I'm currently wearing a SFS lace unit, and I've tried every tape known to man, but it seems as if everthing, even the new Walker Non-Shine tape, looks shiny and slick in low lighting. The front hair line just looks . . . well, shiny and slick. Normal lighting is fine, but go out for a candlelit dinner and your dinner companion is going to need sunglasses. I'm sure this topic has been discussed before, but is there a trick that I don't know about . . . or a super-secret tape that I haven't discovered? I love my new unit, which is about as close to perfect as any unit I've ever had, but the tape thing is just killing me. And before I forget it, Debbie deserve major props for the incredible cut-in. Each time she cuts a unit in for me, I think back to all those stylists who charged me $250.00 a pop, while the unit was on my head, mind you, and Debbie outdoes them all. And she's in Maine and I'm in Florida. Really amazing.

I was reading through the old forum trying to get some pointers on eliminating the shine. I'm also having trouble getting the unit to stay attached to the tape. During the day the unit will sort of slide off the tape, and there will be tape on my head but no unit attached to it. I think this is probably because I'm using Frizz Ezz after I wash it and the lace is coated with dimethicone. But I was wondering if anyone has ever used a concealer--those fibers people shake into their hair to provide the illusion of fullness--above the tape once the unit is on. Would that help with shine . . . or would that just make the tape look dirty?

There are two tricks that I know to tell you . . . I am a female but I wear a full lace wig, so I have encountered various issues in the past.

First is the when you apply the tape and peel it back . . lay your forearm just over that part of the tape line that may be exposed. This simply transfers skin cells to the tape and naturally serves to dull the shine. Be careful though because body oil is the biggest reason for 'lifting', this is why I suggest the forearm and not palms or fingers or something that would have more natural oil on it.

Secondly, find a mineral powder foundation and tab it onto the tape line. Please remember to use a concealor makeup brush for this and apply it coming from the "top" of the tape, not dabbing "up" with the brush. The difference being that if you dab 'up' you are jabbing the foundation into the tap line and will actually serve to darken and illustrate it.

Being a guy and ASSUMING you don't normally buy foundation for yourself , remember to get it a shade lighter because anywhere near your scalp will be at least a shade lighter than you natural hue. If you don't have a female that you are comfortable asking to do this for you, then go buy a foundation that only offers light, medium, and dark. That minimizes your chances of messing it up.

HTH!

The internet is a strange place . . . now I am helping lawyers. What is next?

edit in~ The only time I have had the sliding you are talking about is when I went to bed within an hour after putting on the unit. Mine is considerably different from your's in that it is very long hair, and when women apply these we usually tie a scarf or something around the hair for at least an hour or so to let it properly 'set' ( we use exactly the same products btw). Anyway, one time I went for a nap and when I woke up the weird pressure has shifting the wig back off the tape. You don't wear a baseball cap or anything right after application do you?

Unknown is right.....also most tapes are pressure sensitive...so after the unit is applied I always keep pushing the tape with my hands so that it will set...and believe it or not I usually put the unit on about 2 hours before I shower with the unit on...and have never had a problem...after applied just keep using your hands and keep pushing the unit down so the tape can stick. hope this helps...Cheers

Yeah, we usually use a rat tail comb to apply pressure onto the lace edge and encourage it to 'melt' into the skin, just for about 30 seconds.

On a side note, I recently used the fray check that BA suggests and it did seem to really help sanks you

Gosh, what is it? "Help-A-Lawyer-Day?" Thank you all so much, and please know that I'm happily in your debt. I'm sure this topic has been discussed over and over, and that each time a new person comes along and raises it again, everyone utters a collective sigh of frustration. I guess the bottom line is that I need to buck up and learn the art of liquid adhesive. The thing is, I'm not like most of you guys who bond for weeks at a time. My unit--and this is really the truth--sits on a plastic stand in my lower desk drawer more than it's actually on my heade. I come into my office wearing a baseball hat, and then I sit at my desk and slap it on with tape every morning. Before I go home at night, the unit goes right back into my desk drawer. Glue just seems so hardcore . . . but this shiny tape thing has got to go, now that I'm trying to show more hairline. And I think it's just me, too. The Walker Non-Shine seems to work for most other people. And to "Unknown": Helping lawyers isn't such a bad thing; we're not all bottom feeders. That said, do you sprinkle the mineral powder foundation over the tape once it's on your head? Or are you suggesting I use a make-up concealer brush to dab it on once it's on my head? Thank you again, all of you, very much!

I am curious what your density is that the tape shines through so much.

wheels07 Wrote:Unknown is right.....also most tapes are pressure sensitive...so after the unit is applied I always keep pushing the tape with my hands so that it will set...and believe it or not I usually put the unit on about 2 hours before I shower with the unit on...and have never had a problem...after applied just keep using your hands and keep pushing the unit down so the tape can stick. hope this helps...Cheers

Why in the world would you put a unit on before you shower instead of after ?




Fred

HateMeI'mALawyer Wrote:I guess the bottom line is that I need to buck up and learn the art of liquid adhesive. The thing is, I'm not like most of you guys who bond for weeks at a time. My unit--and this is really the truth--sits on a plastic stand in my lower desk drawer more than it's actually on my heade. I come into my office wearing a baseball hat, and then I sit at my desk and slap it on with tape every morning. Before I go home at night, the unit goes right back into my desk drawer. Glue just seems so hardcore . . . but this shiny tape thing has got to go, now that I'm trying to show more hairline. And I think it's just me, too. The Walker Non-Shine seems to work for most other people. And to "Unknown": Helping lawyers isn't such a bad thing; we're not all bottom feeders. That said, do you sprinkle the mineral powder foundation over the tape once it's on your head? Or are you suggesting I use a make-up concealer brush to dab it on once it's on my head? Thank you again, all of you, very much!

I beg to differ sir. Coming to work IN a baseball cap, applying your unit at work, THEN taking it off in order to leave work is hardcore. How in the world would using adhesive be more hardcore than that routine?! LOL Sounds like you are viewing your unit as a cosmetic enhancement specifically for work (like some women do makeup) and not accepting it as a PART of you. Like a suit jacket that you only put on for special occasions. Not that it matters I suppose . . . but it would make an interesting study.

There are a couple of ways you can do the concealer trick, but my preference is to use a concealer brush. You are doing it AFTER the unit has been applied to your head. Dab the brush into the powder foundation (loading up your bristles the same way you would when you are loading a paint brush) then shake the brush, and lightly tap it to remove all VISIBLE foundation powder. It sounds silly, but if it's clumped on your brush it will look clumped on your application. Then dab the brush to the any grid area that you would like to cover. I like to do that, then rebrush the hair in order to spread any vagrant powder that might have gotten away.

Here is a video that shows a variation to my method, but where the girl is apply it with a brush. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3m7J5hSixE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3m7J5hSixE</a><!-- m --> You notice on her's she uses tape and does it when the system is off her head. Her method is not my favorite but it will show you a concept of what I mean (Also she has some really annoying Beyonce music in the background, that I would not condone either)

Also, in my job I deal with lawyers and politicians on a regular basis, (um, county government and congressmen mostly) . . . I have met some with redeeming values, I will admit. I guess even in a coal mine, you might hit a diamond occasionally