Best base for light density and exposed hairline ?

[BaldAndBalder]

I'm probably asking too much but my natural hair density is low and brushed back is the only hair cut that suite me

 

[Diesel guy]

I'm probably asking too much but my natural hair density is low and brushed back is the only hair cut that suite me

I wear an exposed hairline on the side where I part my hair. I change my style, length, etc up a bit and while I may have some I like more than others, my hairline has always looked realistic. I struggle to get the density correct time over time - but I think this one was spot on.

 

[BaldAndBalder]

Verry nice, do you use lace or poly

 

[Noah]

Personally I have found the Swiss lace bases to be best for a fully-exposed hairline. The fine skin bases are pretty good too, but there can sometimes be a problem with shine - if the base catches the light the wrong way you can get a shine off it which exposes the existence of a base and the position of the edge. With a lace base there is no hard edge to see - the base peters out in a row of tiny threads which just look like hairs.

I think lace also gives you a bit more cover if you get base lift. Mostly if a small piece of lace lifts it's not really noticeable, and you can just press it back down into the adhesive. The invisibility of skin depends on it being glued to your skin, so if you get lift it can look like you have sellotape on your hairline.

 

[Diesel guy]

In this photo, I am 100% lace. Have since moved to a lace/ply hybrid - using poly on the perimeter from temple to temple. This allows me to use tape on this section - giving me a more secure bond.

Noah is spot-on in that the lace really does have provide alot of forgiveness. If the hairline starts to life a bit, its not really noticeable to anyone.

 

[Smartone84]

In this photo, I am 100% lace. Have since moved to a lace/ply hybrid - using poly on the perimeter from temple to temple. This allows me to use tape on this section - giving me a more secure bond.

Interesting... I would think bond was more secure of the two, no? I've also been told that the tape can be noticeable underneath the system if up close, though i'm not sure if they meant poly or lace

Personally I have found the Swiss lace bases to be best for a fully-exposed hairline. The fine skin bases are pretty good too, but there can sometimes be a problem with shine - if the base catches the light the wrong way you can get a shine off it which exposes the existence of a base and the position of the edge. With a lace base there is no hard edge to see - the base peters out in a row of tiny threads which just look like hairs.

I think lace also gives you a bit more cover if you get base lift. Mostly if a small piece of lace lifts it's not really noticeable, and you can just press it back down into the adhesive. The invisibility of skin depends on it being glued to your skin, so if you get lift it can look like you have sellotape on your hairline.

Very well said. It seems like you've done your research and know your stuff. Do you do bond or tape with lace?

 

[Will Be an Egg in 5 years]

I wear an exposed hairline on the side where I part my hair. I change my style, length, etc up a bit and while I may have some I like more than others, my hairline has always looked realistic. I struggle to get the density correct time over time - but I think this one was spot on.

Wow it looks great. Very realistic

 

[Diesel guy]

Interesting... I would think bond was more secure of the two, no? I've also been told that the tape can be noticeable underneath the system if up close, though i'm not sure if they meant poly or lace

I live in Texas and the sun can be brutal. With liquid bond it can break down very quickly and seep thru the mesh. So in the Summer I use liquid bond on my forehead area - then when I get to the temple, I only use tape, no bond on the top of my head. On the front of my head to about the temple region - I use just Devlyn bond. I can pull this back and do maintenance on this easily and not have to remove my system every two or three days.

In the cooler months, then I still use tape on the perimeter, but go back to bond on the top of my head and of course my forehead region. I like the feel of my system attached to my entire scalp, and in the winter, I don't have the breakdown issue - so it works.

It took me a good long while to land on this process - it works for me. Thats what new wearers discover - it rally is a customized process when it comes to bonding and securing your system.

 

[Diesel guy]

Wow it looks great. Very realistic

I think liquid bond - what ever works for you - is the best on a hairline. If you have a lace system, and your diligent on hairline maintenance - exposed hairlines really aren't a problem. in the amount of time it takes to brush my teeth, I can lift my hairline, clean and refresh my hairline. It is a fine line between right on time and past due when it comes to hairline maintenance - err on the side of early.

And if I happen to run into hairline issues - I just comb it down a bit. Change in style keeps everything realistic.

 

[Smartone84]

@Diesel guy

Well you say in the Summer you only use liquid bond at the hairline/forehead area. Has it ever broken down and given you serious problems in the sun?

And speaking of "speeping" thru the lace mesh, here is one other thing I've wondered about with regards to lace vs poly....

With lace you have the sun, shower water, air pollution and everything else beaming thru that mesh while you wear it as opposed to poly which is basically a barrier almost "protecting" the bond/tape. Because of this I've always wondered is poly going to give a wearer a longer hold time?

As far as the sun goes in general it's just one area i'm very nervous about. Based on all i've read about you really gotta have a hat on for those hot days at the beach or at a friends backyard BBQ if the sun is beaming down. A shame bc I like the sun a lot. Because aside from the bond breaking down on the spot the unit will color fade very quickly. Really one of the most unfortunate parts of wearing. Hot tubs you can probably pull off for 10 minutes but sauna's a no go.

Agree? Disagree?

in the amount of time it takes to brush my teeth, I can lift my hairline, clean and refresh my hairline. I

Sounds quick. What's your process if I may ask?

 

[BaldAndBalder]

@Diesel guy

Well you say in the Summer you only use liquid bond at the hairline/forehead area. Has it ever broken down and given you serious problems in the sun?

And speaking of "speeping" thru the lace mesh, here is one other thing I've wondered about with regards to lace vs poly....

With lace you have the sun, shower water, air pollution and everything else beaming thru that mesh while you wear it as opposed to poly which is basically a barrier almost "protecting" the bond/tape. Because of this I've always wondered is poly going to give a wearer a longer hold time?

As far as the sun goes in general it's just one area i'm very nervous about. Based on all i've read about you really gotta have a hat on for those hot days at the beach or at a friends backyard BBQ if the sun is beaming down. A shame bc I like the sun a lot. Because aside from the bond breaking down on the spot the unit will color fade very quickly. Really one of the most unfortunate parts of wearing. Hot tubs you can probably pull off for 10 minutes but sauna's a no go.

Agree? Disagree?



Sounds quick. What's your process if I may ask?

I'm not a wearer but i don't think bonds break down as soon as you get into the sun like a vampire would.
that being said i'v always been worried about the bond breaking down, going through the lace and ending up in the hair, that seem extremly annoying to clean up and probably damaging to hairs

 

[Smartone84]

I'm not a wearer but i don't think bonds break down as soon as you get into the sun like a vampire would.
that being said i'v always been worried about the bond breaking down, going through the lace and ending up in the hair, that seem extremly annoying to clean up and probably damaging to hairs

A disaster is what that would be.

 

[Diesel guy]

I'm not a wearer but i don't think bonds break down as soon as you get into the sun like a vampire would.
that being said i'v always been worried about the bond breaking down, going through the lace and ending up in the hair, that seem extremly annoying to clean up and probably damaging to hairs

Overall the liquid bonds are better than I expected them to be. But some work better than others for me. My disclaimer here is that this is what worked for me/. There was a lot of trial and error to finally land on what works for me.

Ghost bond, does not work for me at all, and most white bonds that dry clear don't either. After a couple days in the heat and sun of Texas, it would start to break down. It was hard to realize it is happening because in the beginning of the 'break down' stage, the system is tight and secure. The bond would go back to the tacky stage - and this is when it would start to seep thru the system. The only way you know that is if you press on the base of your system - and feel the tackiness on your finger tips. This is when you need to act, meaning pull back your system and do a maintenance.

Without removing your system, cleaning bond out of your system is hard to do. You won't get it all out - but you may be able to put off removing it till you have the time to correct it. When I would get adhesive in my hair, what I noticed is that overall my hair still looked OK, but some of it of course would stick to the base a bit. It didn't get stuck down like it was glued in place, rather it was tacky, and whatever the last direction was that you combed your hair in - that is where it stayed. The hair that wasn't sticking to the base, just had a bit of 'greasy' look to it, and had no bounce and body.

Using tape only around the perimeter, and nothing else on top in the summer works best for me. Tape does not break down as fast as adhesive - and I got the benefit of air circulating under the base - helping to keep me cooler.

 

[Noah]

I'm not a wearer but i don't think bonds break down as soon as you get into the sun like a vampire would.
that being said i'v always been worried about the bond breaking down, going through the lace and ending up in the hair, that seem extremly annoying to clean up and probably damaging to hairs

That breakdown effect is not caused by the sun; it is caused by leaving the unit on too long, allowing the adhesive to degrade and mix with scalp oil. That is when it starts to migrate through the lace mesh and eventually onto the hair shafts.

 

[Diesel guy]

That breakdown effect is not caused by the sun; it is caused by leaving the unit on too long, allowing the adhesive to degrade and mix with scalp oil. That is when it starts to migrate through the lace mesh and eventually onto the hair shafts.

In your explanation here, then this is a cause and affect situation. Because I'm out in the sun in 105 degrees F (41 C) temperatures playing tennis I am sweating more, and excreting more scalp oils which hasten the breakdown, as opposed to being out in the sun in an 80 degree day playing tennis excreting lesser amounts of scalp oils. In this scenario then It would take longer before I get that breaking down effect.
I would agree the sun is not the primary cause of breakdown, But because of the sun and the heat I a sweating more and have excessive scalp oils, causing my bond to fail prematurely.

Under no circumstance would I say that at the 3 day point my system has been on too long. Leave your system on for weeks at a time - they yes, you may have left it on too long. Regardless of which way you want to look at it, to the point of the OP, then I think its worth keeping in mind the the different variable that impact the longevity of a secure bond.

 

[Smartone84]

That breakdown effect is not caused by the sun; it is caused by leaving the unit on too long, allowing the adhesive to degrade and mix with scalp oil. That is when it starts to migrate through the lace mesh and eventually onto the hair shafts.

My plan is to at least get a poly from ear to ear with lace in the middle and front but still even in just dealing with glue to lace in the front it's such a horrific scenario (and costly one too considering it could instantly ruin the system if its bad enough) that I feel like I would just be living in fear whenever I'm out fishing for the day or at a backyard BBQ or even running on a hot day outside. Do you simply suggest wearing a hat no matter what in these events to be on the safe side?

 

[Noah]

Diesel Guy's situation is a fairly extreme one. I live in a place which is hot and sweaty in summer, and I play sport in the heat, but I am still able to keep the system on for 7 days, and I have never had any issue with the adhesive gumming up the lace or hair on that timescale. I definitely don't think you need to worry about a day's fishing or a barbecue. As for running in the heat, you probably need to try it and see. I suspect you won't have a problem, but everyone's body chemistry is different. The reality is that a lot of system-wearers run and work out, and I suspect very few would go to the length of taking off their system to do it.

 

[Smartone84]

You do use alcohol to release the adhesive bond and take the piece off, but that alcohol will evaporate pretty quickly at room temperature. If you are using the cotton wool technique, do it after the releasing alcohol has evaporated and the piece is dry. You don't want the glue getting diluted with alcohol and being semi-liquid when you dab the cotton wool on it, because then the glue-alcohol will get pressed into and through the lace mesh, and maybe onto the hair shafts.

Fair points but a LOT of people also wear poly where they don't have to worry about the glue coming up through the lace at all

 

[Noah]

Sure, and if you feel that poly would be best for you, then go for it. There are definitely some advantages to skin/poly bases, and that is one of them. But obviously you are gluing a piece of impermeable plastic film to your head, as opposed to a piece of breathable mesh, so that has implications for what happens when you sweat.

 

[Diesel guy]

Diesel Guy's situation is a fairly extreme one.

I would agree that finding the best bond for me was a bit more of a challenge for me than many other people.

Smartone84 - the point I am trying to make is that there are many options you can try. Adhesive seeping thru the mesh is not as common of an occurrence as you would think it would be. The adhesives are that good.

Now that I have identified the process that works for me - the problems have gone away.