TheHairGuy

Don't be retarded... maybe if you use superglue and then go run your head under a bunsen burner. Honestly... It's medical grade adhesive... the same stuff they use for stitching wounds together with at the hospital. As for the 'wig' comment... it's semantics really, isn't it? You say "wig" because it sounds derrogatory. What is a wig? Daily removeable hair piece that isn't attached and doesn't give a realistic hairline. What is a hair system? Oddly, closer in relation to hair extensions than a wig. Take into account the realism - which if you've seen/used you know is flawless, the adhesive used... if you were totally insane you could try and stick those individual hairs in one by one... and the hair extension analogy would be complete. Lucky for us the hairs come on a near invisible super light lace. Much easier and a hell of a lot less time. THG

Yeah... I think you worry too much about what other people think. It's about making YOURSELF happy. And, come on, natural growing or a transplant could potentially fall out, thin, receed at any time... so NOTHING is permanent. And ANYTHING could be 'gone in a moment'. Sure, a system is a cosmetic aid, and if you do it right if will and look just like your own hair. Every day. It looks real, it feels real, you pull on it and it pulls on your scalp... just like growing hair. You can't see where it ends and you begin. There are so many cosmetic enhancements out there right now, society is filled with it. Ten years time and cosmetic hair restoration will be just another high street walk-in treatment. I've even heard rumours of non-specialist salons offering systems and partial units and side strips along with extensions. It's no big deal. Times are changing, people ;-)

No, people use hair systems so they can feel like themselves again! That's the point! Looking awesome is just a random side effect ;-) As for relationships... it's up to the individual but my advice is to tell them outright. Most people take it with a pinch of salt like any of the other milllions of cosmetic options out there (capped teeth, contact lenses, breast enlargements, nose reshaping... hair is just the next step).

...and that's where we don't agree. Because I've been using systems for over six years, and I tested various mail order companies because of how cheap their systems were... and most of them fell apart within a few months. As for Hair Clubs and Salons, yep, tried those too. In the end I found an honest, reliable one, where I don't have to go back once a week or once a month, where the systems don't cost the earth, look great, and last (as long as you treat them right). So, that's the flip side of that one ;-)

Hair systems are a very small part of what they do there. If you'd have read the site properly you'd have realised that the reason they're a clinic and not just a salon is because of the other treatments they use. They're linked with a charity that caters for kids with terminal illnesses, alopecia, etc. I can't comment on that first hand because I've never used them for that reason, obviously. But it's all down there :-) And, end of teh day, it's just a word, isn't it. As for the hair systems - they're first rate. Out of six different places (and yes, tried them all) they were the only salon/clinic/whatever I went back to. For realism, for comfort, cost, etc. Just my opinion. If you know a better place, post it, because I'm all for finding new hair tech! :-D

Hi Preston, I went with: http://www.optimahair.co.uk/ Because of good word of mouth, basically. I went to Whitecliffs before Optima... big mistake So - I'll save you from that one! THG

Hi Blond I won't answer for Lynette, but I'll comment on the part quoted from my earlier post. 'the rest of the people out there who see baldness for the disease that it is (yes, disease; a bodily reaction out of your control) they know that they can do something about it' Quoted by THG 'Not sure I agree with that. By that definition, everyone on Earth is born diseased as even normal aging is a bodily reaction out of our control.' - Blond There's a difference between disease, and 'diseased'. It's all about semantics. If you say "Hey, that guy has a disease" then there's an element of mutual understanding going on there. If, on the other hand, you say "Hey, that guy's diseased!"... well, sounds kind of derogatory, doesn't it? Ageing. Glad you brought it up because, in today's twenty-first century, super-self-conscious frame of mind (and living), isn't ageing a COSMETIC disease? A bodily reaction that's out of our control? Thankfully, we can do something about that, if we wish. And that's what this whole thing is about, really. Hair, teeth, eyes, nose, face, breasts - whatever - there's an option out there so we can walk out into the world looking and feeling the way that we want. Isn't that what it's all about? Semantics; using words with negative or positive connotations to provoke a response or illicit a feeling or a reaction in the reader. Just like you re-posted your last reply taking the emphasis off of the negaitive comments and changing the tone and reception of your points. Before that little alteration of wording it came across as being quite confrontational and negative, BUT, it now reads as being quite open and receptive. Which is cool. Disease, or diseased? There's a huge leap between the two. But I get what you're saying. But I don't agree THG

Labrat, I think all the 'dignity' you had, left the room right before you turned every woman on the planet into a sex object with that last post. But hey, 'if that's the way you want to live your life', then kudos to you, homey. Hair systems, done right, look so real no-one would ever know. EVER. That's the deal. I don't work for a salon, I don't make any money from it, all I know is what I see. Hair systems done wrong... look like a rug. We use the word to describe a particularly bad wig. We use the word wig to describe an obviously fake hair piece. Hair systems are neither of these, and only removable for what... 30 minutes a fortnight in the bathroom? In private. On your own. For every moment of every day outside of that 30 minutes, and read this close, because I know you're having trouble: It. Is. Your. Own. Hair. It feels real. It looks real. You pull on a strand, and it pulls on your scalp. It's like hair extensions, except direct to the scalp. Get it? Got it? Good. Now, if you're happy to live your life being bald, feeling insecure about your baldness (I mean, you're answering questions on a hairloss site, so I assume you have 'issues' other than the obvious mental stuff) then go right ahead. Don't bite the apple. You'll never know. For the rest of the people out there who see baldness for the disease that it is (yes, disease; a bodily reaction out of your control) they know that they can do something about it, look great, and have the balls to get on with the rest of their life - feeling and looking awesome. Always. You're telling me that, if you met the most amazing girl (or boy... I'm not judging) and you fell in love and he/she was perfect and all of the great stuff that comes with it... you'd turn around and say no if she told you she had fake hair (which you didn't spot, because it looked and felt so awesome) because of alopecia or something? I don't believe you................... There's nothing fake about wearing make-up to alter your appearance? Because, shit, I thought that was what make-up was all about. And, unlike a hair system, make up comes off EVERY night. If you want to go down that route then hey, contact lenses, without the lenses the wearer's short sighted. So I guess that makes all lens wearers deceitful liars who wouldn't be able to get girls without them, huh? Yeah............ What would you call concealer? Go on, answer it, you know you want to So, even though you have no idea if Beyonce has any real hair left or not, you're happy to say that she's completely validated for "deceiving" everyone with a hair system (or, as I would say it, having the balls to go out and look how she wants to look, regardless of what some narrow minded guy on the Internet might say...) just because she might have hair underneath it already? Is that what you're saying? As for your other comments about women, sagginess, and, basically, all that other shit you mentioned: grow a pair and get out more. Because right now you're coming off like a 16 year old virgin living in mom's basement. Have you ever dated a girl? I mean, a REAL girl. I know you have this problem with REAL hair, FAKE hair, and stuff, but, come on, be honest, you can tell me - have you ever dated a REAL girl? Because, you know, probably 95% of the female population wear some kind of make-up every day. Not just on "special occassions". If you haven't, don't worry about it; it's nothing to be ashamed of. There are lots of insecure, ignorant, rude people out there. You're not alone. THG ;-) Oh, and if I ever see any of those "women full of celuloid" out there, I'll let you know. Keep the movie industry alive, broheme.

PS - Beyonce wears a system... but obviously, you wouldn't touch her, right, and neither would anyone else, because she wears a system... Riiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhtttttt ;-)

Mark, I'm not entirely sure actually! I know how much mine costs but it's a special requirement. Best plan is to email and ask! :-) Don't worry, they won't spam you or hassle or anything. info@optimahair.co.uk

Labrat, You do realised that that's like saying "Hey, I just dumped my totally hot swimsuit-model girlfriend... because I found out she wears make-up!" Come on, guys, aren't we over this yet? Fake teeth, fake nose, fake boobs, fake hair, fake complexion. It's not even new anymore; it's just a way of life. There's nothing "natural" about losing your hair. It's something that afflicts people's lives. I wonder if you'd be saying the same thing if this was an alopecia forum, or a thread on hair systems for people with long term illnesses? And that whole "be a man" thing you've got going is just, well, kind of immature. I think that most women would rather date a guy who's open, honest, and takes care of his appearance, than a guy who just wants to "get women in the sack". And don't claim to know what ALL women think. That train of thought's a stones throw away from a Nazi regime. Think about that one. Peace THG ;-)

I think that hair systems only "raise a smile", if you feel insecure about wearing one yourself. And, you really shouldn't. If it looks great, it is great. If it doesn't look great, you didn't research enough. Being accepted for who you are. Well, you said it. But surely an individual has the choice, the freedom to decide; to have hair/to not. Personally, I talk about it freely - my hair looks and feels amazing, maintenance takes me about 30 minutes each week. In conversation people might say "Hey, at least you've still got all your hair!" and I'll quite openly say "yeah, it's not real. Comes from a factory in china". We all grin, and no-one even bats an eyelid. Come on people, we live in a world of ultimate cosmetic surgery - do you really think anyone gives a **** about where your hair comes from? It would be like critisizing someone for having dental veneers or breast implants. And, as for the phrase "that's just the way it is"... I don't know, does that seem good enough for you? For your life? Imagine you work in an office and you find a new a way of doing something; it reduces costs and saves time... and then someone tells you that hey, yeah, that would be great... but we do it this way... it's just the way it is. Bulls***, no? That's my point. It's not about what other people think, or how they perceive you; it's about what you need to make you feel like YOU. The defence rests ;-)

Hey Mickey (wow, I almost broke into song, then...) My advice would be to avoid places like Advance Hair Studios, and Whitecliffes - it's a whole horror-world of pain most people could usually do without. I speak from experience. Google them and see what you find. Personally, after trying at least 7 campanies, I went with http://www.optimahair.co.uk/ And I never looked back. Professional, nice people who won't rip you off, and my hair is and has been fantastic, for over 2 years now. That said - you should do as much research as possible on hair systems first, and make a decision over which company to go with yourself. Hope you find the right place for you! THG :-)

Suppose a woman comes up to you and you go "Whoa, love your hair!". She tells you it's all extensions, and her actual hair is pretty thin and whispy! You react in shock, because you'd never have known. Good hair system. Same as. ;-)

Hey Sham, The second picture where the knots are visible about three inches into the system - easy solution: Order your system with fully bleached knots. Obviously, she didn't. Secondly, the only way you can see those knots on that system is by zooming in closer than you would ever be to an actual person. Ever. If you notice, you're zoomed in so close that you can see the tiny little regrowth baby hairs from her natural hairline poking through... that's pretty damn close. That's micro-close. Same for the lace. You're actually seeing the glare from the camera flash reflecting off the adhesive, giving you an outline of the lace. In real life, and unless you tape your eyelid to your lover's scalp, you would NEVER see either of those. I'm guessing you don't do that whole eyelid thing. Me neither. As for "humiliation"... man, I hate that old chestnut. It's nearly 2010. Women have fake breasts and are happy to talk about it as a positive thing to, well, pretty mcuh anyone. People have dental cosmetics and lazer eye surgery, and talk about it all the time. Don't you think we should lose the stigma, by now? If it looks good, it is good. If you feel good, mission accomplished. As for "the smell"? That's a new one on me. Tell me about it. THG :-)

Hey There, I think, in all honestly, to keep it real the shortest you can buzz down to would be about two inches, maybe just slightly under. Anything shorter than that I'm not too sure it'll work. That said, I could be wrong. Actually, I am wrong. I remember talking to a guy who has afro-caribean hair, and his system is a about a quarter to half an inch in length, and looks amazing! Not sure how that would work on a western hair type of system - you'll have to check that out - but I guess it shows that it can be done. The key is going for a fairly light density, otherwise you end up looking like John Travolta in his buzzed down system... not good. As for maintenance - the shorter period of time you keep it attached, the easier the maintenance is. 10-14 days is a good time frame. Usually takes about an hour, including washing your hair in the shower.

After watching, and posting, on this site for a while now, I still can't believe how many people are either put off by bad experiences with Hair Systems, or lack any real knowledge of them and are basing their opinions on the experiences of others. Okay, I'll backtrack - the experiences of others are damn good learning tools but, ultimatley, you have to learn to decide for yourself. Of the most common questions I've read lately the following keep coming up: Can you really get a realistic looking hairline? Is the maintenance really that bad? Will it look like a "wig"? Here are the answers: Yes. No. That depends on you, and how well you research and how much of an idea you have about what you're looking for. If anyone wants any impartial, unbiased by company help with questions and info, ask away. If you're feeling lucky, I might even reply... Peace! THG :-)

Here's a few random shots from different sites - good, close-up style material. I've met Carlo from the first B&W pic several times. http://www.hairdirect.com/comm.../16099/original.aspx Here's a women's system, straight from the shower by the look of it... http://www.hairdirect.com/comm.../19147/original.aspx And here's a gallery from a different company... http://www.optimahair.co.uk/becausewecare.htm Enjoy :-)

Hey Blondie, It sounds like a lame excuse, I know, but, because of my profession, I can't post pictures of myself on websites, without them coming back to haunt me! You don't want to know! :-) But, I can point you in the direction of some pretty typical close-ups? And I have friends with systems, who actually post their pics online anyway if you want to check them - they all use different companies. THG

Hey Raj, It's only "not natural" if that's what you order. Again, bottom line is: do your research, go in with the confidence of knowing exactly what you want, and find a company that can give it to you. Hair systems are undetectable to the human eye in every day life. However, if you order a Beatles-wig hair-do, people are gonna talk... Think about it... ;-)

I think people can decide for themselves if it's "for them" or not. As for sports, exercise, swimming, rain, a damn windy day... what would you do with your natural hair? You'd brush it. Run your hands through it. Dry it, even. Same as. Maintenance is easy. Do it at home yourself! There's no cost involved, apart from a little adhesive. Alternatively, you just have to find a GOOD company. If you find a good company, your hair will look like flawless, always. When I say flawless, I mean real. It's not going to look like a l'oreal cover shoot, obviously. Who's does? It's that simple. And it's not as horrendous as wasting 2 years of your life, the equivalent of a small mortgage, and possible future scaring on a transplant. That's just my view. Do some research - make up your own minds :-)

Again, I don't agree - rain, wind, water - not an issue. Well, it's about as much an issue as your real hair is in the rain. Sorry I really don't get all this stuff about "you can't swim, you can't speak, you can't live..." because, you can. Feeling good for 10 minutes a day... sounds more like a depression issue. Seriously, though, my hair looks awesome 24/7. And when it doesn't, I brush it. Hey, wouldn't you? Maintenance isn't a big deal. It's not a wonder-drug of "wow, and it only took me 6 minutes", but it's not a case of hours on end each day, either. Looks real, feels real, only have to maintain it once a week if that. If I got hit by gale force winds, I just run my hands through it, just like, y'know, normal hair. Still not seeing the big deal, unless you're doing something wrong..? As for surgery... systems are cosmetic... surgery you have to live with for life. Do your research, be confident you're making the right chioce, whichever way you go.

To be honest, it sounds like you either went to a terrible, terrible cowboy-like company, or you went in with no research and they gave you exactly what you asked for. When deciding on any hair procedure, there's a whole load of research that you're gonna have to do first. If you'd have gone in and asked for a full lace system, transitional density, colour match and hair type matched to your own... well, you'd probably still be using it. Research, people. Amen. :-)

Well, I can't speak for any one else, but I went with Optima Hair Specialists in Birmingham and they've been pretty cool. Didn't get any sales pitches and the usual stuff, unlike every salon I went to before that. Systems are top spec, too.