Help! My Front Hairline Base Is Visible! [photos]

[deg_dilemma]

Hi all

Just started wearing a few weeks ago. It's a stock system from TCP and to be frank I'm not overly satisfied with it. It's a skin base with v-loop hairs.

I have one specific problem right now.

Pics are at http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/deg_dilemma/library/?view=recent&page=1

The pics show the front hairline and the edge of the skin system is very clearly visible because is very white. I have had to touch up the hairline a few times due to the hot weather recently. I have followed protocol: lifted the front of the system a bit (1cm/2cm), cleaned the scalp with alcohol and then washed it with soap/water. I scraped off the glue from the base. I then applied the glue - I have tried 2 types of glue, one is clear and the other (my normal one) is white that then turns clear. 10 minutes later I push down the lifted part of the system and it sticks.

The hold is fine, but I can't understand why the base is white. It should be clear. This is clearly visible in all light and people have noticed it.

What am I doing wrong? Or is the skin base damaged?

 

[Noah]

Hi DegDilemma

You will forgive me if I am brutally frank with you. The whiteness is not the worst of your problems. Your system is just not of sufficiently high quality to permit you to expose the hairline (no reflection on you - in this peculiar industry a high price is unfortunately no guarantee of quality). Even if you were able to fix the whiteness, the way the hairs are arranged in a rigid grid pattern means this hairline will never look natural. My suggestion is that for now, until you can get a better system, you try to adopt a hairstyle which does not expose the hairline - maybe a side parting with the hair combed down over the hairline and then back would work, so that the hairline would be permanently in the shade. And act now if your privacy is important to you. With hair replacement you have to get a presentable look from the word go. If your first hairpiece looks fake, it doesn't matter how good all the subsequent ones look, everyone will know you are wearing, and your privacy will be blown. It sounds like that has already started to happen - hopefully not too badly yet.

It looks like the skin base is not sticking at the edge of your hairline. Skin membrane bases depend on there being a tight bond attaching them to the real skin, so that the skin tone shows through the translucent membrane and it looks like the membrane is your skin. If the membrane becomes detached, or moisture gets in between the membrane and your skin, the membrane's natural colour - cloudy white - becomes visible. I think that's what we are seeing here. I can't say why it is not sticking. Does it initially disappear and then later go white? Are you applying the adhesive in a cool dry place and keeping it cool and dry for 4 hours to allow it to cure?

 

[deg_dilemma]

Thanks Noah, totally appreciate the advice and if I were to be honest I always knew the hairline is awful. TCP seem to have this idea that everyone wants a wall-of-hair look, and it looks terrible on 90% of guys. Especially if you're a bit older like I am! I only went to TCP because as a newbie I wanted someone to 'hold my hand' but I don't feel that has happened.

I am looking forward to my medium/light piece from Eric, which I really hope is more suitable for me.

With my TCP piece, I normally have a side parting and a slightly messy front style. So I do make an effort to cover this wall-of-hair front line. The white base still shows through on the front though, a little. But enough to make me self-conscious.

To answer your questions: it never disappears, even when cleaned and freshly stuck down with new glue. And yes my bathroom is moderate temperature, not hot but not cold either. I certainly keep the hair cool and dry afterwards for a whole day.

I was thinking that maybe I'm not cleaning the base properly. I have not (yet put alcohol on the skin base. I have been scraping/rolling off the old glue but not using alcohol because I wasn't sure if I should. I have used alcohol only on my scalp, before washing it and then applying the glue.

I can't work out what I am doing wrong.​

 

[Bullet1983]

Could you be using too much glue? That's the only time I've had cloudy whiteness. Just a very light, thin layer should do the job.