Did Maintenance At Home For The First Time. Messed Up. Help?

[arch1914]

I did maintenance at home for the first time. It took me 3 hours to do everything and the system moved too far back when I slept that night. I currently have removed the system, but how do I go about doing it correctly this time?

I do not want to spend another 3 hours, how can I speed up the removing tape/cleaning process since that is what took the longest time for me. I used Isopropyl Alcohol.

I use tape all over the sides with glue at hairline and have a lace system with poly sides.

 

[grincher]

It is usual to take a while at first, but you will speed up considerably with practice to a fraction of that time.

Usually, the tape just pulls away before applying a few applications of cleaner. That said, I usually reattach every 2-3 weeks so the tape is ready to pull and I remove from the poly perimeter.

Make sure your scalp is dry before attaching and press down firmly for a few minutes. I usually reattach at least 4 hours before bed and sleep on my front that first night.

I gave up liquid glue a long time ago. It was proving a nightmare for me to clean and definitely led to my system experiencing more wear and tear on the lace.

 

[Noah]

Hi Arch

One important factor is how long you leave the system on before you do maintenance. My experience is that if you leave the adhesive on too long (over 12 - 14 days, say) it starts to deteriorate, and then it is far harder to clean up. It is better to release and re-attach more frequently. I do mind every week.

Getting the unit off is just a matter of drenching the lace area above the glue with plenty of 99% isopropyl alcohol and then waiting till it has broken the bond. I find it is useful to get a squeezable bottle with a long nozzle - like an American mustard bottle - so you can get plenty of alcohol onto the lace without it going all over the hair shafts. Often people start pulling off the base before the alcohol has done its stuff - it is OK to wait for 5 minutes. The piece should come off with a constant gentle pull - if it doesnt, apply more alcohol and wait a bit longer. The aim should be for as much as possible of the adhesive to remain on your head, and not on the lace.

If the glue/tape hasn't stayed on your head, and is still on the base, I think the best thing is to soak the base in a shallow dish of isopropyl alcohol. Cover it with Saranwrap/Clingfilm to stop the alcohol evaporating. After a 15 minutes soak the tape should be ready to fall off, and you can scrape any old glue off with your fingernail or the edge of an old credit card.

Any particular thing causing you a problem?

Noah

 

[arch1914]

So reading both the replies, some mistakes that I made.

1. Not waiting before pulling the tape. I sprayed it and tried pulling it almost immediately instead of waiting.
2. Leaving the system on for too long. It had been about 20 days since my last redo at the salon.

An issue that I faced was hair getting stuck on the tape, which significantly increased my time as I had to remove the glue from the tape from the system hair. I was a bit clumsy when removing the tape but I figure that is just because of my inexperience and not letting the alcohol do the job i think.

Regarding the dry head, how do I get the head dry? I had a shower and wiped it with a fresh towel and blow dryer on heat over the head for a few seconds, I figured that was as dry as it can get.

@Noah Regarding the soaking, won't the alcohol ruin the hair ?

Also, everyone who does maintenance at home, how do you condition your hair when it's off? Since, the conditioner affects the bond on the adhesives with the lace.

 

[TooBad]

So reading both the replies, some mistakes that I made.

1. Not waiting before pulling the tape. I sprayed it and tried pulling it almost immediately instead of waiting.
2. Leaving the system on for too long. It had been about 20 days since my last redo at the salon.

An issue that I faced was hair getting stuck on the tape, which significantly increased my time as I had to remove the glue from the tape from the system hair. I was a bit clumsy when removing the tape but I figure that is just because of my inexperience and not letting the alcohol do the job i think.

Regarding the dry head, how do I get the head dry? I had a shower and wiped it with a fresh towel and blow dryer on heat over the head for a few seconds, I figured that was as dry as it can get.

@Noah Regarding the soaking, won't the alcohol ruin the hair ?

Also, everyone who does maintenance at home, how do you condition your hair when it's off? Since, the conditioner affects the bond on the adhesives with the lace.

Before attaching I would suggest against using a hair dryer on warm. If anything use it on the cool setting only.

I only shampoo and condition when the system is attached. Some people such as Noah and baldbearded do it when removed. I just find it easier when it's attached and I do not risk getting any conditioner on the base, ....even though you always clean the base with alcohol before applying... I'd rather not risk any trace of conditioner on the base when I install.

 

[Noah]

Hi Arch

I think that is a fair summary. The rate at which glue deteriorates seems to vary from person to person depending on body chemistry, but at some point it mixes with your sweat and scalp oil and gets gooey and semi-liquid, and then it starts to migrate through the mesh of the base and eventually into the hair itself. Once that happens it is far more time consuming to clean up, and the clean-up itself takes a toll on your system. So you should experiment and find out where your sweet spot is for maintenance. My timing - 7 days - is at the short end of the range, but I find it saves time in the long run, because the process is so much easier if the adhesive is still fresh and in good condition.

It is also important to let the alcohol do its job. Otherwise you may find you are pulling the hair through to the underside of the base when you remove, or pulling it out altogether. I think if you allow the alcohol a bit longer to work, that may cure your issue with hairs getting on the tape. The aim should be to pull the piece off gently, leaving all the adhesives still on your head (they will come off fairly readily when you have a hot shower). You should start pulling the piece up from the back, and holding the released part close to your head, slide it over the still-stuck part, applying a gentle even tug, until the whole piece comes off. That way, you avoid stretching the mesh of the base.

The alcohol will dry the hair out, so choose a flat shallow dish for soaking, with about a half-inch of alcohol in it. Then press the base into the alcohol, but try to keep the hair out as much as possible. You can lay the hair over the rim of the dish, or Propecia it out with a pencil. Exactly how it works will depend on the shape of your unit and how the hair is cut.

I'm not sure I understand the question about conditioning. Could you clarify?

Noah

 

[arch1914]

@TooBad Yes, shampooing and conditioning when attached is much easier.

@Noah Conditioner on the base of the system affects the bond. So when you condition the system during the cleanup, how do you avoid getting conditioner on the base ?

 

[Noah]

Hi Arch

I hold the system with the lace base scrunched up in my hand and the hairs sticking out, and I only put conditioner on the hairs, and then rinse under the tap, so that the conditioner doesn't get on the base. To be honest I came up with this technique to avoid getting conditioner on the knots, in case it caused them to slip out, but it would work for your concern too.

Noah

 

[arch1914]

Wouldn't scrunching up the base damage it?

 

[TooBad]

Wouldn't scrunching up the base damage it?

No, you just want to avoid stretching lace.

 

[Noah]

Agreed. It's a bit of netting woven from polyester thread. Scrunching it up does no harm.