Misterbeef,

I've used this basic style for several years now and can say that your density specs are right—75-80% for density.

Stay away from the standard factory graduation. My experience has been that they always tend to tie a lot less hair in the central area of the unit (usually 10-15% less), both at the hairline and in the middle/top, so standard graduation doesn't work well with this particular hairstyle. Instead, ask the factory to slightly graduate first 1-2 cm of the hairline and to leave the rest of the unit non-graduated. (I always usually pluck out a few hairs here and there around to improve on the factory graduation though.)

If your natural hair is straight, then by all means order straight hair instead of body wave. In reality "straight" hair will still have a bit of natural curl to it (it's not usually bone straight). It won't have a visible wave pattern or the "poofiness" that body wave does. Ordering straight hair also saves the hair from some damage since it doesn't have to be permed (always a good thing). It's very easy to add a little body/curl anywhere needed with a small round brush and a little heat for more volume when styling.

As Hersute explained, Forward From Crown ventilation is tied so the hair flows toward your face, therefore it tends to lay flatter to the head on the top and sides as shown in the picture. When hair is ventilated Freestyle, the individual hair strands are directed out in slightly different directions. This small difference significantly impacts how the hair behaves.

You can order Freestyle and get close to the same result when styling eventually, but having tried it both ways, I can say with confidence that Forward From Crown is the way to go for this style. It's much easier to work with.

•• Also, be sure to include both a copy of the picture of the style you would like to achieve and a picture that clearly shows what your natural density looks like in with your order. These visual aids are invaluable tools that will go a long way to help the factory produce a great result.

Is Forward From Crown ventilation the same as Comb Forward?

Yes, it's the same. The knots are tied so the hair will flow forward toward the face.

Thank you for the advice rscout, definately appreciated. I hate it when I get a new system and I have to wait almost 2-3 weeks with body wave to kill the "poofiness" so to speak. Will definately try straight hair from now on...

Hi rscout:

So the bottom line (just trying to come to a final decision)
If you had a system with straight hair, non graduated at about 80% and wanted to comb/style it back, forward, to the sides, etc....which type of ventilation would you use? Freestyle, front crown, flatback or something else?
I'd appreciate the feedback...

Here's the breakdown on types of ventilation used for making lace units.

Forward from Crown: The ventilated hair will flow forward toward your face. With this ventilation you can part (break) the hair wherever you want. it's also possible to brush it back as well. When brushed back it will have good volume, but will have a tendency to want to fall forward without the use of lots of product in the hair.

Freestyle: This ventilation is what most people order. The hair is tied so it directs out in slightly different directions. It's easy to style the hair in many different ways. You can have a part or a break anywhere, comb back off the face or brush it forward. It's the most versatile type of ventilation, and the one most people start off with.

Pompadour: This ventilation gives more volume in the front area and the hair is tied so it's easy to achieve lots of volume that flows back off the face (Think Elvis; also sometimes called a "quiff").

Flat Back: The hair is tied so the hair will flow straight back away from the face. This ventilation is harder but not impossible to comb in other directions, but will always have a tendency to want to go straight back, and tends to lie flatter to the head generally.

Spiky Front: The hair is tied in the front/center to go almost straight up at a 90 degree angle. This ventilation is used to achieve the more trendy "spiked" styles some younger guys like to wear. It's very hard to style this type of ventilation flat or to make it fall forward toward the forehead (bangs).

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I recommend that you start off with a freestyle piece and work with that a bit. That's what most people do. By using a little wax/gel or other product(s) in the hair it's possible to style it almost any way you'd like to. If that type of ventilation works well for you, it may be all you ever need to order. If you find you want more volume in certain areas, or that the hair isn't styling quite like you'd like it to, then you can always change the type of ventilation on your next order.

If you're still in doubt about what to do, talk to John. Let him look at the picture of the style you want to achieve and ask him to help you to choose the correct ventilation and specs that'll give you the end result you're looking for. You can count on him for good advice and to steer you in the right direction.

I didn't understand what is the hairline graduation.
Btw when I'm trying to order a piece I don't see anything about it. Can someone help me with that ?

Graduation is simply referring to the density of the hair at the front area of a system....all systems, whether stock or custom-made, have a graduated density by default, unless specified otherwise [ in the case of a custom-made system].... it simply means the hair is less dense at the very front and ` gradually` [ Graduated] gets denser, further back towards the crown-point area, or as you ` progress` back from the front. The picture on the homepage [the ` before` and ` after ` shots] are of a non-graduated system....generally it`s only guys who are quite young can pull this look off..it looks totally unnatural on older guys, as very few, even with all their own hair , have a total ` wall` of hair at the front.