Hello All, and thank you for welcoming me to the forum.

I have finally decided to really look into non surgical hair replacements. I have been shaving my head for probably 10 years and I am 38 years old, but sadly I have always missed my hair and have thought numerous times about actual hair transplants but will not go through the pain or surgery piece of it so here I am!

I do feel over time especially certainly I have decided that I am going to do this for me and not for others but that does not take away from the fact that I want it to be as real as possible.

I am located in Northern NJ right outside of NYC and I have yet to find a reputably place in NJ but a few in NYC, does anybody happen to be in the area that might be able to share some thoughts with me? one of the recommendations in NYC I got was

: $175 plus tax for the first cut in, this includes anything needed to be done for the system to customize it for myself after that each visit is $90 which includes a hair cut, removing the system, cleaning the system and my head and needed coloring

Also I have spoke to John from Toplace and he recommended the TL250 for a newbie, we all have to start somewhere right, lol? has anyone had or currently use this piece that can give me some insight or should I look into a different model? also I am of light brown/dark blonde hair color and I am thinking of a custom order where blonde streaks or highlights can be added (John said this is possible and a great touch)

the other questions I was hoping to get some feedback on are

: does it get extremely itchy when you have the unit on with the glue/tape?
: does it start to smell as the hair grows in etc?
: What happens in the pool, if you go tanning, sweat at the beach, shower etc?

I know I am asking alot but I think it is the combination of excitement and nervousness. I am open to provide any information about me or my head that might be needed to get any assistance as well.

Also here are a few hair styles I was considering, please let me know if these are even possible with a unit, I am sure we have all had celebrities in mind, lol.



Thank you All!!
Dan

: $175 plus tax for the first cut in, this includes anything needed to be done for the system to customize it for myself after that each visit is $90 which includes a hair cut, removing the system, cleaning the system and my head and needed coloring

That's pretty steep compared to what I paid in Ann Arbor, but I have no idea what a quality salon in NYC typically charges.

: does it get extremely itchy when you have the unit on with the glue/tape?

No, you shouldn't even be able to feel it. I'm more cognizant of my contact lenses than my hair system.

: does it start to smell as the hair grows in etc?

Mine hasn't.

: What happens in the pool, if you go tanning, sweat at the beach, shower etc?

If you shampoo with hot water, it will tangle, and also weaken the adhesive and shorten the life of the bond, but cold/cool water is fine (keeping it clean by shampooing under cold water every few days actually seems to prolong the life of the bond). Sweating is fine, the only issue that I've had is that when I'm really soaking wet the hair tends to get stuck to the lace at the front hairline. Normally I wear it up at the front, but when I'm playing tennis I brush my bangs forward slightly so it isn't noticeable if that happens, or if the edges of the lace lift a little.

: Also here are a few hair styles I was considering, please let me know if these are even possible with a unit, I am sure we have all had celebrities in mind, lol.

That fade is possible, but very, very difficult. A professional might be able to give you that look, but it will take a LOT of practice & learning before you're able to do a clean, undetectable attachment yourself with that style. Another drawback is that you'd need to get the sides trimmed regularly...like, every 7-10 days, unless you buy 2 or 3 units and cut them for the same style, varying the length, so that you can swap them as your hair grows. Super high-maintenance.

The Beckham picture is doable, but I'd suggest you get it cut a little longer your first time.

The Segel picture is great. Very, very easy to blend the piece into that cut, and it will still look good/natural after a few weeks of growth. I'd strongly recommend starting with this one.

Hi Jeff, thank you for your time and effort into the reply. Most of what you said is what I assumed but it is always nice to have someone that lives it and does it to confirm my thoughts since I have not actually done this before.

I am actually excited to get started on the process and just hope I am not rushing through it. Can you provide any thoughts on the density portion of what to go with? I am thinking to go higher density and if needed the salon can also trim it to fit my head. Would you agree?

: Can you provide any thoughts on the density portion of what to go with? I am thinking to go higher density and if needed the salon can also trim it to fit my head. Would you agree?

I go 70-75% (medium-heavy, highest density available for Swiss), but I'm 25, most guys in their mid-30's and older opt for 60-70% or less. I was surprised by how thick 70-75 was, I actually thought at first that it was too much (like, verging on Jonas Brothers level) and ended up having it thinned -- which is possible, but somewhat challenging, and the result was that I was not able to get this style as long as I wanted it (see photo).

...which was fine, starting with a more conservative cut made the switch less conspicuous, but just so you know. A better stylist/one more experienced with hair systems might not have had a problem doing it, but that's bringing us to my next point: picking a stylist.

I don't know how applicable this will be for you, but I'm going to share my experience anyway (since I plan to elaborate on it in its own thread at some point). The first guy I went to for initial cut-in/blending was not great. I currently live in a smaller town about ~40 minutes from Ann Arbor (get me out!) and I called three local salons asking if any had experience with men's hair systems. No luck, so I started looking in Ann Arbor. I found a place with a good website and terrific reviews on Google, called and asked "oh yeah, I've done hairpieces before, np." Okay, book the appointment, show up and...it very quickly becomes apparent that he has no idea what he's doing. Whatever, I'm committed, I need somebody to shave the top of my head, cut the extra length (I ordered way more than I needed, 6 inches, I think), and blend it with my hair. He's skittish about taking anything off, but I trust him to do this much; this isn't the final cut, I still need to let my sides + back grow out a little more.

Ugh. It doesn't look bad with the bangs down, but the attachment job is just awful; lace folded under itself, pinched, sticking up all over place, hair stuck to it, hair stuck *under* it. "Okay, I need to fix this". Eventually, I end up doing it myself, but not before I calling/stopping by a few other salons in the area because lol I am not going back to this guy for the final cut, and if I can find somebody willing/able to fix the attachment today on a walk-in, so much the better.

Here's the thing: not many stylists have experience with *men's* hair systems. Even fewer have worked with them enough to be really *good* at it. And many do not have experience with all-lace/lace-front systems. Even places that do fittings and sell their own hair systems are often familiar only with whatever type of unit that *they* sell. And this matters because knowing how to secure a thin-skin or poly-lined piece with tape ≠ doing a proper lace-front closure using glue.

I ended up passing on several high-end salons near the center of town and opted to have the final cut done at a smaller place at a little strip mall on the outskirts. The owner was very sharp, engaged, and interested. She took me to a private room where she could examine and inspect it closely while asking me a series of questions: "What is it made out of?" "Is it real human hair, or fake?" "How does it attach?" "Where did you get it?" etc., then told me: "I'll do it, but not today. I need to do some homework on it."

I confided that I had already booked an appointment (just to get the attachment re-done) at one of the major salons (incidentally, the same where she had trained 25 years ago). "Then you should go there, they'll have more experience with this."

And that left an impression. It's the mark of an honest and intelligent professional to acknowledge their limitations and demonstrate a willingness to turn business away.

I went to my appointment at the upscale place, which is where I learned that "hair system experience" ≠ *relevant* hair system experience, or adequate skill acquired thereby. They did a *better* job attaching it, but not nearly as good as I was able to get it myself with a few hours of time and some effort. A few weeks later, I booked an appointment for the final cut-in at the place on the outskirts, sent her some info via email, then went in and she did an absolutely fantastic job.

jeff has answered all your questions, i dont have much to add, but.....my first piece was an all french lace....all after have been swiss...none are from this site though...
i am pretty sure you are referring to DiDi in NYC...the reviews have been mixed...but for the most part what i have gathered concerning her is...she'll get the job done...she is not friendly...isnt open to criticism if you are not happy and like most of the so called "pro's" she will get it on your head and it'll be passable...but nobody will be as meticulous as you.

for my 1st unit i actually drove up to Maine to get an in person cut in with debbie at split ends...she is great...friendly, willing to answer questions, will share her knowledge and really knows how to cut hair!

of course driving from staten island to maine for cut ins is not sustainable long term....i now just send out my piece with pics and detailed tweaks and she does a remote cut in...i also send pics of how short i wear my bio hair, which i do myself...when i get it back i do a bit blending with a blending/razor comb that i got from her....

my bio hair is done as follows to give you an idea of how short i go.....the first bottom inch to inch an a half (meaning just above my ears and all around the bottom) is buzzed with a tight #3 or if i use my adjustable clipper its a looser #2....above that for approx the same width i use a tight #4 (or looser #3 if using the adjustable). keep in mind that even with the longer guard i run it from the already clipped bottom up to where i stop. this is so there arent lines created and its a smooth transition.. last i use the longest guard which is tight #5 or again if using the adjustable a looser #4 and once again its run through all that was already clipped up to the edges of my bio hair...

hope that makes sense to ya....when you have it that short it is important to have the piece line up nearly perfect there is very little room for misplacement because there really isnt any length to hide errors...hope this helps

Hi Jeff, ,Thank you again so much for all of your feedback!

I think that is one of my fears, I have found a few places, almost all have been from John's recommendation from Top lace and they all seem to have experience with hair units. 2 of them were former Farrell stylists, not sure if that means anything to an experienced user but seems to hold some weight.

Your photo is actually great! I really like that unit to be honest with you, I know i had attached a few photos but that one I really like. I know I would obviously need to grow the hair out sides and back pretty long but the result looks like it would be worth it.

If it is ok to ask, have you gotten your units from TP?

Love hair, thank you so much for all your feedback also! on another forum I had someone recommend driving out to Lancaster PA probably a little closer than Maine, lol.

Truth is as you mentioned with the stylist is that I feel like I would be relaying on them to tell me what might work best for me, which makes the stylist even more important, which is why it sounds like didi (yes you were correct) might not be ideal. Plus 90 bucks a visit is 200 a month, I would prefer to avoid that even if she is one of the best.

I also came across ERIN, from Bayonne, which I have heard some mixed results on (any feedback?) since you are from the area?

I have even thought about having Debbie do it, and even to start just showing Jeff's photo and say, can you do this, lol?

I guess what I am finding out is that I really want to do this but by nature, especially with my appearance I am very indecisive and given this being new to me I want to be able to trust the person working with me because as you do your maintenance yourself I hope to work up to that point but I know I will want a stylist I am comfortable with and I know that will not be easy.

However knowing that you are close in location makes me feel a little better off, at least you are familiar with some of the stylists in the area?

Ha, that's not my photo, that's Eric Bana. That's the style I wanted, but like I said, I had to get it cut a little shorter because the first stylist inadvertently took off too much length trying to thin it.

I have some photos that show the hairpiece really well, but I suck at taking selfies, still trying to get that perfect shot. I'm also not looking my best right now because I've let my bio hair get pretty long, my second unit is coming in today and I'm getting it cut in to the length I want on Tuesday.

Jeff,
AH yea indeed it is! Still a nice hairstyle, LOL...I would just have to grow those side out pretty long I assume?

So do you just have one unit currently? I am honestly between TP and HD at this point based on my location and price point. I am thinking of getting fitted for the piece (just me being anal) and then ordering the piece and if anything have Debbie do it?

sorry i do not have any experience with erin....the ONLY other stylist i do have experience with is from sevent sixes in i believe it was jersey city or newark....i had a truly terrible experience with that guy i will paste below my complaints sent to him.....that being said....if you get a custom, trim all the excess lace yourself and go with attached i think you could get a good cut in....if i remember correctly it was$100..

found the link, https://www.seventysixes.com/location-hours it is newark, duane is the guy and systems are done after 6 by appointement...just remember my advice from above should you go there....the following is my communication with him...essentially his answer was he can do my next cut in for $75 and that was when i decided to just send my template cut pieces to debbie

"first off i think you did a very nice job as far as the hair cut goes. but there are some issues that hopefully we can resolve .
when you did the template you made it four of your fingers from my brow line, which is fine, it is where i place it according to my fingers as well. the problem is that after the piece was cut you placed the system much further back than that, probably like six fingers+.
i think i know why. when the template was made it was fine, height, placement, width etc. BUT when you taped, removed and then cut the template from the wrap it shrunk. so when you cut the piece it was to small which is why you placed it so far back. otherwise the rear would not have reached the back of my head to provide the needed coverage.
when i got home i took a good look at the back and it is over an inch to short, more like 2+ inches. even if it had fit sufficiently that was suppose to be my good piece and i needed to detach to put back my other one which i use for work. it practically fell off with very little effort.
when i did take it off i placed your template on my head and it is tiny in comparison to the area that needs to be covered.
i saw you do the template i saw where you placed the front and there is no way you would have made it that small. like i said the hairline has to be placed at least six inches back from my brow in order for the rear to meet and that is not the way it was when you drew on my head.
i now have a piece that i can not use. unfortunately it does not stretch that far and stretching it to the max makes it much more narrow. additionally I'm sure that stretching like that would definitely impact its lifespan.
also when i took it off i noticed that you left over a quarter inch of lace along the entire front portion of the hairline, thats insane. i think only woman who wear lace fronts leave that much, i dont know. generally most men leave no more than an eight of an inch and others trim right up to the hairline (which is my preference).

i suggest for templates you get those very thin shower caps, i think they are used for processing, i'm not sure. but they work very good. you just pull it down on the persons head (don't try and stretch it), put a piece of tape around the circumference of the persons head to hold it in place and make the template as usual. there isnt any cause for concern as far as shrinkage goes.
i hope that you are willing to make some sort of offer to make up for this result, i will leave that solution up to you.
please do reply even if you have no intention to make some sort of offer.
thank you


hope ya found this info helpful and please heed my advice from above if you go there...maybe get yourself 2 pieces as a just in case