irishkid.. I was just about to log off as it`s late here ..but just a few quick things... if you are unhappy with the level of knot-bleaching done by the factory, you can get a kit off Debbie`s site,.. I guess knots would tend to be more obvious with the lighter colour of your system hair .. mine is 1b which is quite dark and so knots are not so obvious in among the dark hairs I find.
Shedding can and does occur for a number of reasons....if you are sleeping with the system on, you need to use satin or silk pillow-slips, to avoid cotton drying out what little moisture there is on your hair and to avoid the relatively rough texture [ under magnification] of cotton, snagging/catching the hairs and when you move your head in your sleep, they can get snapped off or pulled-on. I`d strongly advise you to obtain a shampoo formulated for system -hair also..Debbie has that too.... `normal`shampoos usually contain harmful/drying alcohols.....a big no-no for system hair. If you intend to bleach the knots,do it, and then apply knot-sealer [available from Debbie`s site under the `accessories` link] ..this will seal/ lock the knots and prevent them becoming un-tied and hairs falling out. As for the front lifting...this should not happen providing the glue has been applied in sufficient layers and allowed to go almost dry.....it should NOT be wet to any degree when you press the lace down onto it...try aiming warm air from a hair-dryer onto it to help it `` go off`` ...the early days of wearing/bonding can be a learning -curve and sometimes you might find a particular glue may not have the same desired results for you as they have for another wearer..... it`s always a good idea to have an alternative glue/tapes to hand so you can `experiment`. A major enemy of system hair is dryness due to lack of natural oils etc.....less frequent shampooing and use of a leave-in conditioner will be of huge benefit...there is no need to shampoo system hair as frequently as growing hair .. I simply mist it with water to `freshen`it up, and use a few sprays of leave-in conditioner on it when damp every 2 or 3 days..... I am wearing a system today which is 8 months in wear/use and I think it`s been shampooed about 6 or 7 times ..... now having said that, I don`t sleep on it, so the base won`t be absorbing oils etc. from the scalp....I was working out in the garden recently and I was sweating a fair bit so I obviously did lightly shampoo it after that..mainly to keep the base itself in a hygienic condition .... I`d be more inclined to shampoo the base itself to remove `debris`than the actual hair as such...... hope that has helped a bit.. Paul.