Asking for honest opinion

[lnknstyl]

Ok, so here's the deal...

Just got a job with a company in Santa Ana, CA. Laguna Beach is 20 mins away, Newport Beach is about a 5 min drive, LA is 30 mins away. I start mid-Sept.

So I should be extremely excited right? I know most people would. So rather than seriously f*****g this one up, as I have with jobs in the past, I am seriously thinking about doing something about my hairloss now. I do not want to be held back by this anymore. I am considering a hairsystem from toplace or coolpiece. I do not have the time or cash for hair transplant right now, and rogain, etc are not doing much for me anymore.

I want to be able to jump out of bed in the morning, shave, shower and go!! I do not want to fuss with my hair for two hours in the morning (applying Toppik is a pain in the ***, and peop are starting to notice...especially in sunlight...hence my concern). I show up late for work everyday, even though I get up at 6AM!!

What would you guys do in my situation? I do not want to be the bald guy, in a city full of fabulous people. I am young, so a hair system would be a good option for me.

Q for anybody wearing a hair system: Can I go to a hairysystem salon to get a template made. The online companies require a template to construct your hair system. I want to do this immediately, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Aplunk1]

Take a 0 Guard to your head... just shave it man.

Forget the hairpieces.

 

[Guest]

Maybe you should wait for HM to come out... This might solve your problem!

 

[lnknstyl]

I have shaved my head before, it looks like crap. I have a round shaped head, but the problem is my thick facial hair. When I shave my head, it looks very shiny, and this would contrast with my thick five-oclock shadow look...people have asked me why my head is so shiny...even leaving a little stubble does not help much...light always seems to find my scalp. Plus, with my current profession, shaved heads would probably be frowned upon.

Thanks for the opinions though.

HM, how much is that going to cost??

 

[lnknstyl]

Q for Aplunk

Aplunk,

You have responded negatively in the past to hair systems. Do you do this because you have had negative experience with them?? If you have never tried them, how do you know? Nowdays, I cannot tell is someone is wearing a system, and there are way too many older guys out there with really thick hair.

Plus, I have really dark thick hair on the sides and back. Integration, density and coloring should not be issues right now

 

[Guest]

Costs are still unknown, but definetly >10000USD

 

[Aplunk1]

You've mentioned that you're a young guy.

No, I haven't personally used hairpieces, but I disagree with using hairpieces for a variety of reasons:

Once you use one around your coworkers, you must always use one.

They require expensive maintenance, dying, refitting, etc. every month.

They are often noticeable, despite the best-looking ones.

Depending on the piece, most systems will damage your existing hair.

Most women (or whomever) who run their fingers through your hair, will notice it's a piece.


But then again, if at this time in your life, you are desiring to succeed so greatly that you need to wear a hairpiece, then go for it.

If you're having emotional distress from your job because of your hair, then a hairpiece might be good for you.

Sometimes hairpieces can cause even greater emotional distress, but I'm sure if you do your homework and make an informed decision, then you cannot lose.

Forgive me for my negativity, and goodluck my friend!

 

[lnknstyl]

How can you detect an all-Swiss lace system without tape? Plus, wearing product (gel,etc) would deter anyone from trying to feel your scalp without messing up the hair.

As far as price goes, i almost got sucked into a Farrell unit ($4000). Thank heavens, I said no to the man himself...He is a pretty good salesman though 8)

The ones online cost $125-200 each. I have discussed directly with clients on websites, and most use 2-3 per year. Haircuts, products probably come to approx. $300 per year. Not too bad.

My only problem right now is the creating the template. I would like some assistance with doing this the fist time and was wondering how to go about it.

 

[lnknstyl]

About the woman thing...

Do you really think she would care if it looks good? I mean 95% of women wear makeup daily...we don't go around saying that it's fake and should not be worn. As long as it's not overdone, and improves the image (and confidence) of the lady, we do not care, right??

What about colored contacts, high heels, push-up bras...the list goes on and on...

My brother just married. His wife has green eyes, but both parents have black eyes as well as all the relatives at the wedding. In addition, people of my ethnicity (Indian), for the most part do not have naturally occuring green eyes. My bro told me, he has never seen her without her contacts.

Summation: As long as it looks good, nobody cares...

 

[hairwegoagain]

I'll have to agree with Aplunk. By wearing a hairpiece, you'll constantly wonder if people are noticing the fraud. Many of those close to you probably will notice. Some won't tell you. You'll be living a lie, with folks talking about it behind your back. I'd much rather be known as the bald guy than the guy who obliviously thinks he's fooling everyone.

Call it what you want - hair system, hairpiece, etc....it's a wig and that's how it's perceived. However, I agree with Aplunk on his second post, also...if none of the above bothers you, and YOU feel better having it, then go forward and don't look back.

Good luck, my friend...and CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW JOB! Sounds like a fantastic opportunity, hair or not.

 

[lnknstyl]

hairwegoagain herewegoagain

How do you know this is true? I too have seen bad pieces, and just feel sorry for the poor guy. But what about the ones we don't notice. Have you truly experienced what you say above. Living/working close to someone, knowing they are wearing a "rug," constantly making jokes behind their backs.

The company I currently work at, sure there are a few bald guys, but a majority of guys my age and older have good to great heads of hair. I'm sure some of these guys are wearing pieces. I mean come on, the hairloss statistic for guys is like 1 in 3 right (and these ae older guys). If you go to a crowded place (airport, mall) and observe the crowds, you can count the guys walk by, and only a minority are experiencing noticable amounts of hair loss(10% from my counts). I've actually done this on several occasions...pathetic I know.

 

[lnknstyl]

P.S.

It's really disturbing to have your boss/research advisor have twice as much hair as you do, with a 25 year age difference :-x

 

[hairwegoagain]

P.S.

It's really disturbing to have your boss/research advisor have twice as much hair as you do, with a 25 year age difference :-x

It's disturbing only in your own mind. Despite what your head is telling you, people aren't secretly plotting against you because of your lack of hair. Hairloss is a natural occurence that affects many...it is not some form of rare abnormality. It apparently didn't prevent this new boss with more hair from hiring you in the first place.

To answer your first question - yes indeed, I have been around guys at work who have attempted to hide their loss via many methods...the shake-on powder, rugs, combovers, you name it. I am not going to chastise you for making the decision you're considering...you do, however, need to accept that some people are going to find out, sometime, someday...maybe sooner, maybe later. You need to be prepared to deal with that "coming out party." In the semi-desperate state you're in, I'm not sure you would fare well with that revelation.

I'm not raggin' on ya, it's just best to go into any new venture with both eyes open...while maintaining a realistic head.

 

[kalbo]

I agree with Aplunk and hairwegoagain, don't go the hairpiece route. Whether you like it or not, no matter how good the hairpiece is, some people will find out or at least get suspicious that you're wearing a rug. You can usually tell when someone's wearing one if their hair length remained the same for years.

Besides, you wouldn't want to spend the rest of your life being paranoid that your hairpiece is out of place or that people are starting to become away of it. And it'll also be a bummer when you can't participate in physical activities with your friends due to the possibility of your rug flying off your head.

So like aplunk said, just shave your head and get on with your life. You may feel that you look weird with a shaved head, but you'll get used to it in no time. Later on, it may actually seem weird for ppl to picture you with hair. And you say you're Indian right? Then you should have no problems shaving your head. There're lots of balding east indians in my college who shave their heads, and to be honest, a lot of them actually look better than the ones with hair.

 

[oDD_LotS]

In response to your original question:

Yes, you can have your template made at a hairpiece salon and send it off to Toplace or Coolpiece. I know some people go that route if they're nervous about getting it right. Honestly, it's not that hard to make, but it can help to have an expert guiding you along the way.

Just do your research, because some hairpiece salons are a joke. I got a "pro" to bond my piece today, as I wanted to see if it was a better bond than I could do on my own, and what I got (for $50 no less) was a shiny layer of poorly fit tape that made the piece detectable to touch and sight (though it'd still probably pass to most people on the street). That being said, there are tons of talented stylists that could guide you on your way.

Be sure to research this option. Yes, it can give you a full head of hair that looks great, but it does have some negatives (maintenance, cost, etc). Only you can decide if the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[CCS]

if you can get a decent piece for $200, go for it. But do it for your job. Think of it like putting on a tie. You still have to think about whether you will wear it at home.

Make up is not good. but since many women have flawed skin, and most women wear it, it has become the standard. Wearing your piece is not different, but women still prefer guys with hair, and it is questionable if they will prefer the piece to scalp. Who knows. Just don't spend $200 and get a crappy piece in the mail. Wear it before you buy it. If it looks decent but not perfect, get it for your job, and find a better piece later if you want.

Employers want employees who are young because it means they are trainable and energetic and have lower health insurance costs and won't take a pension any time soon. They also want employees who take care of themselves, because it shows they are more likely to take care of their job. It is OK to be bald, as long as you do a bruce willis instead of a 2 inch comb over. the piece may be even better. but even if they do find out, i doubt they will care. your coworkers might sniker, but you will still ace the interview.

your main problem is you show up to work late every day. That will not get you far in the business world. just try on a lace, and in the mean time, impress whomever you will get a recommendation from by showing up on time. do you think they will give you a bad reference if you just trim your hair to 1/4 inch?

you guys can debate his personal life a lot, but I think the wig is good for the interview, and it does not have to be perfect, as long as it is not totally obvious or tacky or have an older hair style of its own.

 

[lnknstyl]

Yup, you are right about the comb-over effect. Nothing looks as ridiculous or draws as much attention as a comb-over. I comb my hair forward, but since it is pretty thin now, it is starting to look more like a comb over, and less natural.

As far as the head shaving thing goes, it would not work in my profession, and for that matter my culture. Shaved heads are look upon as a sign of illness or distress(manutrition,etc) among Indian people. Most older bald men just have the crown effect, but few dare to shave it all off. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, but most of my family, relatives, etc. feel this way...just part of the culture.

Damm...we have such few options. I would pick being a 300+lb morbidly obese guy over baldness...I know without a doubt, that I could bring this down to my current weight in a year or so...

 

[Guest]

wait one or two years, then hair multiplication will be here. then you get cured.

 

[CCS]

if he has the money for HM.

 

[kalbo]

As far as the head shaving thing goes, it would not work in my profession, and for that matter my culture. Shaved heads are look upon as a sign of illness or distress(manutrition,etc) among Indian people. Most older bald men just have the crown effect, but few dare to shave it all off. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, but most of my family, relatives, etc. feel this way...just part of the culture.

I can understand why it wouldn't work for your profession, but b/c of your culture?? There's a huge Indian population in my area and the shaved head is quite the popular look, especially amongst the young ones. Indian women also seem to love it because the guys with shaved heads have no problems finding dates.