Hey guys. I'm new to the community, so I just wanted to say hi to you all.

I received my custom unit in the mail and had it cut in about 2 weeks ago. Here are the before/after pics. The unit specs are:

TL500 3" Super Fine Swiss (SFS) Front Plus A French Lace Base
65% density

Let me know what you think!

(03-25-2011, 07:51 AM)irishkid Wrote: Hey guys. I'm new to the community, so I just wanted to say hi to you all.

I received my custom unit in the mail and had it cut in about 2 weeks ago. Here are the before/after pics. The unit specs are:

TL500 3" Super Fine Swiss (SFS) Front Plus A French Lace Base
65% density

Let me know what you think!

Looks good! Very youthful.

Leamon

Excellent ....well done ! Great to see such good results .... welcome to the forum and this wearing `game`!! Paul.
p.s. what style is that---forward -ventilation ?

Brilliant - makes you look so much younger.

Don't suppose your in Northern Ireland by any chance?

Would be good to see other high-res pics if you get a chance!

Thanks! The style is "freestyle," and I sent in a template/sample to have matched with my head/hair color. A few remarks: when I received it, the color was a little off, so the lady who cut it in dyed it to match my hair color. Anyone else have this issue? Do you dye it yourself or get it done professionally? Also, I have the hairstyle come down over my forehead as shown because there is a visible pattern of dark dots along my hairline. I'm assuming this requires knot bleaching which I keep hearing about on the forums. I wasn't aware that customers were required to do this--the dots are pretty obvious when standing a few feet away. Wearing it forward solves the problem (until a gust of wind comes along, that is).

Anyways, another far more pressing question... how do you glue the front hairline down so that when someone runs their fingers up through your hair, it keeps from peeling back? I've tried using GhostBond and Safe Grip, and in both cases, running your fingers up through my hair inevitably causes the piece to start to peel back. You can also definitely feel that "something is there." I use 2-3 layers of glue, and allow it to dry so that it's tacky feeling before laying the piece down and pressing it against my scalp. This is only bothersome because a few of the girls I've been seeing have been running their fingers through my hair and I would like to have it feel natural. They know I have a unit, so it's no biggie, but it's more so that I can concentrate on the task at hand, if you know what I mean

Also, is it normal to experience shedding when wearing a new piece? I see about 20-40 hairs come off every time I do my morning routine (shower / blow dry (on cool) / style my hair). I use L'Oreal EverPure Smooth Shampoo, and don't condition. I rinse every day, wash every other.

No, I live in the US, but I'm full blooded Irish. You Irish guys, do your beards grow red too?

It looks really good mate. The factory should bleach the knots for you so I am confused why this is the case as for the front lifting; try more layers of glue. You are doing the right thing waiting for it to dry though. Have you considered using tape at the front considering you comb the hair downwards?
One last question please. Do you find people don't notice you are wearing a replacement? I am going to try this within the next six months but I like most new wearers feel a tad paranoid. I suppose I'm asking how you feel about it psychologically. This question goes out to other wearers as well. Thank you

(03-31-2011, 08:06 AM)person Wrote: It looks really good mate. Can I ask a bit more about the specifications? How much curl have you ordered? It looks straight or body wave? What is the density and base you ordered? The factory should bleach the knots for you so I am confused why this is the case as for the front lifting; try more layers of glue. You are doing the right thing waiting for it to dry though. Have you considered using tape at the front considering you comb the hair downwards?
One last question please. Do you find people don't notice you are wearing a replacement? I am going to try this within the next six months but I like most new wearers feel a tad paranoid. I suppose I'm asking how you feel about it psychologically. This question goes out to other wearers as well. Thank you

Thanks man! Well, I had quite a bit of hair loss, so the people I knew before I started wearing obviously know something has happened. The funny thing is, a lot of people can't put their finger on it. I've been telling people that this is what I look like without my glasses, that I shaved off my goatee, finally got prosthetic limbs, stuff like that haha. But I eventually tell them that I got hair replacement, and they go "ahhhh that's it!" I'm 26 and people tell me I look 22-23. Other than that, nobody knows a thing as far as I can tell. It looks totally natural, at least from 5+ feet away. The knots are visible on the crown, and on the hairline, like I said, so if people start to wonder what the dots are all about, they'll catch on, but it hasn't happened yet. I have had women go "nice hair!" and thrust their fingers into my hairline, only to pull back awkwardly when they feel something catch their fingers. Then I have to explain--I'm trying hair replacement, etc. That's what I want to fix.

To be honest, I love having hair, but aside from money it comes at a cost. Given that I'm new, I'm still deciding whether or not it's worth it for me, and I suppose you'll have to do the same. First, for me wearing is a lot of work, probably because I'm still a beginner. I had a meltdown of glue the other day and it literally took 3 hours to clean my unit. These things can happen, so newbies should expect some setbacks. The shedding also freaks me out. Anyways, you get what you put into it. I always want it to look PERFECT as to avoid detection, so I am ALWAYS thinking about my hair. Questions that are always in my head: Does it look real/convincing? Did something come loose? Is it peeling off somewhere? I'm guessing these are common concerns for people who just started wearing hair. To be blunt, I'm stressed out about it but I look great. It's a tradeoff.

The funny thing is, I don't care if people I already know realize it's fake, it's the strangers that bother me. The other day, I was sitting in a stadium and I couldn't stop thinking about whether or not the people behind me knew that I was wearing a hairpiece. I don't think they did. But every once in a while they would whisper to one another, and I would get freaked out. I'm not trying to freak you out, but, psychologically, these are the kinds of things that are going through my head. For me, it needs to look perfect or I'm not havin' it.

Can you identify with these feelings? Anyone else?

To answer your other questions, the piece I'm wearing has a body wave, 65% density, and is the TL500 (french lace with a few inches of super fine swiss in the front).

-irishkid

irishkid.. I was just about to log off as it`s late here ..but just a few quick things... if you are unhappy with the level of knot-bleaching done by the factory, you can get a kit off Debbie`s site,.. I guess knots would tend to be more obvious with the lighter colour of your system hair .. mine is 1b which is quite dark and so knots are not so obvious in among the dark hairs I find.
Shedding can and does occur for a number of reasons....if you are sleeping with the system on, you need to use satin or silk pillow-slips, to avoid cotton drying out what little moisture there is on your hair and to avoid the relatively rough texture [ under magnification] of cotton, snagging/catching the hairs and when you move your head in your sleep, they can get snapped off or pulled-on. I`d strongly advise you to obtain a shampoo formulated for system -hair also..Debbie has that too.... `normal`shampoos usually contain harmful/drying alcohols.....a big no-no for system hair. If you intend to bleach the knots,do it, and then apply knot-sealer [available from Debbie`s site under the `accessories` link] ..this will seal/ lock the knots and prevent them becoming un-tied and hairs falling out. As for the front lifting...this should not happen providing the glue has been applied in sufficient layers and allowed to go almost dry.....it should NOT be wet to any degree when you press the lace down onto it...try aiming warm air from a hair-dryer onto it to help it `` go off`` ...the early days of wearing/bonding can be a learning -curve and sometimes you might find a particular glue may not have the same desired results for you as they have for another wearer..... it`s always a good idea to have an alternative glue/tapes to hand so you can `experiment`. A major enemy of system hair is dryness due to lack of natural oils etc.....less frequent shampooing and use of a leave-in conditioner will be of huge benefit...there is no need to shampoo system hair as frequently as growing hair .. I simply mist it with water to `freshen`it up, and use a few sprays of leave-in conditioner on it when damp every 2 or 3 days..... I am wearing a system today which is 8 months in wear/use and I think it`s been shampooed about 6 or 7 times ..... now having said that, I don`t sleep on it, so the base won`t be absorbing oils etc. from the scalp....I was working out in the garden recently and I was sweating a fair bit so I obviously did lightly shampoo it after that..mainly to keep the base itself in a hygienic condition .... I`d be more inclined to shampoo the base itself to remove `debris`than the actual hair as such...... hope that has helped a bit.. Paul.

it looks great mate i would like my full cap to be something like this, only black in colour

really nice

Hi Irish, looks great! I'll keep my comment brief and to the point so you don't have to read through a ton.

- You definitely need a new shampoo immediately. Don't use that one again. Throw it away or put it in a guest bedroom. Get a color safe shampoo, or if you can afford it, buy the RemySoft 3 step system. Also, don't rinse everyday in my opinion. I've had my unit 3+ months and never have seen much shedding at all.

- Regarding bond, I also use Ghost bond and you had to follow the instructions to the letter. 4 total layers of glue. Each layer you need to let turn clear before applying the next layer. After 4 layers, set a timer for 7 minutes to let it dry. At the point, bond the front down into the glue. Best to have maybe a cm of extra glue in front of the edge of the system

- Regarding you worrying about if people know, its very common for a new wearer to feel that way. Don't worry, and you won't after getting used to having hair again. No one knows and its very easy to know that. As they say, you only notice a bad system. The old school ones many old guys wear that are just crappy wigs, people notice those. These are undetectable if done right. And by that I mean, color blending, hair blending, and the bond if showing hairline. The funny thing is, I have better hair now than before I started balding. LOL.