Hi folks,

I have a 2 week vacation in May, and I'd like try out a hairpiece during that time. If I'm convinced I'll keep wearing, otherwise I'll take it off before returning & nobody will know I tried. The question is, how should a very motivated newbie go about getting the most convincing piece/style/routine he can within just 2 weeks? A few things:

* I live in San Francisco, but I'm willing to travel anywhere to see a stylist/advisor/consultant, etc

* With enough concealer I still appear to have a full head of hair, so if I do keep wearing, the transition shouldn't be too suspicious (I hope?).

* Money no issue

* 31 years old, but look a fair bit younger than that

* I'm willing to get a few pieces & try different styles/variations to see if I like any enough to keep wearing. Similarly, I'm happy to see multiple consultants

* Despite never wearing, I've researched quite thoroughly and already know what colour/density I suspect suits me best. Still, open to a consultation before ordering if you folks think it would be productive. (I can consult before May, just can't start wearing until then )

* Decent sides & temples

* I ordered 2 pieces from 2 different suppliers a few months ago, but wimped out of wearing them. Unstyled, unprepared, just resting atop my head, both look pretty ridiculous. This has kinda scared me away from taking the plunge ever since.

* More than happy to spend a fair bit of time on maintenance/upkeep. Yeah, I'm quite vain.


So in short, as a newbie with time & money, what should I do to ensure my piece is the most convincing damn thing I can come up with within a fortnight, knowing that those 2 weeks are the only time I'll have to get it right?

Any help really appreciated - and thanks guys, this forum has been very helpful.

Ok, 2 things immediately spring to mind.
To have a good/convincing attachment, you should really shave your balding area, which rules out your idea of whipping it off and returning to normal.
Second thing is 2 weeks isn't really long enough to get used to and trail wearing and getting to know the best ways to style & groom for the best results.
Some of us have been wearing for years and are still learning on that front.

You could get a salon to attach a piece and be out the door in no time.
But its a bit like anyone getting a haircut.
It never looks right fresh from the cut.
You always have to go home and sort it out for yourself, adjusting it to the way you like it.

Hairpieces WILL look ridiculous just plonked on your head.
A lot of guys are initially put off wearing by what they find on opening their package and seeing the equivalent of a dead animal!
Have you watched some youtube videos? You see lots of pieces being attached that you'd think could never look right, but after cutting & blending & styling, they start to look like real hair.
Its great that you have the time & money, but in your case I think what you really need is patience & tenacity.
Its a big decision and shouldn't be rushed in to, because there is a mental process of adjustment as well as the physical one.
I wish you luck though.

If you are looking into getting a custom piece one made from a template of your head), and need it by May, you should get that process going soon. Expect eight weeks from the time your order is placed to receive your piece..and allowing for a extra week or two for delays is good.

Otherwise you could purchase a stock piece and cut it to your recession. Generally these are about 8"x10" in area.

In re to the 2 pieces you already purchased, were they stock or custom (did you make a template of your head)?

If they somewhat fit your receding area, you can make a attempt to see if they are usable. Like Hersute mentioned, right out of the box, it isn't going to look good just lopped on your head. Is the color a good match to your own hair? What about the density(can be hard to tell before cut in).

I would first suggest that you wet it with water and put it on..that can tone down the density some, let some scalp show thru, and not look so scary.. you can play with it a bit.

You could mail your present systems off to have them cut in. There is a lady named Debby, a full service stylist, who does remote cut in. She is listed on some forums. Perhaps she is mentioned in this forum also. I haven't used her services, but many people speak highly of her work. You can send her pics of the style that you would like, and if you need it thinned out etc. Probably a good idea to send her a pic of you also..can block face out if desired so she can get a better idea. She can also adjust the color if need be. I believe she charges $34 for a cut.

This is a inexpensive way of trying to use the pieces you have..so you don't have much to lose.

To try them for the first time to get use to them before shaving your head( I don't know how much hair you have remaining), you may be able to use clips to hold it on to wear at home initially. They will hold it to your own hair. I have never used them so am not really familiar with use of them, but Debby may stock them and could send you some when she returns your units.

Good Luck.

Thats all REALLY good advice from wicky.

Many thanks for the advice - very helpful and very appreciated.

I'm glad to hear the unconvincing look when just "plopped-on-head" out of the box is to be expected. I was pretty disheartened when I tried it. Mailing them off for a cut may be a good idea. If nothing else, it'll give me time to practice things like knot bleaching, etc before I take the plunge.

The 2 pieces I bought already were both custom - the colour match was very good, the density seemed too thick on both, despite being 60 & 65%. I'm guessing they can look a little thicker before cut-in/preparation(?)

Clips sound like a great idea - I'll certainly try them and see if I can get a sound match.

With regards to how well I can expect to look in those first 2 weeks, I guess I'm just looking to convince myself that they *can* look sufficiently natural to be worthwhile. Being noticably a "wig guy" is, I guess like most people on this board, a pretty bad fear of mine. I've done a reasonable amount of research, but I'm still uncertain as to how convincing I can make it look. Ideally, I'd love to hand the keys over to someone who knows what they're doing the first time. I'm just unsure where to find the right person, and I haven't found any non-mail order companies that I trust to get it right. If anyone has suggestions, I'd be appreciative.

Again, many thanks folks - I really appreciate it.

It sounds like you just need a good cut in now being that the color is good and it is custom. Did they not bleach the knots for you? What is your hair color? Color #1, #1b may not bleach well, but you can try.

At this point I wouldn't worry about the density. 60-65% at your age is generally not too high density, especially with you stating your sides are still good. You should be able to wear that no problem.

Get them cut in, either locally or sending out as previously mentioned and you may be very happy with the results.

Let us know the results.

Hi Wicky,

The color is #5. Most knots seem to be bleached but there are some errant ones, including at the hairline which I'll need to take care of. I'm not too worried about it - I figure bleaching can't be too difficult to do myself(?)

With regards to density, I would have thought 60-65% would be right, but "plopped on head", it does look too thick. Admittedly the piece hasn't been cut or prepared - do you know if they generally look a littler thicker before cut-in? If not, I may need to order something lighter.

Anyhow, I'll ship these 2 off for cut-in next week. Debby looks like she knows what she's doing - unless you have any other suggestions, I'll ship them to her. Thanks again, your input's been very helpful.

#5 knots should bleach easily. There are plenty of threads on the forums discussing the process.

Yes, the systems will look thicker before cut in. It may also seem dense after you first get it cut in. But once you put some product in it, whether gel, brylcreem, etc... the hair will separate and show some scalp when you style it. If styled dry(without product) it will appear more dense. Debby can thin it out some if you both think it needs it. Let her take a look at it and then get her opinion.

Hi allegorymax..... Debbie also bleaches knots if you request it.....but be aware that [1] bleaching can often weaken the hair and lead to early shedding and [2] hair can be coloured with fabric dye at the factory, and this is totally resistant to bleach...it requires a fabric-dye remover to be used first, before attempting to bleach the knots.
In my experience [and opinion] I think some wearers over-stress about knot-visibility...usually by default, the front hairline area is generally properly bleached and once on the head, any ` visibility` is usually minimal and simply looks like [natural] hair-roots, however I do accept that sometimes there can be exceptions and knots can indeed be visible.
Have a look at Debbie`s site -- http://www.splitendshairreplacement.com --- click the ` services` link. Ideally, a system is more likely to get a more accurate cut-in, when the wearer is sitting in a stylist`s chair in real-time, but having said that, Debbie is highly skilled and many guys get their systems styled by her...usually all it needs is a little ` light` tweaking by yourself with a thinning -scissors, once it`s on your head.....even any high-street stylist could do this for you in a few moments [once the ` heavy` work has been done] ...it`s usually just around the ` edge` where the system hair meets the growing hair...a little thinning there, will complete the blend-in.
Be interested to hear how it all works out for you..regards.

I would try and find someone local for your first cut. Being in SF, there has to be someone good.

I personally wouldn't have been comfortable doing a mail-in first time, but that's me.