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+--- Thread: Fullcap Template -- Photos (/showthread.php?tid=6236)
Fullcap Template -- Photos - Paul In Ireland - 12-31-2014
Made a new template over the last few days... I needed to ` shape` my temple areas better.... the reason I do it over a number of days is because the material contracts and changes shape from your original shape within a day or two of completing it ....even with a topper-template, you can get this change of shape, so it`s important not to mail off your template as soon as you have it done initially....wait two or three days and if you need to, you can simply add more material to compensate for any shrinkage.
You`ll see blue marker lines on this ...especially in the nape area and on the ear-flap/s.... this was the original outline of the template..... I had to add more material to compensate for the change in shape...... you can see it clearly.
Note the ` gap` I leave just above and in front of the ear area ......this is so the perimeter of the base will not be sitting directly onto the ear and to allow for leaving ` room` for some hair to ` fill` that gap ...that area is the trickiest...it`s the most visible part of the fullcap and the hair is always cut to its` shortest length there .....there`s not much hair there to ` play with` ..... the nape and front hairline can be ` hidden` much better because you have more hair-length in those areas.......
I always bring the perimeter ` down` onto the nape area.... once the system arrives, if I think /find it`s a little too far down, it`s simple to trim the base up a bit .....
Hope these photos are of help to anyone considering going fullcap....... any questions you may have, please feel free to ask and I`ll do my best to clarify....
RE: Fullcap Template -- Photos - fate - 01-08-2015
Thanks Paul and happy new year. I have been preparing a new full cap template myself over the last few weeks and went looking for your old full cap template photos but I was unable to locate them. I am 27.
I appreciate the advice you give out - I will be amending my template re: the area in front of the ear, I think the gap is not good enough there.
I have a few questions:
1) I have ended my template just about a half cm above the end of the earlobe (approximately where yours was before you extended it), but you have extended yours further. Is there a reason to go down this far? I ask as the nape is one of the areas I am changing -- before my template was further up -- as I was going on the old 'end just below the occ. bone' advice -- and leaving the back a little longer. Curling of the hair at the nape made it such a drag to wear.
2) I notice just behind the ear you haven't left a gap -- does that give you a good result? Again, an area I am renovating so would be keen to know. I have left a gap there myself on the template I have been preparing.
3) How far up do you typically place your hairline? I use the 4 finger rule but would be keen to hear how you determine it.
4) You may have answered this elsewhere but I will ask while I am asking these other questions: what density do you wear? I went from medium at sides / back & medium light on top to medium light in general (as the sides were way too thick) and the pieces I have been receiving since (from 3 different non-toplace suppliers) seem really light either on the top or at the back, it is really strange. But I read everyone is wearing medium light density, and their pictures look much more dense.. I am at a loss as to why. The change to one density instead of a combination of different ones seemed to be the starting point for my troubles...
5) What instructions do you give for ventilating the sides? Do you have routine for fixing them when they come ventilated forward or to otherwise improve the appearance there? It has been a rare occasion that I have got good sides by simple drawing arrows pointing back and down on my template and asking for some graduation there. (most of the time those arrows & instructions are ignored in my experience [with other suppliers, not toplace] infact)
6) Do you give any special instructions for ventilation at the nape? Or for the nape in general?
7) Do you have issues with nape hair curling, and how do you deal with it?
Thanks for your input and sorry if I am asking questions you have answered before elsewhere.
RE: Fullcap Template -- Photos - Paul In Ireland - 01-09-2015
Hi fate ... Happy `15 to you too [and to all reading this ] If you want to see /read all posts and threads a registered-member has made, you click their name and their Toplace profile will open ..you can then select ` Find all threads` or ` Find all posts`.......
Your Question at [1] above: Yes -- I used to go according to the occipital bone ``rule`` .. I found [like you] that the perimeter was too ` high` on the back of the head and the hair would tend to curl outwards .... I reckon people`s skulls can be different....the occipital bone varies in it`s position from one person to the next .... what I now do is I don`t have the hair trimmed /cut by the stylist longer than an inch maximum, at the nape area....in other words, from the edge of the perimeter to the tips of the hair is between 1/2 inch and one inch maximum....
When making a template, I visualize where I want the tips of the hair to be at the nape area.. I mark a line along the skin with an eyebrow pencil...then I mark another horizontal line above it somewhere between half an inch and one inch max.....that`ll be where the perimeter of the system will ` sit` . ... the longer the hair there, the more it tends to curl out from the neck and you`ll be driven demented from being self-conscious of it ..by keeping the hair short /` close` to the perimeter, it sits in nice and snug to the nape [ hope that makes sense !]
I used to read about using the occipital bone as a point of reference...mine seems to be ` high` so by me having the edge of the system sitting near to it, I found it was just too high up on the back of my head.. I now have the perimeter ` sitting` at the nape with no more than 1 inch of hair, max, coming down from there...that way, you have short hair which can`t actually curl out because it`s cut short !
I also have slightly higher density there than over the rest of the system [around 10% more] as I find the ` thicker` hair tends to stay together rather than be like rats tails at the back !
[2] The 2nd photo there is probably a little unclear.... I have left a small gap but it`s not apparent -- I should have pulled the ear forward when taking the photo ..you don`t need a huge gap...maybe just 1/4 of an inch--it`s just that you don`t want the lace rubbing on your ear or immediately behind it, and it leave a little room for some hair, even though it will be cut very short... around the ears is always tricky --the hair will be cut to it`s shortest in that area,compared to any other area on your Fullcap...this also tends to cut out any wave that`s been put into the hair ..you can get this kind of ` frizzy` look to the hair there due to it being cut in so tightly...it something I`m always trying to avoid, when a thinning scissors is used.
I`m going with 60% density on this over most of it, 50% at the front hairline, 70% nape and 45% temple /sideburn area.... [that`s covered your question 4 ] apart from adding that densities are not ` standard` .... different vendors can have different `equivalent` densities...a 50% from one, can be like 70% from another !! It`s a bit of a mine field.... I think the trick is when you find a supplier you`re pretty happy with, and you get a system for the first time, have a good look and then ` adjust` your densities on subsequent orders as you think fit.
Yes I too mark directional arrows on the template before sending it off ....and yes, there are times when a particular ventilator doesn`t do such a good job ....again, I find the sideburn area to be most likely to be the one area to annoy me ....you can ` adjust` the hair- direction a bit if you wet the knots, then soak them in conditioner for half an hour ..... you can usually then pull the hair into a better direction before rinsing off the conditioner.... I always ask for ``flat to base` ventilation on those areas and the nape also ... i`ve never had a problem at the back though ....just the bottom/sides of the sideburn area sometimes.... [think that`s covered your last 3 questions] ---- I`ll attach a photo of a different template I did a while back [ignore the flap position --it`s not lining up with the bit of sideburn hair and had to be trimmed /adjusted later] and I think it shows the amount of gap I leave just above /behind the ear a little better.
If there`s anything else, please post away and I`ll get back as soon as I can ..don`t worry about asking things I may have covered --always a pleasure to help fellow wearers ! In relation to the front hairline... locate it by frowning ...this will crease the forehead -skin ..the scalp skin will not move -- I find it best to have a few millimeters of lace just slightly ` out` in front of that line, kind of onto the start of the forehead..well, the style I wear looks better with the hair ` forward` a bit ... again...it`s not an exact science .... you`d be surprised what a [negative] difference to the overall ` look` can be if the system is slightly too far back off the face....of course the opposite is true, but with the hair covering the frontal area, it`s less obvious to the casual observer.
Photo ....