Hello, I'm new here...first post. I'm thinking about buying a toplace unit soon. But, I need some advice as to what I could achieve with a toplace system.

I would like it to be a little on the thin side (not too thick). Maybe parted on the side like a comb-over, covering a portion of my forehead. I have always had medium length hair.
Kind of shaggy. Is that a possibility with a piece? I noticed a lot of guys wear comb back styles and expose their hairlines with very tidy cuts (and, they look incredibly real). So I wasn't sure if hair wearers chose those styles for a reason or if it was just a personal preference.

I have added 2 pictures of the kind of style I'm interested in.
For an absolute beginner, how difficult would this be to achieve? And, how detectable would this style be?

I would appreciate any input on this. Thanks. BTW great forum.

Hi sp9..welcome to the forum...that would be really easy to do..probably the easiest...just enclose the first 2 pics ..helps the factory to `see`what you want. Just specify side-parting from left... I`d say 55 % density would suit. Have a look at the `how to order`page.... make your template and mark it as shown [hair-direction and `part line`] and also mark it with the words `front`and Back` as appropriate ...often a topper is kind of oval in shape and just to avoid any confusion at the factory, just clarify the front and the back by marking them appropriately.Paul.

Ya this one should be easy, especially since you won't have to pay extra detail to getting the hairline just right. This should be very achievable as long as you keep the hair conditioned and in good shape.

Thank you for the help.

Do you think I could do those styles with a freestyle stock piece from TL? Or should I have a custom piece made first? I'm not quite sure what the difference between the stock and custom pieces are. Have many of you had any luck working with stock pieces? I was think about trying a stock first, while I'm waiting for a custom to be made. Any tips?

The densities are approx. as follows :Light 50/5%, Medium 60/5%, medium to heavy 70/5% ,Heavy 80/90% . The pics show a guy with hair which is no more than medium [on a system] so, as SP9 wants to emulate that style, to my eye/mind 70% would be going too heavy...he could go 60/65% just for `safety`....that`s what he`ll get with a stock anyway..they are all medium density. The difference between stock/custom is, usually, custom is a better fit....you may have to trim/cut a stock to get a better fit ..they are all `freestyle`too ... which is easy to `play around`with style-wise, so yes you could train the hair into that style easy enough.... the perimeter of a stock , can be uneven or inclined to bunch-up in places due to the contours of your head being different to the shape/curve of the base.... they`re fine material-wise etc and many guys can get a perfect fit with them ,but many others will not and custom, for them, is the best fit. Regards, Paul.

Thanks for the info Paul. This is very new to me, I appreciate you help.

(04-17-2011, 05:11 PM)SP9 Wrote: Thanks for the info Paul. This is very new to me, I appreciate you help.

You`re quite welcome... I`m not an `expert` but can usually throw a bit of `light`on things, drawing on personal experience .. neither have I worn every available base..... wearing is not an exact-science [neither is it rocket-science] and I can and still do have occasional `bad hair days` when maybe I can`t get the thing to look exactly as I want and it can be annoying ..but the good days far out-weigh the bad..ideally I `d still have all my own hair [who wouldn`t want that] but that`s not possible.... the main trick/s to all this is get a good fit [best with a nice template and custom system] then crucially ..a good cut-in/ styling...the rest is maintenance /de and re-bondings and that`s up to the individual...yeah it`s a daunting thing for newbies....just take time to go through the forum..most issues/ questions have been well-covered..... I know it might be confusing...just jot down the most important points or print them off and you can refer to them easily again.....regards, Paul.

i got to agree to tim about density as u will long some hair also 70% sounds about right. but most inportant . what is you age ??? you young in 20s - 30s ???? very easy stlye to get. reason i ask if you are not that bald yet dont order a stock piece and shave your head to fit..also maybe order a stock piece while waiting your custom to play around with and get the feel fior it..sending guys here a pic's with faced blacked out will only help you
bobby

I agree. The shaggy modern-retro look is by far the easiest style to pull off.

Most of the problems associated with (visual) detectability arise when the hair gets down below a couple of inches in length.

Although it isn't practical for some guys, I always tell beginners that a longish style will make things quite a bit easier, especially in the beginning.

(04-20-2011, 01:52 AM)bobbyphilly Wrote: i got to agree to tim about density as u will long some hair also 70% sounds about right. but most inportant . what is you age ??? you young in 20s - 30s ???? very easy stlye to get. reason i ask if you are not that bald yet dont order a stock piece and shave your head to fit..also maybe order a stock piece while waiting your custom to play around with and get the feel fior it..sending guys here a pic's with faced blacked out will only help you
bobby

I'm 31. And, yeah...I'm pretty much bald. I'm currently "rocking" a comb over with Prothik to cover up the scalp. A stock piece is what I was thinking about starting with. Then ordering a custom afterwords, if I get the basics of wearing down. I have to admit it's overwhelming. I have worn a cap in public for years. Hopefully, that will make the transition easy and less noticeable.

I really appreciate the advice. Have you had good results with stock pieces?