Soaking a Unit: Oil or Alcohol? Pros & Cons to Each?

cottonReville

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There is no question oily concoctions like C22 (or even straight mineral oil) are brutal on adhesives, but they also loosen hairs & require extensive washing after use.

Overall, your unit lose quite a lot of hair.

On the flipside there are people here - the more experienced ones, it seems - who recommend 99% alcohol soak for adhesive removal. First of all, does it work effortlessly? Will the residual tape and glue just float off, or does it require additional effort, like w/ C22?

What are the cons of alcohol soak? Of course there's drying of hair & also I've noticed with certain vendors (like Lord) alcohol strips the hairs of their color.

What do you guys say?
 

TEG

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There is no question oily concoctions like C22 (or even straight mineral oil) are brutal on adhesives, but they also loosen hairs & require extensive washing after use.

Overall, your unit lose quite a lot of hair.

On the flipside there are people here - the more experienced ones, it seems - who recommend 99% alcohol soak for adhesive removal. First of all, does it work effortlessly? Will the residual tape and glue just float off, or does it require additional effort, like w/ C22?

What are the cons of alcohol soak? Of course there's drying of hair & also I've noticed with certain vendors (like Lord) alcohol strips the hairs of their color.

What do you guys say?
I never use C-22. Only 99 alcohol. I use tapes and the trick is to spray into the piece while it is still on your head and wait a minute or so. Drench it with the stuff! Then the unit will come off easily from your head, leaving the tape sticking to your head. I require little to no cleaning of the piece with this method.
 

cottonReville

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Sorry, I should clarify that this question pertains to the removal of glue, white or clear, from lace units...!
 

Fanjeera

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99% isopropyl alcohol doesn't work for me. It evaporates so fast and the glue turns dry again. Also I feel sick after breathing it in. Maybe 70% would be better?
Anyway, oil is better, because it doesn't evaporate and stays inside the glue.
 

matt0135

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Straight up I used to buy “lace release” and c22 etc but in experience 99% alcohol (and yes it must be 99%, believe me ive tried 70% lol) is the way to go. C22 is way too oily for me, and the alcohol does the same job for me at least. I mean unless you’re really lagging in maintenance and the glue/tape has broken down that much, you should seriously consider doing maintenance on a weekly/semi weekly basis. It just makes your job overall easier and faster.

I would avoid soaking for prolonged period of time. What I do is remove system with alcohol, gently rub out any residue with an alcohol soaked towel and thats it. Done. I prepare in a bowl some warm water and a drop or two of colour correcting shampoo and I wash the system in there. Its not in that bowl for longer than 3-5 minutes. Then I place the bowl upside down and line it with paper towel and rest the system face down to soak up the water and dry while I prepare my scalp for re attachement. By then the system is dry and ready for applying the tape or whatever you're using.

I spray my semi dried system with a leave in conditioner and then gently comb out any tangles etc (only after the leave in has dried up a bit, I find when the hair is wet youre most at risk for shedding, especially when the system is getting older). That is how ive been doing it lately and its taken me a few iterations to get to where I just described.
Hope this helps!
 

Fanjeera

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Alcohol just dries away and too much of the glue is in the same position as it was.
 

matt0135

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Try a towel soaked with a good amount of alcohol and rub. Should do the trick
 
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