Getting Into Hair Systems - Should I Look For Cheaper?

[butterboy97]

I went in for a consultation for a hair piece. I'm a young man and my hair loss is strong frontal recession but full hair on the sides. The price I was given was $820 for a European lace hair piece that would last about half a year, and $95 for each touch-up every 4 weeks. I was thinking of getting the hair piece, however do you suggest that I do the touch-ups by myself most of the time? Do you recommend glue or tape? Do you recommend a cheaper, non-European hair? I'm wavy blonde. Thanks.

 

[Hair Newbie]

I went in for a consultation for a hair piece. I'm a young man and my hair loss is strong frontal recession but full hair on the sides. The price I was given was $820 for a European lace hair piece that would last about half a year, and $95 for each touch-up every 4 weeks. I was thinking of getting the hair piece, however do you suggest that I do the touch-ups by myself most of the time? Do you recommend glue or tape? Do you recommend a cheaper, non-European hair? I'm wavy blonde. Thanks.

I'm a big fans of DIY but many people rather spend money to have professional do it for them. There are pros and cons of go for a professional or DIY. If I found a salons that cost $100 USD every 4 weeks in the very beginning without signing any contract. I would let them do it.

 

[BaldBearded]

If the company that quoted you the $820 price includes FULL service, which includes full consultation, template, design, cut-in service (may entail an additional cost for cut), I would do it. You get invaluable experience that you don't get online. I would also let them do the first remove/clean/replace, so you can understand how YOUR system works.

After, I think you should do your own maintenance. When you have them do your system, make sure to keep track of ALL the parameters of the system (density, color, front hairline contour, base, etc). Also make sure you can get your template back (super important, it's yours, you paid for it).

If you are satisfied with your system, and how it looks, I would then consider buying a less expensive system (online, for example).

Doing all of this by yourself is not impossible, but how much is it worth saving a couple of hundred bucks if you get your first system, and you can't find someone to do the haircut? Or it's wrong? Etc.

$820 for a good system, from a reputable company, is not an outrageous price, nor is the $95 touch up.

 

[yurguardianangel]

I went in for a consultation for a hair piece. I'm a young man and my hair loss is strong frontal recession but full hair on the sides. The price I was given was $820 for a European lace hair piece that would last about half a year, and $95 for each touch-up every 4 weeks. I was thinking of getting the hair piece, however do you suggest that I do the touch-ups by myself most of the time? Do you recommend glue or tape? Do you recommend a cheaper, non-European hair? I'm wavy blonde. Thanks.

That won't last half a year, they are lying to you. Mine so far lasted 3 months for the skin base with lace front, until the skin base tore/fell apart.
I got 2 others though.
1 currently I used for a few weeks,but the colour is a mismatch(company's fault), and a 3rd new system still at the hair replacement salon.


Can't see delicate lace lasting much longer. Maybe 6 months if your very careful.
But if it's swiss lace that's even more delicate than thin skin. French lace maybe stronger.
Thin skin 0.5mm and over is stronger too, think mine is 0.5mm not sure whether the front is swiss or french lace.

And is that price for custom bespoke mould taken of head and your hair sample given?

As that's a rip off if it's a stock system.

Plus you should have at least a backup hair system.

 

[yurguardianangel]

I'm a big fans of DIY but many people rather spend money to have professional do it for them. There are pros and cons of go for a professional or DIY. If I found a salons that cost $100 USD every 4 weeks in the very beginning without signing any contract. I would let them do it.

Mine costs £45 for touch ups/cleaning/re-bonding. Except usually every 2 weeks.
But lately tried to do it myself at home using tape but has been a total disaster.

 

[4hair4him]

Mine costs £45 for touch ups/cleaning/re-bonding. Except usually every 2 weeks.
But lately tried to do it myself at home using tape but has been a total disaster.

What went wrong?

 

[Goldie Locks]

Mine costs £45 for touch ups/cleaning/re-bonding. Except usually every 2 weeks.
But lately tried to do it myself at home using tape but has been a total disaster.

Hey @yurguardianangel,

I'll ask the same - what went wrong? I pay £40 for "maintenance" service but decided to do it myself today for the first time. The only difficulty for me was taping the parameter of the system (probably because I have strips of tape rather than a roll I can cut myself). Then aligning the system correctly (which I used a white eyeliner pen for). The latter took me longest to be honest but I spent £0.00. I will have to go back at some point because I don't know how to cut my bio hair which is a bummer.

 

[yurguardianangel]

What went wrong?

The system hair had got all stuck to the tape.
And was applied wrongly too, too high on the forehead.
And the tape wasn’t right on the edge leaving a flap of the hair system exposed.

Was my first ever time trying to apply it myself at home though.

Will have to soak it in C22 solvent or risk damaging it.

 

[Fanjeera]

If the company that quoted you the $820 price includes FULL service, which includes full consultation, template, design, cut-in service (may entail an additional cost for cut), I would do it. You get invaluable experience that you don't get online. I would also let them do the first remove/clean/replace, so you can understand how YOUR system works.

After, I think you should do your own maintenance. When you have them do your system, make sure to keep track of ALL the parameters of the system (density, color, front hairline contour, base, etc). Also make sure you can get your template back (super important, it's yours, you paid for it).

If you are satisfied with your system, and how it looks, I would then consider buying a less expensive system (online, for example).

Doing all of this by yourself is not impossible, but how much is it worth saving a couple of hundred bucks if you get your first system, and you can't find someone to do the haircut? Or it's wrong? Etc.

$820 for a good system, from a reputable company, is not an outrageous price, nor is the $95 touch up.

Mine refused to give me the template .

 

[BaldBearded]

Mine refused to give me the template .

That's terrible! You paid for it, it's yours. I would not use a company like that.

 

[Goldie Locks]

The system hair had got all stuck to the tape.
And was applied wrongly too, too high on the forehead.
And the tape wasn’t right on the edge leaving a flap of the hair system exposed.

Was my first ever time trying to apply it myself at home though.

Will have to soak it in C22 solvent or risk damaging it.

Oh! It got a bit messy. Maybe just light spray with c22 and light finger rub would release the hair. Hope you'll get on fine.

 

[n1zza77]

That won't last half a year, they are lying to you. Mine so far lasted 3 months for the skin base with lace front, until the skin base tore/fell apart.
I got 2 others though.
1 currently I used for a few weeks,but the colour is a mismatch(company's fault), and a 3rd new system still at the hair replacement salon.


Can't see delicate lace lasting much longer. Maybe 6 months if your very careful.
But if it's swiss lace that's even more delicate than thin skin. French lace maybe stronger.
Thin skin 0.5mm and over is stronger too, think mine is 0.5mm not sure whether the front is swiss or french lace.

And is that price for custom bespoke mould taken of head and your hair sample given?

As that's a rip off if it's a stock system.

Plus you should have at least a backup hair system.

6 months-8 months is usually when the shedding becomes noticeable. The Lace itself should be in tact, you'd have to be really rough on the piece for the lace to rip. I use Swiss lace as well.

 

[n1zza77]

I went in for a consultation for a hair piece. I'm a young man and my hair loss is strong frontal recession but full hair on the sides. The price I was given was $820 for a European lace hair piece that would last about half a year, and $95 for each touch-up every 4 weeks. I was thinking of getting the hair piece, however do you suggest that I do the touch-ups by myself most of the time? Do you recommend glue or tape? Do you recommend a cheaper, non-European hair? I'm wavy blonde. Thanks.

The piece shouldn't be more than 300. The service shouldn't be more than 200. First time, you should watch how they do it and get a cleanup after 2 weeks. 4 weeks seems like a long amount of time for a cleanup. It will also shorten the lifespan of the piece. I do a weekly cleanup, my pieces last 6-8 months. Everything is DIY for me.

 

[yurguardianangel]

The piece shouldn't be more than 300. The service shouldn't be more than 200. First time, you should watch how they do it and get a cleanup after 2 weeks. 4 weeks seems like a long amount of time for a cleanup. It will also shorten the lifespan of the piece. I do a weekly cleanup, my pieces last 6-8 months. Everything is DIY for me.

Not had a piece on my head stay on longer than a week so far without it lifting or itching.

4 weeks probably is a lie, unless they are using a hard bond adhesive.
2 weeks possible.

 

[deg_dilemma]

4 weeks is not a lie - it's entirely possible. I have done it on a all glue bond. But it's not recommended and can depend on how your body chemistry reacts to the glue/tape. You will of course get the occasional lift at the front or even the back, though it's easy to maintain this yourself.

As for shedding, I noticed a lot of shedding at around the 4 month mark. Now at 6 months I would say that my piece if definitely in need of replacement, so I have the next one booked in to fit in a couple of weeks.

 

[deg_dilemma]

The piece shouldn't be more than 300. The service shouldn't be more than 200. First time, you should watch how they do it and get a cleanup after 2 weeks. 4 weeks seems like a long amount of time for a cleanup. It will also shorten the lifespan of the piece. I do a weekly cleanup, my pieces last 6-8 months. Everything is DIY for me.

I found that more regular maintenance (de/re) shortened the lifespan considerably. This is because I was having to rub the glue off the skin base and this could break the v-loops, causing hair to shed. The glue wasn't actually difficult to remove, but it does end up taking hairs out too when you clean up.

I definitely agree that a 2 week cleanup is recommended. First time I had a piece fitted, I left it for 4 or 5 weeks and it was fine but was not hygienic!

 

[yurguardianangel]

4 weeks is not a lie - it's entirely possible. I have done it on a all glue bond. But it's not recommended and can depend on how your body chemistry reacts to the glue/tape. You will of course get the occasional lift at the front or even the back, though it's easy to maintain this yourself.

As for shedding, I noticed a lot of shedding at around the 4 month mark. Now at 6 months I would say that my piece if definitely in need of replacement, so I have the next one booked in to fit in a couple of weeks.

How you manage 4 weeks I wonder, what adhesive was that?
Can only see walker hardbond sensibond/top priority or similar possibly holding that long.

 

[n1zza77]

I found that more regular maintenance (de/re) shortened the lifespan considerably. This is because I was having to rub the glue off the skin base and this could break the v-loops, causing hair to shed. The glue wasn't actually difficult to remove, but it does end up taking hairs out too when you clean up.

I definitely agree that a 2 week cleanup is recommended. First time I had a piece fitted, I left it for 4 or 5 weeks and it was fine but was not hygienic!

I do agree with you that weekly cleanups do shorten the lifespan but I dont have a choice due to my body chemistry. 6-8 months is good enough for me.

 

[deg_dilemma]

I do agree with you that weekly cleanups do shorten the lifespan but I dont have a choice due to my body chemistry. 6-8 months is good enough for me.

6 to 8 months is a very good lifespan for a system. My thin-skin has lasted 6 months but in retrospect it needed changing at 4 months really. It's shedding like crazy now and I'm not sure why it would do that, unless it's just that the hair becomes brittle over time and breaks.

 

[BaldBearded]

6 to 8 months is a very good lifespan for a system. My thin-skin has lasted 6 months but in retrospect it needed changing at 4 months really. It's shedding like crazy now and I'm not sure why it would do that, unless it's just that the hair becomes brittle over time and breaks.

Is your UTS V-looped? If so, that is the reason, the hair is not knotted in a vloop, and over time will slip out. Shedding can also happen from hair breakage at the knot. That happened to me with my first system. 14" human grey with bleached knots, too much process, and the hair broke off at the knot.