Whats up guys..Im a HCM client currently but i just closed my account to start buying my own hair online....In the search i found this site...THANK GOD!!! ....So im pretty set on getting a full cap casue i HATE the blending issue i have every morning and some day im in the bathroom for nearly an hour.....can't do that anymore, i was almost to the point of just taking it off completely..

So my question is about full caps...

My only concern is how strong is the bond to your head ??? .... Can you swim in it, scuba dive, etc.... I have a family trip with my wifes family to Mexico coming up and no one on that side knows i have it...

My topper i have i actually sky dived in it 3 times with no issues...is this possible with a full cap ???

The topper i have has poly all around the perimeter for durability.....so i lay red tape all around and use super glue gel to bond it myself.....the gel works just like the "hard-bond" HCM uses.....im guessing this type of application is not possible with a full cap....

I do all my own services now, i never let the HCM people do it cause they always screw it up....the last system i didnt even let them cut it, i cut it......it wasnt perfect but better than their stylist's with 6 months of HCM training.....

And im also looking to actually have a hair line now....the crap piece i wear from HCM sudddenly got horrible with non-bleached knots and almost like a woven hair line that lifts the hair almost straight up...not ideal for styling.....So i dont know what is best for front hairlines to make it unnoticeable....any help would be appreciated.

Im looking to make a order pretty fast (after learning all the facts) as i want to have it before i go on vacation.

Hi Mcat,
Hair Club for Men uses what's known as a 'hard bond' which lasts 4-6 weeks. They use an adhesive called 'Poly Grip' on top of the tape. It's a very strong bond. Some people comment that they get an 'itchy scalp' because the bond lasts so long that they don't want to take the unit off and clean their scalp---that's why it get 'itchy.' And that's why they sell you a bottle of 'Alive'---it's an enzyme that dissolves the crud that accumulates on your scalp from attaching for a long period of time. Please tell me about your hair style. The poly sides and back on your current topper is covered up by hair. Depending on your hair style you may have to make some adjustments to go to a full cap.
Regards,
John

(04-27-2010, 08:03 AM)ToplaceUSA Wrote: Hi Mcat,
Hair Club for Men uses what's known as a 'hard bond' which lasts 4-6 weeks. They use an adhesive called 'Poly Grip' on top of the tape. It's a very strong bond. Some people comment that they get an 'itchy scalp' because the bond lasts so long that they don't want to take the unit off and clean their scalp---that's why it get 'itchy.' And that's why they sell you a bottle of 'Alive'---it's an enzyme that dissolves the crud that accumulates on your scalp from attaching for a long period of time. Please tell me about your hair style. The poly sides and back on your current topper is covered up by hair. Depending on your hair style you may have to make some adjustments to go to a full cap.
Regards,
John

i want the front like the guy with dark hair and the sides and back a little shorter like in the pic of jrob. So combine these two styles....

Im not aware what is the best suit for me....Ive always had a crap topper but it was well hidden because of my current hair style....i now have it faded up to the system with the front combed sort of across and slightly up but you cant see the hair line.....because if you did it would look like crapola...

Whats the best material for someone who will be slightly active in it (swimming, diving, etc) ..All French Silk, SFS, a combo of both .. ???

Do you recommend to poly around the edges of a system like the pics i posted, or will that make it massively more detectable ???

And would you recommend the "skin" front for a system like i need ??

mcat-

I highly recommend starting with an all lace unit. you can go with swiss lace at the hairline, but get french lace for the rest of the base. Make sure the swiss does not extend to the area above the sideburns, as it will probably fray prematurely from the pressure put in that area when doing an attachment.

As for holding strength, I use lots of blue liner tape around the sides/back/top, and use glue only in the hairline and temple areas. I get a very strong hold with this combo.

If you plan on being in the water a lot I would also make sure you talk to John about having the factory use small knots in the nape and make sure they are well bleached. I developed a method for modifying the lace in that area that creates a more realistic look when wet, but on future units I am going to make sure to specify that the hair in that area needs to be ventilated with care to avoid the dreaded "line" that appears with big, unbleached knots in the back. The line is bad enough when the hair is dry but it is very visible when the hair is wet.

(04-28-2010, 03:55 PM)JRob Wrote: mcat-

I highly recommend starting with an all lace unit. you can go with swiss lace at the hairline, but get french lace for the rest of the base. Make sure the swiss does not extend to the area above the sideburns, as it will probably fray prematurely from the pressure put in that area when doing an attachment.

As for holding strength, I use lots of blue liner tape around the sides/back/top, and use glue only in the hairline and temple areas. I get a very strong hold with this combo.

If you plan on being in the water a lot I would also make sure you talk to John about having the factory use small knots in the nape and make sure they are well bleached. I developed a method for modifying the lace in that area that creates a more realistic look when wet, but on future units I am going to make sure to specify that the hair in that area needs to be ventilated with care to avoid the dreaded "line" that appears with big, unbleached knots in the back. The line is bad enough when the hair is dry but it is very visible when the hair is wet.

Thanks...i saw your post where you cut the nape area and a saw tooth pattern, i will definitely do that.

And im guessing the hair needs to be ventilated strait down in the nape area....thats what you mean ?? ... i was going with the crown ventilation with spikey front....will the crown vent take care of the nape area as well, since the hair should be ventilated in theat general direction .. ??

Also, do all the units come with bleached knots already ?? ... Or will i have to ask for it ??

One more.....what if i went double lace on the sideburn area to get extra durability...does that make it very detectable ??

I haven't seen a full cap yet where the hair was ventilated in an improper direction in the nape (it will always be ventialted down), however, it is very common for them to ventilate multiple strands of hair in each knot in that area and leave them unbleached. My theory is that the factories are used to making these full caps for women who usually wear their hair longer, so until now this hasn't been an issue. If you want shorter hair you will get a MUCH better result if the knots are small and well bleached. If the unit comes back to those specifications, you probably won't have to cut the sawtooth pattern in the lace- the knots will blend just like a nice hairline.

Personally I would just go with french lace in the sideburn area and forget about it. French will hold up just fine, it's the swiss lace that will fall apart in that area.

Oh yea, and make sure you specify where you want the crown to be on your template. I have always been able to make do, but sometimes they place it a little too far forward if you don't specify.