I Am About To Order My First System & Want Some Final Feedback

[jmm0548]

After lots of fact gathering, I have taken the plunge and decided to move forward with ordering a hair system.

I plan to order a custom color French lace with medium light density with a CC hairline. My hope is to initially start with the hairline concealed but move towards being able to show the hairline moving forward.

Does anyone have any thoughts or additional insight to keep in mind before I purchase? Also what products would people suggest I purchase in terms of tape, glue, leave in conditioner, etc.?

Thanks everyone so far on this forum. I felt kind of hopeless in finding a viable solution and everyone’s comments and experiences have made me excited and optimistic about trying out a system!

 

[Noah]

That sounds like a reasonable plan. Swiss lace is better than French if you want an exposed hairline, but for a covered or semi-covered hairline French is fine. You will want to specify a graduated hairline and bleached knots (they come as standard with the better suppliers). Other things to think about if you are ordering a custom unit:

- do you want a poly or thinskin rim for taping around the back and sides? Maybe a tape patch behind the hairline too?
- do you want a parting and/or a crown swirl? You can specify where you want them, and you can consider ordering a skin inset in your lace base underneath the parting/crown, for added realism.
- do you want a percentage of grey? It adds a bit of realism if you are over (say) 30. You can have an extra percentage at the temples.
- do you want to specify how the hairs are knotted into the base (the “ventilation”)? It can be useful if you want a scalp-hugging Caesar cut style, or a slicked-back or slicked-up style.

I would suggest tape for the back and sides for convenience, and glue for the hairline for the best look. Walkers No-Shine is a good all-purpose tape. Ghostbond, Ultrahold, Davlyn and ORWG (oil resistant white glue) are popular glues.

Noah

 

[jmm0548]

Oh wow. Lots of other things to consider! So then I will consider a Swiss Lace with a graduated hairline and bleached knots.

do you want a poly or thinskin rim for taping around the back and sides? Maybe a tape patch behind the hairline too? What would be the difference between the two? Which one is better?
- do you want a parting and/or a crown swirl? You can specify where you want them, and you can consider ordering a skin inset in your lace base underneath the parting/crown, for added realism. Crown swirl and an added skin inset
- do you want a percentage of grey? It adds a bit of realism if you are over (say) 30. You can have an extra percentage at the temples. I’ll add a small portion of grey as well
- do you want to specify how the hairs are knotted into the base (the “ventilation”)? It can be useful if you want a scalp-hugging Caesar cut style, or a slicked-back or slicked-up style. What are the options for knotting? I probably won’t be doing a Caesar cut or a slicked-back/slicked-up.

Thank you for all the other things to consider and for the product suggestions!

 

[Noah]

do you want a poly or thinskin rim for taping around the back and sides? Maybe a tape patch behind the hairline too? What would be the difference between the two? Which one is better?

A rim around the back and sides is pretty common - the poly or skin surface gives a good smooth surface for attaching tape to, and is easy to clean up (less delicate and fragile than lace). The only slight downside is that it slightly increases the detectability of the system by touch. So a rim is a good idea unless you are highly concerned about people feeling that you have a system on.

You can also have tape patches elsewhere, and the upside is the same - a smooth easy-to-clean surface for attaching tape to. They are less common though. The main reason for choosing this option is if you are very physically active and you want a degree of extra security in sweaty conditions.

- do you want to specify how the hairs are knotted into the base (the “ventilation”)? It can be useful if you want a scalp-hugging Caesar cut style, or a slicked-back or slicked-up style. What are the options for knotting? I probably won’t be doing a Caesar cut or a slicked-back/slicked-up.

“Freestyle” is the default option, which doesn’t tie you to any particular style.