My 0.03 mm poly unit has shrunk! Am I screwed?

[yomama69]

From what I have read I think it has happened due to heat as I live in a sunny and hot climate and I have been going to the beach often lately. The weird thing is that I noticed the shrinkage only when reattaching as if it had not yet shrunk before I took it off. I would say the unit has shrunk by 1cm.
What should I do know? Is there a way to unshrink/expand it? How am I supposed to put it back on my head since it is shrunk? Is there a way please?
Thank you very much in advance!

 

[TooBad]

From what I have read I think it has happened due to heat as I live in a sunny and hot climate and I have been going to the beach often lately. The weird thing is that I noticed the shrinkage only when reattaching as if it had not yet shrunk before I took it off. I would say the unit has shrunk by 1cm.
What should I do know? Is there a way to unshrink/expand it? How am I supposed to put it back on my head since it is shrunk? Is there a way please?
Thank you very much in advance!

Poly doesn't shrink due to heat. This is typically from cleaning. They dry out from alcohol
( higher concentration faster damage), solvents, and age. A cm is hard to believe though. Did you originally self-install? It's more plausible that it was cut too small and stretched when applied, which is ok to a degree. I always spray mine with warm water (base only/ upside down) allowing it to nearly dry...5 or so times... before I apply tape to reattach. This rehydrates, restores flexibly, and prevents tears

 

[yomama69]

I do use 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove some stubborn pieces of (sometimes liquefied) tape. And I also apply the same before finally putting new tape on the base. Should I avoid this? How do I clean it properly then in order to make sure the bond will hold?
By the way, what exactly do you mean by "...allowing it to nearly dry..."? What is "...to nearly dry"? Sorry, I'm not a native speaker of English.

Thanks!

 

[deg_dilemma]

Interesting that Isopropyl shrinks the UTS. Certainly believable, but I rarely use it and my UTS also shrinks over time. I do think it's heat that shrinks the UTS and I see this more in hotter climates, or when I have in the past had hot showers or used hair dryers. Now I am far more careful with the heat (no blow drying, and only cool water on the hair), but you can't help it if you're in a hot climate.

To counter this, as of last year I started ordering my systems with an extra 1cm or so all the way round (except the hairline of course) which would allow for the eventual shrinkage that starts normally at the 4 month mark for me. This extra cm also prolongs the life of the unit by allowing me to cut away at the hairline when hairs shed from there.

I also find I get a clearer (less visible) attachment if the base is slightly 'damp' , just like @TooBad says above. But I do wonder if this makes the attachment weaker, because the glue is going to attach to the slight damp base.

 

[TooBad]

I do use 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove some stubborn pieces of (sometimes liquefied) tape. And I also apply the same before finally putting new tape on the base. Should I avoid this? How do I clean it properly then in order to make sure the bond will hold?
By the way, what exactly do you mean by "...allowing it to nearly dry..."? What is "...to nearly dry"? Sorry, I'm not a native speaker of English.

Thanks!

Using alcohol to clean is fine. I suggest rehydrating it by spraying it with water. Once the water has almost dried and is no longer very wet, spray it again. Do this 4 or 5 times.

If you still struggle understanding what I mean. Keep the base sprayed with water and "wet" for at least a couple of hours.

I never apply adhesive to a damp base.

 

[yomama69]

Thank you, I will try your method!

 

[smoka123]

I think it´s the stretch !
I had mine applied by a prof hair salon and he stretched it a lot !
Also it is said that these 0.03 system doens´t have a great durability ! 3-5 month maybe if you wear it daily.
MY way to put it on my head is don´t start at the front ! Start at the back to fully cover your head. It doens´t matter if the hairline is 0,5 cm different than before

 

[TooBad]

I think it´s the stretch !
I had mine applied by a prof hair salon and he stretched it a lot !
Also it is said that these 0.03 system doens´t have a great durability ! 3-5 month maybe if you wear it daily.
MY way to put it on my head is don´t start at the front ! Start at the back to fully cover your head. It doens´t matter if the hairline is 0.5 cm different than befor.5 cm is a huge difference with respect to hairline height... I have to disagree. You can hide excess in the back, not the front.

 

[TooBad]

.5 cm is a huge difference with respect to hairline placement... I have to disagree. You can hide excess in the back, not the front.

 

[smoka123]

I don´t think so.
Nothing is more visible as if you have a spot in the back that is not filled with hair.

 

[smoka123]

Also it is some kind of a "rule", the perfect spot to put your hairsystem on the front is the "4-Finger-Rule".
No It isn´t.
Google Translator said it is called "frown", somewhere just above that

 

[yomama69]

I think it´s the stretch !
I had mine applied by a prof hair salon and he stretched it a lot !
Also it is said that these 0.03 system doens´t have a great durability ! 3-5 month maybe if you wear it daily.
MY way to put it on my head is don´t start at the front ! Start at the back to fully cover your head. It doens´t matter if the hairline is 0,5 cm different than before

I had it applied at a professional hair salon, then I did a cleaning and reattachment after 2 weeks with the help of my brother and I didn't notice the shrinkage then, only now. Also, I have to agree with @TooBad , 0,5cm is a huge difference in respect to hairline.

 

[TooBad]

Also it is some kind of a "rule", the perfect spot to put your hairsystem on the front is the "4-Finger-Rule".
No It isn´t.
Google Translator said it is called "frown", somewhere just above that

It should go in the appropriate place.
A .5 cm variance is not negligible, nor within an acceptable margin of error.

The back of your head is more noticeable than your face? Are you serious?

Hair always hangs past the units edge, in the back, by atleast a couple inches. That's the ideal area for wiggle room, not your forehead.

 

[yurguardianangel]

Does this happen on poly edges of hybrid lace hair systems too?

Or is that poly part more durable?

Unsure how thick of the poly part is on mine...Maybe 0.8mm?

 

[TooBad]

Does this happen on poly edges of hybrid lace hair systems too?

Or is that poly part more durable?

Unsure how thick of the poly part is on mine...Maybe 0.8mm?

Everything shrinks over time, lace included.