Phazer212, I can't tell how sincere your 'thanks' actually is, but I just wanted to point out that whilst wearing hair is relatively simple once you understand the basics, describing and explaining those basics, to someone just starting out, is incredibly difficult and time consuming.
Matt has pointed you in exactly the right direction.
No one can take you through all the various options & alternatives in a format like this.
I know at first its all very confusing but the reason for the many variations and alternatives is to cater for individual preferences.
Only you can determine your needs and desires and then you can start to match your criteria to what is available.
The newbies that get the most out of the information offered by the experienced wearers are the ones who do some research for themselves, get their head around the options and then ask their specific questions.
I appreciate not everything is clear and there may be terms and phrases that will need explaining.
People are happy to do this here.
But often there are no definitive, simple answers for a newbie.
It more about choices. Once someone understands those basic choices, its easier to advise them.
You asked:
Q: "First would be which type of system would be best for me? I work out so I want a system that wont get messed up from excersise."
A: here is the TopLace range for you to look through:
http://www.toplace.com/style-options
There are at least 7 different types there. On top of that, you can order a custom made unit which can combine different elements of each type.
In the description of each product, there are details of their benefits and suitability.
Not all of it is self explanatory, but by reading it, you should be able to narrow your choices a bit more and increase your understanding.
Exercise in itself won't mess up or ruin your hair piece. It can effect the 'bond' or attachment because excess moisture from sweating weakens certain glues & tapes. But this isn't always the case and it will depend upon your body chemistry and the brand of glue or tape you choose.
Many people who work out feel the need to wash their hair more frequently. Again excessive moisture can weaken the bond. Frequent shampooing can dull & dry out the hair, but then there are many products available that can limit this damage.
Q:"Whats the maintenance on these sytems?"
A: Its basically the same for all types of units but every person develops their own routine for maintenance. That includes products for attaching, detaching, cleaning, scalp care, washing, styling & frequency. Each one of these subsections to your maintenance question will have at least 50 alternative answers. Those answers will mostly be personal preferences which vary from wearer to wearer. Those preferences are dictated by someone's circumstances, lifestyle & body chemistry.
There is no definitive 'answer' to this question. Everybody has a differing opinion on what works best for them.
Most us have defined our preferences by trial & error because there is no certainty until you try a product for yourself.
The frequency that you need to detach & reattach is more about the bonding method & product you choose, rather than about the type of hair piece you buy.
Its not like you can use the same product and be guaranteed to get the same bond time as someone else that uses it.
Unfortunately we're all different and thats why there are hundreds of different glues & tapes to choose from.
Q: "Id like something I can keep on my head for days at a time, something I can sleep and shower with, I dunno if that's possible."
A: At last! A question that can be answered simply! YES all of the above are easily possible.
Q:"How long does one of these systems last and is it affordable?"
A: First part is variable depending upon the wearer, the piece itself and the way its maintained and the lifestyle of the wearer. In many cases the hair 'wears out' before the base does. I'd say an average is about 4-5 months but many wearers will say less (eg 3 months) and many will say 6 months, even up to a year.
The second part depends upon the maintenance and therefore the frequency of replacement and also, of course, your definition of 'affordable'.
The actual unit purchase price will depend upon whether you are buying custom made pieces or stock (ready made) pieces.
Whether you buy custom or stock will depend upon your hair colour, size of head, area of baldness, required density, preferences of hairline contour, required direction & type of ventilation, curl or wave, length of hair and base material.
The on-going costs of maintenance will depend upon the products you prefer to use and where you get them from.
Q: "How many systems would I need a year and the cost?"
A: See above
Q:"And lastly how do I get it cut in and styled?"
A: The same way you would your own hair. Some people go to specialist salons, some to ordinary barbers, some send their pieces away to be be cut & styled by a specialist and many do their own haircuts.
As for styling products, many swear by replacement-hair-specific products that you can order online and equally as many wearers are happy with normal shop-bought grooming & hair-care products.
So you can see that even addressing your basic questions is more detailed than anyone might think.
Even then I haven't given you actual answers (except for one) and all you have are lists of alternatives.
Those alternatives are covered in the many thousands of posts and threads contained in this forum.
As I said, by doing some reading & research of your own, you can narrow down those alternatives and then get better answers that are more specific to your needs.
Wearing hair will become part of your daily life and an extension of who you are.
Therefore you'll want to make the best choices to get the best results.
This, unfortunately, involves an investment of time, research and understanding from the wearer.
If it was as simple as someone being able to tell you to "Buy this and stick it on your head", this and many other forums wouldn't need to exist.
This 'answer' alone has taken me quite some time to compose and really is no better in essence than the one Matt gave you!
If I were to take just one of your questions and give you a full detailed answer explaining everything from beginning to end I would have to write at least four times what I've written already and even then you would have another list of follow-up questions on that one subject.
If learning for yourself seems too daunting, I recommend searching google for hair replacement salons in your area and having one-to-one consultations with them.
Being in LA, you're probably in the best area in the world for choices & availability of salons.
You can ask them all the questions you want and its their job to answer them, and give you all the time and attention you might need.
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Really interested in getting a hair system but unsure about how to go about it.
Regards
