Hi expriest....the pics may cause a bit of confusion in that [ naturally] you`d think I`m `working off` the hair start-point/line......I`m not . I totally ignored the growing hair when making the template and simply located the occipital bone and then came down below it to where I felt the perimeter would `sit` without too much skin- movement,not too far down but enough so that the system hair wouldn`t be too long and thus giving a `wiggy`look....I guess some guys like their hair to be very long normally , almost down to the base of the neck...that wouldn`t suit me at all.....it`s a matter of what style an individual likes but in my opinion, for the short-ish style I wear, having [proportionately] a little `length`at the back is fine, but not too long....a bit of a balancing act. When I was making the template, I was a topper-wearer and because my growing hair was/is so thin, I had to keep it shorter than where it is now in order to disguise the difference in density[blend] with the topper density [it really was too short /was a bit `up my neck` ] so I just totally ignored the growing hair when making the template....when the Fullcap arrived, I attached as normal and over the next few weeks I allowed the hair to grow down until IT met the system hair tips..NOT the other way around. The reason there`s a small gap there now between the black line and where the growing hair starts is simply because I was using an electric clipper thing a few days ago and went down a bit far with it...... If you get French lace, my experience of it is it`s a bit more ` rigid`than Swiss and less inclined to wrinkle.... I know JRob attaches his back bit first and works forward.....I do the opposite .....I`m so used to where my front attachment points are, I simply place tapes onto the skin first , then peel back a little `start`point/corner of the backing strip on each, sit/position the system so it`s sitting correctly at the front hairline point, then I peel off the backing tape there, attach, then each side[burn] flap and finally the strip at the back...but that`s just me...each person finds their own way of doing things. Honestly ...you don`t have to be spot-on to the nearest millimeter with it....as long as it`s not obviously too far forward / encroaching onto the actual forehead, or obviously too far back you`ll be fine....you`ll get so used to it after a few times you won`t even think about it. Finally, just locate your occipital bone, then come down to the little `hollow`below it...... have a look in a mirror and you`ll see that it`s probably not all that `far`from there to the tips of your hair as such....as a guide, I`d aim for not having more than 1.5 inches from the perimeter edge to the tips of the hair if possible ...... don`t let you present growing hair `dazzle`you at the back.....you may have let it grow down a bit lately and maybe it might need a little trim to get it to how you normally wear it ---- just aim to have your system looking like your own hair was when you had all your own hair, so not half way up the back of your head nor almost sitting on the shoulders ! If your present hair-length is exactly `right`, well your system hair shouldn`t be longer nor shorter but sit exactly `over`it...... it can be a little tricky and you`ll never be 100% sure until your system arrives, but sit your template on , have a good overall look and see how it `behaves`at the back when you incline the head forward/back... I assume you wear your hair styled in a kind of similar style to myself? I`d only order 4 inch length....I find that`s best for both me and the stylist...saves time at the cut-in and I can see what I`m doing when attaching at the salon......the younger guys can and do wear their hair quite long/flowing and that `s fine...at my age, the shorter way I wear it means 4 inch on my specs is more than enough.....the hair is just less than 1.5 inches at the nape when cut-in..why would I want 6 inches there and over 4 inches having to be cut off and end up on the floor? Only making more work for the stylist, adding to the time taken and the charge !! Keep it simple ! Totally `forget`/ignore your growing hair when template-making for a Fullcap .... imagine and replicate your hair as it was when you had a full head of hair and then `play`with/integrate the bit of underlying growing hair when your system is delivered --NOT the other way around ! Also have your perimeter a bit above your ears and not sitting onto them as it will `annoy`you /cause irritation... I have a gap of 1/4 of an inch there....Paul.