Hi folks. I contemplating going the full cap route, and wanted your opinions on the following base designs.

PSB/iLace Combo. Basically a PSB cap with an iLace center, and synthetic hair, maybe 70% density. I'm hoping this combo will allow me to attach with G2BG, and can be worn as a daily wearer. I wear a brush down
style and i'm not too concerned with an exposed hairline.

Secondly I'm planning on a french lace cap with with polygauze running around the nape to ears, with a strip running temple to temple for security. Hairline and sideburns will be lace. Hair will be HH.

Any feedback from those who have BTDTBTT, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

For a full cap I would only get a skin base as a backup/quickie attach piece, and I definitely wouldn't get skin until you have a perfect template.

The full cap skin perimeter units I have received have not worked at all. The first problem is the "roots" of the hair in the skin. I think BA said these can be bleached, but none of mine were, even at the hairline. All of my lace pieces are well bleached in the front.

Second issue is attachment.

With the old factory I had ordered one all PSB unit which had a lace transition at the edge at the hairline. The full caps I recently got have a blunt poly edge all the way around. If you do decide to go with PSB perimeter, make SURE you ask John what it will take to have them do the lace transition all the way around because if it isn't there the unit will not only be very detectable to touch, but when you (or even worse someone else) runs their hand across the edge it can actually lift the base, even if you are using glue. The edge is way too abrupt, if that makes sense.

The other thing you need to keep in mind is that your template has to be right on with a skin piece. you can't chop it up like you can lace. For your first full cap this is why it is very important to get all lace. It will probably take some tweaking to get a hairline, temples, and recession level you like, and with lace it's easy to make changes. With poly you're stuck. Once you have a lace piece that you are happy with THEN you can build a template that's on the money.

I would have at least two functional all lace units in place before getting a skin piece.

All of this stuff will be on the Full Cap DVD but it isn't quite finished I think I might have already sent you the rough draft of the eBook version....if not let me know and I will email you a copy.

JRob Wrote:For a full cap I would only get a skin base as a backup/quickie attach piece, and I definitely wouldn't get skin until you have a perfect template.

The full cap skin perimeter units I have received have not worked at all. The first problem is the "roots" of the hair in the skin. I think BA said these can be bleached, but none of mine were, even at the hairline. All of my lace pieces are well bleached in the front.

Second issue is attachment.

With the old factory I had ordered one all PSB unit which had a lace transition at the edge at the hairline. The full caps I recently got have a blunt poly edge all the way around. If you do decide to go with PSB perimeter, make SURE you ask John what it will take to have them do the lace transition all the way around because if it isn't there the unit will not only be very detectable to touch, but when you (or even worse someone else) runs their hand across the edge it can actually lift the base, even if you are using glue. The edge is way too abrupt, if that makes sense.

The other thing you need to keep in mind is that your template has to be right on with a skin piece. you can't chop it up like you can lace. For your first full cap this is why it is very important to get all lace. It will probably take some tweaking to get a hairline, temples, and recession level you like, and with lace it's easy to make changes. With poly you're stuck. Once you have a lace piece that you are happy with THEN you can build a template that's on the money.

I would have at least two functional all lace units in place before getting a skin piece.

All of this stuff will be on the Full Cap DVD but it isn't quite finished I think I might have already sent you the rough draft of the eBook version....if not let me know and I will email you a copy.

Thanks for the reply, Rob. Were these skin pieces knotted or injected? I was always under the impression that skin units could be cut. AFAIK, PSB is basically just really thin polyskin that shouldn't have much of an edge and can be exposed. I suppose that's another thread in itself. I'd really like to give synthetic a try, so lace is probably out of the picture. Can't have everything, I guess. :cry:

Also, have you tried attaching with spiking gels, such as G2BG?

I think your PSB edged piece looks fine, btw.

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It looks pretty good there, but notice the "carpet" look of the hair in the sideburns and above? The density of that unit is at least 10% thicker on the perimeter.

This ine I have been meaning to send back to John but haven't gotten around to it. The highlights (hard to see from the pic) are throughout the entire piece and not just the top as well.

This is one of those things where although I don't need a piece to look flawless, I gave up on trying to wear it becasue of the issues I mentioned earlier in the thread.

Styling product is great, but it only goes so far. And with this unit, if a woman were to run her hands through my hair she would probably have a heart attack. I can't have that.

PSB- second unit ONLY. And like I said, whatever you do make sure it has the lace transition.

I just ordered a French Full cap. Tried All Poly. Liked it but yes you really need a perfect template. Have also a swiss front and sides with poly edges. I use scotch tape then put blue tape over the scotch tape. Works really well and clean up is a breeze. Scotch tape holds to the poly for weeks and just peels off.

Now Im going for the all French and will use tape on the front sides and across the back. I don;t overly tape any unit anymore. In the beginning I tapes them down like a fortress. Now I realize you really don't need all that much. I ride my motorcycle sans helmet and it stays put with just tape on the front.

I do have in issue with itching in areas where I shaved but like the front my skin will adapt and it itches less and less with each application.

My biggest problem with the units has been the venting. The right side always seems to be vented back and the left forward. I prefer the forward vent on the sides because it naturally hides the hairline. I hoping they vent the next one as indicated. all forward and down.

Full caps have been a great cover. No more matching grey, no more texture matching, no blending, shave, place, and go. I wear it at about a 3" length all around, never perfectly styled and always looking like I'm ON THE WAY to the barber instead of just coming home from one, so its far less detectable.

I wouldn't recommend a skin full cap for continuous wear. Too hot for long periods and as others have mentioned those blunt edges can be a problem. Lace on the other hand works very well indeed. I usually order all French with 2 inch SFS hairline. Attach mainly with tape, sometimes with a tiny trickle of glue right at the edge across the front (On/Off white glue or Derma Systems super strong HP glue). Full caps are great and IMO more secure than toppers. You can create any style you want with them with perhaps the exception of going super short.

Traco Wrote:I wouldn't recommend a skin full cap for continuous wear. Too hot for long periods and as others have mentioned those blunt edges can be a problem. Lace on the other hand works very well indeed. I usually order all French with 2 inch SFS hairline. Attach mainly with tape, sometimes with a tiny trickle of glue right at the edge across the front (On/Off white glue or Derma Systems super strong HP glue). Full caps are great and IMO more secure than toppers. You can create any style you want with them with perhaps the exception of going super short.

I'm planning to use the PSB as a daily wearer. I'm kind of fed up with color fading, cleaning glue, and most of the maintenance issues with lace. Yes, lace is probably the best overall material for hairpieces. It's also the highest maintenance.,

How many MMS was this poly unit your wore? Thanks.

TomBongi Wrote:I just ordered a French Full cap. Tried All Poly. Liked it but yes you really need a perfect template. Have also a swiss front and sides with poly edges. I use scotch tape then put blue tape over the scotch t.

What kind of problems did you have with your poly cap? What was wrong with your template?

Robert James Fischer Wrote:

Traco Wrote:I wouldn't recommend a skin full cap for continuous wear. Too hot for long periods and as others have mentioned those blunt edges can be a problem. Lace on the other hand works very well indeed. I usually order all French with 2 inch SFS hairline. Attach mainly with tape, sometimes with a tiny trickle of glue right at the edge across the front (On/Off white glue or Derma Systems super strong HP glue). Full caps are great and IMO more secure than toppers. You can create any style you want with them with perhaps the exception of going super short.

I'm planning to use the PSB as a daily wearer. I'm kind of fed up with color fading, cleaning glue, and most of the maintenance issues with lace. Yes, lace is probably the best overall material for hairpsieces. It's also the highest maintenance.,

How many MMS was this poly unit your wore? Thanks.

You can wear a PSB cap all day long. I have both. I don't think the heat is an issue. the "thought" of it is far worse than the reality plus It is a lot easier and faster to re-attach and clean. It is harder to cut the base but it can be done from the back with a very very sharp Exacto knife. The front hairline will only be detectable to those LOOKING for it.

That said I am going with an all French this time which will complete the circle, I will have tried all combinations and will have a better feel for which is nest under what conditions. The Swiss is too much of a hassle to deal with and if Im going to put anti-shedding hardener on it I may as well just go with the tougher French lace base.

I am on the fence about trying to get a useable PSB perimeter piece. My concern is that it will be too much of a back and forth deal with the lace transition, the density, the roots, etc.

At this point though I am of the firm opinion that for me in particular anyway, all french is the way to go. I really like to be able to cut and pluck to gain that little extra realism, and for this french is it.

I had attachment issues with the hairline buckling before I started cutting the lace all the way back to the hair after the Windsor convention, but since I did that I get an absolutely flawless, undetectable attachment up front. Plus the base is durable and easy to work with. Swiss lace is nice because it's softer on the skin, but not really worth the tradeoff for me as it doesn't increase the realism exponentially.