wideparting

Yes, Botox works for scalp and it does stop the sweat glands from working for a few months,but as you say it will need redone when it wears off. The added bonus is it will take care of any wrinkles! Lol

Clean your scalp with a sulfer based soap and then apply a sulfer based mask. Once rinsed off and dry apply an anti sweat product called Odaban. Leave on overnight and wash off in the morning using the sulfer soap. Wipe your scalp with 100% distilled witch hazel and apply your glue as normal.

3 good quality systems per annum, cost ?450. 10 years of buying systems, roughly costing me ?5000. Now maths isn't my strong point but I would hazard an educated guess that this works out cheaper than a top quality HT?

It all depends on what you have got to work with with regards to HTs. And there are plenty of guys and gals out there who are not in a fortunate position financially or for health reasons or simply like me, do not have enough donor hair to cover the balding area. If my hair loss wasn't so bad then it would be a viable option for me but as it stands I get great results with a system with little to no hassle with regards to maintenance etc... I have been looking at restoring my temple points through HT some time in the near future and hopefully I can find a good surgeon here in the UK to perform this task.

You could take your pick from Toplace, Easypiece, Coolpiece or Northwestlace to name but a few. The quality from these places are no different from Hair Direct in all honesty.

Yes i have had a Hair Direct system in the past. They are ok but are a bit on the expensive side unless you buy in bulk which is a bit pointless. You can get the same if not better quality elsewhere for less money.

Out of the 3 you mentioned i have only tried Hollywood Lace. A few years ago the systems were of consitant good quality but i haven't ordered from him for about 2 years now so i am unsure if the quality is the same? But i have no idea about the other 2 you mentioned?

There are far cheaper options out there than Bloomsbury and also the same if not better quality. Try shopping around?

The guy was a fraud,end of! They were hair system photographs, but not him in the photos!!!! and he got the company he was trying to promote into all kinds of trouble!!

I have been beta testing for a soon to be launched UK company. I am on my second test system from them so far. I have to say that the first i recieved was better quality all round,although in saying that this one isn't that bad just that the first i recieved was of much better quality, hair, ventilation etc...... Communication with the guy has been first class and he seems to be taking all my info on board and he also tells me that there are a further 4 beta testers out there(anyone on here?) From what i can gather they will launch sometime in the early part of next year? I have no idea what the name of the comapany will be but from what i can gather they are an established hairdressing business for a number of years and have supplied womens wigs in the past but are looking to supply mens hair systems. This appeals to me as i would not be dealing with a hair vendor but actually someone who has been trained and works in the world of hair and not forgetting based in the UK! If they keep the price reasonable and can match the quality of the first sysytem i recieved then they will be on to a winner. I will obviously keep everyone updated.

There are plenty of black people who wear it is just that they do not tend to post as much for soem reason?? But the colour of your skin doesn't make a blind bit of difference as the base materials come in all shades for blending purposes. You can buy a systems as small or as large as you like.

Can i ask what do you regard as a reasonable price Ricky?

Your best bet would be to buy from the net, especially if you plan, quite rightly, to maintain yourself. There are a few good reputable companies out there who can supply very good quality systems for a fraction of the price that salons offer and most often than not they are of better quality,go figure!! You can get a good high quality custom system for easily ?200-?250, and with the average of 3 systems a year that would work out at ?750 which is very good value compaired to the thousands that some companies charge?? Your call?

I have been in a few situations at the pub with close mates who have ripped other people apart because of their hair,and yes even i have joined in on that. In fact one of the blokes is well known in the area who openly admited to transplants and as the years have past he has resorted to more and more concealer and it does look very odd,in fact freakish is best described of his hair. Trouble with him is that his side and back hair has thinned to an extent that there is no more donor hair,which is the case with most guys eventually,it does catch up on you. Regarding photos i myself would never post my picture on the web for a variety of reasons but fair play to the guys who do! For proof of how good and realistic they can look then just have a search around the hairwearing forums. I have to also add that i have never had a problem with my hair in the wind either and most the time i never use any products. If you get the density and size correct then you won't have that problem. Maybe the answer is not going to and trusting the so called top hair replacement salons? Complete rip off if you ask me!and not just monetry either! It is all about having the correct knowledge to wear successfully!

Where did you get your wigs from? The reason i ask is that today the availability of near perfect wigs is almost the norm unlike 20 years ago and sadly at some places today. Education on wearing is needed to be a sucessful wearer and it isn't rocket science either.:rolleyes: The golden rules for not getting busted are appropriate density, colour match, grey precentage if appropriate and hairline shape and placement. If you ignore any of these factors then you will get busted,no doubt about it!:eek: I could sit in your company and you would never in a million years know or guess that i wore and that is not me being dillousional either. I have some very straight talking family and friends and believe me, if they even guessed i wore i would be ripped to shreds!!!!:eek:

Is this the salesman talking or is it hard provable facts? There are many skin systems out there and they all do the same thing basically,the only thing that really varies is the price,ventilation used and the hair quality. As for being able to do a full bond with adhesive and then place poly on top how can your skin breathe? To newcomers this sounds great but to seasoned wearers it is just becoming laughable,it really is! Basically it is a sales gimmick.

The reason for the negativity towards hair systems on here is simply because this is predominatley a hair transplant forum so there are obvious leanings towrds that area,tht coupled with being ignorant to what is achievable with a hair system compaired to what used to be available a few years ago. Blieve it or not but there are very many guys who went the transplant route only to find themseves wearing systems simply because it is in many case a more feasable option, not to mention that it helps cover up botched surgery, scars,moe hair being lost and none left to replace the lost hair,etc.etc.. There is nothing difficult with wearing and you can do anything whilst wearing than what you can do with your own natural hair.Swim,shower,saunas, play sports etc... For me and many millions of other guys and women out there, wearing a system far outweighs having a transplant.

Why not go the 'toupee' route?

Mark, i have no problem with you,or anyone else,finding a supplier and solution that suits you.In fact quite the opposite really. My problem is that along with yourself there was another 2 or 3 guys who came on here at the same time to sing about the virtuos of this company,all rather strange don't you think?which makes me think that it is some sort of marketing strategy,wouldn't you agree with that? Regarding not understanding the technical issues involved then this is what some companies play on to basically hoodwink unsuspecting customers in that they are offering something that is unique to the market. It really isn't rocket science! One guy i am quite friendly with,who is a practising GP in the UK and is also a long term wearer, is pretty well clued up on the dermitological side of things and he totally agrees that what your dermatoligist has told you is not quite the truth, so i would go back and ask him to further clarify the situation regarding bonding and the length of time that is advisable to keep a system safely on your scalp before it affects your skin health. What i will say is that common sense does come into play if you still doubt that fact! I agree that this is a forum where people can come and discuss their problems and solutions and offer their own opinions,of which surely even i am entitled to as well as yourself and others. I have no secret to being a successful wearer, just common sense and lots of research and picking up tips and advice along the way which i am more than happy to pass on to others. Salons,such as the one you are buying from,offer their services at, IMHO, very silly prices whilst claiming that they are offering something new and different than what is already out there. A skin system that breathes? maybe it does?on a head covered in adhesive that blocks the pores! How is that possable? Why not ask them when you go back for the answer to that one? I am really genuinly interested to know myself. Now pricing,what is that? Roughly 7 systems a year @ ?269 + service charges(can you enlighten me what they are please?)which if my maths is correct(guessing the service charge) ?2500+ per year? Am i correct? or way off? Compaired to what i and many many others buy and maintain for roughly ?870 per year. Which is maybe 3 systems a year @ ?250 + 3 cut ins @?40. Big difference in cost don't you think for effectivley the same product(except that true custom systems which i get are designed specifically to your own individual specifications opposed to a generic stock system that is cut to size) Now you may say that they are offering their systems at a realistic price,but for me to replace every 7 weeks or less is just plain silly,especially as they are the ones doing the service and charging for it which you and everyone else can do very easily and saving themselves a small fortune into the bargain. Ok as i said it might suit you but other people deserve to know that there is an easy,cheaper alternative for them,without compromising the quality. And yes all the sporting and leasure activities that you say you can do with yours i can also do,so no difference there. I won't actively advertise companies on here, but it is very easy to do a Google search for the main online hair replacement companies that can offer you these systems. Regarding maintenance,if you can put on a hat then you can put on a system very easily. It might seem strange or awkward at first but you soon get the hang of it. But it really is a very simple procedure to remove,clean head and system and reattach. Again there are plenty of you tube videos and hair sites where they show you the easy way to do this. To simply explain what i do is apply 99% alcohol to the system where it is attached,easily peel off the system with very little,if any glue left on it,if there is some then a simple mirror slide removes this glue from the system,clean the system with a good sulphate free shampoo and condition,remove adhesive or tape from head,scrub clean,shave if needed,wipe head with 99% alcohol to make grease free,either apply glue to head or tape to system and line up and atach,pressing down firmly in place,job done! Roughly it takes me an hour out of my week to do this. Now that is a very simple procedure to carry out. As for my own growing hair i use a Flowbee vacum cutter to keep it tidy and get every new system cut in from agreat hairdresser for ?40! It is worth mentioning that good hairdressers can cut the system in such a way that it will always blend seemlessly in with your own hair. And the reason that i only go through maybe 2-3 systems a year is that the better hair lasts longer before oxidation affects it too much but again there are products out there to restore hair colour such as Back2Natural which can prolong the life of them,colour wise. So it does make me wonder the quality and grade of the hair on offer at your place when it is advisable to change very 7 weeks,tops! One last thing, are you MarkSand or Darrensol? or do you both go to the same dermatoligist? (Top Tip: if you want to have various log in names then try to remember who said what, it does help;)) And you wonder why i am suspicious? I await your answers to my questions,if you don't know then ask the company you go to for the answers,but in the meantime do not take what i say as a personal attack on you or your character but simply understand that i am offering my own opinions on why i don't buy into what you and your alter egos are saying to be completly true!and i believe that for newbies especially that they shoul dsee and read alternative views before parting with their hard earned cash.

Can i ask if some of the negative replies regarding hair pieces are from guys who wore them? had bad experiences with them? or are basing it all on the fact that they still think that they are the rugs of yesteryear and do they really believe that all women are so shallow? If a woman dumps you because they found out you wear then they are not worth having in your life anyway! What is more vain,practical or just plain silly? Having a transplant? Wearing a system? Surely if a certain route suits the individual to replace their hair then does it matter what route they take? So why do some guys adopt the moral high ground and completely ridicule the system route? Aren't we all trying to achieve the same outcome? Systems suit me and many thousands of other guys simply because you can achieve,imho, far better results with no operation, no scars, no medication, no crappy results,especially the density, which are all too common (have a look around the web to simply confirm that) and costs less into the bargain. And even at the end of it all if you decide one day to simply go bald then all you have to do is stop wearing and throw it in the bin and shave your head! If that is practical for you? Now what options do you have once you have had a transplant and further down the line when your balding gets too much and you have no donor hair left and scars on your head that stop you from shaving? You and i know that this is all too common place and that these guys just look weird,hence why those same guys when they get to that stage have no other option but to wear to appear 'normal'. It would probably shock and surprise many guys on here and elsewhere that a lot of guys who have had transplants end up wearing further down the line just to get a normal appearance again and/or to hide scarring. As i have said wearing is a very viable option to regain hair again,does it really matter which route you take to achieve that aim for yourself? And if you further doubt the viability of it then please search the web and do some research and be amazed at the results that are achievable very simply and easily. After all we are all trying to achieve the same thing at the end of the day!

As you have discovered for yourself, hair systems can be almost if not totally undetectable if some simple ground rules are established. The most important factors, in no particular order, are hair colour match, sensible density that matches and compliments your own remaining side and back hair, hair texture which includes the hair thickness and wave or curl and natural hairlines and last but certainly not least a great stylist who will cut your system in for you. Thanks to the leaps and bounds made in the hair replacement industry that gone are the days when you could spot a toupee easily if you get the above correct and you get a good supplier with great customer service. There are more guys out there wearing than people think and that is down to how good they can be. You really only spot the bad ones! My only advice would be to stay clear of any company offering contracts that tie you in and the silly high prices that some charge? Also beware of companies with hidden service costs! Maintenance is not difficult if you choose to go it alone,once you understand what you need to do then it is a breeze and above all else keep it simple! If you dettach and clean up yourself it will only take you roughly an hour tops to do which is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Without seeing some pictures of your hair loss it is difficult to advise what path is more suited to you. But i have to say that wearing a system is a very viable way to go for a lot of people (especially the very many guys who went the transplant route only to find out that the look they wanted to achieve was not possable or else it failed for them) if they choose to see by the stigma that is attached to wearing but then a lot of that is based on what yesterdays technology had to offer! Post up some photos, if you can, for more specific advice that could help you in making your decision.

Hi gemmamatt1, Yes, you are correct it is attached with glue or tape or a combination of both,ususlly tape around the perimeter at the sides and back and glue at the front. If you search around the web you will find other companies who offer 'skin' systems and they are all pretty similar. It is worth checking and compairing. One drawback of a skin system is that they can become very hot underneath which is not so good if you are very active sports wise or live in a hot,humid country. Some people are not affected too much by this but in general terms most people are. Not a good idea also to keep attached for extended periods of time, as some people advocate, as you need to keep the scalp healthy by letting it breathe if you fail to do so it can result in nasty infections on your skin which can be a pain to clear up. Ask a reputable dermatoligist or your family doctor who will explain why air and your skin is important for your skin health.Hence why people who have prosthetics have to change and clean regularly. So if you go the skin route it is best to go for a week tops wearing before changing and cleaning your scalp and system. One final thing is that some companies,such as the one metioned,claim that the skin system breathes due to tiny hole on the surface of the poly,well if they bond the system with a full head bond,which they do,then ask yourself how on earth can your skin/scalp breathe properly. This is important to know and realise. Also the people who have appeared on here promoting this company all of a sudden(in fact it could just be the same person really) keep claiming that toupees look like dead rats etc fail to say where they purchased toupees that were bad enough to look like dead animals on their heads. Maybe they/he thinks that if they keep claiming this untruth then everyone will start to beliee them/him? Robh i have a question for you, are you an employee or own the company you mention?

Sorry you feel offended Darrensol,did i touch a nerve? too close to the truth for you? but i stand by everything i have said,especially the bonding time,which is all rather strange to say the least when you say a dermatoligist says what he did??? Also strange that yourself and another (could be one and the same?)suddenly appear on here almost together to shout from the rooftops about a particular company which is selling something that is no different from anything else out there but marketed as a breathable skin? As my previous post has said how is that possable? Have the medical proffession been informed because i am pretty sure it would be a massive breakthrough for them,seeing as they are stil trying to develop a breathable skin themselve,this could save them billions in research and time. And regarding the below quote: You may have had an individual template made,i don't dispute that fact,but the template is used to cut out the system from a stock piece,this is a widely used method,but that doesn't constitute a custom system,not by no stretch of the imagination. There are many facets for a custom such as hair texture, colour, variable density areas etc.. And as i have said to wait around 8 weeks is quite normal because the factory has to make the system from scratch by hand to your own unique specifications which is why it is cutom and not stock which is generic. But then i am sure you know that already. If you are a genuine wearer then i am glad you have found a solution that suits you but there are better and cheaper out there.

Cheers for the kind words Crossbow. I do get pretty fed up with false advertising that crops up from time to time on hair forums because not only is it misleading but totally unethical for any company to operate in that manner IMHO. The points i have raised in my response are all very valid,not to mention true, and i just wish some companies were more honest with their claims as for newbies especially do get confused and can get misled at times.

MarkSand,i hate to break it to you but you have just bought a toupee!:eek: Well, maybe not you? but your customers have! Please look at the definition of toupee! Now i can agree with you about something in your post and that is stay away from the salon hair replacement places that you mentioned. High end cost for a product that can be bought for much,much less and often with better quality results. Have a look around the web to see for yourselves! And i would like to echo your words of wisdom, 'I really think we as customers should be carefull'