Hair system place near Heathrow / West London?

[degdilemma]

Hi all

 

Well I'm at that stage now where I'm thinning obviously at the crown (actually I'm bald, but I'm trying to lie to myself that it's not all gone ). I've been using things like Dermatch and fibres to cover up my 'shame' but frankly I'm sick of doing this on a daily basis, and it doesn't look good now anyway because there's no hair on that part of my head.

 

I don't want to go the surgery route, mainly due to the recovery time (can't take time off work, office job etc), risks (might not work), and the fact that you have to take meds for the rest of your life thereafter (like Propecia, if I understand correctly?).

 

So I've been looking into hair systems and what caught my eye recently was a new-ish place in Birmingham (UK) where the guy who owns the business is system wearer himself. I spoke with him and it sounded OK, costs are reasonable. He advised me that it would take 2 months for the custom piece to be made and then once fitted, I would have to have it taken off and re-fitted every 5 weeks. The piece itself would last about a year. And really, I think I'm OK with all that.

 

The only thing I want is a place close to where I live, so that the ongoing maintenance doesn't become a pain. Does anyone have any recommendations for places around West of London that either sell pieces, or are really good at fitting/cutting/maintaining them?

 

Thanks so much for your help all.

[grincher]

I have been wearing 3 years now.

 

I use an online supplier with a stylist in London to attach and cut in for me. I have been with them 2-years and before that I was ordering from the USA.

 

Really happy with the quality and service. I DIY at home and I reattach every 3-weeks. Waiting 5-weeks is too long and these are things you need to learn yourself if its to be viable.

 

The place you mention sounds like a salon/clinic with regular services. The problem with that is it will be 4 or 5 times more expensive than DIY and I really doubt any system will last 12-months.

 

I usually change every 6-months to keep it in peak condition.

 

How much are they charging you?

[grincher]

apologies for the double posting.

Edited February 20, 2015 by grincher

[degdilemma]

I have been wearing 3 years now.

 

I use an online supplier with a stylist in London to attach and cut in for me. I have been with them 2-years and before that I was ordering from the USA.

 

Really happy with the quality and service. I DIY at home and I reattach every 3-weeks. Waiting 5-weeks is too long and these are things you need to learn yourself if its to be viable.

 

The place you mention sounds like a salon/clinic with regular services. The problem with that is it will be 4 or 5 times more expensive than DIY and I really doubt any system will last 12-months.

 

I usually change every 6-months to keep it in peak condition.

 

How much are they charging you?

 

Hi Grincher and thanks for replying. This place is quoting ?500 for the piece and then they say around ?50 each time for the re-fit/wash/cut around the sides etc. So I am estimating an annual cost of around ?1100 to ?1200, which I can deal with (for the change in my life I mean) - but it's the regular visits to far-away salons that I can't deal with.

 

Which part of London is the salon you mention? Getting into the City is a an hour's trek for me so not ideal as a regular thing, hence why I would prefer something closer to the Heathrow side.

 

Can you please explain your process to me, i.e. do you order a new piece every 6 months, go to the stylist to get it fitted/cut, and then every 3 weeks you DIY at home? And then after 6 months you repeat that cycle?

 

Is it difficult to DIY and what if it doesn't come out looking good? Surely someone else must be cutting your hair every few weeks?

 

Thanks so much - really appreciate your real-life knowledge on this. It's daunting trying to figure out how to do this without ending up looking like a buffoon at the end of it

[grincher]

Hi there,

 

My annual cost is about half that and I use 2 pieces. The salon is near Marble Arch but I use to go only once or twice a year. Everything else I do at home or every 8-weeks at a local barber at ?7 per cut. In fact, this barber has started to do my cut in. He's done my last two units. You will probably find the same. You will visit your local barber for the regular cuts/blends and mention fancy next time cutting it in (with you attaching it at home) and he will most likely say yeah. I mean its only hair and if he is any good thats not an issue, right? Thats how I did it.

 

The salon is about an hour into London for me too, but honestly its worth it the first couple of times as you will learn a lot for the future. Its a regular salon (not suppliers) so they are open. And as they are not suppliers they are cool with me bringing my own piece.

 

I reattach at home every 3-weeks. The first time, sure it was all new, but with all the youtube videos I pretty much knew how to do it and what to expect. The second time was so much easier and thats the routine. Not much else to it.

 

Not all hair systems are equal and you could end up a buffoon

 

The most important thing is having a natural looking piece. No point otherwise. You need to find a really good supplier that will help you achieve this. Sadly, from bitter experience I know this can be hit and miss as a good supplier will lift a hair system from average to exceptional. Many places will just order any old average unit and pass it off.

 

When you DIY you are forced to learn more and faster and understand the whole process.

 

I now always have one spare piece and reorder every 6- months. Actually some pieces will last 8 or 9-months, but I will still reorder 6-months as really dont want to leave it last minute or be down to my last one.

 

Its a journey and you will learn along the way, but after 2 reattachments there isnt much more to figure out.

 

With a good supplier, barber and forum help you will have all the support you need and save thousands. I prefer to spend those savings on other things

 

Let me know if you need more help.

[degdilemma]

Thanks again Grincher, really valuable advice you have there. I wouldn't have thought about keeping a spare piece but that is so important. You could probably make a business from teaching and advising on this subject!

 

Can you PM me the details from where you buy the pieces? (it's real hair I guess?)

 

And if it's not asking too much, can you send me the web links of where I can learn the DIY technique?

 

Going into London every month would basically kill off this idea for me, so the DIY method is the way to go if I could learn to do it properly.

 

I appreciate the time you've taken to write up these posts, thanks again.

[grincher]

I cant seem to PM on here.

 

the place I use is http://www.ukhairsystems.com

 

they are very helpful. I do like the pieces and real hair is all I order.

 

thanks for the kind words.

Edited February 22, 2015 by grincher

[degdilemma]

Thanks again, I'll investigate and get more details. The place I am looking at is called Ultra Hair Clinic but I'm only looking at them because of a recent advert they placed. Not sure how long they've been around.

 

Definitely need to have the DIY option in my plan, otherwise it just won't be viable to keep this up long-term.

[grincher]

Knowing what I do, I'm am hesitant to trust places like Ultra. They remind me of the slick advertising and presentation of Advanced but there is nothing to back it up; just give us your cash.

[degdilemma]

Yeah I know what you mean and a part of me does worry about that. The problem is that I don't have any experience or knowledge around this and so have to rely on the "high street" shop to kick start my change. I can't see any alternative - going it alone right from the start would leave me at greater risk of doing it wrong.