Hey, I'm still new to the world of hair replacement. I'm male and only 24, almost 25. I had a tumor a year ago and my hair just never recovered on top. The sides and back are still strong. Light brown to ash in color with a pale (Irish) complexion.

I didn't even know places like Toplace existed until after I purchased a hair system from a local (not a national chain) hair restoration business two days ago. They do hair transplants as well as hair systems. The hair systems are provided by American Hairlines (Virtual Reality). The owner of the company, who met with me each time, wears one of the systems and I will admit that I cannot detect it at all and the scalp you see through it looks like normal scalp.

You get a system about every 2.5 months. The one I am getting has a swiss lace front and a thin skin (0.03mm) base. 100% European hair.

The systems cost $600 per system. I also paid for a maintenance program up front ($995) which covers as many attachments, colorings, cleanings, products (shampoo, glue, lace lift, etc) etc as you need, on demand, without the need for any appointment setting for the full year.

There is no binding contract (you can return the system and stop monthly payments at any time), but the original system + maintenance program is noted as having no refunds. So, essentially, out $1600 if the unit looks detectable or just otherwise unsatisfactory.

I'm not really here to gripe about the cost. I'm not concerned about the price of the product outright if the product is actually undetectable. However, if this system gets here and it's not undetectable, what would you all recommend? I did pay for the $1600 with a MasterCard (Citi Bank) and I did read one other story on the net (not the Toplace site) about someone successfully getting a refund on a hair system by contacting their bank, but that's probably a 1 in a million chance.

So, are Toplace systems truly undetectable to sight? What base components are the most undetectable? Should I wait till the system gets here, make a template from it, cancel and just accept the $1600 as gone? Or should I try to cancel now and try my best to get the $1600 back?

I have no drawing ability and really would rather not make the template myself or do the initial shave of the application area, so if anyone knows a place in the Minneapolis area that can draw a template and do the first bond for me, please do let me know.

EDIT: Also, what happens if I order a system from Toplace and it doesn't comply with the template or the color is wrong or otherwise arrives defective? At the salon, they replace the entire system with no extra charge if the color is off or something and I have to admit I'm mighty scared of spending more at Toplace by repeatedly not getting the template right or not having the color right. I know the systems can be had for $400 or less here, but that can add up if you are no good at template drawing.

However, I'd spend like $4000 in the year if I stuck with the salon for the entire year, so if the products at Toplace are consistently of undetectable quality then (even if I can't get the $1600 back) and assuming Toplace systems also last at least 2.5 months then I'd be looking at, Im guessing, $1000 to $2000 for a full year of systems? What if I used the salon system for the first 2.5 months and then Toplace for the rest of the year? (Assuming I can't get back the $1600)