Hi all,

I am fairly new to wearing a hair system (2 weeks in total) and up until my last consultation/re-fitting, I was happy with the new look and feel of my new hair.

A little bit of background before I delve into the issue I'm faced with:
I purchased a poly based hair system with a density of around 90%. The color of the hair was a combination of black and brown (cause mine is) with a bit of wave and curl. On the day of the fitting my stylist made a dreadful mistake of cutting and shortening the hair system too much, and as a result , when the system was fitted, it was nowhere close to looking and feeling natural.

It looked really odd whilst the hair was still wet but after it dried a bit, it started to look a bit more natural, from the front, however, the sides and the back did not blend in at all. Glue had started to seep from the base and because my hair on the side is really thin, you could clearly see where the system had been bonded to my head. Even though it was a custom base that I purhcased, the look and feel of the system was not natural and I was very unhappy and uncomfortable with the look.

Because the poly system was cut too short, the stylist then decided to opt for a lace base, which when fitted, blended in really well with my existing hair, becase the sides and back of the system are quite long. The lace has alot of density but is not as versatile as the poly when it comes to styling. It has only one style that can be applied which is more of a frontal push, but this isn't an issue for me cause the style suits me really really well.

Onto my issue:
I was told 2 weeks ago, when the lace base was fitted, that I would need to come in after 2 weeks for a checkup and to re-fit, which I did so yesterday. I got really used to the look and feel of the lace (it looks great on me)and wanted to retain the same look and feel after fitting.

My stylist, who initally made the mistake of cutting my poly based system too short, went through the usual process of refitting a system (took off the system, cleaned my scalp and then shaved off the hair that had grown) inorder to reattach the system. After fitment I immediately noticed that the system no longer retained the style I had when I walked in. It was as if a different system had been placed on my head all together.

I made her aware of this and told her that it didn't feel right. Upon closer inspection (by me) I noticed that the system no longer fitted the part of my head that was shaved. I lifted the right side of my hair (from the system) and noticed that there was a bald gap between the hair system and my own side hair. I told her that that didn't look right at all. She then took the system off and said that she needed to fit the system a bit higher (covering more of the temple line) but that didn't work either as it now left a bald patch between the back of my hair and the back of the hair piece. After 2 more attempts (by another stylist) we were able to get to a point where the system looked a little natural but I still could not achieve the same style.

It was concluded that my stylist shaved off too much of my hair and that the system no longer was a perfect fit for me. Currently the system still looks natural but I have to style it in a way that compensates for the gap between my left side of my hair and the system. The mono has just one style which has a side path on the left side (which is where the gap now is) and I am not sure what to do because I am very uncomfortable with the look and feel now.

It is quite unfortunate because I can no longer achieve the same hairstyle and have to wait until the next consultation (which is in 2 weeks) to fit a new poly system.

My question to everyone is :

1) What can I do if too much of my hair was shaved off. Is it actually an issue and can it affect the look and feel of the hair?
2) Can I move onto a poly based system but still have the same texture and style that a lace based system has?
3) How long do lace systems last and why do they lose so much density after a refit?
4) Will I need to change my style each time my system gets refitted?


I don't have any pictures now but will post a few soon.

Many thanks

Hi New,
Getting started on the right foot with hair wearing is important. And so is overcoming these issues. If the unit was cut too short there’s nothing you can do about it--sorry. But as your own hair grows out it can change the look of the ‘do.’ It should have little effect on the look and feel of the hair. If there was an excessive amount of hair cut off that would be different. But since it’s only a small amount it’s not a big deal. And yes, you can move into a poly based unit and achieve the same look, texture and style. There are many variables that affect the lifespan of a unit--lifestyle, body chemistry, frequentcy of washing, water hardness, etc. But the normal life span is about 3-4 months. Some people get a year but they must really ‘baby’ their hair system. I’m not sure why the unit lost hair after the refit. Don’t know what shampoo the stylist used and how she washed it. Often times if a rinse out conditioner is used it’s great for making the hair shiny. However, the conditioner contains a lot of oil that also causes the knots to losen up and therefore cause shedding. If you need a conditioner I suggest a spray-on leave in conditioner--not a rinse out conditioner. That way the knots aren’t affected. You should not have to change your style each time the unit is refitted. Just make sure that you adjust the base size for any gaps between the system and your own hair.
Regards,
John