: Can you provide any thoughts on the density portion of what to go with? I am thinking to go higher density and if needed the salon can also trim it to fit my head. Would you agree?

I go 70-75% (medium-heavy, highest density available for Swiss), but I'm 25, most guys in their mid-30's and older opt for 60-70% or less. I was surprised by how thick 70-75 was, I actually thought at first that it was too much (like, verging on Jonas Brothers level) and ended up having it thinned -- which is possible, but somewhat challenging, and the result was that I was not able to get this style as long as I wanted it (see photo).

...which was fine, starting with a more conservative cut made the switch less conspicuous, but just so you know. A better stylist/one more experienced with hair systems might not have had a problem doing it, but that's bringing us to my next point: picking a stylist.

I don't know how applicable this will be for you, but I'm going to share my experience anyway (since I plan to elaborate on it in its own thread at some point). The first guy I went to for initial cut-in/blending was not great. I currently live in a smaller town about ~40 minutes from Ann Arbor (get me out!) and I called three local salons asking if any had experience with men's hair systems. No luck, so I started looking in Ann Arbor. I found a place with a good website and terrific reviews on Google, called and asked "oh yeah, I've done hairpieces before, np." Okay, book the appointment, show up and...it very quickly becomes apparent that he has no idea what he's doing. Whatever, I'm committed, I need somebody to shave the top of my head, cut the extra length (I ordered way more than I needed, 6 inches, I think), and blend it with my hair. He's skittish about taking anything off, but I trust him to do this much; this isn't the final cut, I still need to let my sides + back grow out a little more.

Ugh. It doesn't look bad with the bangs down, but the attachment job is just awful; lace folded under itself, pinched, sticking up all over place, hair stuck to it, hair stuck *under* it. "Okay, I need to fix this". Eventually, I end up doing it myself, but not before I calling/stopping by a few other salons in the area because lol I am not going back to this guy for the final cut, and if I can find somebody willing/able to fix the attachment today on a walk-in, so much the better.

Here's the thing: not many stylists have experience with *men's* hair systems. Even fewer have worked with them enough to be really *good* at it. And many do not have experience with all-lace/lace-front systems. Even places that do fittings and sell their own hair systems are often familiar only with whatever type of unit that *they* sell. And this matters because knowing how to secure a thin-skin or poly-lined piece with tape ≠ doing a proper lace-front closure using glue.

I ended up passing on several high-end salons near the center of town and opted to have the final cut done at a smaller place at a little strip mall on the outskirts. The owner was very sharp, engaged, and interested. She took me to a private room where she could examine and inspect it closely while asking me a series of questions: "What is it made out of?" "Is it real human hair, or fake?" "How does it attach?" "Where did you get it?" etc., then told me: "I'll do it, but not today. I need to do some homework on it."

I confided that I had already booked an appointment (just to get the attachment re-done) at one of the major salons (incidentally, the same where she had trained 25 years ago). "Then you should go there, they'll have more experience with this."

And that left an impression. It's the mark of an honest and intelligent professional to acknowledge their limitations and demonstrate a willingness to turn business away.

I went to my appointment at the upscale place, which is where I learned that "hair system experience" ≠ *relevant* hair system experience, or adequate skill acquired thereby. They did a *better* job attaching it, but not nearly as good as I was able to get it myself with a few hours of time and some effort. A few weeks later, I booked an appointment for the final cut-in at the place on the outskirts, sent her some info via email, then went in and she did an absolutely fantastic job.