Eric..that`s where you were `going wrong`---not sure about the other conditioner you used but Enhance is best applied onto damp hair....I kind of `back-brush`the hair gently so it`s not lying down--same from the back of the system..`back brush`it so it`s standing up....making it stand up a bit `opens up`the hair so the product won`t be just lying `on top`of the hair....spritz with water ...don`t soak it totally..just nicely moist all over and then a generous amount of `Enhance`... then kind of `mess` the hair about with your finger tips.... just to train it back into your style... allow to dry naturally. I find with systems, sometimes you can get a bit of an `artificial/wiggy` look by brushing or combing into too much of a `straight line` look .... hair that`s been ruffled-up a bit can give a really natural/nice overall look. I`ve tried quite a few conditioners, and so far that one has given me best results....as for Brylcreem etc. ...the trick with pomades is don`t over-do it.....they can build-up and leave the hair looking `tired` again....bit like a grease-ball. Certainly it`s as old as the hills, as they say, and VERY cheap....again, as Didi was saying too, the texture/quality of the donor hair HAS to have a bearing on the finished `product` , and I think it`s something we wearers will always be `vulnerable`to...no matter what supplier you buy from, there will always be that `variable`factor in there and some systems will behave differently at times, to the previous one/s. I`m using a serum this week on a system which I`ve been wearing since last June....it`s still in really good condition overall, but even with `Enhance` I can feel a bit of dryness/coarseness at times...but that`s fine.... I `m not complaining at all....that`s still really good going for a system 8 months old approx. and I know I can `nurse`it along for another while..the first Fullcap which is even older , is actually in even better condition !! So it can vary from one system to the next....let me know how your hair feels after ---when you next shampoo, and the hair has had all styling products removed, just use the Enhance daily [or even twice daily if you feel it needs it--but most likely it won`t] ..spritz with bottled-water...... don`t use any other styling products for the week and see how you get on... I reckon with just that alone, you`ll have no need to shampoo the system at the end of the weeks......mine is `lucky`if it sees shampoo once a month !! I feel shampooing is a major culprit in negative -effects on systems..if the PH-value is too high , it will cause problems.... I use a system-specific shampoo & conditioner [Remysoft]..it`s pricey, but I reckon it `lasts`because I don`t need to use it frequently, and just that Enhance conditioner daily ...eventually, as the system ages, it will obviously deteriorate from it`s original condition inevitably, and it`s then that I use Serum ..... the `Bluemax`one is good too and can be used in between shampooings. It`s a balancing act really... system hair is not `dirty`as such....I think guys over-do the shampoo......I guess because maybe they used to have `oily`hair and still have this idea that the system will need almost as frequent `cleaning`..the opposite is the case.....it needs protection from dryness as it gets no oils or moisture, so you`re basically doing a preservation job from day one. Things like pomades can be really helpful, but a little goes a long way..... you`ll defeat your purpose by using too much--that`s when the cycle of frequent washings begins..... the only thing I`m `generous`with is that Enhance conditioner......it`s a liquid with the consistency of water [not a bit `sticky`] it has a sunscreen too, and not a bit of build-up....you can simply spritz water onto it later in the day to `freshen`your hair, or next morning before you go out....add a bit more [Enhance]then and you`re good to go...it`s very simple to deal with.