How much do you spend on your hair systems per year? + questions

[TexanGuy]

I haven't gotten into hair systems yet but hope to this year, I don't live in a city where I could easily go to a place to be professionally cared for regularly but for my first time getting fitted and installed and matched with hair textures I definitely will be flying somewhere to get it done right so from there I can just shave the area and put in hair systems.

I'm hoping not to spend more than 2K a year on hair systems assuming I'll have to replace them 3-4 times a year but I do wear my hair long (16 inches) which will make it pricier, also I know some companys have contracts which are pricey although they would have me in their database I assume which would maybe make things easier to send me new units.

I've seen that companys let you send in templates for custom made units to fit you which I assume is the cheaper option, how does the process of keeping a unit shaped exactly as you need it and having that blueprint to send off for them to copy work out?

 

[smoka123]

2k a year is much more than you need.
If you get a UTS, which can easily be wearing 3-4 months, with all the maintenance etc you do for yourself it would be I think 1,2K.
If you want to have other system, french lace, swiss lace, the costs will be less

 

[Fanjeera]

400€

 

[BaldBearded]

I haven't gotten into hair systems yet but hope to this year, I don't live in a city where I could easily go to a place to be professionally cared for regularly but for my first time getting fitted and installed and matched with hair textures I definitely will be flying somewhere to get it done right so from there I can just shave the area and put in hair systems.

I'm hoping not to spend more than 2K a year on hair systems assuming I'll have to replace them 3-4 times a year but I do wear my hair long (16 inches) which will make it pricier, also I know some companys have contracts which are pricey although they would have me in their database I assume which would maybe make things easier to send me new units.

I've seen that companys let you send in templates for custom made units to fit you which I assume is the cheaper option, how does the process of keeping a unit shaped exactly as you need it and having that blueprint to send off for them to copy work out?

Hi, and welcome.

Let me respond to your comments as best as I can.

It probably makes sense to work with a salon, especially when you are new at this. I flew from Israel to Spain, for both the consult and attachment a couple of months later. I also had long hair, but not quite as long as you did (14").

I am not sure how extensive your balding area is, so I am not sure of the size that you need. Feel free to PM me, with photos, and I can give you more specific information.

Sending in a template doesn't make it any cheaper, actually more expensive as they will need to send it to the factory, this is usually included in the price. The factory makes a mold of your template, and then makes a copy for themselves, and sends the original back to the salon (or vendor).

The 16" will at least double the cost of your system. It would also make sense to go with French lace as your base, as the longer the hair, the easier it will come out. If you go with skin, you will need to get "injected". But at that length, a knotted system is the best, and it needs to be double knotted for strength.

If you can find someone willing to make this system for you, you should expect quite a long production time. I am seeing some systems getting done in as little as 4-6 weeks, now. Some are still taking 16-20. And I have a friend who waited seven months for a unit that was 10" long.

The good thing about long hair... is that you don't need an expert to do haircuts, and a cut-in of a new system is not a huge deal. However, attachment is really important.

You will also see that longer hair requires far more maintenance and care than a shorter system. In my case, I wound up cutting them all really short after a long, hot Mediterranean summer.

Good luck, let me know if you need any more info.

 

[cottonReville]

I don't know how you guys get so much mileage out of your units.

The only time I've gotten good mileage out any unit was when I was using Got2B & detaching frequently, or when I had medium-density units.

 

[jimlad]

400€

How?!?!

In all seriousness, I think this is a very personal thing and totally dependent on lifestyle. I started out with a salon believing that I could change systems every 6 months, so their price of £500 per fitting (including the new system) was workable for me. When it turned out that I would need 4 per year then I realised that it was a bit more of a cost. However, now that I use UTS systems, they don't last as long - I get through 1 every 10 weeks or so, but the cost of going to a smaller supplier and salon means that it's still roughly £2000 a year. I know that for some of you this is utter madness - there seems to be a many people on here who take great pride in caring for their systems and making them last as long as possible. I commend that, I really do, but for me £2000 a year to have great hair and not have to spend forever making sure it's in amazing condition is an absolute steal.

I guess my point for the OP is to budget for more than a salon quotes you and, initially, a lot more than what some on here tell you is possible - even if it works for them, it might not fit with your needs and lifestyle (especially early on).

 

[Hair2019]

I DIY the maintenance and spend less than £1000 per year in total for the cost of my systems + the maintenance products. I pay my current supplier £64 per month for 3 custom systems per year, and the only other costs are maintenance products such as tape, glue, spray in leave in conditioner (with UV protection), shampoos and colour depositing shampoo which I buy online from Hair Direct. You can definitely do this on a modest budget and get great results if you get a good supplier and DIY the maintenance. Actually, my current system is in its 7th month and still looking great, so I'm thinking in future I might even get one new system every 6 months, thereby saving me even more money. Though I suppose having a backup system is always wise too.

 

[Fanjeera]

How?!?!

In all seriousness, I think this is a very personal thing and totally dependent on lifestyle. I started out with a salon believing that I could change systems every 6 months, so their price of £500 per fitting (including the new system) was workable for me. When it turned out that I would need 4 per year then I realised that it was a bit more of a cost. However, now that I use UTS systems, they don't last as long - I get through 1 every 10 weeks or so, but the cost of going to a smaller supplier and salon means that it's still roughly £2000 a year. I know that for some of you this is utter madness - there seems to be a many people on here who take great pride in caring for their systems and making them last as long as possible. I commend that, I really do, but for me £2000 a year to have great hair and not have to spend forever making sure it's in amazing condition is an absolute steal.

I guess my point for the OP is to budget for more than a salon quotes you and, initially, a lot more than what some on here tell you is possible - even if it works for them, it might not fit with your needs and lifestyle (especially early on).

www.northwestlace.com
2 systems per year. Now with the Chinese knotting, though, it's a bit more.

 

[Baldrik]

I DIY the maintenance and spend less than £1000 per year in total for the cost of my systems + the maintenance products. I pay my current supplier £64 per month for 3 custom systems per year, and the only other costs are maintenance products such as tape, glue, spray in leave in conditioner (with UV protection), shampoos and colour depositing shampoo which I buy online from Hair Direct. You can definitely ido this on a modest budget and get great results if you get a good supplier and DIY the maintenance. Actually, my current system is in its 7th month and still looking great, so I'm thinking in future I might even get one new system every 6 months, thereby saving me even more money. Though I suppose having a backup system is always wise too.

64 per month??? That’s a bargain!! Do they do lace systems too?

 

[Hair2019]

64 per month??? That’s a bargain!! Do they do lace systems too?

Yes they do lace systems (I get all Swiss lace units from them), however things have obviously gotten more difficult due to the pandemic so I am not sure whether they can currently get them. They are still doing custom systems, albeit with a lot of waiting time. If you PM me, I'll tell you who they are.