Newbie, a few concerns:

I haven't really styled my hair for about 5+ years, my only style has been to hide balding. I have many styles I want to try when I get the system. I've read freestyle would be the way to go for someone like me. However, doesn't everyone have a natural ventilation for their real hair? Should I be trying to replicate that since freestyle would just ventilate the hair in whatever random direction the factory knots the hair?

Does every human have a crown where the hair swirls? I'm trying to make a template and don't know if I should mark a place for it. My natural hair has a crown but I don't like the look of it that much and style "against it" or "over it". Is it in my best interest to include one, or will it still look realistic if I don't include it.

Hi NoHairNoFair,
You can put arrows on your template to mark the ventilation (direction) of the hair on the hair system. The factory will follow that. There are some people that don't like the natural direction of their hair (when they had it). Some people had hair that was naturally directed backward or forward and want to change it with a hair system. As for crowns, most people go with a crown. We have about 5% that request 'no crown.' It depends on the person and the hair style that they chose.
Regards,
John

What exactly is the ventilation for freestyle?

Freestyle ventilation really refers to the knotting of the hairs to the lace.
I'm no expert on this but my understanding is that the individual knots are looser (and possibly a different type) that allows the hair to fall in any direction you want it to or that you comb it.

So its not that the hair is going in random directions, it just means that its able to go in any direction you want to style it in on that day.

When you specify a direction, the knots are tied tighter to a specific side of the lace hole, to make it stay in that direction, although even then, you can force it to go in another direction.

So I guess freestyle should be the choice for my first system. Also Hersute, what is your take on the crown situation? I never liked the look of crowns, and my hairstyle would "disguise" the crown most of the time if I had my own hair. Do you suggest I have one, or will it still look natural if I don't include it?

I buy freestyle stock pieces and they come with a vague crown, nothing too specific, but they're always in the wrong place, too high on my head.
So I part the hair where I want a crown and make my own.
But again, nothing set or specific.

My suggestion to you would be don't order a set crown and then you still have the option of making your own if you decide you want one.
If you order a set one, you're stuck with it.

For first orders, I think its best to keep as many options open as possible so you can try different things.
Then with later orders, once you've had more experience, you can make more definite choices.

So how would you describe freestyle on a UTS-unit?

I recently ordered a piece and I didn't know that it was possible to specify the position of the crown. I'm very afraid about that because I have a feeling that like Hersute the crown on my piece will be to high. I hope it wouldn't be a problem.