Need help identifying why my hairline looks ‘off’

[NewGame+]

Hey folks,
I’m new to systems and to the forum, and was hoping to get some advice from some of you with much more experience. I got my system installed nearly a week ago, and currently there are some problems. One of which is my hairline, it’s not a complete travesty, but it doesn’t look very natural either.
This is somewhat moot, as I’m going to switch styles to an unexposed hairline anyway, but for the sake of future reference could someone tell me why my hairline looks ‘off’?
Is it a matter of positioning (I think it’s a little high, maybe like 3mm which is tiny but as I’m sure you folks know when it comes to hair it really does come down to the millimetre)? Is it to dense, and the hairline needs ‘plucking’ (still unfamiliar with this)? Does the hairline need it’s shape changing? Is it because the knots aren’t bleached?
Thanks in advance for all future advice, and please excuse the blurring in the pics below lol:

 

[TooBad]

Hairline looks good... except the 1st picture. Appears to come down more on the sides.....opposite of a widows peak/ recession
..maybe a tad too high too..
Color is a bit too dark though.

 

[BaldBearded]

Hi,

Welcome... I am having a problem finding a problem. With that hairline shape, bringing it more forward would look unnatural given your side hair/temple points.TBH, 3mm is nothing... but you could give it a try next fitting.

Given the shape of your face, doing a CC instead of the C hairline you have would look out of place.

Is there any product in your hair? It appears, in the top pic at least, to be weighing down the hair.

 

[deg_dilemma]

It's really hard to tell from those pics - it actually looks fine but a close up might give us a better idea. I don't think it's too high, and do bear in mind that it needs to be placed above the muscle movement area of the forehead anyway.

From the first pic the only things I might note are that the colour seems a little darker than your side hair, and that the hairline is too straight (hard to tell for sure though).

Do you have a graduated hairline?

 

[TexanGuy]

Looks fine to me, maybe you just feel like your hairline is too perfect/straight but it looks 100% normal to me

 

[NewGame+]

Hairline looks good... except the 1st picture. Appears to come down more on the sides.....opposite of a widows peak/ recession
..maybe a tad too high too..
Color is a bit too dark though.

I agree the colour isn’t perfect but the system was a little wet in this pic so it looked darker than it does normally, when it’s dry it’s still not a ‘perfect’ blend but I’m happy with it.

Hi,

Welcome... I am having a problem finding a problem. With that hairline shape, bringing it more forward would look unnatural given your side hair/temple points.TBH, 3mm is nothing... but you could give it a try next fitting.

Given the shape of your face, doing a CC instead of the C hairline you have would look out of place.

Is there any product in your hair? It appears, in the top pic at least, to be weighing down the hair.

yeah you’re correct my hair is damp in the first pic so it’s looking a little different to how it normally does. I think the hairline being ‘too’ high is just me knowing where it naturally was and isn’t a real issue, but I think I will lower it marginally.

It's really hard to tell from those pics - it actually looks fine but a close up might give us a better idea. I don't think it's too high, and do bear in mind that it needs to be placed above the muscle movement area of the forehead anyway.

From the first pic the only things I might note are that the colour seems a little darker than your side hair, and that the hairline is too straight (hard to tell for sure though).

Do you have a graduated hairline?

I think you’re correct and the problem is too straight a hairline and not enough graduation.

Looks fine to me, maybe you just feel like your hairline is too perfect/straight but it looks 100% normal to me

Do you have any go-to guides for shaping the hairline and achieving graduation? I’m also pretty sure I don’t have bleached knots and so on my very fair skin it looks strange.
Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

[SD1984]

Hairline placement is perfect. That's not the problem at all given your temple peaks/sides and where they are.

The problems are as follows:
-Hairline a tad too straight
-Color a tad too dark
-Density a tad too high

 

[Fanjeera]

Perhaps the forward facing few hairs? I'm always nervous about them.

 

[Milo Bloom]

Looks really good but I'd try to darken your own hair a shade to better match the system.

 

[J_D_R]

As you say, it's not a complete travesty, and I doubt anyone would know it's a system, but the hairline is perhaps a little too straight and needs to be contoured to come down a bit at the middle, and perhaps just half a shade lighter would be better too - although it will probably fade anyway, so a tiny bit darker at first is never a bad thing. Density looks fine for your age, and new systems are always quite voluminous for a week or two.
Perhaps something like this:

 

[Fanjeera]

What adhesive are you using at the hairline? Seems like maybe the adhesive has not been laid carefully and the lace maybe not merged with it. Did you let it cure properly before getting wet or sweaty?

 

[NewGame+]

As you say, it's not a complete travesty, and I doubt anyone would know it's a system, but the hairline is perhaps a little too straight and needs to be contoured to come down a bit at the middle, and perhaps just half a shade lighter would be better too - although it will probably fade anyway, so a tiny bit darker at first is never a bad thing. Density looks fine for your age, and new systems are always quite voluminous for a week or two.
Perhaps something like this:

View attachment 163111

Thanks for making that edit! That looks really good, but I’m afraid to do something irreversible to my first hair system just a week after having it lol - do you have any good vids/resources that can show me how to do it?

What adhesive are you using at the hairline? Seems like maybe the adhesive has not been laid carefully and the lace maybe not merged with it. Did you let it cure properly before getting wet or sweaty?

It was just regular ghostbond xl, and I had it installed by a stylist. As lovely a person as she is, I can’t say exactly whether she’s the most experienced with systems. I’m switching to a unexposed hairline and tape anyway, so it’s just as well.
Thanks for the reply’s you guys.

 

[J_D_R]

Thanks for making that edit! That looks really good, but I’m afraid to do something irreversible to my first hair system just a week after having it lol - do you have any good vids/resources that can show me how to do it?

I think it'll have to be something to bear in mind for your next system. Did the place who installed the system provide it, and was it a stock or custom unit? Most stock units have a CC hairline, which is what you appear to have.
The problem with cutting it into a different contour is that you lose the single split knots along the sides of the hairline. Those are the ones that give the hairline its natural appearance, and you can end up with obvious looking knots instead.
You should check out all the different hairline contours and decide which is best for you, and then consider getting a custom unit with those specifications. There are also a few companies who do stock units with A hairlines, which might be a better choice for you.

This isn't letting me attach images, so you can see standard hairline shapes at these links:

https://toupee101.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/front-contour.png

http://m.lavividhair.com/img/cms/lace%20toupees/tape%20for%20hair%20systems2.png

 

[BaldAndBalder]

Not graduated and too strait hairline imo.

 

[BaldBearded]

I think it makes sense to voice your concerns with the salon that provided the system and did the install and the styling. They have seen you without your system and might be the best to answer your questions.

 

[Fanjeera]

Yeah, maybe a bit too dense.