Looks great Paul!
Very natural looking you seem to have nailed the full cap wearing!
Can I ask if you experience any problems with the side temple point areas?
Lift etc....?
Also what ventilation direction do you request for these areas?
Thanks for posting and sharing!
Hi LTB ... Like so many people reading the forum, I was once a Newbie..well, a Newbie to on-line hair replacement, having been the ` victim` of a well-known hair-club, and another less famous one,so I was at least ``in the loop``..... yes, I had many trepidations and doubts before making my first template and ordering my first system from John.... I totally admire those people who choose this route without ever having worn before..... I know how daunting this can be ..which is why I post so frequently.... I HATE to see people being ripped off !! I had picked up some tips and `` how-to`s`` from some of the stylists and watched them doing the de / re-bonds [but not the clean-up`s of the system] .... so by now ,I should definitely have nailed it !! I got many helpful tips from some of the Fullcap -wearers here, when I finally had to make the transition from Toppers, so just doing the same now for new-comers!
I use Walker No-shine tape ---just some ` light` strips here and there around the perimeter as I detach nightly, preferring not to sleep with it on --- I know many people`s lifestyle would not allow them to do that... I re-bond in the morning before work... it only takes me literally 2 -3 minutes max ! I just tape it up the night before... I think this helps prolong the serviceable life of my systems and avoids a lot of shedding. I don`t get lifting for that reason ----the tapes are always ` fresh`.... the max ` hold` I can get is around 3 days [tried it last year] before the tape becomes unstable and gooey.... many guys get a week or more from the same tape !
The main thing to `worry` about with ventilation on those areas [ ear -flaps ] is that the hair is ` flat-to-base` .... I think submitting a few photos along with your order and marking some direction-arrows on the template on the areas of most concern to you, is the best way to get a system you`ll be happy with.... the factory just repeats my previous order --- this is just a style which I`m happy with and I don`t really want to start ` experimenting` with different styles ..it`s pretty easy to work with. I`m glad you like the posts and hopefully they are of interest to many other people too ! Thanks for the kind comments--appreciated!
Thanks Paul!
I remember when you started on the full cap route and also the freedom it gave you away from the hassle we all sometimes get with colour match etc of toppers!
Interesting that you detach nightly with tape.
Does that not put a strain in the hair when removing the tape daily? What with hair pull through etc?
I don`t tape all the way around ..I use short strips and leave gaps between them, so there`s relatively little amounts of tape except on the flaps as that`s the most visible part so it needs to be fully stuck down ... I use plenty of lace -release and take it gently when removing .... and yes, hair pulling through is a factor for sure, but overall, the loss of hair is, relatively speaking, fairly negligible ... I notice it mostly on the flaps.... just part of the ` joys` of wearing !
Overall, I prefer Fullcaps now ...once you get a decent template made and a good product from the factory, as long as your stylist does a reasonable cut-in, you`re home and dry.
Hey Paul - again, awesome info in this thread mate. I've decided to pull the trigger, and start putting together the specs for a full cap. This will be my first hair system, so I want to make sure I've got most of the salient details in order. My preliminary specs are below - if you could take quick glance and provide some of your thoughts/feedback, it would be much appreciated! (I'm trying to achieve a look similar to the hair style in the pics that I posted earlier in this thread).
-Base: Likely all-French lace. But would all-French w/ a Swiss Front be viable? Also, is it possible to include Poly Sides and Back on a Full Cap?
-Ventilation: Flatback w/ a "Break" on the left side. By Break, I mean a soft part in the hair. I understand that a harder part in the hair looks less natural - is that accurate in your experience?
-Curl/Wave: Bodywave or Straight, haven't decided yet. What do you order in this category?
- Density and Color: Still working on, but will send in a sample of my hair color (dark brown) and select an age appropriate density (I'm still reasonably young - late 20s).
Misc. Specs:
1. Bleached Knots: @ hair line, temple area, and sideburns.
-Would you recommend bleached knots in the break/part, as well?
-Is it possible/recommended to have bleached knots around the entire perimeter of the system? (I think I recall JRob advising this in an older post).
2. Single Knots: recommended for exposed areas only (ie. hair line, temples, sideburns) or entire system?
3. Blonde Hair in Front: necessary or not, in your opinion, considering the bleached/single knots already specified?
Lastly, anything I've overlooked or enhancements that you'd recommend from your repertoire of full cap experience?
Ok jb604. finally back to you [ I do a long day !]
In relation to poly .... I had considered that for my first Fullcap, having been very happy with it on my toppers [ease of cleaning and attachment and it`s also very robust /hard -wearing] .... my reservation was that if I needed to trim the perimeter [and I often do so around the ears ] I just figured poly would be more tricky to work on....also, the hair is usually injected by machine into poly and may not always lie in the same manner as hair tied into lace,so you may have a variation in the ` look` of how the hair is lying ...I reckon the hair would lie ` flatter` at the nape [very important] when tied in by hand, onto lace --if you visualize a strip of poly...it wouldn`t be possible to have the hair injected in ` flat` --it would have a certain ` angle` to it and thus could tend to stick out at the back...you`d be forever ` conscious` of it. You could certainly go with a Swiss lace system but on the temple /flaps area you`d have to get a double-layer of it to help deal with the ` pressure` of detachments... a single layer could tend to rip /tear over time.
You can of course have mainly French with a Swiss lace front. I think though, that with the swept-back styles, that can put a certain amount of ` stress` on the lace ..the French lace will withstand that a bit more easily.I wear all French ---honestly it`s practically as ` light` as Swiss.
Once the ` exposed areas ` are bleached /single-knotted, I wouldn`t worry about the parted area ---- that won`t be very visible, especially a ` soft` parting... I think some guys stress a bit too much about knots....it`s never been an issue for me --not saying it hasn`t for others, and on a recent thread, a stock had very visible knots -- the factory usually does a good job...John will ensure they do a good job because with such an exposed style, knot-visibility would be a biggie.
Remember too ...hair taken from the back /crown of your head is darker than at the front ,so ensure you take separate samples and label them showing which is which.
No need to get a blonde front...well, I know some guys like to go that route and colour the hair for perfect knot invisibility....I think that would be too much for you to do at this stage....especially with brown hair ..there are just SO many shades of brown and if you go too ` deep` it`ll look off.....
I order bodywave...it`s just a little away from straight.
A first order can be nerve-wracking .... don`t expect everything to be spot-on.... densities may need ` tweaking` on a subsequent order for instance.
With such an exposed style, your template will need to be very accurate, particularly on the flaps/ temples......take your time with it..you`ll probably make tow, three or even four before you`re happy!!! It can be frustrating to get it correct.....always allow it to ` rest` for a few days before sending it off.......mine OFTEN shrunk or ` relaxed` in areas and I had to add more material to get it accurate again.
I`ll attach a few photos you may not have seen off an old thread...shows how I mark my skin with eyebrow pencil so I can see through the polythene film... I can then trace the line onto the film with indelible marker..... note too how ` low` my perimeter is at the nape area.
Note on the first one, the flap is not lining -up accurately with the sideburn hair...I had to adjust that by adding more material ...also, the perimeter just immediately adjacent to the ear is too ` straight` ..had to ` tweak` that by adding a tiny bit more and then trimming a more ` curved` shape there ..
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