M 23, MANY questions about shaving head & wearing an expensive custom full cap! HELP!

[TheFakeMccoy]

Hi I'm a balding(nearly bald at the top except for some wisps...I have naturally thin hair) 23 year old guy looking for some opinions on how I should go about this, and what my expectations should be.

For starters I have browsed around online for several weeks now and it seems as though full cap hair pieces can be made in any style and any density you wish, obviously age can be a factor but some people have thick hair even into old age, so this isn't a concern. However I wanted to know how thick/dense I can make the hair with a lace base full cap, how difficult cleaning and attachment will be, how expensive it will be, and how undetectable it can be.

I've read quite a number of thread on here that lead me to believe there's plenty of men out there that can easily have and maintain intense physical relationships with women and never have them find the "edge" of their piece. This is a HUGE concern for me as I would never want anyone to know that I wear one. I plan on relocating and moving to another state in the next 6 months and was planning on wearing a hair piece from then on out. No one should ever have any reason to believe that I wear one and if worse came to worse I could I always default to saying I had a hair transplant done at some point. I have many questions for current wearers. Especially about what potential styles you can wear your hair in.

1. Since you've started wearing has anyone be able to tell?

2. Do you wear a full cap and if so how hard is it to attach and style?

3. Can you style a full cap in any style with any density? Could you have a little lower hairline than your natural hairline?

4. Are these hair styles attainable with a full cap lace base?
http://www.objetivofamosos.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/robert-pattinson-crepusculo.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/01/52/b3/0152b369f46c603b6279ece7c80dd4c1.jpg

5. How expensive is it to upkeep?

6. How often do you attach and reattach and what do you use?

7. Question for the user "Noah"-
Have any of the girls you've been with been able to tell you had a hair piece while wearing a lace base?
Could they feel the edge?
Did they touch your hair and not say anything?

9. What about with the full cap, would the edge be more detectable?

10. How precise does your template have to be if I use hairdirect?

11. Who do you use to order from?

12. Do you cut and style yourself or do you have it cut by a hair dresser?

13. Where do you find hair dressers to cut and style your hair piece, discretely?

14. Using a full cap with a lace base, could it fall off during heavy exercise, or due to excessive heat/sweat?
What if it is glued with expensive/strong adhesive?

15. How do you feel about water based adhesive?

16. How do you style you hair piece, and is your hairline showing? Could you show your hairline?

17. How did you do your template?

18. Could you slick your hair back like this, without anyone knowing?
http://apocalypstick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/patrick-bateman-cheers.jpg

19. If you got a full cap, did you end up adding more density than your natural hair, or a lower hairline than your natural hairline?

20. In principle could you style your hair and get any density you want without any delectably issues, given you have a lace base?

21. Given money weren't a factor, would you rather use a hair piece retailer/salon like hair club for men, or would you rather custom order and do it all at home?

Thank you for anyone who responds/replies; Hopefully I can gather some information before taking my first step into purchasing one.

 

[grincher]

There are a few full cap wearer on these forums and a couple have been in contact with me.

I understand that they have full lives (fuller than without hair). Some do templates and others give measurements which caps can be made.

Im sure wearers will be along soon with their own experiences

 

[TheFakeMccoy]

Do you wear a piece yourself grincher?

 

[shookwun]

Can't have short sides with a full cap. The Robert Patterson picture looks doable.

Why exactly would you get a full cap at 23? are your sides completely diffused and parallel with the ear?

 

[TheFakeMccoy]

Can't have short sides with a full cap. The Robert Patterson picture looks doable.

Why exactly would you get a full cap at 23? are your sides completely diffused and parallel with the ear?

Thank god I really want that kind of hair style with a full cap. I have REALLY bad thinning everywhere, even the back of my head, and it also seems as though it would be easier to have a higher density and any style I want with a full cap.
My sides are completely diffused, but they're getting there and will be soon, as I've been balding since I was 18. It's fine though because from what I've read so far my expectations should be met by a nice full cap given I undergo the proper maintenance and upkeep, which I read can be quite extreme at times. This is alright with me though as long as no one knows, and I can style my hair like in those pictures I linked, without any issues.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[parisienne]

TheFakeMccoy, have you looked into Diffuse Alopecia Aerata ? It's pretty rare to have diffused sides with male pattern baldness.

- - - Updated - - -

TheFakeMccoy, have you looked into Diffuse Alopecia Aerata ? It's pretty rare to have diffused sides and back with male pattern baldness.

 

[TheFakeMccoy]

TheFakeMccoy, have you looked into Diffuse Alopecia Aerata ? It's pretty rare to have diffused sides with male pattern baldness.

- - - Updated - - -

TheFakeMccoy, have you looked into Diffuse Alopecia Aerata ? It's pretty rare to have diffused sides and back with male pattern baldness.

I have, but I don't believe this is what's happening to me; I have naturally thin hair + male pattern baldness and I want to get a full cap hair piece so I can have higher density hair with a hairline potentially lower than my original hairline, which apparently is doable with hair transplantation, so I don't see why this wouldn't be achievable with a full cap hair piece. If I were to purchase a normal hair piece I wouldn't be able to get a super high density due to my thin hair at the sides, which is naturally thin. I'm pretty sure my mob is also effecting the hair on the sides of my head, but I'm not entirely sure, either way I need a full cap to have high density and not look odd, if I had a full cap all my hair would look like it belongs, so this way no one could tell I'm wearing a piece, make sense?

I asked the questions above to get a general idea what to expect to achieve what I'm looking for and what steps to take, and what to expect for results. A user on this website "Noah" said they don't have any issues with physical relationships with women, and some had lasted 3-4 months, and they never knew. I figure full cap lace is the way to go for me. Yes it is rare to have thin/thinning hair at the sides with male pattern baldness, but it happens, happened to one of my maternal uncles to a degree in fact.

 

[parisienne]

It totally makes sense. I think what you want can be found now, hair replacement systems are getting better and better. Wishing you good luck finding yours. You won't be the bald guy who feels bad about it, but the guy whose hair routine is a little different, and that'll be fine.

 

[shookwun]

Hey bro. A full cap seems like a lot of bs to go through for maitenance. The attachment part and Clean up would be rather difficult. Not to mention getting a snug fit that doesn't have creases....


Why not just get a topper and have faded sides, and back.

Are you rele set ok having hair on the back and sides?

A clean #1 cut and fade around the neck, nape and ears looks aesthetic

 

[grincher]

Do you wear a piece yourself grincher?

Yes, but mine is about 7" x 5"

 

[TheFakeMccoy]

Hey bro. A full cap seems like a lot of bs to go through for maitenance. The attachment part and Clean up would be rather difficult. Not to mention getting a snug fit that doesn't have creases....


Why not just get a topper and have faded sides, and back.

Are you rele set ok having hair on the back and sides?

A clean #1 cut and fade around the neck, nape and ears looks aesthetic

The maintenance doesn't bother me at all, I will make sure there are no creases, and the clean up will be fine.

I would rather be able to style my hair however I want, not be required to have it cut and faded on the sides, as I would like to style it like the above pictures with a full cap. I'm sure/positive it is doable, and I was just looking for some answers to the questions I posted above, not looking to get into a full cap vs topper debate. I've already determined that full caps are objectively better for me than toppers.

IDK if I can have that Robert Pattison esque haircut with a topper....

Edit:

Also I've researched this extensively already and found this interesting post in another forum, I'll copy and paste it down below to outline the pros and cons of a full cap.

First, lets start with the benefits

- No maintenance cuts. If you wear a topper you must cut your own hair every coupe of weeks to maintain proper blending. A full cap only needs to be cut once.
- Color issues are minimal. With a topper you have to maintain the color of your hairpiece to match your existing hair. Over time the hair will fade making it necessary to re-color the hair or at least add a temporary hair color to ensure a proper color match. With a full cap there is no color matching (unless you are utilizing some of your existing hair) and therefore color maintenance is much less critical.
- Curl and texture match are not an issue. If you arenâ₉„¢t integrating your own hair with the hair of the full cap, you can order as much or as little curl as you like. Hair texture is another thing that is a non-issue with a full cap. Sometimes hairpiece hair is thicker or thinner than your existing hair, and people who wear toppers often have a slight difference between their existing hair and the hair on the hairpiece.
- No blending issues. Again, unless you are utilizing existing hair, there is no blending required for a full cap. This, along with the fact that there is no need to match the color, curl, and texture, means that there is no need to worry about a visible line where the hairpiece hair meets your own, and this is often a dead giveaway that someone is wearing a piece.
- Extremely secure attachment. With a full cap there is generally more tape or glue holding the unit down, and since the unit is usually attached to a vertical surface as opposed to a horizontal one (the side of your head instead of the top) this makes the attachment very strong and nearly impossible to remove without alcohol or adhesive solvents.
- Density is less critical. Another issue that faces people who wear toppers is matching the density of the hairpiece to the density of their existing hair. They might opt to go with a thinner density for added realism, but with a full cap you have much more flexibility in the density of the piece. Another benefit to the full cap is that you can actually order the unit with a higher density than you normally would, and by using styling products you can create the illusion of a thinner, more realistic density as the piece naturally sheds. This will increase the longevity of the unit, saving you money!
- More realistic in the morning. When I wore toppers, I would wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, horrified at the mess I saw on the back of my head. My own hair would be fine, but the piece was usually matted and tangled and looking nothing like my existing hair. With a full cap this is much less of a problem, and can even be eliminated altogether with the use of the right hair care products.
- No lifting of base material in areas likely to be touched. If you are concerned about the unit being undetectable to touch, you will need to make sure your attachment is as perfect as possible. This is of utmost importance to those who wear toppers, since the areas of the head that are most likely to be touched will have edges that are easily detected if not attached well. Even a small amount of lace lift has the potential to get you â₁“bustedâ€ÂÂ. Fortunately, with a full cap the main area of concern is the nape, and with a proper attachment it is easy to keep the unit secure in that area.
- 100% flexibility in design, temples, hairline, curl, highlights, etc. With a full cap, you can have literally any kind of hair you want. You can design the temples and hairline to the exact shape you want, and you can have as much or as little recession built into the unit as you desire. For some people it is actually better than having their own hair.
- Eliminates issues unique to those with thinning sides. With a full cap there are no worries about thinning side hair, no need to use concealers, and no need for the hair to be cut in a certain way to cover receding sides or temples.
- Unlimited design options to create additional style flexibility. With a full cap you can truly have any hair style you wish.
- Ease of styling. Since there is no transition between existing hair and hairpiece hair, a full cap is generally easier to style than a topper.
- Ease of maintaining realistic look. Even if your hair gets blown out of place by the wind or any other means, detection is less likely with a full cap than with a topper.
- The ability to change your style radically, overnight. This might apply more to actors and actresses, but with a full cap you have the ability to go from one inch hair to any length you desire immediately, no need to wait for your existing hair grow.
- No need to worry about coloring or blending existing gray hair. No more grey! Unless you want grey, of course.
- More flexibility to tweak hairline and temples if desired. If you order an all lace full cap, it is very simple to remove material to customize your piece.
- No need to grow out your side and back hair- you can have hair instantly. When I was growing out my hair for my first topper, I had to wear a hat everywhere I went. I had women trying to pull my hat off. I wasnâ₉„¢t able to do some of the things I liked to do, it was quite frustrating . Go on vacation with a shaved head, come back with hair. Pretty cool!


Now lets take a look at some of the drawbacks

- Neck area can require additional maintenance. Depending upon how you design your template or base., you will find that the most challenging part of a full cap is the back of the neck or the â₁“nape†area. If you are able to integrate some of your own hair it becomes less of an issue. It is generally a good idea to design your full cap to extend to the base of your skull and NOT onto your neck where constant flexing can cause lifting. Depending upon your base design and the way your skin flexes in this area, you might have to touch up the back from time to time.
- Back hair on a piece has the tendency to not lay as flat as real hair. This is an issue that is often difficult to overcome for full cap wearers. As the hair settles, it will lay flatter and more naturally, however, it still might require the use of styling products from time to time to achieve the desired look.
- You cant wear a hat without a piece underneath to allow â₁“down timeâ€ÂÂ. With a topper, lots of guys will simply throw on a hat without the piece if they are running short on time or want to give their scalp time to â₁“breatheâ€ÂÂ. With a full cap you canâ₉„¢t go out in public with only a hat without people knowing that you have no hair.
- Base may buckle if not stretched well. A full cap has a lot more material than a topper, and as such there is a greater potential to get wrinkles in the base.
- A full cap is slightly more difficult and time consuming to attach and clean. More base area takes more time to clean, and due to the extreme curvature of a full cap, it can be tricky to attach until you get some practice.
- More edge area means extra glue/tape expense and possibly more potential for detection by touch. You will probably spend a little more money on supplies for a full cap than for a topper, but the added expense is minimal. Also, since a full cap has more edges, there might be a greater chance of detection by touch. The fact that the edges of a full cap are in areas that are less likely to be felt does counteract this to an extent.
- A full cap cannot be cut as short as a topper. You can go as short as ¾ of an inch in most cases, maybe even shorter, but it isnâ₉„¢t possible to have a â₁“fade†type cut with a full cap.
- Greater initial expense. The cost of a full cap is often greater than a topper, however, you can counteract this to an extent by ordering a higher density to get longer life from the unit.
- Stock unit not as readily available. Hopefully this will change as more and more people begin to order full caps, but unfortunately most stock units that are available today are made for women with higher densities and longer hair.
- Less friendly for daily removal. With the extra time involved in removal, cleaning, and re-attaching, daily wear is not as practical with a full cap as it is with a topper.
- Template is more difficult to make. It is actually very easy to build a template for a full cap, but you have to be able to visualize the end result to be able to shape a realistic hairline (which you would have to do with a topper as well) and temples. This is less of an issue if you build your first template a little larger and tweak it to the proper specs when it arrives, but if you are trying to get the specs just right without a guide it can be challenging.
- Longer attachment is more detectable to touch due to stubble growth. With a lace base full cap, stubble growth can become detectable after 4 or 5 days.

 

[Noah]

Hi McCoy

I don't wear a full cap, so I don't have any first-hand information on that aspect. What I have gleaned from reading forums like this is that they can look very good, but you have to resign yourself to middle-of-the-road styles; a bit longer and shaggier than today's sharp styles. The problem areas seem to be the temples (because of the fine hair and the need to ventilate them at very low density and at an acute slickback angle) and the nape of the neck below the skull (because you are gluing onto a muscle which keeps stretching and changing shape). If you can retain your real hair at the temples and nape, and replace the rest, it makes life easier.

These are the Qs I can comment on at first hand:

1. Since you've started wearing has anyone be able to tell?

My first pieces were from a Hair Club type place, and were detectable, certainly to the touch. Since I have been wearing the fine lace pieces, no one has every given me any indication that I have been busted.

4. Are these hair styles attainable with a full cap lace base?
http://www.objetivofamosos.com/wp-co...crepusculo.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...e7c80dd4c1.jpg

I think you could do something fairly similar, but you would have to adapt the design of the temples, unless you can use your own temples. Is that a possibility?

5. How expensive is it to upkeep?

I reckon I'm spending US$ 1,250 - 1,400 a year (depending on what you include). Maybe an extra 300 for full caps?

6. How often do you attach and reattach and what do you use?

Once a week. Various tapes at the back and sides, Davlyn glue at the hairline.

7. Question for the user "Noah"-
Have any of the girls you've been with been able to tell you had a hair piece while wearing a lace base?

See above - not since I have been wearing good quality fine lace units.

Could they feel the edge?

No.

Did they touch your hair and not say anything?

Sure; I have had girls run their fingers through my hair - that is part of the dating scene. In fact, if you have a nice head of hair girls will want to do that. You got to get the piece on so that it is undetectable, or else stop them doing it.

9. What about with the full cap, would the edge be more detectable?

I don't see why it would be, except perhaps the temple area.

10. How precise does your template have to be if I use hairdirect?

It's a reasonably forgiving process, and you can trim the result. Have you watched the various videos out there on template making?

11. Who do you use to order from?

I have used Toplace, Northwest Lace and Coolpiece - all pretty good.

12. Do you cut and style yourself or do you have it cut by a hair dresser?

I use a friendly hairdresser.

13. Where do you find hair dressers to cut and style your hair piece, discretely?

Just trial and error. I found mine through someone who I met at the Hair Club place actually.

14. Using a full cap with a lace base, could it fall off during heavy exercise, or due to excessive heat/sweat?
What if it is glued with expensive/strong adhesive?

It certainly won't "fall off". The worst case scenario is that a bit of the hairline could come loose, but if you are diligent about fresh attachment that won't happen.

15. How do you feel about water based adhesive?

You mean water based hairpiece glue, or stuff like Got2BeGlued?

16. How do you style you hair piece, and is your hairline showing? Could you show your hairline?

I can slick fine back, but mostly it is slicked loosely back and then allowed to fall forward, so the hairline is partially exposed, but with a bit of shadow.

17. How did you do your template?

Lots of videos out there on this.

18. Could you slick your hair back like this, without anyone knowing?
http://apocalypstick.com/wp-content/...man-cheers.jpg

Yes.

20. In principle could you style your hair and get any density you want without any delectably issues, given you have a lace base?

No, appropriate density is an important factor in getting an undetectable look. If you spot a guy who is wearing a piece, 9 times out of 10 it is because there is a color mismatch or his density clues you in that something looks wrong. Then you look closer and you may see other flaws which give it away. You hardly ever spot a wearer because you see their lace base.

21. Given money weren't a factor, would you rather use a hair piece retailer/salon like hair club for men, or would you rather custom order and do it all at home?

Definitely custom. The quality of the pieces is much better, and you're not always on tenterhooks about whether they are going to do a bum job which will embarrass you,

good luck
noah