Hi guys,

i am new to toupet's and hair systems and about to buy a stock from toplace, i have a few question you experienced users may be able to answer.

I bought a Topper before from another supplier and i was quite unsatisfied with it.
The fit was ok, but what i didn't like was the density and especially the knots.
It was like a wall of hair and the knots were very visible dark brown dots showing a pattern on the lace in the front and throughout the rest of the lace. Also the lace itself felt a bit rough.

What can i expect from a TopLace stock piece? Will i get blonde/white knots when i order a medium to dark brown color?
Is the bleaching the same on the entire lace or only in the front?

How is the hairline graduated? does it look realistic?
The Lace i had on my old System was Swiss, as i understand the stocks come in french lace, how well does it dissapear especially on the front? Can anyone post a good photo of a french lace hairline by any chance?

I have read a lot of forum posts on the top lace forum by now, your systems look promising.

BR
Michael

(07-26-2011, 01:09 AM)Cilantro Wrote: Hi guys,

i am new to toupet's and hair systems and about to buy a stock from toplace, i have a few question you experienced users may be able to answer.

I bought a Topper before from another supplier and i was quite unsatisfied with it.
The fit was ok, but what i didn't like was the density and especially the knots.
It was like a wall of hair and the knots were very visible dark brown dots showing a pattern on the lace in the front and throughout the rest of the lace. Also the lace itself felt a bit rough.

What can i expect from a TopLace stock piece? Will i get blonde/white knots when i order a medium to dark brown color?
Is the bleaching the same on the entire lace or only in the front?

How is the hairline graduated? does it look realistic?
The Lace i had on my old System was Swiss, as i understand the stocks come in french lace, how well does it dissapear especially on the front? Can anyone post a good photo of a french lace hairline by any chance?

I have read a lot of forum posts on the top lace forum by now, your systems look promising.

BR
Michael

I just received my first piece from TL. The bleaching is excellent, and the hairline is very nice. Unless you are in a hurry, I would recommend a custom piece and not a stock. The density on my piece is what I ordered, as are the dimensions. The lace is very fine, so handle with care.

I`d go for a custom-made system from the `off` unless you`re in an absolute hurry... they are a middle-of-the-road item and you`ll have to be prepared to make compromises on what you`d like and what you actually get.... it will only mean a longer wait but it would be better to get something which you have `designed`yourself than an off-the-shelf system...stocks are fine..i.e. quality and texture of hair etc. but are more of a sticking-plaster solution ..they are pretty good for people who like to cut them to make partials ..... I`d go `custom` if I were you, and there`s little in the difference in price too.... Paul.

@Winstonage

You say your unit was bleached perfect. What color did you order your Hair?

Should i order a blonde and color myself or just order it in my natural color(dark brown) and still get a good bleaching?

As for the stock vs custom, i am ordering a stock since i am in a hurry somewhat, i will also order a custom in addition.

I am going to post some pictures of before and after with a stock piece and custom, going to cut in the custom myself.

My first impressions of the stock unit:

The fit: For some reason the stock unit fits like a second skin, i guess i have a stock unit friendly curvature.

Bleaching: Not as good as i hoped. While the knots are bleached they are certainly not blonde or white as promised by John. 7/10
Next time i am going to order 2 blonde Units and color the Hair myself.

Density: Seems a little too heavy to me(i am 30 years old this month). In my Opinion this Density is for very young people(18-23years) I expected this though after reading the forum. It is also waaay too heavy in the front and not as graduated as i hoped wich is my main cocern with this unit.

Quality: The french lace seems very strong and seems to be quite durable, this will become my backup unit as soon as i order my customs in sfs.

While these first impressions seem a bit bad, i am quite happy with ordering a stock piece, it was very fast delivery and good pricing, now i know what to opt for when ordering my custom pieces.

Pictures follow shortly Thanks again for the support John.

You can carefully thin out the front there if you feel the need.....just take it `easy` until you see how much comes out..... just use a hair-removal cream you can buy in any drug store or most shops ....I use a cotton swab and just dab it on in little `dots` evenly-spaced out in lines to the area concerned on the underside i.e. the actual knots NOT down through the hair itself......wait a few minutes for it to work, then I just `pluck` out the loose hairs with my fingers... rinse the base under running water to wash off the excess product......it`s quite simple to do but as I said, just take it `easy`.....you can always have another look in a few days time and do another little thinning if you like..... regards, Paul.

Thanks, that worked out fine.

I have an important question before ordering my custom systems.
I am quite unhappy with the knots. Should i order my customs in a light blonde and color them myself or should i ask John to let them get bleached? What would be the best way to go to get light knots?

Michael

Ok..just my 2 -cents worth: I have read here of wearers who order blonde hair in order to get blonde knots, then proceed to color the hair to whatever shade they require. To my mind it`s probably just easier all round to ask for `extra`bleaching of knots at the factory--- they are well-used to doing it and will know when to `stop`...bleaching weakens the hairs and can lead to premature shedding so if it were me, I`d prefer to leave it to the `experts`...... using harsh chemical coloring products to change the color from blonde to say, brown, is also tricky to do unless you are used to it/have experimented with old systems...you can get it onto the base and will stain it permanently and in the case of a topper, it can also be tricky to get the shade correct to blend in with the growing hair..... I know some guys do it no bothers and each to their own, but [just thinking of Newbies] in the early days of wearing, a person has enough to be coping with without changing the color of their hair on top of it all..... if it were me, I`d just ask John to specify extra bleaching at the front and crown areas..... again, just me thinking `aloud` so hope that helps with your decision..regards, Paul.

Did you order "extra bleaching" before? how were the knots? Did you get blonde knots or are they still visible?

Michael

No Cilantro.... has never been an issue for me at all..anyway, the style/ color which I wear makes it a non-issue, but I know you can ask for that the knots be well-bleached. Paul.