Hi Guys,

Im so happy that I found this page!
Im 24, from Europe, NW2, and have strong black hair but a receding hairline.

Im on the point of ordering a stock unit and want to do it like leondon90 did from this thread: http://www.forum.toplace.com/showthread.php?tid=4466
>Order a stock system and cut the system all myself.

I also read reubin's thread, who ordered blond front and colored it himself (with the intention, to make the knots "invisible":
http://www.forum.toplace.com/showthread.php?tid=5288

My goal is the same hairstyle as reubin, so my question is:
Should I order a blond unit and color it to black?

There is an information when u ordering a stock unit:
# All bleached knots
Is this good enough, to not detect the knot of the hairline?

Im very thankful for responses!

Hi man, I cannot advise you on technical stuff, just say hello from another european guy .

Question Toplace: When are you opening a shop in Europe?

salut!

jinstar----- you shouldn`t have to order an all-blonde stock because the factory is normally good at bleaching the knots especially at the front and the crown area, as these are normally the most likely to be ` visible` to a casual observer......bear in mind too, that the front of all systems have a graduated-density for a more natural look, so if/ when trimming / cutting a stock to make a partial, try not to cut the front of it, otherwise you`ll cut out the graduated-density bit and you`ll have a much thicker density on the front of your head...... you can cut the sides and back of the system, but try to leave the front intact. If you intend to wear a very exposed or ` swept-back` hairstyle, knot-visibility can be more of an issue, but if not, the
standard knot-bleaching done by the factory is usually ok.... I just think that Newbies have enough to be getting used to [attaching/ detaching/cleaning etc.] without doing colouring too...
Reubin`s systems are custom-made with the hair tied-in [`` Ventilated`` ] into that particular direction....... stocks systems are `` freestyle`` --usually you can ` play around` with them in terms of trying different syles, but if you want a ` permanent` kind of definite /set style, it`s best to get a custom-made. As you only intend wearing a partial for now, you`ll probably get away with ordering a stock ....... by all means, if you feel like ` experimenting` with using colours, you could certainly order a blonde system, and just apply it to a small-ish area at the back of the system, so you can get used to applying and `timing` it..... you`ll only be using/keeping the front bit, so it own`t matter if you make a bit of a mess/mistake with the back of it, as you`ll be cutting most of it off anyway.....keep it off the lace at all costs if/when doing the front, because it will permanently stain it. Good luck with it anyway, whatever you decide...... this wearing game is a learning-curve at the start, and even at times, we still learn something new, no matter how long we`ve been wearing. It takes guts/nerve to do it yourself at the start, so hope it works out for you. This clip might give you a few hints/tips
http://www.hairdirect.com/video/how-to/b...oring.aspx

Thx Paul.

I received my piece now and experimenting with cutting and so on..
I think I got my piece-size now

I usually "fix" my hairstyle with hair spray - can I keep going with that or is it bad for the piece?
I also wash my hair every day - should I do it now every other day?

Hello again jinstar..... it`s a big mistake to treat system hair in a similar manner to what you may normally do with your own hair[ frequent shampooing, maybe using thick styling -waxes etc.]
The main issue is dryness / lack of oils and lubricants. Your hair is not ` dirty` or oily as such, therefore, needs infrequent shampooing... a good daily application of leave-in conditioner will pay you back big-time. Frequent shampooing will lift the colour and lead to an obvious difference with your own hair. I know some guys like things like hairspray... many ` off the shelf` products contain things like certain alcohols which have a drying-effect. I sometimes use a little ` Loreal` Invisifix gel [` strong hold` ] and find it good...tends to brush out easily and is non-flaky....
By all means, mist /dampen your system hair daily...but there`s no need to shampoo it....you can easily shampoo your own side/back hair in the shower daily if you wish, and simply allow the water ` at` your system....it will help freshen-up your scalp [except, of course where the tape/glue is applied to the skin] ...... I tend to clean my system when I have it off the head.... I simply immerse it in tepid water, then lift it out and lather a bit of shampoo onto the lace base and rinse it off again under running-water....... I only apply shampoo directly to the hair once in a while [a few weeks] but then again, I don`t apply many styling-products, so I don`t get product build-up, requiring shampooing -out........but that`s just ` me`.
My preferred leave-in conditioner is ` PPI Enhance` ...got sun-screen in it and is very cheap and a bottle lasts ages........
Are you aware that HairDirect have just last week opened a European distribution centre for products ? Literally everything you could possibly need, including that conditioner I mentioned......sadly for me, their shipping is too expensive to Ireland at nearly 42€ using UPS..... the conditioner is less than 5€ a bottle and then the shipping is totally off the scale !!! Why they can`t /won`t use the normal mail service is beyond me !!!
Check them out anyway...click on the Flag on the homepage and select your area.... I know that certain areas are cheaper to ship to within Europe......

guys... I messed it up with my piece...
I am not able to cut the piece in the right size - half of the piece is now gone ...
I will post later...