Some Questions About Hair Systems And How They Work

Thisisme4373 · May 22, 2020

Hi guys, my hair is diffuse thinning, started to be able to see my scalp from temple to crown, I’m on finasteride but if it gets worse I’m considering looking into getting a hair system, I have a few questions if people can help.

I’m from the UK, is there any particular companies people would recommend that are decent quality but also good price.

Are they difficult to fit yourself or do you need to go to a special hairdressers to have them fitted & blended in?

can you wash hair normally, go swimming, saunas, steam rooms etc?

once it’s been fitted how long until you need to have it re-fitted again?

and finally how much yearly is the cost of a system roughly?
Thanks

new2this · May 22, 2020

I can’t answer all of that, but I will do what I can:

there are many system suppliers in the UK from what I have seen, and salons as well. When I was first looking into it myself most of the YouTube videos I watched were from UK based salons. The haircuts that are in style over there are very conducive for wearing hair, as it’s more acceptable to habe a disconnected look between the sides and back.

cutting in yourself is difficult and you definitely want to let someone do that for you. Fitting / attaching is doable on your own, but it may help to habe your salon do it the first few times and to pay very close attention so you can replicate their method at home. If it is cut to proper size, you should be able to line it up yourself, eventually without anyone’s help (after 3-4 attachments in my experience). Do not expect perfection right away. As you wear for longer you will improve your skills and the look will reflect that. But to the average person who doesn’t know about your system, having a good cut in and color match is like 90 percent of the battle.

I personally go about 2 weeks at most to re-attach. Many people will tell you that it depends on your lifestyle, your skin / body chemistry, and what you feel comfortable with. It will not come fully off without the solvents in most cases, but over time it can get itchy and unsanitary. When that happens it’s time to remove.

you can mostly behave normally, but again, its fluid, meaning the more you wash and expose to the sun, go in pools, etc, the faster you will see the look of the system decline (color fading, losing hair, dryness, etc) so you will want to replace sooner if the aesthetics is important to you, which I imagine they are. Steam rooms in my experience do not affect the hair itself, but the bond does weaken from steam/sweat so you will have to reattach more frequently. Saunas are dry heat and can thusly dry out the hair, so I avoid them.

I can’t speak too much on cost. I pay a lot more than most people do because I use a New York City salon. I think most people on this forum pay around 1000 USD , give or take a few hundred bucks. It depends how much you can do on your own and how long you can make your systems last for. I’m hoping to eventually transition to a cheaper supplier and get my costs down

Noah · May 22, 2020

Hi TIM4373, welcome.

You got some really good insights there from new2this. I will add my ha'pennyworth too, most of which is just echoing what he has said,

I’m from the UK, is there any particular companies people would recommend that are decent quality but also good price.

I will PM you some thoughts on this.

Are they difficult to fit yourself or do you need to go to a special hairdressers to have them fitted & blended in?

You can fit it yourself and it's not particularly difficult, but the cutting and blending are best left to a professional. Some places will also do remote cut-ins, which is usually cheaper than going to a salon. However, there is something to be said for going to a professional salon to get you started.

can you wash hair normally, go swimming, saunas, steam rooms etc?

You can swim and use saunas and steam rooms. You can also wash your hair as normal, but hair system hair doesn't get dirty at the same rate as growing hair, because it doesn't have sebaceous glands continuously pumping oil onto it, and for the same reason it can get dried out if you over-wash it. One shampoo a week is enough to keep the system in good nick, and the rest of the time you can just shampoo your natural side hair and just let the warm water clean the system. It's enough.

once it’s been fitted how long until you need to have it re-fitted again?

That is primarily a hygiene issue. The average is 10 - 14 days, I would say.

and finally how much yearly is the cost of a system roughly?

I would say the average for a salon in London is around £750 for the system and cut-in, and around £80 for a maintenance session. If you are prepared to buy your systems on-line, get them cut in remotely or by a willing local hairdresser, and do your own maintenance, it can be a lot less. You can get a good quality system for £150.

Noah

grincher · May 22, 2020

Hi, I will try and answer as best as I can.

The difficulty varies from person to person. I fitted mine after just one demonstration and have stuck with it ever since. You get better after a few attempts. Just need to stay calm.

Its best to have the initial attachment and cut in at a specialist if only to get a good blend with your natural hair. After that I maintain my own and have occasionally visited a regular barber for a blend.

You can wash normally, though use a paraben and sulphate free shampoo.

If you have a strong bond then you can go swimming, but saunas and steam rooms will test the bond though not impossible. To be honest, I think saunas and steam rooms will test the colour if you attend regularly. Maybe a cap will help.
The refitting will vary depending on the strength of the tape, quality of the bond, the climate, your body and activity. It can vary from a week to three.

I tend to have everything covered under £500 a year including products if you DIY.
If you use a salon that sells and fits then London prices will add £200-300 plus maintainence visits.

I have sent you a PM with some recommendations.