I'm going to give skin systems a try. I've used Swiss Lace systems for the last 3 years or so since I started wearing hair systems. I'll have to trim the base of the skin system to the size of my template since I'm going to try a stock system. I've done this with lace systems where I use sewing pins to pin the system upside down onto a mannequin head and then cut round my template using small scissors to resize the base. However, is the method the same when resizing skin systems? Will it harm the skin base if you pin it down (I'm thinking, it'll make little holes in the skin base, whereas it doesn't matter so much with lace as it's already got holes in it and it's more durable than skin). So what's the best way to resize a skin system?
Can you pin a skin system to a manequin head while cutting the base to size?
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The skin will stick because that is their tendency. Any hole will get bigger and eventually cause the system to tear.
So you can just put the skin system on the mannequin head and cut the base to size without having to use pins?
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Since the heads we use have canvas covers, I wrap the heads in cling wrap. And I am more careful not to pull hard.
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Making pinholes in Super Thin Skin (.04-06mm) or thicker is okay. I've permed many of these units, which required inserting around 50 pins to hold the rods in place and never had a problem. As long as you don't tug on the base while the pins are inserted it should be fine.
Making pinholes in Ultra Thin Skin (.02-03mm) is not a good idea, though.
And I don't like this method for resizing bases in general because it's much to easy to accidentally cut the hair when it's pinned against a surface.
The best way IMO is to invert the base and template and trace the contour onto the base using a dry erase marker. You can pin it down for this part if the base is STS or thicker. Then remove it from the head and trim along the outline with an exacto knife, holding the hairpiece in one hand and the knife in the other. you can use the palm of the hand with the knife to hold part of the base against a surface to create traction/tension and keep rotating it, so that the spot where you're making the incision is not in contact with any surface if that makes sense.
This way, it's basically impossible to accidentally cut the hair along with the base material.
You can wipe away the outline with a santizing wipe or similar afterwards. Just don't use a Sharpie or any kind of permanent marker. Eyeliner pencils are a good substitute if you can't find a dry erase marker.
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I don't like using scissors for this either. You have to keep combing the hair out of the way whereas this is not a worry when using an exacto knife.
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It's not the holes, per se; it's putting stress on them while they are attached, which will cause the material to be torn, remember OP is not a professional.
So are you saying it's possible to cut the base of a skin to the size of your template without cutting off any of the hair at all? That is not possible with a lace system - when you trim a lace base, the hair that's attached to the lace that is removed also gets cut off, which shortens the hair length of the system, even if you use scissors and make very tiny cuts on the base.
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Hi. So, obviously, any hair that is ventilated into the section of the base you trim away is going to be removed along with the excess base material. Surely, that is desirable.
However, that hair isn't actually being "cut" unless you goof. And the hair length shouldn't be any shorter unless you accidentally cut the hair underneath along with the base at the point where you're making the cut. In that case you end up with extremely short hairs along the perimeter of your hairpiece. This is not desirable.
What I'm saying is it's much easier to screw up and accidentally cut into the hair as well as the base using the method you described, and basically impossible to do so using the method i described. At least, that has been my experience.
It doesn't matter if poly or lace.
However, that hair isn't actually being "cut" unless you goof. And the hair length shouldn't be any shorter unless you accidentally cut the hair underneath along with the base at the point where you're making the cut. In that case you end up with extremely short hairs along the perimeter of your hairpiece. This is not desirable.
What I'm saying is it's much easier to screw up and accidentally cut into the hair as well as the base using the method you described, and basically impossible to do so using the method i described. At least, that has been my experience.
It doesn't matter if poly or lace.
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Well, except that you can't draw on lace with a dry erase marker or eyeliner pencil without staining the lace. But ykwim 
Ok, thanks for the info. I'm getting a stock 12 inch system (yes, they do exist) with skin base, however the base is 10x8 inches. I'll need to cut it down to about 5.5 inches wide and 7.25 inches length (the size of my template). Will this alter the hair length drastically? The company I'm buying from can resize the base, but I'd rather try it myself this time and see how it goes.
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Of course, the hair attached to the base will get cut off, but it will NOT affect the length if you do it correctly.