Lets Have A Conversation About Hair System Vocabulary And Acronyms

[Diesel guy]

This is the forum where I get most of my information around hair systems, and when I take some of the terminology I learn here and pass it on to my stylist I've discovered my stylist doesn't know what it means. And I'm not even certain I know what it means.
As an example (and this was a real conversation):

Me: I would like a more graduated hairline.
Stylist: What do you mean by 'graduated'?
Me: You know, just a bit of graduation along the hairline.
Stylist: I still don't know what that means.
Me: Just make it look good.

So what does it mean?

Graduated Hairline. - I think myself and my stylist agree that this is basically the same thing as a 'Scalloped' hairline - but I'm not sure.

Freestyle (is this a type of haircut, or a way to order a hair system - and what do you get with 'freestyle'?)

Venting - as in venting more gray hair into a system. Isn't this done by the manufacturer?


Various hair cutting styles and terminologies.

 

[Noah]

Haha, good thread

Graduated Hairline. - Say you order a 90% density hair system. A less-well-made system will be an even 90% density all over. But a system with a graduated hairline will have maybe 50% density for the front half-centimetre at the hairline, then 60% density for the half-centimetre behind that, then 70% for the centimetre behind that, etc. In other words, the density increases gradually up to the chosen density as you go back from the hairline, like a natural hairline does. It avoids the "wall of hair" look which cheaper units have.

Freestyle is a way of tying the hairs onto the base. The person who ties the hairs onto the system (the "ventilator") can knot the hairs on in a particular direction, and if you know, for example, that you always want to wear your hair slicked back, you can request that the hairs be knotted so that they will naturally lie slicked back. Or if you want a short scalp-hugging style where the hairs lie forwards in a fringe, again you can order your system ventilated so that the hairs will naturally lie that way. But if you want flexibility, or you don't yet know what style you will opt for, the neutral default type of ventilation is "freestyle".

Venting - short for "ventilating" is knotting hairs onto the base. As you say, mostly done by the factory, but some salons can add hair later. It is a process requiring dexterity.

 

[Diesel guy]

Haha, good thread

Graduated Hairline. - Say you order a 90% density hair system. A less-well-made system will be an even 90% density all over. But a system with a graduated hairline will have maybe 50% density for the front half-centimetre at the hairline, then 60% density for the half-centimetre behind that, then 70% for the centimetre behind that, etc. In other words, the density increases gradually up to the chosen density as you go back from the hairline, like a natural hairline does. It avoids the "wall of hair" look which cheaper units have.

Freestyle is a way of tying the hairs onto the base. The person who ties the hairs onto the system (the "ventilator") can knot the hairs on in a particular direction, and if you know, for example, that you always want to wear your hair slicked back, you can request that the hairs be knotted so that they will naturally lie slicked back. Or if you want a short scalp-hugging style where the hairs lie forwards in a fringe, again you can order your system ventilated so that the hairs will naturally lie that way. But if you want flexibility, or you don't yet know what style you will opt for, the neutral default type of ventilation is "freestyle".

Venting - short for "ventilating" is knotting hairs onto the base. As you say, mostly done by the factory, but some salons can add hair later. It is a process requiring dexterity.

so the graduated hairline is made into the system at the time of ordering. I had the density part of the equation right, but I thought that was accomplished then the cut in by thinning it out.

Is the term ‘graduated hairline’ and industry Wide standard term? I think my hairline is a bit dense, and we thin it out. Maybe I need to specify this on our next order.

thanks for this.

 

[Noah]

It should be done at the factory, but you can create the same effect by selectively plucking an ungraduated hairline, or selectively using a hair remover like Nair. It's a fiddly business though, with the possibility of overdoing it and creating a bald spot.

 

[Hair56]

Nice thread guys. I have a question about bases.

What is the difference between poly and skin? I thought they were both the same thing. Do vendors list it as "poly" when it is a thicker base?