Hi guys,

I thought I would share my find, since from time to time I hear people are having a hard time with glue clean-up. I also still remember and think about this nightmare some days even though it was 2 years ago. I think and hope many people will find this very useful( whether for the hassle of clean-up or health reasons). It's a miracle – 1 week strong bond with 2 minutes very easy clean-up. This is an all natural non-toxic glue, you could safely eat . Not to mention the whole hair-waring becomes A LOT cheaper(no traditional glues, solvents, ..+shipping costs).

The only down-side is that it's water soluble.

It's also a lot stronger than got2b glued … With got2b glued I only got 2-3 days solid bond... on day 3 my whole back area would detach when sleeping and the hairline would lift.

What is also great is that you don't need to shave, only buzz the hair.

I had a problem finding a good conventional glue that would hold for 1 week... They all became gooey on day 3 or 4, so after seeing how gooey it is, I already knew what a pain the clean-up is going to be. This glue is still rock-solid after a week. And the clean up is so easy - no solvents, no sticky fingers, no glue in the hair, just water.


I use this recipe: http://sustainableecho.com/homemade-natural-glue/ and here is how I make it :

Don't make too much at a time, as it will get runny in the fridge after a few months, so you will have to make a new one anyway.

I make it like this :

1 unit is 1,5dcl (0,15 liter)

In a bowl :
add 1unit of wheat flour (I find the best is white - Type 550) (I also heard white all purpose flour works great)
add 1/3 unit of sugar (I always use brown sugar, I rather put a bit more more than 1/3 than less)
add 0.75 unit of water
Add 1 table spoon of alcohol vinegar (most of the time I use 9% ... sometimes I even used apple cider vinegar, but I think it adds some color over time, OnceI also used a tea spoon of 25% vinegar essence with great results. I think vinegar just serves as a preservative).

Then stir really well. There shouldn't be any lumps. I think this is very important.

When the mixture is fine with no lumps, add the other 0.75 unit of water and stir well until evenly mixed. It's quite runny / liquidy at this point (can't find the right word).

Then pour this into a small pot or a pan over medium heat. And mix.. even though nothing is happening, keep mixing. You might think you need more heat, but give it time, then it will start to come together in lumps. At first you'll notice it on the end of the spoon. Keep stirring, The lumps will get bigger and bigger slowly over time. The lump will also build on the spoon. I shake the spoon, or use another spoon to get it back in the pot/pan and use the spoon to press it against the pan to break it apart a bit and mix it with the remaining liquidy stuff.

The goal is to not have any runny stuff in the pan. so when most of it is clumping together stir it really well (scoop it and stir) It must not sit a long time in one place..
Then put everything in a glass jar and close it so it doesn't dry out too much. after 20 mins I put it in the fridge.

How do you know you've got a good mixture : It's hard to describe you should try to apply it to your finger or hand- when you apply the glue, there shouldn't be any wads/rolls as you move your finger over the surface applying the glue. It should stick to the head and not be difficult to apply, but it also shouldn't be very wet (I guess this part is trial and error to get the right idea). If it's too wet I blow dry the glued area with medium heat for 10 seconds then I try to lightly touch it with my finger (until I see it won't seep through the lace and be very runny).. But if it's too wet I know the hairline will lift a bit on day 5. Otherwise my longest attachment was 10 days - it would last longer but I just couldn't continue the test any more.

Touch ups are very easy... I only did it once, to try... otherwise I get a solid 1 week hold out of this...   just wet the hairline until it releases... clean the base and scalp with alcohol. Then reapply.

For the hairline - I start a few millimeters too far down, because my hair goes a bit to the front and then up... it's not straight up .. so these 2 millimeters I start from very thin to a normal layer.
Apply all over the scalp, then put on the system and press it in. On the hairline I push the majority in with the comb initially but not very much - I rather push in smaller parts at a time with a large tooth of the comb as the hairline can get this comb print if you press too hard.

The lace will seep in very well if the mixture is optimal... the lace will seep in and there will be no glue in the hair.. Then blow dry with medium heat for a few minutes - you have to bake the dough and then it's done.

You shouldn't wait too much(a minute or 2 is OK) if the glue is optimal and not too wet before you put the system on and start blow drying. But the great thing here is that after you're done with the whole attachment - if anything on the hairline isn't good when you're done - just add a bit of glue here and there where you need to, press and blow dry for a few seconds.

When I finish with the application, I put a bit of cream to the front line of the glue, where the glue starts – then the edge of the glue will “blend” seamlessly..sometimes I don't do that...

I have been doing this for around 2 years and I think blow drying doesn't affect the life of the hair system.

Here are some tips :

To clean up : just let the water run on the system, maybe help with your hands to get the water to the hairline, because when I'm leaning forward the hair is over the hairline and the water doesn't get to it very quickly. Just let it naturally release. Don't pull it off if you feel it's still holding on. It will happen in 2-3minutes max.

To remove the residue from the scalp just use shampoo and leave it on for a minute. it will all get off. Sometimes I start by cleaning the residue from the system and the water will already soften the glue so that I don't need to leave shampoo for even 1 minute... you'll see what works for you.

To remove the glue from the system : it's very easy and it takes a few seconds. Just use the water jet of the shower under a small angle to the base of the system. the residue will fall right off(if it doesn't, let the system sit for a minute, so the glue will soften and do this again). The base might stay a bit sticky if you press your hand against it, even though there is no residue on(nothing compared to traditional glues..). But I then put the system in a container with a mixture of water+shampoo (that's how I wash the system) and when it's done it's not sticky anymore.

I attached a close-up pic of the hairline.

I hope I didn't forget anything and I'm happy to answer any questions.

What is alcohol vinegar?
You mention that you wear lace, but the photo looks like it is a skin system that never had the excess skin cut off.
I would like to try it...I wear skin.
Thanks for the interesting post.

Alcohol vinegar is I think sometimes referred to as "white vinegar". It's usually just aceitic acid diluted with water.
I wear lace.. With this photo I wanted to show how well the lace sits in the glue and how non-shiny it is.
The line that looks like excess skin of a skin system is where the glue starts ( I mentioned I always apply the glue a few millimeters below where the hairline(hairsystem) starts... if for some reason the line would lift, I can just tear the lifted part off and don't have to do touch ups.

Hello Soposopa,

Thanks for posting this thread. As someone who has always been concerned about potential long range health issues from constant use of adhesives, the thought of making homemade glue out of natural ingredients is very appealing. Here are a few questions I need help with:

* When the glue is dry enough to attach the hair, do you use Adjust-a-bond or alcohol in case you don't get the unit on correctly and need to reposition OR, does the glue allow you enough time to rearrange/ adjust the unit without the use of such?

* How do you apply the glue? Do you use your finger or a brush?

* How often do you get your hair system wet? I get mine wet every morning (wash my natural hair (sides/ back) and rinse the unit at the same time. I am wondering if I will still be able to do that and not have the adhesive breakdown prematurely. I remove, clean and reattach every 7 to 10 days max.

* I am not following you on the use of cream on the front. Would you please elaborate on that point and also explain what kind of cream you are applying?

Much thanks!

John

Hi Encouraged, glad you find this appealing and hope you'll find it useful for your routine.

* When the glue is dry enough to attach the hair, do you use Adjust-a-bond or alcohol in case you don't get the unit on correctly and need to reposition OR, does the glue allow you enough time to rearrange/ adjust the unit without the use of such?

- There are no such products needed. That's what's so great about this glue... sometimes I re-adjust the system 3 times. Just don't press it in the glue until you're sure you've positioned it correctly. Before that just put it on and the glue will "hold" it strong enough for you to position it - at this point you can take it off and start all over again - no glue will stay on the lace (sometimes a lump or 2, but it makes no difference). You should not pull the system roughly in any directions though... just be gentle and no pulling or sliding moves.


* How do you apply the glue? Do you use your finger or a brush?

- I use my finger. A brush would not be a good idea, since the glue is really dense, it's like dough.

* How often do you get your hair system wet? I get mine wet every morning (wash my natural hair (sides/ back) and rinse the unit at the same time. I am wondering if I will still be able to do that and not have the adhesive breakdown prematurely. I remove, clean and reattach every 7 to 10 days max.

- Sorry, I can't really help you with this one, but I think you shouldn't get it wet.
I don't get the system really wet. I might sweat 2 times during the time I wear the system. Or if some water gets to the hairline when I wash my face or to the system when showering, but this is not really rinsing the unit... just a splash of water here and there... but I remember getting the system wet on a few ocasions, but I think when it dries, everything is back to normal. I'm not completely sure.

Would like to hear your experience with wetting the system

* I am not following you on the use of cream on the front. Would you please elaborate on that point and also explain what kind of cream you are applying?

This glue is stiff right after you apply&dry it, if you use a tiny drop of cream (any facial cream) at the line, where the glue starts at the hairline, it will make it more flexible and it will just fit better at the front, it will adjust to the shape of the scalp/forehead... not sure how to explain it, but I don't apply it always... Depends on how well I applied that very front line of the glue. if it's smooth and progressess from very thin to normal thickness, then I don't apply. if I applied the very front about the same thickness as the rest of the scalp, then I use cream.

Hope this helped a bit.

Did anyone successfuly try this? Any long term users who can talk about their experiences?