Has Anyone Had A Similarly Disastrous Start To Their Journey?

[Leduc]

Frustrated and need I to vent. I ordered my first piece last year through a salon. It arrived and was very dark and completely unsuitable for my grey/white bio hair. Seems my salon was more concerned with the color of my eyebrows than with my hair. We ordered the replacement, sent more hair samples plus the correct code from the color ring. The second piece arrived in January, it was still too dark (this time apparently the manufacturer decided to do some creative color blending) and it was cut so short there would have been no way to blend it even if the color match was good. It was also very curly, my hair is straight. The order for piece #3 was sent about 4 weeks ago and now there is a likelihood of severe delays because of the virus.
Making the decision to go for a hair piece was difficult enough for me, but this comedy of errors with my orders, and now coronavirus affecting manufacturing, is getting me depressed.
If anyone else had a troublesome beginning to their hair replacement journey please let me know how you coped, I need some encouraging news.

 

[AxC123]

Sorry for you and understand your frustrations.
I would order (and pay) a stock piece that matches the color you want ( all grey I understand based on pic in your order post) and insist with your salon that they install it until your 3rd unit arrives.
They don't seem competent or understand your needs well.
This supplier carries all grey (synthetic and human)
If all lace, check the m105 french lace model, and in the color option, select all grey. There is also a tab which shows their inventory.

If you want all swiss lace, m115, lower density, 20 in stock.

Other option with poly sides and back, swiss lace , m116,3 all grey in stock

Don't dispair

 

[AxC123]

Oups, supplier in question
https://superhairpieces.ca/men/in-stock/all-in-stock-models/

You are also in Canada I believe so quick delivery.

 

[Leduc]

Oups, supplier in question
https://superhairpieces.ca/men/in-stock/all-in-stock-models/

You are also in Canada I believe so quick delivery.

Yup, in Canada. I appreciate your help, I will have a look on the superhairpieces site. Hopefully I can find somebody else to install other than the salon I'm struggling with currently. I definitely am not ready for DIY.

 

[Leduc]

Sorry for you and understand your frustrations.
I would order (and pay) a stock piece that matches the color you want ( all grey I understand based on pic in your order post) and insist with your salon that they install it until your 3rd unit arrives.
They don't seem competent or understand your needs well.
This supplier carries all grey (synthetic and human)
If all lace, check the m105 french lace model, and in the color option, select all grey. There is also a tab which shows their inventory.

If you want all swiss lace, m115, lower density, 20 in stock.

Other option with poly sides and back, swiss lace , m116,3 all grey in stock

Don't dispair

It really irritates me that they keep getting the most critical specs wrong, like color, length and curls. I think you are correct with the salon lacking competence. It was hard enough to find a salon, now it appears I found the wrong one.

 

[AxC123]

Forgot to say that most stock come with a loose curl that straighten out fairly easily

 

[TheLoneWigMaker]

Frustrated and need I to vent. I ordered my first piece last year through a salon. It arrived and was very dark and completely unsuitable for my grey/white bio hair. Seems my salon was more concerned with the color of my eyebrows than with my hair. We ordered the replacement, sent more hair samples plus the correct code from the color ring. The second piece arrived in January, it was still too dark (this time apparently the manufacturer decided to do some creative color blending) and it was cut so short there would have been no way to blend it even if the color match was good. It was also very curly, my hair is straight. The order for piece #3 was sent about 4 weeks ago and now there is a likelihood of severe delays because of the virus.
Making the decision to go for a hair piece was difficult enough for me, but this comedy of errors with my orders, and now coronavirus affecting manufacturing, is getting me depressed.
If anyone else had a troublesome beginning to their hair replacement journey please let me know how you coped, I need some encouraging news.

My journey:
The beginning of my journey was kind of bad as well. I too, first went to a salon where they gave me a pretty bad piece. Looking back, I can't believe factories even make products that bad anymore. It was thick, there was absolutely no graduation in the hairline, and the hair was stiff. I didn't yet know how to reattach with care, so my first time reattaching I ripped a chunk out of the side because I put the glue too low and it glued the hair into my bio hair. Even so, people didn't seem to notice and I once got carded and turned away because they couldn't believe the picture was the same guy as me standing there with all that hair. People really are oblivious!

The next time, I ordered a custom from Northwestlace and when I took it to the same salon for a cut-in, the owner couldn't believe the quality and said they'd start ordering their own products from there (I don't rep NWL, I feel like they have their own set of issues). By this time, I had the learned experience of taking care of the unit, de/reattaching and maintaining my biohair to blend with it. Things finally clicked and I realized how cool this lifestyle can be!

Next, I learned how to cut-in my own systems and ditched the salon altogether. Once you can take total control of the process, you can really fine-tune the results -and quality- for yourself, not to mention save money. Now, I make my own systems, although if you wanted to really go that far expect investing a load of time and money to get started.

Check out the before/after pictures. One is from 2006, the other is from last year with a UTS from NWL. I think I look younger now!

Now for my advice:
Starting the wearing lifestyle can be extremely frustrating; there are many things to learn/practice, and not many local resources around to help. Finding good products is also challenging with so many bad companies out there.

There are a lot of negative stories when working with salons. They can be expensive, often they order inferior systems to improve their margins, and sometime their expertise is even questionable. Not to say all salons are bad, but it sounds like this one may be more trouble than it's worth. A good salon/factory should be able to take your hair sample and find an acceptable match, and also communicate the correct wave for your hair. That's pretty basic stuff.

I totally understand if you want to start out at a salon to have help learning the ropes. Perhaps there is another in your area? But, there are often much better options by ordering at a reputable online retailer and learning DIY through these forums and YouTube videos.

For online retailers, I've personally used northwestlace for a couple years. @AxC123 recommends superhairpieces.ca and @BaldBearded recommends oneheadhair.com . As they may mention, custom systems are not being fulfilled for a bit due to coronavirus, but they have stocks available. If you don't want to cut-in your own unit, Debbie has been doing fairly affordable cut-ins for a decade or more: http://splitendshairreplacement.com/

As for education, this forum is quite helpful. I'd be willing to answer any questions in DM as well. The Northwestlace forum has a huge searchable archive of post advice (https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/northwestlace/search.php).

On YouTube, MyHairExperience is the best resource (run by Curtis). MGFord also has some worthwhile videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/mgford3425/videos).

 

[Noah]

Leduc, really sorry to hear about your frustrating start. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to screw up once may be regarded as misfortune; to screw up twice looks like carelessness. I think you have just got to get a better place. You have a few ideas there.

Noah

 

[Hair2019]

Hi Leduc. I'll add my 2 cents to this because my first hair system didn't work out very well either. But first of all, I want to say that if your current stylist/hair system company has messed it up twice then it's definitely time to order from another (better) company!

The other thing I want to add is that when you're new to this game, there is a learning curve and transition period while you get to grips with wearing and looking after a hair system. A lot of newbies find the first system the hardest, both physically and psychologically.

So I got my first system in December 2019 from a UK company (I won't say their name publicly, but I've mentioned them in other posts). I am happy with the company itself, the service and the quality of their systems, however the issue was the stylist I went to. It didn't get off to a great start when I travelled 4 hours for a consultation. I have long hair and I have a partial hair system for the top. But the stylist didn't seem to understand why I wanted to keep my hair long and kept trying to impose other style ideas on me. Also she gave me misinformation about hair types, saying that I would be fine with normal Indian hair (which I am), and that 'European hair would look stupid on me' (which I've since found out is not correct).

I was advised to order a stock system at first, which was fair enough because it would enable me to get it quicker and use it to experiment with hair systems. But she said I could've just done the consultation via Skype, and didn't need to travel all that way, which I wasn't told upfront (to her credit, she didn't charge me the full amount for the consultation).

So after I ordered my first system, I went back to her to get the base resized and have it attached, since at that time I didn't know how to do that and I thought it'd be best to get someone experienced to show me the first time and then go DIY after that. Firstly, when you get a new hair system, it needs to be washed as it's coated in silicone at the factory. I didn't know this at the time, so I turned up with an unwashed system. The stylist didn't even mention this. She claimed to have 18 years experience in this game - well if that is true then the FIRST thing she should've done was asked if the system had been washed, because they don't look quite or feel like real soft hair until you wash them. I certainly felt something was a bit 'off' with the feel and texture of the system, and I've since realised it was because it was coated in silicone!

Next, she didn't resize the base very well - the lace still overlapped my bio hair at the back and sides after she resized it. Shoddy work basically. She also didn't ask me whether I wanted an exposed hairline or not, and just assumed I wanted a fringe. As a result, she put the hairline far too low down on my forehead, which I didn't like at all. Also, the cut in wasn't very good and wasn't what I had in mind at all.

I left the place feeling something wasn't quite right. She failed to understand that when a person gets a hair system, they should try and match the system as closely to their current hair and style as much as possible so that when you transition to it, people around you don't really notice there has been any significant change. But she left my hair far too thick and I felt really self conscious.

To make things more stressful, this was one day before Christmas eve and I had to spend Christmas with my family. So the next day I went out and bought some thinning scissors and thinned the system out, and trimmed it a bit to try and make it look more realistic. I managed to get it looking ok, but still with a fringe, so I had to tell my family that I'd been to a stylist and had my hair cut and restyled, and that I was experimenting with a fringe so that I could cover my tracks.

During this period I washed the system, and it gave it a new lease of life, making it soft like bio hair.

Then early in the new year I trimmed the base and hairline of the system (NOT recommended btw!) because I wasn't happy with how it looked. I ended up with a minor disaster because there were some obvious blemishes on it, and I was due to go back to work a day later. Full of anxiety and panic, I phoned in sick that day and said I might be off for a week or 2 (as obviously I couldn't go back to work with terrible hair that looked like a system). I phoned up the hair system company and explained the situation, and then ordered a duplicate stock system.

Fortunately I still had some of my old hair fibres and hair concealer powder, so by some minor miracle I was actually able to rework the first system and cover the blemishes, and reattach it, comb it into a central parting and I got it looking perfectly presentable. A day later I went back to work, and to my surprise people didn't even suspect a thing, but actually just said things like 'oh I like your new hairstyle!', or 'oh, you've had a little hair cut, it looks nice!' etc. One Polish girl even said it 'looks like a rock star!'. Then they immediately changed the subject and life at work continued as normal. Nobody even looked at my hair after that, so I assumed they didn't suspect it was a system!

So a couple of weeks later my second system arrived. This time I resized the base myself, and of course I washed the system with shampoo before attaching it. I am much happier with the second system because I used the knowledge I'd learned to get it looking right, and I know I can now move forward and feel confident wearing a hair system.

I think the key points from my experience are as follows:

1) There is a learning curve/transition period with hair systems, so don't expect to get it totally right with your first system. If possible, take a week or 2 off work and don't see any of your friends or family while you go through this transition period.

2) Going to a so called experienced hair system stylist doesn't always work - sometimes we expect too much of them. IDEALLY, you pay such a stylist so they can guide you through all the options and fit and cut in your first system so it looks exactly how you want it, but in reality it doesn't always work out that way. My advice would also be to take some photos of the hairstyle you're looking for to show the stylist, so they know what to aim for, and also make it clear you want your hair not to look drastically different than before so people don't notice the transition. A good hair system stylist should know this - if not, get rid of them!

3) Following on from point 2 - educate yourself on all aspects of hair systems, so you can go DIY as soon as possible. This forum is a great starting point, as is Curtis' Youtube channel (and ebooks) at My Hair Experience

4) Accept that the first system will be a stressful and anxiety inducing experience until you get used to it.

5) Life with hair systems does get better and easier with time! Once you get the hang of it, you can for the most part live your life as normal and relax knowing you have great looking hair and can feel confident with how you look.

I should add that I'm very grateful to everyone in this forum for all their help and advice. Unlike a lot of forums, there is a very nice and friendly vibe here and people are more than happy to help. I think that's because they understand we're all in the same boat here and have been through the same stresses themselves, therefore there's no hostility towards our fellow wearers. We are very lucky to have a network like this where we can go to for help and advice!

 

[Leduc]

Thanks all for your advice and words of encouragement.

 

[Leduc]

Sorry for you and understand your frustrations.
I would order (and pay) a stock piece that matches the color you want ( all grey I understand based on pic in your order post) and insist with your salon that they install it until your 3rd unit arrives.
They don't seem competent or understand your needs well.
This supplier carries all grey (synthetic and human)
If all lace, check the m105 french lace model, and in the color option, select all grey. There is also a tab which shows their inventory.

If you want all swiss lace, m115, lower density, 20 in stock.

Other option with poly sides and back, swiss lace , m116,3 all grey in stock

Don't dispair

Thanks for the advice AXC123. I checked out their website and the m115 specifically. I assume that the narrow fabric(?) band around the perimeter is meant to be trimmed away when cutting the piece down to size? I have watched a few videos but I think I will still opt for having a salon do the trimming and attachments at least in the beginning. It was my hope to make it as painless a process as possible when I chose to go to a salon in the first place, it's been quite the opposite so far.

 

[AxC123]

You're welcome.
Stock come in standard 8×10 and yes extra lace needs to be cut.
I assume you salon has made a mold of your bald area and if so, they most likely won't let you have it as they want you to return...reason why I suggested you use them for the fitting.

Check with them if that is acceptable arrangement prior to ordering g anything...

 

[Leduc]

For online retailers, I've personally used northwestlace for a couple years. @AxC123 recommends superhairpieces.ca and @BaldBearded recommends oneheadhair.com . As they may mention, custom systems are not being fulfilled for a bit due to coronavirus, but they have stocks available. If you don't want to cut-in your own unit, Debbie has been doing fairly affordable cut-ins for a decade or more: http://splitendshairreplacement.com/

As for education, this forum is quite helpful. I'd be willing to answer any questions in DM as well. The Northwestlace forum has a huge searchable archive of post advice (https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/northwestlace/search.php).

On YouTube, MyHairExperience is the best resource (run by Curtis). MGFord also has some worthwhile videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/mgford3425/videos).[/QUOTE]

@LoneWigMaker, enjoyed reading your story and thanks for the advice. Your picture looks good, definitely much better with the hair. Is that one of your creations or was that a NWL piece?

 

[TheLoneWigMaker]

@LoneWigMaker, enjoyed reading your story and thanks for the advice. Your picture looks good, definitely much better with the hair. Is that one of your creations or was that a NWL piece?

That was a UTS piece from NWL last year. IMO, UTS aren't great for presentation. They are super convenient, but not great for showing off to friends and acquaintances. Lace gets better results IMO, granted more work to maintain.

I'm currently building a Norwood 4 piece. I'm tracking progress on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thelonewigmaker/

 

[Nostab2]

My journey:
The beginning of my journey was kind of bad as well. I too, first went to a salon where they gave me a pretty bad piece. Looking back, I can't believe factories even make products that bad anymore. It was thick, there was absolutely no graduation in the hairline, and the hair was stiff. I didn't yet know how to reattach with care, so my first time reattaching I ripped a chunk out of the side because I put the glue too low and it glued the hair into my bio hair. Even so, people didn't seem to notice and I once got carded and turned away because they couldn't believe the picture was the same guy as me standing there with all that hair. People really are oblivious!

The next time, I ordered a custom from Northwestlace and when I took it to the same salon for a cut-in, the owner couldn't believe the quality and said they'd start ordering their own products from there (I don't rep NWL, I feel like they have their own set of issues). By this time, I had the learned experience of taking care of the unit, de/reattaching and maintaining my biohair to blend with it. Things finally clicked and I realized how cool this lifestyle can be!

Next, I learned how to cut-in my own systems and ditched the salon altogether. Once you can take total control of the process, you can really fine-tune the results -and quality- for yourself, not to mention save money. Now, I make my own systems, although if you wanted to really go that far expect investing a load of time and money to get started.

Check out the before/after pictures. One is from 2006, the other is from last year with a UTS from NWL. I think I look younger now!

Now for my advice:
Starting the wearing lifestyle can be extremely frustrating; there are many things to learn/practice, and not many local resources around to help. Finding good products is also challenging with so many bad companies out there.

There are a lot of negative stories when working with salons. They can be expensive, often they order inferior systems to improve their margins, and sometime their expertise is even questionable. Not to say all salons are bad, but it sounds like this one may be more trouble than it's worth. A good salon/factory should be able to take your hair sample and find an acceptable match, and also communicate the correct wave for your hair. That's pretty basic stuff.

I totally understand if you want to start out at a salon to have help learning the ropes. Perhaps there is another in your area? But, there are often much better options by ordering at a reputable online retailer and learning DIY through these forums and YouTube videos.

For online retailers, I've personally used northwestlace for a couple years. @AxC123 recommends superhairpieces.ca and @BaldBearded recommends oneheadhair.com . As they may mention, custom systems are not being fulfilled for a bit due to coronavirus, but they have stocks available. If you don't want to cut-in your own unit, Debbie has been doing fairly affordable cut-ins for a decade or more: http://splitendshairreplacement.com/

As for education, this forum is quite helpful. I'd be willing to answer any questions in DM as well. The Northwestlace forum has a huge searchable archive of post advice (https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/northwestlace/search.php).

On YouTube, MyHairExperience is the best resource (run by Curtis). MGFord also has some worthwhile videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/mgford3425/videos).

How long have you been wearing total?

 

[TheLoneWigMaker]

3 years.