'll be going for.

Not that I am aware of. Walkers Max Hold Sport is the best that I am aware of, my clients swear by it (I use it also).

I have to say that your "before" pics don't look bad at all... you pull off the look no problem. Your after pics are really great. Amazing results for the first go. Good you have your mum, doing this solo isn't easy.

Steve
 

Stubble

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Not that I am aware of. Walkers Max Hold Sport is the best that I am aware of, my clients swear by it (I use it also).

I have to say that your "before" pics don't look bad at all... you pull off the look no problem. Your after pics are really great. Amazing results for the first go. Good you have your mum, doing this solo isn't easy.

Steve
I just did a bit of research there and found out that Walker Scalp Protector and Walker Max Hold Sport both use the same ingredients. Think I'll just go with the Scalp Protector for now.

Thanks for the kind words. :) I don't mind walking around in public like that 'before' picture or going to work like that. However, I feel very self-conscious when I'm around friends that are the same age as me when I'm looking like that. Being so young (21), I'm the only one with receded hair and it makes me feel like I don't fit in. They're all talking about how they grew out their hair during lockdown and I just shrug and say how I can't really do that anymore. Also, I went to university a few years late so when I'm hanging around with university friends they're all 18 and 19 so it makes it even harder to fit in.

At the minute, I'm living with my family. My brother hasn't even noticed that I started wearing a hair system lol. Really, I think most people I know won't notice any difference. However, that doesn't matter to me, I'm doing it to improve my image of myself and it really worked whilst I had it on. Felt great about myself, just like I did a few years ago. :)

Yes, I'm definitely lucky to have my mum. Although I'm moving out in a month or two to live with 4 of my mates in a different country, so I'll have to be completely self-sufficient by then. Quite daunting, but I'm adamant I'll get it done.

Thanks again!
 

BaldBearded

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I just did a bit of research there and found out that Walker Scalp Protector and Walker Max Hold Sport both use the same ingredients. Think I'll just go with the Scalp Protector for now.

Thanks for the kind words. :) I don't mind walking around in public like that 'before' picture or going to work like that. However, I feel very self-conscious when I'm around friends that are the same age as me when I'm looking like that. Being so young (21), I'm the only one with receded hair and it makes me feel like I don't fit in. They're all talking about how they grew out their hair during lockdown and I just shrug and say how I can't really do that anymore. Also, I went to university a few years late so when I'm hanging around with university friends they're all 18 and 19 so it makes it even harder to fit in.

At the minute, I'm living with my family. My brother hasn't even noticed that I started wearing a hair system lol. Really, I think most people I know won't notice any difference. However, that doesn't matter to me, I'm doing it to improve my image of myself and it really worked whilst I had it on. Felt great about myself, just like I did a few years ago. :)

Yes, I'm definitely lucky to have my mum. Although I'm moving out in a month or two to live with 4 of my mates in a different country, so I'll have to be completely self-sufficient by then. Quite daunting, but I'm adamant I'll get it done.

Thanks again!

Max Hold Sport is stronger... go with that one.

Yeah, some folks don't notice... that's a good thing,

Good luck,

Steve
 

Noah

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Hi Stubble

I thought your first hairstyle looked great - real male model hair. All the little niggles about blending (as I am sure those who mentioned them would acknowledge) are geeky stuff, of interest only to other hair system wearers. To the lay observer it looked terrific.

However, that rash is not ordinary. That is amongst the worst allergic reactions I have seen. A bit of redness is not uncommon, but pustules like that are unusual. I would strongly advise you not to use that glue again. If you can take time out from the system till they go away, I think you should.

It's unfortunate that the first adhesive you use has that effect. You may have sensitive skin which doesn't react well to hairpiece adhesives, or if may just be just that one adhesive. A scalp protector will help, and may provide a complete solution, but I would suggest you also do a patch test for other adhesives before you use them - cover a square inch of the skin on your arm with the adhesive, and leave it for 48 hours to see if it causes any adverse reaction. Pick the white skin of your inner arm, which is thinner and more sensitive. While you are experimenting, and once the pustules have gone, you could try using Got2BGlued to get your system back on. It is a strong hairgel, and unlikely to cause problems for your skin, but it will give you a surprisingly strong hold. You can't use it for swimming though, or very sweaty exercise.

Noah
 
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Stubble

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Hi Stubble

I thought your first hairstyle looked great - real male model hair. All the little niggles about blending (as I am sure those who mentioned them would acknowledge) are geeky stuff, of interest only to other hair system wearers. To the lay observer it looked terrific.

However, that rash is not ordinary. That is amongst the worst allergic reactions I have seen. A bit of redness is not uncommon, but pustules like that are unusual. I would strongly advise you not to use that glue again. If you can take time out from the system till they go away, I think you should.

It's unfortunate that the first adhesive you use has that effect. You may have sensitive skin which doesn't react well to hairpiece adhesives, or if may just be just that one adhesive. A scalp protector will help, and may provide a complete solution, but I would suggest you also do a patch test for other adhesives before you use them - cover a square inch of the skin on your arm with the adhesive, and leave it for 48 hours to see if it causes any adverse reaction. Pick the white skin of your inner arm, which is thinner and more sensitive. While you are experimenting, and once the pustules have gone, you could try using Got2BGlued to get your system back on. It is a strong hairgel, and unlikely to cause problems for your skin, but it will give you a surprisingly strong hold. You can use it for swimming though, or very sweaty exercise.

Noah
I didn't really set out for that 'male model hair', I was originally looking for something that would just help me 'fit in', but when it turned out that way I was really pleased. Thanks! :)

Yeah, I would say I do have sensitive skin. I've had those kind of spots a lot down the years when I let hair gel build up, especially around where my hairline used to be. Super disheartening to be honest since it's hard enough to learn all this as is even without allergic reactions, but there's no way I'm ready to give up yet. Got the Scalp Protector all ordered, gonna do those tests that you mentioned and hopefully I'll have it back on within a week.
 

Noah

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Cool; that's a good attitude. I have never come across anyone who couldn't find an adhesive that worked for them in the end. Good luck man. It will be worth the effort.
 

Stubble

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Cool; that's a good attitude. I have never come across anyone who couldn't find an adhesive that worked for them in the end. Good luck man. It will be worth the effort.
Thanks, Noah. That makes me feel hopeful. Would you be able to suggest a few alternative adhesives please?

Also I'm tempted to ditch a full bond and try lace since there would obviously be less surface area getting covered in adhesive that way.

EDIT: I've been having a think about that irritation and I forgot to mention that I didn't really clean my scalp before putting on the hair system since I was rushed for time and knew I'd be taking off within 3 days. Could that potentially be why it happened? For next time I'm hoping to rub my head down with surgical spirit, let it dry, coat it with Walker Scalp Protector, let it dry and then put on the adhesive.
 
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