Hey Folks,

I ordered 2 systems in April/May. They arrived and look great, bleached as well, but I've got cold feet if that makes sense?

How do I get over the Cold Feet? At present, I am about to finish a Job at the end of August and I'm thinking this is the time for my transition.

I ordered the system but for some reason got nervous about it, and it's just been sitting in the envelope. I ordered goodies from debbie as well, I just need to find a cut-in artist in Scotland..

My hair has always been quite thick, even if it started receding slightly at the front when I was 21, I'm 27 now, but now I'm balding diffuse thinning and using a lot of Concealers, which I'm really get fed up of. e.g not being able to scratch your head, I even shower before going to bed and stick it on dermmatch and some nanogen and have my 'hair' pillow. A dark pillow that I use when I'm sleeping with my concealer on.

I think also, I've been working Monday - Friday in a Temporary Office and this has possibly put me off making the move quicker, as going out on the Friday with a short receding hair of toppik then coming in on Monday with a fringe/bangs etc

Anyone got any stories of how they got over their Cold Feet? So they can help push me on and do it!!!

I'm fed up of wearing concealers, or having to hide behind Hats because I can't bear to look at my bald bonce.

Sorry, if this sounds a bit ''look at me'', but I would really love to hear from some of you who at first were scared to take the plunge, maybe scared isn't the word, but ordered the goods, but didn't really know what to do.. scared of it being obvious etc, when it already probably looks obvious with the amount of concealer I have on..

thanks for reading,

sorry if this is all messed up to read,

I feel your pain buddy, I'm in a similar situation. Mine however, is more limited by my lack of confidence in creating a template, and lack of trusted and experienced stylists in my area. I'm sure when it gets to that point of shaving my head, I will be having the same "cold feet" as you. I guess I am relying on my only two options at this point. 1- hair piece or 2- shaving my head. If the piece is that bad I will resort to shaving my head. It is still a hard thing to swallow.

Good luck!

Kevin,
without being sarcastic or unpleasant in any way, you have answered your question by saying that the amount of concealer is now becoming obvious to people --you`ll have no choice in the end due to continued thinning, but to either shave the top and leave it like that, or, wear a hair piece. You have an ideal time coming up to make the transition --your holidays/time off/ change-of-job. Locate a stylist immediately, and make the appointment. While you obviously wouldn`t attempt to style your own piece [I certainly wouldn`t anyway] to a properly trained stylist, doing a hair piece cut -in should really be no more tricky than any person coming into the salon with long hair and asking for it to be shortened/styled. I just `chanced`a local salon --I arrived in to the girl who owns it, showed her the system [so she`d have an idea of what it might entail ] and asked her if she`d `chance`it --told her that if she made a complete pigs- ear of it, I wouldn`t complain [it was a stock unit I had obtained while waiting on the custom unit to arrive] as I knew the 2nd unit wouldn`t be too long more in transit. To be fair, she agreed to try it and I was happy with it --when the custom unit came, she did even better with that one, and I am due another new unit any day now ,so back to her again.I can understand anyone who has never worn before having misgivings, but if you only look at the negatives on your mind as opposed to the positive possibilities of wearing, well you`ll never make the transition. Place the unit on your head, as near as possible to where it will be bonded, mark your scalp all around the perimeter, with a dark eyebrow pencil, and that`s the area that needs to be shaved --doesn`t need to be razored --just an electric hair cutters will do. If the hair on the system is very long,tie it up loosely `` out of the way`` so you can see the outline of the base better, and where exactly it`s sitting on your head. If your system is all -lace, you will have to use some adhesive all around the perimeter, to hold it in place for the stylist He/she might be able to help you with that on the day, in the salon. Maybe you could ask for a private booth/room [even their own little kitchen area would do just so you have privacy] I suggest you could just shave the required area at home [using 2 mirrors to help] and then just pop on a baseball cap for your trip to the salon. Bring your adhesive and brush with you, plus a little cling-film to cover the brush -head when you`re finished, so you can take it home to be cleaned without it sticking to everything! No matter how [ possibly] bad the stylist did the cut -in, it would still have to be better than what you`re describing now! In any case, you`d be able to ``do something`` with it to make up for any flaws in styling, using gels/products, rather than using all these concealers on practically non-existent hair ! If you can`t find a stylist near you, search the forum and find the nearest one in England ----you may have to travel, but it will be worth it,as you will be going to a stylist who has experience. I used to travel form Cork to Dublin to a salon for systems/styling --a distance of 160 miles. If you can`t locate one, consider getting a flight to Cork and you can go to my stylist --can pick you up / put you up overnight if necessary --am only 20 minutes from the airport, but you really shouldn`t need to go to that bother --there have to be good experienced stylists in the UK. Regrads, Paul.

Same boat here too. I got this thing about about a month ago. Took it out and plopped it on my head. Took the robocut to it. Almost sucked it into the robocutter but thats a whole other story. Washed it, applied to my head with got2be. Applied all sorts of gels, ointments, conditioners, to it. Heck its sitting on my head while I type right now. Trying to get use to having it on my head. Reminds me of the mastercard commercial

$215 for state of the art hair
$50 for glues, tapes, releaser
$60 bucks for assortment of hair products
Nads to pull it off....priceless

Hey Folks,

Thanks for the replies and especially to Paul, my Celtic Cousin for his in-depth reply too.
Most of what you say is correct, and especially I now have this 'Goldmine' transition period of being out of a Job for 3/4 weeks at the end of August, and even I have a Wedding with folk I've not seen in months..
My hair is at the stage where If I do anything now, I can save it so I really should get my act together...

We all know how folk who don't suffer hairloss analyise it all, e.g Robin Gibb - I use him as an example, I was with a few friends at a BBQ and we had the Tv in the background and he came on TV playing some music and an interivew and the first thing someone said was ''Wow, he looks great, a lot younger'' not even half paying attention (unlike us baldys) who know he was bald for years, but they picked up on him looking a lot younger probably due to his hair.

Don't worry Paull, I'm goign to do it - I'll try to find a stylist in Scotland, I'm sure there are some, but It's hard to find one, if not, I'm very grateful for your offer and will come to Cork to use your stylist and would be a lot of fun as it's a part of Ireland I'd love to see (I've been to Drogheda/Dundalk/Dublin in 2004).

I think also my main issue is that right now my hair is quite short, like action man style (with the concealers) and the system I have is 5/6 " - can a stylist cut this in a bit? even if I short sides but a spikey front?

Thanks

kevin

tnmark --I wouldn`t have the nerve to do my own cut -in. I know I`d make a complete mess of it. I`m fine to do a bit of a ``nip-and-tuck`` once the stylist does the main thing--I assume this was your first hair system? Can you post a pic of how it looks?
Kevin --I think there is less stigma attaching now to wearing,as people in various walks of life, are candid about the fact they are wearing. I admire that guy on the `` 2 Videos from Norway`` post ----he`s so candid. The way I rationalise it is, if I was missing my front teeth, I`d get a denture fitted rather than looking at a big gap every time I open my mouth to speak, and the same with hair loss. It`s simply a prosthetic. You asked about the hair length --my hair is quite short too [and fine] --I ordered 3 -inch length this time, simply to save the stylist the bother of cutting a lot of hair off ---your stylist will not have a particular issue with the hair being long --after all, if a person with long hair arrived in and asked for it to be shortened/ cut in, it`s not an issue for them. You`d be surprised after only a few minutes of sitting in the chair and the cutting proceeding, as how `realistic` it begins to look and you begin to resemble a person with a full head of their own hair. Try my suggestion Kevin --simply try a few local stylists by arriving in to them with the system in a bag and show it to them [to take the ``mystery`` out of it ] --just ask and eventually you`ll find someone who`s game to try it. Just assure them that there is no need to worry about `damaging`it ---after all, it`s not exactly rocket -science, Hair is hair, the only difference is that this hair is not growing from your head. My stylist actually enjoys doing the cut -ins for me now --as she say`s it`s something a bit different from washing endless grubby scalps ! They can layer -in the hair onto your own. Try to leave your own grow down at the back -- it looks more natural and the stylist can leave a bit of length on the system to blend in at the neck.
Another thing I thought of lately --- you know those salons you`d see in larger towns, which do hair -braiding and hair extensions, and hair -pieces for women of African descent? I`m sure they`d be well -used to styling systems/half-systems. I`ve seen those shops and they even have these partial hair pieces hanging on display in the windows ---surely they would be well -able to style a system ? Just a thought if all else fails . I`m sure I saw a post a while back with a few names/addresses of stylists in the north of England though --obviously that involves travel, but shouldn`t be too much of a hassle by rail from Scotland. but you`re very welcome here if you want to use my stylist. Anyway, no doubt you`ll decide what to do-- if you want my e mail, John has it so you can E mail him for it. Cheers for now -- Paul.

Paul

It is my first one. I'll have to borrow my daughters camera to take some pictures. I've not formally attached to my head other than got 2 be glued over my existing hair. So there is my own hair sticking out the front. Think I'm close to convincing myself I can do it. I need to darken my own hair a bit to get a better color match also. It looks ok except for the back where I can't get the thinning shears easily to it to blend in. I might get some professional help for that, but utimately would like to be able to do it myself.

I`d think you`d be better off getting a professional to layer the hair in to blend in nicely with your own -- especially at the back, which to my mind, is just as `obvious`to other people, as the front hairline, and an area which I would be very `conscious` of. Would be interested to see/read of how it goes for you. Paul.

Hi guys, I have just posted pics on the `` 2 Videos from Norway`` thread, which may be of interest - a few ``before and after`` shots of my newest Toplace system [ 11th Aug ] Regards, Paul.

Hi Folks,

Sorry for delay, had a few issues with Internet at connection problems.

I've provisionally booked a with a stylist in Glasgow - so going to get a cut in for the hair system, nervous a bit, but have no idea also what to do or what to expect.

I'm also going traveling for 3 months in October, which I'm a bit nervous about how I'll be able to do this with a system? I have all the goodies required for a system, but should be interesting how this goes on sat.