Hi Paul, not sure if you recall from previous threads but I recently had a system made that was basically a 3/4 cap, similar to yours in shape but smaller as I was trying to keep more of my own hair. It was an experiment. Good and bad news:

The bad news is that having any visible amount of my own hair won't work, it's simply too thin/weak. The good news is that I think I'm going to be very happy having a full cap like yours. Even the one I have now with poorly bleached knots (not a TL piece) has made a tremendous difference in my appearance from the front. Having that extra hair on the sides instead of my own hair has a dramatic 'volumizing' effect, making me look so much younger. Instant boost in self-confidence! I think going all the way to a full cap (while keeping a tiny amount of hair at side burns/ears and nape like yours) is going to be a perfect solution for me!

I am going to make a new template this weekend and order again (this time one from TL). I just wanted to ask you if there is anything that you've learned since doing your full cap that would help me when making my template and ordering? Any tips from the past or things that you are going to do differently on your next order etc? Things to look out for? I only want a half inch to one inch of my own hair, like yours. I don't think I could do a 100% full cap, and I believe your method of leaving a little hair to 'soften' the lines is fantastic. Thanks for your help, you have been a real inspiration for me.

Hi expriest..... can I just clarify a point which I`ve read a few people saying [ not that it `bothers`me or anything but please `indulge`me ..I`m not being `prickly` with anyone] Just because a tiny amount of growing hair is `kept, doesn`t mean a system is not a `Fullcap`.
If I shaved off my tiny bit of remaining hair, it would not mean I`d need to send in a new and slightly bigger template.... I simply kept it to `soften`the look --especially at the sideburn area. My system hair simply covers/sits `over`the little bit of growing hair, but the edge/perimeter is in exactly the same position in the skin as it would be if there was no growing hair. I`ll attach a pic or two to show what I mean, shortly after I post this reply.
Now to answer your question.....hmmm.... I don`t think there is anything in particular that I muse-over and kind of say `` wish I`d done that differently`...Dino was saying a few days ago that he finds the bit of hair at the nape can tend to curl out/up a bit .. I suggested maybe getting a little bit of extra density for that area..just at the nape .... I have 2 Fullcaps --the first one came back with a VERY high density which I had to thin considerably but I noticed that the nape hair `stays` nicely in against the skin there, whereas the second [most recently-delivered] system which has a much lighter density, can tend to be a little bit more inclined to be a bit `wispy` kind of `rats -tails` because the density is a lot lighter....my guess is [ and it`s only a guess] that a high/er density at the nape adds to the hair `rigidity` and it`s much more likely to hold the style there after it`s styled... depending on your overall density , and allowing for an age-appropriate density, possibly an extra 10% just for that last 3/4s of an inch or so at the nape, may ensure a nice `look` at the back/nape area, which to my mind is just as [if not more] important as the front hairline. I`ll pop on a few pics shortly....hope that helps with your specs. Cheers for now... Paul.

The last 3 pics are of the higher-density system , as follows: 3rd-last showing the back perimeter edge while the system is turned upside - down ..hopefully you can see the `thicker`hair [higher density] than in the ones above it which are of the more recent lighter-density one.
2nd- last is the nape area just sitting on my hand.
Last one shows the way the nape hair sits in against the skin....thicker-looking than in the shot up above which as I said, is the more recently-delivered system with a lighter density.

Brilliant, this helps a lot. Thank you.

I'm curious if you could show where your base attaches in the back? I've heard you say 'just below the occipital bone', but it would helpful to see where that is. Along those lines, how long does the hair come down in the nape area (hard to tell from a photo) ?

I see what you mean by the higher density in the nape area, the previous one you had looked better there. I think I will specify a higher % about an inch up from the perimeter.

Paul - You have the most realistic nape area on your systems that i have seen. I would never think in 1000 years that yours is a wig. Its pictures like these that make me want to go to a fullcap.

Hi guys....I`ll try to get a pic of the back/nape with the perimeter clipped/held up--it will be tomorrow though as I have to spend most of today in the city....it will be very tricky though, trying to use a camera from behind your head means you can`t see where you`re aiming the lens... I`ll do my best. The image of the thinner-density system up top might be a bit `off`because I`ve been using a styling cream product recently and I can see a bit of product build-up..the system needs a wash now to freshen it up again,as the hair is beginning to look `tired`...that`s the problem with using a lot of product like gels/pomades etc. A simple leave-in conditioner used regularly means the `lifeless`look happens much more slowly [just my experience anyway] As you can see too at the sideburn area, the tiny bit of growing hair is a brown colour and the system hair is black...I don`t even bother using colouring products on that little bit of hair as it`s not seen under the system hair as such...it`s purely for a `soft`look there to the casual observer....it works very well. Close-up camera shots can be very unforgiving and you might think the lace is glaringly-obvious........it`s not ! Expriest--if you`re doing your template today, my best advice for the nape area would be have the edge sitting just below the occipital bone ....if you place a finger there and incline your head backwards, you`ll feel a little `hollow` area immediately under that bone...that`s where the edge will attach and you`ll be able to have a decent hair-length there,i.e. an inch. I`ve just measured the hair length now on that system you`re looking at in the last pic--it`s marginally over an inch. Having very long hair there can look a bit `wiggy` in my opinion as it won`t sit in `tight`to the skin....long-ish hair tends to just `hang`there..... I also think that having a bit of `extra` [marginally so] density from the crown down the back allows the stylist to layer the hair in better as there`s more to `play with....it`s hard to give an exact figure on what density to go for...maybe the higher end of medium....65% or so [ 65% Toplace density is equal to 85% on `other` systems you may have bought from other providers] ...so purely to allow for a nice layering-in effect at the back, I`d go at least 65% crown to nape with 70% on that very last inch at the perimeter..... you can easily thin it a little, later if you like....[70% Toplace =90% on `others` ] but again, these things can vary a bit, due to the fact they are individually made and some ventilators have better skills than others and no two systems will be clones of each other....just something we have to live with in the wearing -game. I`ll get that pic on as soon as I can...regards guys and thanks for the comments as always. Paul.

Paul, is there any issue caused by going beyond 'just below the occipital bone'. ie, closer to the end of my nape hair? Your occipital bone might be closer to the end of your nape hair proportionately to mine . I don't know. If I go 'just' under the bone I think it would leave too much of my own hair and force me to have the piece hair longer in the back. If I shave more of my own hair in the back, and only leave a half to full inch, ideally, I will be going farther away from the occipital bone. So is there a downside to going farther down as it relates to how the piece attaches and how it behaves?

I guess there probably is/can be differences from one person`s head to another.... the further down you go away from the occipital bone and onto the nape area, the skin there moves/stretches a lot and may give you issues with your bond not holding so good there...you`ll have to use your best judgement ..the trade-off between not having the hair very long there and the need to avoid the area/skin prone to most movement. It`s one of the downsides of Fullcaps as opposed to toppers...but then toppers have the colour and blending-in issues which Fullcaps don`t, all part of the fun! I`m sure you`ll nail it anyway....will try to get that pic on tomorrow..tried today with no joy and then I had to go out.

OK ..well took a few pics....please bear with them as it`s very hard to hold a cam. behind the head and aim/focus properly. The pics are a bit deceptive in terms of the impression they give of the length of that bit of remaining growing hair and the distance from the occipital bone [marked with a black dot] and the black line which is the line along which the perimeter sits..... from that black line down to the tips of the growing hair is marginally over an inch...... hope that helps you there expriest. Also took a shot of the Brylcreem and my trusty bottle of `Enhance`.
I applied Brylcreem 3 days ago to the system and simply misted it to freshen it up today and yesterday.... if you look closely at the bit of system hair you`ll see a sheen off it [I was using a flash on the cam at the time] but it gives an idea of how that pomade looks/is on the hair. Also, you`ll notice a little strip of tape with the white backing-paper still on, applied/sitting just on the line....that`s where I attach....that little strip is enough to hold the system on....I`m totally lazy and don`t bother with full perimeter bonds. Cheers, Paul.

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can a fullcap be ordered to where its permantly styled and never need to be combed