JRob's Hair Replacement Blog » Lifestyle

Guest Blog- Tunners Full Cap Experience

JRob — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:43:30 +0000

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Tunners, today’s guest blogger, the day he got his first partial hairpiece. Although his first unit looked great, he is in the same predicament I am in with his rapidly thinning side hair. I had my reservations about whether or not he would be able to consistently pull off a great look with a partial unit, and I knew from my own past experiences that he would not have the ability to wear a different hairstyle, if he so desired.

Eventually he took the plunge and ordered a full cap. He has been wearing for less than a year, and I have to say, he has taken to hair replacement like a fish to water. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for him and all of the other guys who are showing us that full cap hair replacement is a more viable option than anyone would have ever imagined. Without further adieu, here is Tunners full cap experience:

“Hi everyone. My names Daniel and I have been wearing a full cap for about 9 months now. I started with a topper but my sides are really bad so the full cap was the way to go. It has given me SO many more options regarding style choices and just a lot less hassle what with not worrying about blending issues and I know Jrob picked up on this before but I do think that the full cap is indeed more secure as its attached to the entire head and not just the top.

Choosing to go the full cap route is very daunting as most people will have never seen one in person. I was fortunate enough to meet Jrob last may in Birmingham, England and was blown away by how good it looked. A story I always tell people is that I recognised him but couldn’t think where from!!! It took me about 5 minutes until I realised exactly who he was!!

OK, so many topics have been covered on here by Jrob already so I am going to talk about my attachment method and also peoples reaction as I am very open about the fact I wear hair.

My whole attachment, from taking it off to putting it back on takes anywhere from a half hour to a hour. Most of that depends if I have already washed the unit while it was on my head or if I need to once it’s off. I take it off without using any alcohol, I leave a little section above my ear not attached, enough to get my finger up and I slowly peel it from my head, making sure that all the tape stays on the unit to avoid hairs being pulled through. Then I slowly pull the tape off the base and instead of the mirror slide I prefer using a magazine as I personally feel it gets my system cleaner. I clean my scalp with alcohol to remove the glue. After shaving my head I then put Blue Liner tape along the nape and up the sides, peeling a corner of the backing on all pieces so I can peel it off later. Next I place it on my head in place, peel the backing off of the nape tape ONLY and attach. Roll the system back so it’s hanging from my head and I place supertape all over my scalp. Peel the backing off the tape, spray with alcohol to allow a little play and attach the system. Once it’s in position I then peel the backing of the remaining tape on the back sides and attach. I do this so the sides are nice and snug and also you are not worrying about too much tape at a time!! Then mark the hairline and I put another strip of supertape about a quarter inch back from that and put a little line of glue. Lay the system in and it’s done. The actual attachment takes about 15 mins but getting the system and your head ready is what takes the time. The only tapes that work well for me on the nape are Blue Liner and Walker No Shine, every other one just doesn’t stay secure.

Now we come to what most people dread and that’s people finding out. When I first had it done I was the same, dreading being outed!! I then went travelling and got my full cap while gone and came back with a much longer style and everyone just thought I had amazingly quick growing hair!!! However, I destroyed that unit while travelling and had no spare!!! So over xmas I went with the cue ball look!!! Everyone actually really liked it, I think I can pull it off, but no matter how much everyone else likes it if you don’t feel comfortable it doesn’t matter!!! So I was out over xmas looking like Mr Willis!!! I then got my new system in the second week of January. I went out with it that Saturday and saw everyone, honest truth everyone thought I had had surgery done!! Part of this was I had the hairline fully exposed, I decided that night to tell everyone who asked and their reaction was one of amazement rather than wanting to make fun. I also told everyone at work, which, bearing in mind I work construction could have been bad!! Again though, everyone had questions rather than something smart to say. People these days have fake teeth, fake breasts, fake BODIES!!!!! This is no different!!! It is all about how you wear the hair, if you are confident and come across as someone who really doesn’t have a problem with it, there is no reason at all why others should. Me and my work colleagues will laugh and joke about it flying off in the wind and running down the road, always started by me!!!!! I know not everyone is open like that and that’s understandable, just don’t spend any time worrying about being found out!!!

Thanks to Jrob for allowing me to come on here and post a few things and hopefully teach more and more people about full caps.

Thanks for reading everyone!!!!

Tunners”

Thanks to Tunners for sharing his full cap experiences. He also included a couple of short video clips and some pictures-

Tunners Full Cap Hairline Video

Tunners Hairline Tape Attachment Video

Full Cap Mohawk Pics

JRob — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:49:57 +0000

Here are some pictures of my first “real” full cap mohawk.

This is still an experiment in progress, but I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. I have two more units that I am going to convert to mohawks and I plan to experiment with try different hair lengths and base sizes to see what looks best.

Some notes on this project:

The base on top doesn’t completely cover my balding area. I have to keep it shaved close to maintain realism. A tan helps hide this. I know I’m the only one who notices this though, so it isn’t a deal breaker.
This unit is very easy to attach. I use blue liner tape at the nape and on the sides up to about mid-scalp. I attach it from the back to the front just like I do my regular full caps. Once the unit is taped in place I mark the outline of the hairline, flip it back, apply two coats of glue, allow the glue to dry, and lay the unit down into the glue.
I’m still trying to get used to walking around with a mohawk, but I have gotten a lot of compliments on the new style. I think I will stick with it for awhile.

Click on each of the pictures to pull up the full size image.

Pics of my first “real” full cap mohawk coming soon…..

JRob — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:49:13 +0000

Okay, so I finally got the mohawk cut. The hair was too long and it looks much better now that it has been cut for that style.

It looks pretty cool and I have gotten several compliments on it from men and women of all ages!

I am still working out a few of the kinks but I should be able to post some pictures after my next attachment.

My Latest Project

JRob — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:39:40 +0000

I have three full caps that are almost unusable. The hair is still in great condition, but I ordered swiss (fine) lace in the sideburn areas. BIG no-no! The lace in this area has frayed on all three units, to the point where I am having to use concealers to cover gaps.

My Halloween mohawk experiment was a big success, and I had several people tell me that I should try that as a daily style. I liked it so much myself that I decided to try a similar style with one of my old full caps. The unit that I am using is ventilated well and the density is perfect for me.

I haven’t attached and styled it yet, but here are a few shots of the unit after I cut the base.

This is the template that I had originally made for my Halloween costume. It was cut from a full cap template that I had made during the filming of my Full Cap DVD. I saved it since I thought I might be needing it for this very occasion.

I used hair clips to secure the base to the template, then I marked the base with my makeup pencil. After I removed the clips and the template from the unit, I used a hobby knife blade to make the cuts. I always use a sharp blade as opposed to scissors when cutting into the base anywhere that has hair ventilated into it. You have to be very careful to use the only the tip of the blade and avoid putting tension on any hairs that are in the area, but once you get the hang of it this is a fast and easy method for modifying a lace base.

The end result-

I’m anxious to see what it looks like when it’s attached and styled. I might have to enlist the help of one of my stylists to tidy it up a bit, but I think it’s going to look pretty cool when I get finished!

Full Cap Attachment Demo and Photo Shoot

JRob — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:14:37 +0000

Earlier this week I met with the management and staff at Hair Direct to discuss some promotional ideas for the RemySoft line and to give them a preview of my soon-to-be-released Full Cap DVD.

While I was there I offered to do a live attachment demonstration for their staff. They wanted to tape the demo so that the members of their staff who weren’t able to attend would be able to view it later, so I ended up in their studio in front of an audience AND cameras! (This attachment method will also be on my Full Cap DVD)

I wasn’t expecting that much of a production, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

The next day we did a photo shoot for a RemySoft promotional page that they are working on. Here are a few shots from my “modeling” debut, hehe.

Fun With Hairpieces

JRob — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:41:16 +0000

This is an old full cap I had lying around that came in with a density that was way too high. I’ve been tinkering with a mohawk design for awhile now, so I thought I might as well cut it up and experiment a little for Halloween. Everyone who asked about it didn’t believe it wasn’t my real hair. A couple of the girls thought I was really Chuck Liddell, hehe. They simply didn’t believe that the hair, tattoos, and the cut above my eye were all fake.

The results- winner by knockout!

“No it’s not!”

JRob — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:42:54 +0000

Last weekend I attended the Bronner Bros. Hair Convention in Atlanta. One of the booths at the show caught my eye, and I stopped to look at their products.

One of the girls approached me and started to explain that their products were designed for maintenance of something called “lace wigs” that women wear.

I soon realized that not only did she have no idea that I was wearing one, but she thought I didn’t even know what they were!

She was a nice girl and was doing a great job of explaining their product to me, the guy who had probably never even heard of lace wigs, hehe.

I couldn’t keep a straight face so I told her I was indeed wearing a full lace wig. At first she didn’t believe me and asked me to turn around so she could see the back. She then asked if she could take my picture, and asked if I could stop back by a little later to show her boss, and I happily obliged.

They were very nice people. I got to meet the chemist and the marketing director. They spent several minutes staring at my hair in amazement before I had to move on and finish my rounds.

It’s a great feeling when you can even fool the pro’s!

Reader Mailbag

JRob — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:35:19 +0000

In an effort to be able to help as many people as possible, I have decided to post some of the emails that I get (anonymously, of course) so all of my readers are able to learn from the interaction. Here’s the first of what I am sure will be many!

Hi Jon,

I know you recommend a french lace base for newbies, but what if someone works out and sweats a lot? Would the french base still be a good choice for that, or would another base type be more appropriate? I’m not sure whether it’s best to have more ventilation with the lace bases or more sturdy security with the skin/poly bases, or even a combination. I’ve been avoiding swimming for a long time, so I’d like to know what the most secure base is for swimmers too.

Definitely, 100% without question, French Lace for your first unit. See my blog post from yesterday about my first time wakeboarding. Blue liner tape provided the bulk of the strength of the attachment, and Ultrahold glue gave a great finish in the front. It held solid as a rock, and I got dunked three or four times….fully submerged.

I can’t stress enough the importance of an all French Lace unit for your first. Not only can you get a rock solid attachment, but it is comfortable, breathable, and very easy to customize.

Also, some sites have a measurement method of building a template for full caps. Have you heard anything about how accurate this method is?

My first two full caps were ordered with measurements only. Subsequent orders have all been with templates.

The biggest issue with ordering from measurements is the fact that the temple points and hairline shape are left to the ventilator’s discretion, and usually end up looking unrealistic. This is less of an issue if you are planning a longer hairstyle, but I always recommend a template. If you order an all lace base as I suggest, you can still easily cut these areas to shape and pluck individual hairs to acheive a good looking hairline, but the closer the factory gets the better.

What is the length of the hair and density for this image you posted? It looks really good without any cut or styling added to it.

I believe this is about 6″ hair length, light or body wave, and the density would be based upon the company that you order from. This would be a little above average density on the top (and even higher in the back) for a 30-40 something male. Actually, this unit was just cut-in and the density is pretty heavy all the way around. Maybe suitable for a guy in his 20’s, but too thick for me!

Wakeboarding For The First Time

JRob — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:42:13 +0000

A good friend of mine lives on a lake spends a lot of time wakeboarding during the summer.

I’ve been out on his boat a few times, but since I am still trying to work the kinks out of the ventilation in the nape area of my full caps, I have avoided getting in the water.

Today I threw caution to the wind, strapped on a wakeboard, and had a great time!

My first run lasted about 5 seconds, but at least I got up the first time around! The next couple of times I managed to do even better. I surprised myself that I was able to avoid breaking my neck.

Anyway, I had a great time, my full cap stayed on nice and secure with blue liner tape on the nape and top of the skull, and Ultrahold across the hairline, temples, and above the ears. And much to my surprise, I looked in the mirror when we got back to shore and the back didn’t look nearly as noticeable as I though it would.

Funny…..I just realized something. My stylist Betsy, the one who cut in the unit I am currently wearing, was on the boat with us! If anything goes wrong it’s good to have your stylist close by

Next time I’m out on the boat will remember to bring my camera.