Hey elvis..... thanks for the nice post/words and congratulations to you...well -done man. I know how `traumatic`this leap can be, especially for the younger guys.... people generally don`t realise just how much of an impact this whole hairloss thing is to many men. You could use a little concealer to make it look a little thicker until your next order, around the `join`part where it meets your growing hair---what you have to remember is that your very first system is really a `starting-point`...no amount of descriptions on here or even pics. will show you exactly what a particular system will look like until it`s actually in your hand, fresh out of the envelope......we ALL tweak our subsequent orders...even my first fullcap this year [and I`m well-used to what densities to order] was really really heavy density -wise and had to be thinned... it can be a bit hit-and-miss as these things are made by individuals/by hand and no two will be clones of each other. I`m surprised about the knot/bleaching thing..... it`s never [thankfully] been an issue for me...before you apply knot-sealer, you can get a bleaching kit from Debbie and lighten them if you feel like it..... glad the colour-match is ok too..you can easily use a little pomade like `Brylcreem` to help with that ..... I even find my `Enhance`conditioner [applied liberally again last night ! ] is good for that too. I`m surprised the ventilation was not as ordered --- I know you were anxious to `get going`and probably didn`t want to wait while it was sent back or re-ordered, but I`d honestly say to anyone that if you think a system is way off of what you wanted/need, not to style it or anything and contact John first.....a system can always have more hair added to it if you need a thicker density but BEFORE you get it cut-in....
You`ll find you`ll be almost fixated with this now for a while --you won`t be able to pass a mirror without checking yourself out ! It`s normal.......this is all new to you. I think you have the right attitude to it now .... it will get easier as you go along...... and yes, two layers of tape like the stylist has applied will feel noticeable to you to the touch...glue is far less `thick`......again you are going to be SO `conscious`of everything now.... the early days as you know are/can be a steep learning-curve, but you know you can pop onto here for tips/help. The hardest bit is behind you now so, again, well-done. I really enjoyed reading your post there . You`ll find your own little `ways`of doing things like attachments etc. ....the main thing is don`t get carried away with zealous shampooing --there`s no need and it will lighten your colour and shorten the lifespan of the system.....just a little pomade like ` Brylcreem` maybe twice a week, or a good leave-in conditioner a few times a week onto damp [misted] hair will really pay dividends...... I steer clear of heavy/thick styling products as they build-up and you need to shampoo them out as the hair ends up looking `dead`and lifeless. So best wishes with the `new`you and welcome to this wearing-world !! Paul.