Full caps have always intrigued me,i suppose because at the back of my mind there will maybe come the time to order one myself because of thinning side and back hair.
I have to be honest and say though that through the years i have seen some terrible full caps,i really have.
The biggest problem that i can see with them is that they do look like wigs,especially at the temple points and the nape of the neck, not to mention the way the hair flows in certain areas.
So i thought that i would start a thread that can be added to from full cap wearers to give advice about the ventilation ordering tips,lace used etc..
Maybe even some photos of the full cap from the inside to show the construction.
Basically all information that will help us all.
To start off i would like to ask the question how do you ask for the density in certain areas?
Is it similar to the numbered areas that you use for the toppers?
If so what are they?
Secondly do you get the stretch lace that they use in womans wigs or is it something different?
I am sure all advice and tips would be welcomed by all of us who are interested in full caps.
Thanks!

Hi LTB,
Good questions. Many people make the transition from a topper unit to a full cap and say that wearing a full cap in easier than wearing a topper. Reason: you don't have to blend color and density with your own hair like you do with a topper. The downside is keeping the nape of the neck well attached because that area moves and the bond must be kept strong in order to avoid loosening. Our full cap guru is JRob. Here's a photo of JRob with his full cap wetted down:

Thanks for the reply TL!
Have to agree that JRobs photos do look good but even in some of his photos the full cap looks,well like a full cap in certain areas.
Again the problem lies at the temple point area and th enape area.
I hope i am not being over critical in saying that but hopefully constructive in my critisism?
So is there a density plan for full caps and if there isn't maybe one could be made to help with ordering.
I agree about the nape of the neck problem,maybe a different lace construction there would help with the movement issue?
Maybe the stretch lace or individual joined sections or a combination of both?
Another question would be what is the best ventilation direction at the temple points for a more natural look?

(06-27-2011, 05:48 AM)LTB Wrote: Thanks for the reply TL!
Have to agree that JRobs photos do look good but even in some of his photos the full cap looks,well like a full cap in certain areas.

Are you currently wearing a partial unit?

It has been said many times before but you have to remember that you are looking at wigs on a website that sells wigs. You will always be able to pick out "flaws" that normal people wouldn't bat an eye at. With a partial unit this could be a slight color or blend mismatch or a hairline that is too full in relation to the temple points or any number of other things. I see guys on the street all the time that look "questionable", but even I can't tell for sure if they are wearing most of the time.

Non-surgical hair replacement is all about compromise. Some guys are lucky enough to have thick, healthy side and back hair that is easy to match a partial to, but the reality for most of us is that we have to work with less than ideal conditions and find what works best for us based upon our own set of circumstances.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to know what you are getting yourself into before taking the plunge but you have to be careful not to fall into the trap of over analyzing things. Your complaints are totally legit and I agree that the nape and temple areas are the main areas of concern but 100% perfection 100% of the time to 100% of people just isn't realistic in this game. With a partial or a full cap you will have good hair days and bad hair days and that there is very little chance of someone figuring out that you wear but there is always a slight possibility that could happen. To me, the simple fact that I no longer have to worry about color match and blending takes a HUGE weight off my shoulders and makes the negative aspects of wearing a full cap seem pretty trivial.

Quote:So is there a density plan for full caps and if there isn't maybe one could be made to help with ordering.

I always the thickest density in the back, slightly thinner on the sides, and thinnest in the temple point areas and on the top. 70/68/65/65 would work well for most people.

Quote:I agree about the nape of the neck problem,maybe a different lace construction there would help with the movement issue?

Unfortunately I don't see this issue being resolved any time soon. The key to a good attachment in this area is maintenance. Keep your attachments fresh and make sure you touch up every couple of days and it shouldn't be much of an issue.

Quote:Maybe the stretch lace or individual joined sections or a combination of both?

I haven't tried this yet but John mentioned the stretch lace in the past and I think it would work great over the ears. You need to design the unit carefully because there is a stress area right where the top of the ear meets the sideburn but I think if they could build it with the stretch lace starting in the middle of the sideburn and extending back behind the ear that would be an excellent base design.

Quote:Another question would be what is the best ventilation direction at the temple points for a more natural look?

Down and back.

Unfortunately this is still a weak point. Factories have been making full caps for ages but since most of them were worn by women who kept the hair longer they never really perfected the art of ventilating these with the skill that they ventilate the hairlines.

I would send a picture of the style you want and draw in the ventilation on the template. If there is any issue you can use a perming solution to re position the hairs when the unit arrives. There is a special technique to this and you have to be careful but it can help to make the hair lay in the direction you want it to.

Aside from that, make sure you build a good template. Having a little taper in the back (less fullness around the ears) can give added realism. Also, strong temple points generally look best. You don't want to go overboard but I have found that going against my "less is more" instinct works best in that area.

Let us know how it goes!

Thanks for the great reply JRob.
I hope you do not think that i was having a pop at you,far from it.
I know this game is far from perfect but we do sometimes come close but where there is always a margin for perfection then we should exploit it i think?
The points you made were valid and luckily for me i still have a bit of thickness to my side and back hair but i do know that withing the next few years it will be something i will have to look at.
Agreed about the ventilation problems due to the ventilators being more used to a longer style of a womans wig, but they do seem to be improving in that area.
Regarding the density i still think a new order chart,similar to the topper chart,could help greatly.
Again, the nape and above the ears, as you mentioned, is areas that we could work on with the factories and see if a solution can be come up with to help the stress and pressure put on in these areas.
I honestly think that new cap designs on the base is the way forward and the use of stretch lace in these areas could help?
Maybe John, yourself and experienced cap wearers could bounce ideas together and come up with new base designs that could be tried out by the factories?
Seems the only way forward to try and solve the problems.

No, not at all. Nothing wrong with trying to get the best results possible. Just trying to figure out where you are coming from. Some guys have unrealistic expectations about the hair game and a lot of the time it is over something minor that only a hairwearer would be able to pick out.

There is still room for improvement with full caps but most of it is on the factory's end making sure they ventilate the critical areas properly for someone who plans to cut the hair short. I would like to see a certain ventilation style created that specifically addresses the needs of a full cap that is going to be cut short, where the temples are ventilated down and back and the sides and back get flatter as they go towards the bottom. The back tends to settle in pretty well after a couple of weeks of sleeping in it but the sides sometimes take longer.

Since my video is going to be launching in the next couple of days I am hoping that this full cap thing picks up steam. So far it is promising but we have only scratched the surface and the more people ordering them the better they are going to get.

I have always been very curious about the stretch lace. If there was a way to incorporate some stretch in the nape, it would make full cap wearing easier. I have no idea what the appearance would be (in the part that is stretch lace). Is stretch lace thick? Can the knots be bleached? John, can the factory representative educate us about this?

(06-29-2011, 03:04 PM)JRob Wrote: No, not at all. Nothing wrong with trying to get the best results possible. Just trying to figure out where you are coming from. Some guys have unrealistic expectations about the hair game and a lot of the time it is over something minor that only a hairwearer would be able to pick out.

I have never been one to be unrealistic,never have been when it comes to hair.
For example toppers have come a long, long way from, say 10 years ago,to where we are now and that is largely down to new materials and ventilation techniques etc.
It is getting harder now to spot one on the street as to what it once was.
Now we have the situation where full caps are getting to that critical point that toppers once were.
As i said previously a lot of full caps you see look like wigs for the various reasons we have metioned.
And if something is off then it does draw your eye to it,whether you wear or not.
That is something we all strive for,or should strive for to make things as natural as possable.
Again no you won't get a perfect result, but it can be improved from where it stands now, don't you think?
The game now is for this whole side of things to step up and get better results for all ,as i am sure you have been working on also.
Look at the results you got when you started to where you are now?
Big improvement i would say but there is still room to take that further forward.