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+--- Thread: 2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts (/showthread.php?tid=6054)
2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts - AmericanJambo - 03-25-2014
Ok guys, I haven't been on here for awhile so I thought I would give everyone an update on my experiences over the past couple months of wearing.
First, I love my hair. It looks amazing. I've had multiple guys who were balding tell me how jealous they were of my hair. The hair I have now looks better then my natural hair ever did at any point in my life.
Ok, so now on to the details. I have had some problems obviously but I have learned to over come them. But here's some of the issues I've had.
First my oily skin and body chemistry sucks for wearing. ORWG breaks down and get gummy within days for me. But, because I'm using a piece that has poly on the sides and back and only doing a parameter bond I'm still able to get a week and a half hold on the sides and back. Around day 7 or 8 the piece starts to "slide" around but would still take a decent amount of pull to get it to come off without using lace release.
I have tried other glues but my skin reacts very poorly. I tried the new Walker white glue and it caused a bad reaction. Swelling, redness, etc. This is also the case with every tape that I have tried. I tried Ultra Hold but it didn't seem to grip the lace very well at all. I'm going to try it on the poly and see if I can get 2+ weeks out of the side/back hold and only have to change the glue on the front a few times.
I change the ORWG on the front about every 3-4 days. Because my skin is so oily on my forehead the glue as completely broken down by then. I spray with lace release and then use paper towels and plastic wrap (which I wrap around 3 fingers) to clean the front of the lace. Then I spray on Pure so clean the glue out of my hair if any has leaked trough. Then shampoo with Prelude shampoo. I wipe down the lace and my head with alcohol and then apply glue and reattach. takes like 30 minutes total.
I'm going to try taking 3000mg of vitamin B5 to see if that reduces the amount of oil my skin produces and I'll try an antiperspirant spray to see if that helps keep the glue from breaking down so quickly. I may try a scalp protectant too, in the future.
Color matching has been a bit of a challenge because I have a lot of grey on the sides and I color my sides. Matching the piece has become a bit of a challenge but I'm starting to get very good with coloring techniques. I color my hair every time I do a complete detach/reattach.
I have found that it's best to bleach my hair for about 7-10 minutes first then color it. This way the color doesn't become darker than the piece. I only need to leave the color on for 10-15 minutes for it to take properly. Then I condition with a special conditioner and my hair is nice and soft. This works for me because I keep the hair on my sides and back short. If you had longer hair then this would be too frequent coloring and would cause too much damage.
Tip: Don't use boxed colors. It's much cheaper to go to Sally Beauty and buy professional colors. Use cream colors and cream developer, not liquid. The best part is you can mix the colors to get the perfect tone. For instance, my hair takes color VERY quickly so even dark blond comes out medium brown. I mix a neutral dark blonde (7N) with a tiny bit of medium red brown (6RB) and it comes out pretty close to the exact shade of my piece. I need to do a little more tweaking of the color ratios and I should have it perfect.
On to care and styling. I've found for me it's best to only wash the piece when I change the glue on the front. I wash my own hair every day though. I use Style Sexy Hair Control Maniac hair wax. It's reworkable for a couple days. I just add a tiny bit more wax after a 3 or 4 days and it's good to go. I use a tiny bit of Loreal Everstyle alcohol free finishing spray every day. It doesn't seem to leave any build up and holds all day. I think the wax that I use helps protect the hair from the elements and the spray. It all washes out with a little baby shampoo or Prelude shampoo.
The one thing that drives me crazy is that washing my hair makes it so matted and tangle together. It's almost like my hair is one big dreadlock after washing it. Any tips on detangling would be MUCH appreciated.
So, that's about all I can think of for now. Even with the learning curve I still love having hair again!
RE: 2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts - rainman54 - 03-25-2014
When you wash your hair (everyday) and your piece (3-4 days) do you use shampoo? or just rinse with water? Thanks for the updates. Post some more pics when you get a chance! It's nice to see some when the hair isn't brand new.
RE: 2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts - Hersute - 03-25-2014
Ok, you may want to try NX Gen glue.......I know, I know.......yet another glue to try and possibly waste money.........welcome to my world!!
I too have VERY oily skin and the ORWG was the best I could get. About the same time you're getting.
I found all the layers of scalp protector & No Sweat didn't really help either.
But... when I switched the a skin system, the ORWG didn't work at all well.
So I tried the NX GEN and it was MUCH better.
I also use the NX Derma Seal.
It all sounds very expensive when you look at the price of it, but the glue works out cheaper than the ORWG in the end.
1 bottle lasted me 9 months.
I also stopped applying the recommended 3-4 layers and just went for 1 on the scalp and 1 on the base.
Around your poly perimeter, this could work well for you.
You might need 3 layers on your scalp for the lace.
I just apply it with a small sponge and it spreads it nice & evenly.
It also dries faster than ORWG.
For your dry tangled hair, you need a spray in conditioner like Johnsons No More Tangles
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013UAPVK/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_Iqnmtb1MXCK7JCN7
But you'll find similar products in your local Dollar Store that are just as good & ok to use.
Also, next time you're at Sally's, buy yourself a proper detangler comb.
The teeth criss-cross and for some reason, this takes the strain off the hair and stops shedding.
They look like this:
http://content.365grgs.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/B/C/BCT0044.jpg
RE: 2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts - AmericanJambo - 03-26-2014
Rainman54,
I use shampoo but I use different ones depending upon the day. For daily washing of my own hair (which I also end up washing the edges of the system too) I use L'Oreal EverCreme, which is sulfate free but still lathers nicely. When I wash my system while it's still on my head I use a mix of baby shampoo and Prelude shampoo. The EverCreme is a great shampoo but you absolutely cannot use it to wash your piece prior to reattaching. EverCreme has oil in it that helps nourish and condition your hair and it will keep the base from bonding to the glue properly and it will lift within a day.
When I do a full debond I wash with EverCreme first to get rid of the glue and what not, then condition, then wash with the baby shampoo and Prelude mix. I then wipe the base and my skin with alcohol and then reattach.
Hersute,
Yeah, I've been wanting to try NX Gen. I've just spent so much money on glue and tape already and being a full time student and working full time at an unpaid internship money is VERY tight. But I am going to try NX Gen when I can. I've read good things about it. I just have to be very careful when testing glues. I pick a spot back behind the hairline and just use it on a small spot. Like about the size of a quarter. Every tape I've tried and the other glues I've tried all cause me to get a really bad rash that is very red and really swollen. UltraHold didn't cause a rash and held onto the skin really well but didn't grip the lace for more than a day or two. I'm going to try UH on a couple inches of the poly in back and see if it works better on that. I'd love it if UH could give me like a 2-3 week hold on the poly and find a glue that gives me a week hold on the lace hairline. That would be perfect. The ORWG is an absolute pain for me to clean up after it's broken down by my body chemistry. It becomes this oily clear goo that doesn't want to come off.
I do have a detangling comb that helps a little. I'll try the detangler for sure!
RE: 2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts - topcat59 - 03-31-2014
Hi AJ,
I have posted quite a few times about dealing with products and a sensitive scalp.
1.The scalp protector i get from debbie at splitends helps (i think its a walker product),i put plenty of it on before i use tape or glue.Seems to make a difference as it places a layer between your skin and the tape/glue.Makes sure it dries though before placing the hairpiece.
2.Leaving your piece off,and wearing a ballcap on the weekends really helps,and gives your scalp a rest.I only wear for 5 days before i remove.
Regards Topcat
RE: 2 months into wearing - experiences and thoughts - AmericanJambo - 04-01-2014
I do plan on trying a scalp protector but I'm not sure I'll use the Walker brand. Aside from Ultra Hold their glues and tapes cause the worst reaction from my skin.