Need Advice On What To Do And What To Ask

[coys]

Hey guys, after being a long time moreless lurker on this site ive decided to finally take the plunge and book an appointment for the end of the month to go down the hair system route. Ive been using fibres for the last few years, and while they do a decent job im sick of the mess they leave and the contstant worry of rain etc. So i decided to book a consultation. I was wondering what type of questions i should be asking? Obviously i want it to look as real as possible, so would need the colour match, also we have to make it a bit thinner at front? As i dont want it to look too unnatural. What type of % density should i ask for? Ive just hit my mid 30s but still look pretty young for my age. I play sport's alot and play football 3 times a week, can i play in this? Or should i wear a hat? I'm also worried as i have quite oily skin and was wondering will this effect the bond? Is there a chance that the system won't work for me and won't stick if it's too oily?

Also could someone post a list of things i should buy when i look into self maintenance? Comb, mirror, which bond is best and has strongest hold etc?

Sorry for all the questions but its a big step for me and im quite nervous.

 

[Noah]

Hi Coys

If you want to get the best result you need to educate yourself, both about what you want, and about what supplier you are going to go with.

Some features are a no-brainer if you want a natural look - bleached knots and a graduated hairline in particular. But there are other choices to be made, such as the base design - lace or skin? finest and most fragile base or more robust? with tape patches or a poly rim, or not? a percentage of grey perhaps? highlights or lowlights? degree of curl? etc etc. There is a ton of good information on this forum and elsewhere about these choices, so you should try to work out what is best for your lifestyle and the look you want to achieve before you walk in to the consultation. Not to say you can get everything you want from every supplier, but at least you know what compromises you are making.

It's hard to comment sensibly about density, hairline contour, or styling without knowing what you look like, so that is something best discussed with your stylist. Or if you feel comfortable you can post or PM a photo of your situation to get some feedback on these.

Also think about what you want from the stylist. Do you want a salon that is going to do all the work of maintaining your system for you (for a price of course), or do you want one which will set you off on the right track and will educate and empower you to look after yourself? Do they offer a range of products which matches the choices you have decided would best suit you, or is it one-size-fits-all? What commitment are they willing to give about showing you the techniques you need to feel comfortable about looking after your system? What commitment will they give about looking after you on an urgent basis if you experience teething problem in the first few weeks (which is pretty common btw). Generally, does it feel like a supportive friendly place to come, offering a degree of privacy and discretion which you feel happy with?

You shouldn't have any problem playing football or sports. I can think of at least 4 professional football players who wear a hair system. The adhesives available for hair systems are extremely strong, and the system will not come off or slip provided you don't neglect the maintenance schedule. I have talked to a lot of wearers, and I have never yet come across anyone who could not find an adhesive regime that worked for them.

Good luck with the consultation.

Noah

 

[Noah]

Here is my list of the things you need or might think of if you are doing your own maintenance. Don't be put off by the length - you don't need to buy everything at once, and some things you may not need at all.

Must haves:

- Adhesives - there are thousands of variants. I use Walkers No-Shine tape for the back and sides of my lace piece, and usually Davlyn Black glue for the hairline. I also use Walkers 3-mil tape for the hairline when I need an extra-strong hold. It is the only tape which is undetectable enough for an exposed hairline. Tip: if you are buying tape, always buy the curved contour strips and not the rolls. They are a bit more expensive, but they have backing paper on both sides. The roll tape only has backing paper on one side, so it sticks to everything - fingers, scissors, hair, itself - and you end up throwing half of it away. If you choose a thinskin system you will likely go for a whole-scalp glue bond, rather than using tape.

- 99% isopropyl alcohol (also called surgical spirit) - useful for installing, detaching and cleaning the piece. Buy it in bulk from DIY stores or pharmacies. Or use one of the proprietary brands. When you soak the base to get old tape off, put the alcohol in a shallow dish, then press the base down into the alcohol to submerge it, but keep the hair out as much as you can.

- A squeezable bottle with a long narrow nozzle (like an American mustard bottle). Allows you to soak the base of the system with alcohol without getting it on the hair, when you are detaching.

- A bottle with a spritz nozzle - you can spray a light mist of alcohol on your head to delay the adhesive setting. It gives you a few seconds to get your system into the perfect position when you are attaching it.

- Mirrors - ideally a well-lit wall mirror plus a big hand-held mirror to see the back

- A brush or comb with blunt teeth, to avoid snagging the base

- Shampoo - any mild shampoo is OK. Choose one 'for processed hair'

- Conditioner - choose a good quality one. I use American Crew.

- Leave-in conditioner with sunscreen - a must for daily use. Get one with SPF 30 or higher.

- Some spring clips - for keeping the unattached part of the system out of the way when you are putting on glue

- towelling sweat band to stop alcohol getting in your eyes.

- Colour-correcting shampoo or conditioner for correcting any sun damage to the hair colour.

- Knot sealer - will increase the longevity of your system [lace base only]

A few nice-to-haves:

- Scalp protector - a clear barrier liquid to prevent irritation of the scalp, or to stop sweat interfering with your bond

- medical grade antiperspirant like Maxim

- A polystyrene wig head - for putting tape on the system, or drying it after washing

- small sharp scissors (e.g. nail scissors) for cutting tape to size, trimming excess lace etc.

- Detangler spray

- A lockable box to keep your supplies and spare systems in, if you are concerned to keep your hair-wearing private

- A satin or silk pillowcase - prevents wear and tear on the system when you sleep, and helps prevent the hair from drying out.

Noah

 

[yesmush]

Sorry to high jack your thread, but Noah do you have any links for products with isopropyl alcohol all the ones I look at in the uk say for cleaning only, obviously I don’t want to damage my skin, can you recommend any skin safe one please ?

 

[Noah]

Hi Yesmush

You can just use it neat. The more common name for isopropyl alcohol in the U.K. is surgical spirit. Just order 99% surgical spirit from the chemist.

 

[coys]

Thanks so much Noah for all the information. So informative

 

[Braf]

Look up Jake Kent on Youtube.

Copy his hair system exactly from the base to hair style.

You need to cover your hairline 24/7 be cause you will be lifting up a lot due to rough play and sweating.

Do what I said to do. Noah is a good teacher.

Also - Just go to a salon at first. Ask them to show you how to do the attachment so you can do it at home. Good luck


Your welcome.

 

[George Hen]

Noah’s covered the logistics and given amazing advice as per.

The beginning is daunting, feels like a leap of faith but I (when I was in exactly the same position as you a few years ago) told myself I had nothing else to try and so nothing to lose by trying this as a last resort.

best decision I ever made, it’s changed my life enormously for the better.

Expect a steep learning curve for a while at the start, always try to remain a student because you do constantly learn if you want good results. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - I still regularly ask my salon and post here whenever I want to know more about things.

Truth is that people don’t really care if you’re wearing. I think people do know I wear but, as the only person I’ve ever confided in about it once said, he just kind of forgets, as I’m sure everyone does.

 

[Taayzee]

For normal wear, you use glue and tape at the same time?

 

[George Hen]

For normal wear, you use glue and tape at the same time?

I do, yeah.

I use tape all the way around, close to but not on the hairline at the front (a few mm away) and one layer of glue at the very back and front.

 

[HairPiece]

Hi coys, what is the latest situation