So I'm finally taking the plunge. After years of concealer, I'm sick of the mess, the obvious fakeness of it, etc. Went to Didi, got measured, getting a cut-in.

I timed it so that I'm going on vacation in the Caribbean, so when I get back I'll be fully tan and hoping that most people just think the change was I grew my hair out longer. I've timed the whole thing with a vacation so that work folks are less suspicious.

I am a little nervous about going away right after the cut-in. The things that are concerning me the most are 1. the fact that I'll be in the sun all the time 2. the fact that I'll be snorkeling a bit and in salt water.

Any tips on surviving this trip?

If you're going to be out in the sun a lot you'll want to use a leave-in conditioner w/sunscreen on your hair if you can. Also wear a hat or bandana whenever possible... this goes a long way to help minimize fading.

Rinse your hair with fresh water after swimming, especially after being in chlorinated pools. The combination of chlorine and sun can quickly cause fading. Bottled water can be a great thing to have handy for a quick rinse.

I'd recommend using Blue Lace tape for the best attachment. It has the strongest, most secure bond when being active or swimming, and sweat generally doesn't affect the bond as much as some other types of tape or adhesive.

Sometimes after being active and in the sun/heat your bond will soften/loosen up a bit. Don't panic... This is normal and usually will return to a firmer bond (with a little pressure) once you cool off.

Hope this helps!

Thank you! So salt water won't affect the bond too much?

I will not be going in any pools. Au naturale!

No, the salt water shouldn't be a problem. Just remember to rinse your hair with fresh water as soon as you can. It's really the heat and sun that can affect the hair system adversely over extended periods of time. Hope you come back feeling refreshed, tanned and looking and feeling several years younger sporting your new look.

P.S. If you're going to be in the ocean, I would highly recommend doing a full-head bond with Blue Lace tape instead of just a perimeter bond, or at least put a couple of extra strips of tape down the center of your unit just for insurance in case a big wave happens to sideswipe you. Hope you have lots of fun in the sun!

OK cool, so you can do blue lace tape in the front too? Where's the best place to buy? Should I use that on the poly perimeter too?

Anyone have recommendations on a spray-in conditioner with UV protection that actually works?

Yes, you can use Blue Lace tape anywhere on lace. If you use at the front hairline, it can show through the lace a bit if your density is on the low side, but I'd still use it for swimming for the safest bond. You can always style your hair down a little in the front to hide the edge a bit.

If you have any poly areas on your base it's better to first put down a layer of Red Liner tape on those areas, then put another layer of Blue Lace tape over that. The Red Liner is much easier to remove from poly.
Here's a link to a good video showing how to do it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU5sJW0SDkI

This video shows a perimeter attachment, but as I said earlier, since you're going into the ocean you'll want the best/safest bond you can get, so I'd highly recommend some extra strips of Blue Lace tape across the top and center of your unit for extra hold too.

The best place to buy supplies is from hairdirect.com. They have the best and most comprehensive selection of products for hair systems. They carry several good brands of leave-in conditioner with sunscreen. A good one I've used before and like is PPI Enhance. They also have a great video library section that you should watch when you get a chance that covers all the steps involved in wearing and maintaining hair systems.

How discreet is HD's packaging? I'd like to order but have a roommate and wish to keep the secret!

HD ships everything in a plain brown box with nothing saying "HairDirect" anywhere on it. I think the last one I got just had their return address showing. Unless someone gets really nosy and googles the address (very unlikely), I think you'll be safe.

Inside the box along with the supplies you order, you'll find an HD invoice and a few other printed marketing materials that you can just shred or throw away. Usually they send you a coupon advertising a percentage off your next order, so be sure to look for that to keep.

HD has one of the best shipping systems I've ever dealt with. From the moment you check out a tracking code is assigned to your order. You can look online to see where your package is at at any point during processing right up to the time it's delivered to your door. Also, if you order over $50 worth of products online, shipping is FREE within the continental U.S.
If you find you don't like a product for some reason, they have a 30 day/no questions asked/money-back guarantee. As long as it's returned within 30 days you can get a refund.