Jan2133 I would send some photos if you PM me. I try and check things on here once a week, sorry for the delayed response. BaldBeared and Noah are the vets here and are very knowledgeable people to learn from with a lot of hair system experience. I believe I am somewhere between a Norwood 2-3 on the scale. I do shave the small area in the front to wear my partial piece. I first started with wearing a piece that went around my existing hair and filled in the recession. Essentially, I brought my hairline down a little bit in the front and filled in my recession. However, the thinner strip in the front was a little harder to deal with, so the person who helped me with all of this talked me into shaving that small area, making a little bit of a bigger template, and see how it works. Honestly, I prefer shaving the small bit in the front and wearing a frontal partial like that because the bigger template makes maintenance and clean up easier. I went to a salon at first, and now I pretty much do everything myself. The person who introduced me is now a really good friend and if I ever need help I know I can reach out to them. So it's definitely nice having that kind of support system there. However, don't be afraid to give it a try and to learn these things. Right now with the virus going on is the best time to try it if you've been thinking about it (if you can get your hands on hair lol). Feel free to PM me!