Hi Koga
You're right; there is a lot of misinformation out there, some of it deliberate and some the result of genuine ignorance or failure to keep up with developing technology. Hair replacement is a very strange industry, and the reason is the imbalance of information. If you were buying an electric drill or a barbecue you might ask the guys you work with or your drinking pals what they have, what they paid, whether it was a good product, where you could get the best deal. Men don't do that with hair replacements. Consequently customers don't know what is out there, what the state of the art is, what they should be paying etc., and the suppliers are not subject to the normal pressures of the market. Guys go with the first place they find, and they tend to stay there. The suppliers are not forced to compete with the competition, to keep up with developments in technology, and to provide great customer service. But the anonymity of the internet is gradually putting that right, redressing the information imbalance, and I hope in a small way the guys on this forum are contributing to that.
What should I look out for?
For hair replacement salons I would say 2 things: (1) somewhere that is going to give you a product that fits your needs as opposed to their their business model; and (2) somewhere that is going to educate and empower you to look after your own hair system and to be as independent as you want to be, and is not seeking to keep you dependent on them for everything. On issue (1), a lot of salons offer basically one product, which is usually a stock silicone-based system, which they cut down to size and glue on your head. Apart from the colour match, there is no customisation, and no choice. That often, although not invariably, goes with issue (2) - you are expected to return to the salon every month for them to maintain your system, and you get no support or education as to how manage by yourself. But generally, just go and talk to them, get the vibe, see the pictures, maybe talk to a customer or two who is wearing their product and just see if you would be happy with it on yourself.
What is a realistic budget to be able to live with an undetectable hair piece?
I would say you can realistically can do it for US$ 750 a year. Some of the cost is front-end loaded, because you have to buy a particular product, but it will last for years.
Are the online services by which you have to measure your own head a good choice, e.g. Quiff?
I think so (although Quiff itself is overpriced). Some people would say get help from a salon first, and then when you know what it is all about you can switch to an on-line provider. That makes sense too, provided you have access to a good salon. But I also know a lot of guys who did their own measurements and went with an on-line supplier from day 1, almost always very successfully. It's really not hard. One counterintuitive factor is that the good on-line suppliers are actually providing a significantly better quality products than most of the salons.
How does an online vendor match your existing hair on the sides and back?
You send a hair sample with your order. If you have different colours on different areas of your head, you can design your system with that feature too, and send several samples.
And which are the best vendors?
I prefer not to comment about individual named suppliers on the public board, so I will PM you about this.
Noah
