hi everyone, ive been a lurker to this forum for some time now, id never really realized how bad my hair was until i was editing some photos to upload here, it seems im already in need of a piece,

im only 25 but my hair ages me much more than that i always have a hat on in public but i want to start exploring other options, let me know what u guys think and what would be best, ive heard to get started its recommended to go for a stock unit and cut it myself, would i be able to pull off a topper with temple wings?, im gonna try to see if i can get wider shots next time

Hello Hollisterco... Just like to welcome you to the forum..... you`re in the right place for ideas and advice. I do hope you get some helpful replies over the next few days which will help you in deciding what`s likely to be best for you to order. I won`t presume to give the whole `` nine yards`` but will chip in just a little, and let others give their opinion too. I do think you need coverage in the temple area [as you said] and obviously on top too. I`m not so sure that getting a stock unit would be of use, since they are really a `` standard`` thing and wouldn`t really provide coverage in that temple area --they tend to be an oval -shape without the likes of temple flaps --- I`m open to correction on that so maybe John will clarify ---- I assume your pics were taken at different times as you have longer hair in one and very cropped hair on the first one. You have good length at the back --- looks like a kind of ```step`` there ---- was it cut -in that way? On the first pic you have it cropped in tight to your head at the sides---leave it grow a little longer, and you`ll be able to blend the system hair on /in to it easier. Keep the density on the lower side --- probably medium, or just a notch below would probably work well. Make a good template, which is unique to you and your head shape and bald/thin areas, for best results.
I won`t `ramble`on now --but just ask others to contribute to your post with their ideas and advice -- again, welcome and best regards, Paul.

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i'll bet you were in denial, like many, including myself,
but having seid that you wore a hat so there was some sort of acceptance,have you tried or ever used concealer?
if you have some density for the nano fibres to attach to,then fix them with hairspray,then it wont look so drastic when you make the transition from now to having a hair system.
hey theres something you can do about it, that the greatest thing.
heres to a life of looking fab feeling fab, regards ant
im still waiting on money to order what will be two systems.
ditching the concealer and moving on, cos my hair has.
"todays quote" smoking kills! but it also cures kippers!

You can start out with just a topper for sure.

thanks for the feedback guys, well ive just heard its best to start off with a stock to start getting the hang of handling the piece and also as to what id actually want/need, yea i denied it mostly by denying pictures and then tried concealers and liked the results in the mirror, never had a camera to take the pictures, but i commute by bike so thats no longer an option, plus my problem isnt only the thinning but the quickly receding hairline and concealers cant do much against that, i wouldnt mind a stock oval which i could swipe some bangs to cover the temple area, i got class but as long as the hairline was good most people wouldnt really notice or care, i tried going bald but the look didnt really suit me only reason im ok with it is because i hide it all under a hat anyway n the buzz in a hat does look good on me, its just when i take it off that i suddenly age 10 years

---

btw, so i wouldnt be able to work the hair in the outside pics with a shaggy faux hawk to the front or peter pan? ive avoided my hair for so long that it honestly catches me by surprise now on how to style it

Hello again --the stock systems are fine, just as long as you understand there is only ``so much`` you`ll be able to do with one and if you think you can work it in around the temple area, it will be sent out almost immediately, so you will have it much faster than a custom system. Certainly you can do a bit of experimenting with it, and they are reasonably priced too. The fit most likely will not be perfect though --you can get pleats forming on parts of the perimeter when you adhere it, and that`s purely due to the shape of your individual head compared to a `standard` shape of the stock system. I got one first, while waiting for my custom -- it was fine and as long as you don`t expect too much from it, you should be happy enough with the end- result. Paul.

You can start with a partial unit but you will probably need some Dermmatch or Couvre for the sides.

Messing with concealers gets old pretty quickly though so don't be afraid to go with a full cap or even a 3/4 if you aren't able to achieve the look you want or. The old way of thinking was that a full cap was a "last resort", but that is simply not the case. There are still a lot of myths about full caps floating around, but that is slowly going the way of the horse and buggy as we continue to push the limits.

jrob u seem to be quite the full cap enthusiast, why do u preffer fulls so much over smaller toppers given, what ive so far heard, that they can be trickier to manage the ends from lifting, what are the benefits of a topper that u like? theres this guy here somewhere who used alot of concealer on his rapidly thinning brown curly hair and finally ordered a full cap, the hair looked awesome and i doubt he would of been able to achieve it with only a top

(09-14-2010, 05:16 PM)hollisterco Wrote: jrob u seem to be quite the full cap enthusiast, why do u preffer fulls so much over smaller toppers given, what ive so far heard, that they can be trickier to manage the ends from lifting, what are the benefits of a topper that u like? theres this guy here somewhere who used alot of concealer on his rapidly thinning brown curly hair and finally ordered a full cap, the hair looked awesome and i doubt he would of been able to achieve it with only a top

There are both positives and negatives to switching to a full cap, but for most guys that have thinning side hair and/or weak temple points the pros outweigh the cons by big margin.

As I mentioned, there are still a lot of myths that are being perpetuated primarily by people who have never even worn a full cap. The idea that a full cap is more prone to lifting and a lot more detectable to touch is not exactly true.

I suppose that technically there is more edge area on a full cap which could increase the potential for detection by touch, but this is somewhat negated by a couple of things:

1) With a full cap the edges that could potentially be felt are at the nape and temples. With a partial unit the edge runs around your balding pattern. If your base material lifts with either type of unit, you run the risk of it being detected. The idea that a partial unit is much less detectable to touch just isn't true. In the nape area it IS a little trickier to get a good transition, but with the right attachment this isn't much more of an issue than keeping the base attached well with a partial.

2) Since there are no seams that run around the crown of your head, the areas on the sides are actually much LESS detectable to touch. It isn't likely that someone is going to be running their hands right above your ears. With a partial unit your base needs to be well attached or it will most likely be felt. I should know, it happened to me when I was wearing a partial unit.

The point is, both a full and a partial are detectable if the base lifts. With a full cap it can be tricky to get a smooth nape transition but not impossible. Natural hair against base material does help the transition, so a partial unit wins in that regard, but the fact that there are no seams or transitions around the crown gives the full cap the "edge" (no pun intended) in that area.

There are several other benefits to going with a full cap, but the main one is that you don't have to worry about color matching and blending. The biggest benefit to a partial is that if your side and back hair are still good you have more flexibility to do "fade" type cuts and other styles that require very, very short hair in lower areas.