Diy V Salon (uk) And Getting It Cut In

[martinegtk]

Hi guys,

After several years of being 99% sure I was going to get a hair transplant, I've finally decided it's not for me. My natural hair is too thin and whispy and it just doesn't seem worth the pain.

So...I've decided to with a hair piece. I've got a consultation booked with a salon in here in the UK, but I'm also reading that it's a bit of a mugs game and that I'd be better off going down the DIY route with a custom piece.

It's a bit of a minefield, but I think I can work out how to do it myself. However, who do I go to to get it cut in? Just my normal barber, or do I need to find a specialist?

I'm just starting off down this path, so will probably have far too many questions, but if I do go DIY who is the best to order from to the UK?

Thanks

 

[Noah]

Hi Martin, welcome

With salons, it depends very much on who you get, and the quality and cost is very variable, although of course it is always substantially more than doing it yourself. Hair replacement is an exception to the general rule that you get what you pay for. So if you go down the salon route it is worth asking around on forums like this to see if you can get a personal recommendation, and also doing your own research on the salon before signing up - ask to talk to a few of their customers, see photos of their work, even just discreetly hang around outside the shop for 10 minutes and see what the people look like who are coming and going (try not to freak out the guys that are hoping to sneak in unobtrusively LOL).

If you do it yourself, getting cut-ins is often an issue. Many hairpiece salons are not willing to cut in pieces bought off the Internet, and most barbers are unwilling or unable to cut in hair replacements. Your best bet is probably a higher end salon aimed at women or metrosexual guys. The stylists there will usually have done some training on wigs and hairpieces, and they may do quite a lot of hair extensions these days.

I have sent you a PM with a few more specific suggestions for the UK.

Good luck with the project.

Noah

 

[BaldBearded]

Hi Martin,

I am in a similar situation as you. I did quite a bit of research, as well as talked with other guys here, in Israel, who used local sources and decided to go a hybrid route. I decided to go with a Salon to order my first unit(s) and then do DIY maintenance (which they support).

After I have the first unit for a month, I will see if it is really for me, and then try to order online for the next unit, which could wind up being 1/3 the price.

Of all the companies that I was in contact with, the ONLY one who was really ready to listen to what I was looking for, and gave me time (video chat) was OneHead Hair (www.onehead.com). After consulting with them online, I flew to Madrid, their closest location to me (I think, but not sure that they have a location in London) and met with Vincent (co-owner and system wearer), his partner and their stylist. What impressed me about these folks was their willingness to design something that fits my current hair situation, and lifestyle. The other places were either, sure, tell us what you want, and we can do that for you, or not. But there was no back and forth. These guys talked me out of something that would not really have been achievable, but other places said sure.

We spent hours agreeing on color, grey percentage, hairline style and density, as well as density per zone (6 zones on my scalp). This is something a first-time wearer simply cannot figure out on their own. All of this is included in the price. Their base price, without the extras I am doing (long hair + human grey) is about $795 + delivery.

We made a template, onsite (but they were also willing to talk me through it via video chat. The order was placed and will take about 14-15 weeks (Chinese New Year put a major dent in the timeline). I am going to fly back to Madrid for the attachment, cut in, and maintenance instructions. Also, the cut in won't be from a hair technician, but from one of the leading hair stylists in Spain (serious bonus). They will also work to instruct my friend, a barber, how to do haircuts, so I don't need to go back (unless I want to, and I love Madrid).

Best of luck... let us know, and post pics if the results!

BB

 

[Noah]

Nice story BB. I wish there were more positive experiences like that.

 

[grincher]

Most good custom suppliers can give the options BB received and deliver in 8-weeks

The key is how confident you are to go down the DIY route. Most people are confident enough to do it successfully, while others need hand holding.

If you are really unsure then a salon is the best first choice only if they are willing to be open and teach you. The best is a stylist who does the cut in and can talk you through much of the process. Often salons are very cloak and dagger about it all and/or offer stock pieces which will not be a good experience.

 

[martinegtk]

Thank you very much gentlemen. I have an appointment coming up with Hair4All. I'm also looking at ukhairsystems.com, although I haven't contacted them yet. I'd really like to go the DIY route, but I'm a nervous beginner and I worry about getting it wrong. I currently have a full head of hair, which is quite thick, except for my hairline which has completely receded at the sides and is very rapidly thinning in the middle. I'm very quickly approaching the duck island look at the front!

I'll contact ukhairsystems today. I hear a lot of very good things about them, and I've yet to see a bad review on any of the forums.

I am happy to pay for quality and the best, most realistic system is important to me. Apologies for the newb questions, but what should I be looking to go for in terms of lace/skin, knotting, bleaching etc?

Thanks again. It's so nice to find such a supportive board on the internet. This is something I've really struggled with for a long time, as a man in my early 30s it's been getting me more and more down. My wife is so supportive, and so to have that and be able to discuss these things openly with other guys online is great, so thank you!

 

[Noah]

Knotting / bleaching is easy. You need bleached knots unless you have blond hair, because otherwise the tiny knots which attach the hairs to the base are visible, and spoil the illusion that the hairs are growing out of your scalp. Knot-bleaching comes as standard from decent suppliers. If you have very dark hair, it can be difficult to get the knots bleached enough without weakening the hair. In that case an alternative is to start with blond hair and dye it to your darker colour, but leaving the knots blond.

Choice of base is more personal. I will give you my take, although others will have different views, there are basically 2 choices: skin (very thin plastic film) and lace (very fine mesh). Each comes in different grades of fineness. You want the base to be invisible to the eye, so fine is good, but the finer they are the more fragile they are, so there is a balance to be struck.

Both lace and skin can look very good. Skin mimics human scalp very well - seen from above it is almost impossible to distinguish it from human scalp. When well attached, a skin hairline also looks good. Skin hairpieces are usually applied with glue over the whole bald surface. If you only stick them at the perimeter, they make a plastic bag noise if anyone touches them. You usually can't use tape on a skin piece, because you would risk tearing the membrane when you remove it. But skin pieces are easy to clean, because the plastic underside of the base can be wiped clean.

Lace doesn't mimic scalp quite as well as skin, but it works differently - when applied into glue the mesh disappears. It just looks like the fine lines on your skin. For that reason I think lace hairlines are somewhat better than skin. In very strong down lighting there can be some shine from a plastic (skin) base which can reveal the hairpiece, whereas strong lighting makes lace disappear even better. You can use glue or tape to stick a lace hairpiece on, and frequently they are only stuck at the perimeter. Lace is somewhat more difficult and fiddly to clean up than skin.

The crunch factor for me in choosing between them is that lace is breathable, but skin is not. With lace, you can feel the wind and rain on your scalp, and sweat can pass through it and evaporate. Skin traps sweat under the base. I live in a part of the world that is warm and very humid for part of the year, and I am quite physically active. For that reason I would always choose lace. But if you live in a cool place and are relatively sedentary, skin may work very well for you.