Doing your own hair system refit tips please help

[Jessejeager]

Hey everyone

so I’m currently with a salon here in the uk called Total Cover Plus. Going fairly well the only thing I’m struggling with is doing my own refits. Due to the price I do them myself, we’ll my mum now does them for me once every 4-5 weeks thankfully she doesn’t live too far away and she’s gotten very good at it. However, I wanna learn how to do it myself. I’ve purchased a 3 way mirror to help myself but I have to first shave the reslly thin hair, line it perfectly with the system, and then apply the bond, and then the hardest part, put the system back on and make sure it lines up perfectly. My question is, how do I learn to do this myself? It seems almost impossible without help. So if anyone has any tips I’d be so grateful. Thank you

 

[BaldBearded]

Go to Youtube, tons of videos.

 

[Londonguy80]

Is it the taping or positioning you struggle with? To get in place, before taking off the backing tape I get it in position on my head. Then do a small line on my forehead where the front is. Using something like eye liner that can easily be wiped off. Then I do a vertical line on the backing of the tape where it meets the front horizontal line on my head. Take off all the backing tape except front contour. Where the lines meet is where you place it. Then just take off the front tapes, wipe off the line from your head and stick down. Does this make sense?!

 

[Fanjeera]

Is it the taping or positioning you struggle with? To get in place, before taking off the backing tape I get it in position on my head. Then do a small line on my forehead where the front is. Using something like eye liner that can easily be wiped off. Then I do a vertical line on the backing of the tape where it meets the front horizontal line on my head. Take off all the backing tape except front contour. Where the lines meet is where you place it. Then just take off the front tapes, wipe off the line from your head and stick down. Does this make sense?!

What if you only use liquid adhesive?

 

[deg_dilemma]

TCP systems are incredibly easy to maintain, in that they don't fall apart and the clean-up is so straightforward - if you use less glue and follow my routine below.

It doesn't have to be perfect. No one will know if it's a little bit out of place. The main thing is not to have the front too high up or too low down on the forehead.

I can give you some pointers from my experience:-

1. Use less glue and re-fit more regularly. I use only 1 layer of glue - or very occasionally 2 if I want a longer hold. The 1 layer will give me a good 5 to 7 day hold in the usual UK moderate weather. After 5 days the glue progressively breaks down which means that the clean-up is very easy, it mostly literally wipes off the scalp and UTS.

2. If you're not confident in taking the whole system off then do half/half. Lift the back half up, clean and re-bond it. Then flip up the front and do the same. It's a little tricky to clean the scalp properly but I did this method for 2 years before I was confident enough to take the whole thing off.

3. When you shave your hair, again it does not have to be perfect. No one is going to notice a misalignment here because it will be covered by the system hair.

4. If you expose your hairline, that's the part you need to have glued down really well. If you're going out and want it to look specially good, then dab a tiny amount of glue along the hairline edge, let it dry and pat it down. This will glue down and fray edges and also get rid of the UTS shine to some extent.

5. When you order a system try to go for a custom one. They are SO much better. For example, I mix up the colours in mine to make it more natural looking, and I have different densities at the back and front.

 

[Fanjeera]

2. If you're not confident in taking the whole system off then do half/half. Lift the back half up, clean and re-bond it. Then flip up the front and do the same. It's a little tricky to clean the scalp properly but I did this method for 2 years before I was confident enough to take the whole thing off.

How do you clean like this? Wipe with alcohol only? Wash too? An oily solvent too?

 

[deg_dilemma]

How do you clean like this? Wipe with alcohol only? Wash too? An oily solvent too?

I just dab it with tissue, or even roll it off with my fingers, to remove the glue (which is mostly now just blobs because the bond is broken down after a few days).
I never have to use alcohol. The key is waiting enough days for the bond to have broken down a lot. It's so much easier to clean up then. This is for UTS/skin - I can't comment for lace.

I do occasionally wash with dishwashing liquid ("Fairy" we call it in UK) after removing the glue. This is just because it can't be healthy to never wash it, but I don't like washing it every week because that dries out the base and causes more loss of hair over time.

I also should have added another point: I don't wash the system hair very often either. Maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks. This again helps the system last longer.

 

[jeepwrangler]

I do full bond. What I do is line it up to where I want it placed, then use a small plastic head band to keep it in place. Then I flip up the front and apply a bit of bond to both corners of the system just before the hairline. Let it dry and press down. Then I can remove the head band and flip the back up and apply bond to my scalp, let it dry and attach. Then I do my hairline last with bond.

The whole process takes me about 15 mins.

Tape is similar. Tape the perimeter, but near the front cut 2 smaller pieces of tape for each side. Line it up, use a head band, and then flip up the front and remove the backing from the 2 smaller pieces of tape. Press down in place, remove the head band, then flip up the back and remove the rest of the tape backing, working from front to back. Then do the hairline.

maybe one day I’ll be confident to do it in one go but this works well enough for me.

 

[Jessejeager]

Wow just wanna say thank you for All the great advice you guys are amazing. I am using TCP custom hair system and I use only liquid adhesive (or bond) so I will try out some of these tips!!

 

[Fanjeera]

I do full bond. What I do is line it up to where I want it placed, then use a small plastic head band to keep it in place. Then I flip up the front and apply a bit of bond to both corners of the system just before the hairline. Let it dry and press down. Then I can remove the head band and flip the back up and apply bond to my scalp, let it dry and attach. Then I do my hairline last with bond.

The whole process takes me about 15 mins.

Tape is similar. Tape the perimeter, but near the front cut 2 smaller pieces of tape for each side. Line it up, use a head band, and then flip up the front and remove the backing from the 2 smaller pieces of tape. Press down in place, remove the head band, then flip up the back and remove the rest of the tape backing, working from front to back. Then do the hairline.

maybe one day I’ll be confident to do it in one go but this works well enough for me.

Interesting. But you have to wait atleast 4 mins for the glue to dry. So you do the corners before the hairline, wait 4 min, then do the back, wait 4 mins again, and then finally the front and again 4 mins. That's at least 12 mins of pure waiting.

 

[jeepwrangler]

Interesting. But you have to wait atleast 4 mins for the glue to dry. So you do the corners before the hairline, wait 4 min, then do the back, wait 4 mins again, and then finally the front and again 4 mins. That's at least 12 mins of pure waiting.

I'm not applying thick layers. It's more like 2 minutes.

I redo the hairline every 5 days or so, and the whole thing every 10 days, depending on how humid it is.

For someone that wants 2+ weeks out of the hold and wants to do lots of layers, sure.

 

[Fanjeera]

I'm not applying thick layers. It's more like 2 minutes.

I redo the hairline every 5 days or so, and the whole thing every 10 days, depending on how humid it is.

For someone that wants 2+ weeks out of the hold and wants to do lots of layers, sure.

What glue do you use? Ghostbonds say you should wait 4--7 mins after the last layer before attaching.

 

[Hair2019]

In my opinion, one of the best Youtube channels to learn from is 'Hair Experience' run by Curtis Mitchell. You can learn everything you need to know by watching his Youtube videos. He also sells an ebook and video course on detaching, attaching and maintaining hair systems too:

https://www.youtube.com/@HairExperience

Ebooks | myhairexperience

www.myhairexperience.com

If you have any specific questions about refitting your hair system, feel free to ask here. You'll find your own routine and be able to consistently do it and get a consistently good attachment etc. There's a bit of a learning curve and some trial and error at first, but once you know what you're doing it's quite straightforward really.

 

[jeepwrangler]

What glue do you use? Ghostbonds say you should wait 4--7 mins after the last layer before attaching.

Ghost Bond Platinum. Their site says wait 7-10 minutes after the last coat.

I'm not having issues with hold time with how I'm doing it, but again I redo often enough.

 

[Fanjeera]

Ghost Bond Platinum. Their site says wait 7-10 minutes after the last coat.

I'm not having issues with hold time with how I'm doing it, but again I redo often enough.

That's Ghostbond XL and regular and many others.

GHOSTBOND Platinum

GHOSTBOND Platinum is a Polyurethane and Lace Wig Glue for Men and Women. Clear, Strong Adhesive for Scalp and Hairpiece. Know how to use it!

www.prohairlabs.com

Weird that now they really say 7--10 mins. I am 100% sure it was 4 mins before

Look at this: https://www.prohairlabs.com/docs/instructions/gbplatinum.pdf.

 

[jeepwrangler]

That's Ghostbond XL and regular and many others.

GHOSTBOND Platinum

GHOSTBOND Platinum is a Polyurethane and Lace Wig Glue for Men and Women. Clear, Strong Adhesive for Scalp and Hairpiece. Know how to use it!

www.prohairlabs.com

Weird that now they really say 7--10 mins. I am 100% sure it was 4 mins before

Look at this: https://www.prohairlabs.com/docs/instructions/gbplatinum.pdf.

They probably bumped the time to be on the safe side. Someone in a humid environment would probably have to wait longer than someone in a dry area.

For me, as long as it's clear and dry, it's good to go.

 

[Fanjeera]

They probably bumped the time to be on the safe side. Someone in a humid environment would probably have to wait longer than someone in a dry area.

For me, as long as it's clear and dry, it's good to go.

It gets clear for me immediately. Hmm. In that case I could attach already after 1 min. That would make wearing so much easier. So you basically attach immediately? Do you do 4 layers like the instructions say?
Although, I have a small problem of the glue seeping through the lace and not being able to clean it off, but that's probably because I de-re once a month, not because I wait only 4 mins.

 

[deg_dilemma]

Mine goes clear very quickly too. I only wait 2 or 3 mins at most.

I do one layer, sometimes 2 if I feel like I have money to burn.

 

[jeepwrangler]

It gets clear for me immediately. Hmm. In that case I could attach already after 1 min. That would make wearing so much easier. So you basically attach immediately? Do you do 4 layers like the instructions say?
Although, I have a small problem of the glue seeping through the lace and not being able to clean it off, but that's probably because I de-re once a month, not because I wait only 4 mins.

Oh, right. With lace you'd have to wait a bit longer I presume. My units are poly so I don't have to worry about bond getting into the lace.

I usually do 2 layers. I find my scalp gets irritated if I only use 1 layer, perhaps a reaction to the poly base.

Although these days I'm using 3 layers and can get over 2 weeks now. I only wait a minute or two between layers.

 

[mambovipi]

It gets clear for me immediately. Hmm. In that case I could attach already after 1 min. That would make wearing so much easier. So you basically attach immediately? Do you do 4 layers like the instructions say?
Although, I have a small problem of the glue seeping through the lace and not being able to clean it off, but that's probably because I de-re once a month, not because I wait only 4 mins.

Used to have the same issue. These things fixed it.

1) Wait 8 or so mins after last layer of glue before putting the lace down, I use 2 layers and a little extra on temple areas.
2) Don't press the front down hard into the glue, let it roll down. Use a hair brush to pat it down then a comb to press down the very edge.
3) Use walkers sport scalp protector very thin layer on the front. This helps to keep the glue on the skin and not go into the lace.
4) Re-Do hairline after 4 days so twice a week. Only takes 20 mins and I do it before bed. This, I think was the most crucial, I used to leave it a week but it would break down and cleanup would be a mess. Better to do it twice a week and have an easy time cleaning up.
5) Use Ebin glue (yellow bottle).