Ordering a stock will help ease you into wearing but you have to be aware of the [several] limitations with them..... they are all `freestyle`, medium density, and come in 2 standard sizes..... measure your thin/ing area front-to-back and side-to-side ..you`ll be sent the nearest size to that....it means you will either have to cut /trim the system to `fit`your thin area or shave a little of your `strong`hair at the sides so that you can avoid cutting the system at all but ensuring the system doesn`t overlap your growing hair as you need to be able to bond the perimeter to bare skin--not onto growing hair...... you could send in 2 templates..... one `good`/ accurate one for the factory to make your custom, and the other one just representing your thin area itself so John can `match`it to the nearest stock size.....both [stock and template] can be sent to Debbie if the stock needs to be cut/trimmed down to fit....you can pay her separately.....make sure you mark your `stock template` CLEARLY so John knows which is which. It`s important to remember that stocks will normally NOT give a really snug fit to the contours of your individual head..they are a standard fit and we all have different head-shapes. Have a look at Snipe`s post on template -making here : http://forum.toplace.com/showthread.php?...light=fred
click on the photobucket link there.
Getting the front hairline part accurate is important... it`s going to be the part of your system which is likely to be most visible to others and creates that `` first impression`when people look at you...if it`s `odd`or `off` it will draw attention ...it`s simple enough to get right.....if your template needs more material added to it..that`s simply done by adding more sellotape...... have a look at these pics.... http://forum.toplace.com/showthread.php?...rob+mohawk ignore the fact that the guy is marking for a fullcap...just look at the hairline itself [front] .... simply draw a line like that with marker [so you can see it through the cling-film] representing your hairline, thus helping you make your template accurately-shaped at the front. Custom-fit is THE best way for most wearers....some are lucky and find a stock will fit like a glove but they are in the minority. Take a long length of film initially, moisten your scalp with a few sprays of water[to help hold the film in place] and lay the film onto the scalp and tie loosely under the chin.....`iron`out and wrinkles etc. with your hands ......start adding your layers of sellotape side-to-side, evenly onto the film to give it rigidity, then trace/re-draw your hairline contour with black marker onto the film while you can still see through it----the more sellotape you add, the less visible it becomes---you need to be able to see the shape in order to cut around it later with your scissors. Then begin adding strips of sellotape front-to-back to add more firmness/rigidity.....simply mark the rest of the shape of your thin area onto your template as shown in Snipe`s tutorial......then just untie the cling-film under your chin and remove the template and trim off the excess.... always leave about half an inch of `excess` on it all the way around.....then sit it onto the head and see how it looks.....gradually trim off more / in towards the black marker outline...... until it is to the desired shape.... if you think you have cut a little too much off anywhere, just add on some more sellotape to build it `out`again.....it doesn`t have to be accurate to the last millimeter....but do try to get a nice outline for the front...not lop-sided. As for temple-flaps : always try to re-create/cover the hair you have lost only ...... how you looked when you had all your own hair.....if that includes temple flaps well so be it...add them in too. I think the easiest style to pull off with those is forward and down rather than backwards as there`s less chance of the base material becoming visible .... rather like wearing an exposed front hairline ..a non-exposed is easier to pull off. Certainly having a stock will help ease you into wearing but don`t expect miracles and you won`t be disappointed ...as you`re in Europe, the October `deadline` for your new job might be tight for having delivery of your custom .... 6 weeks is a minimum at best ...it often takes longer from the time you post off your template/Toplace getting it and sending it to China, then it goes into the Queue, sent back to Toplace and then back to yourself........ personally, if I had to trim the stock to fit my head, I`d opt for a professional like Debbie to do it for me for the sake of it..... I have no bothers trimming off excess lace but as to cutting the actual system itself..no thanks !! lol ! Hope that helps... Paul.