JRob's Hair Replacement Blog » Tips

Introducing….JRob’s Full Cap Essentials!

JRob — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:53:49 +0000

I am happy to announce that my new video, JRob’s Full Cap Essentials is finally complete!

Here is the trailer:

The downloadable version is available at the HairJive store. You can purchase it as a complete video, or by single chapters or by post-order or pre-order segments only.

If you have any questions regarding the video or hair replacement in general please post them on our new and improved hair replacement forum.

We are still in the process of making the final tweaks to the website so if you experience any issues please let me know!

Reader Mailbag- Unusual Base Design

JRob — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:25:24 +0000

Reader Randy asks about my Full Cap DVD, and inquires about the possibility of utilizing an unusual base design:

Hi Jon,

I saw your photo and story on HairDirects website. Then I went to your website and read some of your articles on attachment, cutting, cleaning, etc. There was a lot of info and it was confusing at times. I saw something about a DVD. Is this DVD going to be a visual “how to” DVD and when will it be available?

Hey Randy, thanks for the email!

Yes, I am producing a how-to DVD that explains the ins and outs of ordering, wearing, and maintaining a full cap.

I wish I could give an exact release date for the Full Cap DVD, but the project has proven to be more challenging than originally anticipated and has been met with multiple setbacks. That said, the video is “substantially complete”. We are in the very final stages of editing, authoring, and cover design. Please check back in the near future for updates!

I have suffered from hair loss for 25 years, I have had several hair transplants done and been to 3 or 4 diiferent non-surgical companys such as Hair Club for Men, etc. I have bought hair systems but have never really been 100% satisifed with the look. The latest one I got was close. I have hair in the front of my head from the multiple transplants that I have had but my crown area is a cue ball. Also from all the transplants the hair at the back of my head is too thinned out. My biggest complaints about hair systems have always been how they look in the back of the head, they never look good trying to blend in with existing hair. Also the front hairline is always a dead give away. With a full cap the back looks so much better. I was wondering if it is possible to have a top with the “back extended down like a full cap unit? My sides are alright and as i said my hairline with the transplants in front I think I can place a unit just behind the hairline as long as it is of very light density.

Any input or comments would greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Randy

You can have any base shape you desire.

If you have good side and nape hair and only want to replace an extended area on the top and back of your head that is certainly doable. I would even go so far as to say that you will probably get a better result from a more unusual shape due to the fact that the blend area will be different than a standard partial unit.

Also, if you can manage to utilize your transplanted hairline it will be much easier to wear and maintain a hairpiece. A couple of years ago I consulted a doctor who lives here in Orlando who had a situation similar to yours. His transplant had been done years ago and it wasn’t as good as the transplants we see today, but even with a very thin hairline with multiple hairs transplanted together he was able to utilize a partial unit placed just behind his hairline. He had to continue to use concealers in the front, but the results were outstanding!

If you could send some good quality pictures or a short video of what you are currently working with I might be able to give you a few specific ideas.

Thanks again for the email!

Jon

Reader Mailbag- Base Design

JRob — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 22:50:29 +0000

Reader Tony emailed me with a few questions about utilizing existing hair and choosing the proper base for his first full cap:

Hey JRob,
Great site and really good info!

I’m completely new to hair systems and was curious:

A) Do you leave some hair on the back of your head (nape) area? If so, what is the advantage to that? I would think a full cover with a fullcap has the advantage of not worrying about blending in the back?

The advantage to utilizing existing nape hair is a smoother transition and in some cases improved realism. Personally, I shave everything, but if my own nape hair were in good shape I might consider keeping some of my own hair. And yes, you are correct, with a full unit there is no blending to worry about. It’s really all about picking the tradeoff that works best for you.

B) For someone who’s active, you would recommend lace vs the skins? Again, I’ve never worn anything but I would think a skin would be hot after a while.

Definitely order lace for your primary unit. You might want to try a skin perimeter piece as well, but get a lace unit or two under your belt first.

C) What would you say is the least detectable, french lace with swiss front?

Yep, that’s a great combo. Swiss lace is always going to be the least detectable type of base but the tradeout is durability. Not sure which company you are thinking about ordering from but if they use a good french lace you might consider a 100% french base for your first unit. The lace is a little thicker but you can still spike the front and the base will hold up for a long, long time.

One very important thing to note is that if you are using swiss lace in the temple point/sideburn areas, make absolutely sure that there is some kind of reinforcement in the area where the sideburn begins to curve at the back before going over the ear. A double layer of swiss that begins mid-sideburn and continues back above the ear should be sufficient. If you only have a single layer of swiss it will likely fray and tear in this area causing you to have to retire the unit prematurely.

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Tony

No problem. Keep us posted on your progress!

New Full Cap Forum is Officially Open

JRob — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:19:33 +0000

Have a question about hair replacement? Visit the new HairJive forum at http://HairJive.com/forum

The focus is on full caps, but I will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding hair replacement. Hopefully we can get plenty of good discussions going and build a rich knowledge base in the process.

Cannedair has already asked some great questions to get us off to a great start, so sign up and start posting today at http://HairJive.com/forum

Reader Mailbag- Realistic Temples

JRob — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:36:35 +0000

Reader Y contacted me recently regarding information on how to get realistic looking temples on a full cap. The temple area can be tricky, and much of the end result is in the hands of the factory. Here is his email and my response:

Hi again JRob.

I was just wondering if you have any close up photos of your temple areas?

If so, I’m very interested in having a look if that’s OK for you.

It’s about a month until I receive my modified system (lower density), and frankly I’m very uncertain when

it comes to getting the temple areas to look realistic.

Best regards

Y

Unfortunately I don’t have any direct pics of my temple areas, and since I am currently wearing a mohawk I don’t have any way to make that happen.

I will tell you this- the trick to getting the temples right is largely out of your control. Of course you have control over the shape, but the way they are ventilated ultimately determines how realistic they look, and this is really a hit and miss. The one thing I can suggest is to draw a natural looking temple ventilation on your template (sort of down and back) and hope the factory follows your directions.

The temple areas have been challenging for us full cap wearers. The factories need to understand that some of these full caps are worn by men who choose shorter styles, and as such require more attention to detail. Hopefully as full caps for men become more and more popular, we will see the factories paying more attention to detail in areas that are important for full cap wearers who opt for shorter styles.

Send some pictures when you get everything sorted out. Take care,

Jon

Reader Mailbag- Density and Customization of a New Unit

JRob — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:19:33 +0000

Unfortunately I haven’t had as much time as I would like to devote to the blog recently, but I hope to be able to post more in the near future as I get a little more free time in my schedule. While answering emails today I realized that it might be time for another installment of Reader Mailbag:

Hi again Jon.

I received a full cap based on my new mold design a couple of weeks ago, and I have been experimenting with it since then. While I don’t think it’s 100% perfect, I feel it’s going the right way. There are some things I would like to ask you about again;

1. The system is quite “fluffy” when it arrives (I was aware of this from before). It seems very thick, and when wetting it things look a lot better. Over time (while wearing), does this change? I got the feeling that I’d have to apply styling products it to make it look good all the time. What about you? Do you depend on using styling products to make it look realistic? Is your system as “fluffy” as it was when you got it from the factory?

There is a difference between “fluffy” and “extremely thick”. If the density is ok it will settle down after a few washings. If it is simply way too thick, it might be hard to get a realistic look. Depending upon how thick it is, hair products can be used to make it appear thinner.

2. The ventilation was not OK this time either (better than the first time though), so I bought a lancet and startet cutting on my own to get rid of the misplaced hairs in the temple hairline (a few of them are pointing straight forward, when they should just lay down). It seems that drawing arrows on the mold wasn’t enough. What do you think? Should I try to tell them one more time, or should I just add 0.1-0.3cm or something to the temple hairline and just customize it myself when I receive it? Since I had to cut past my measured hairline, it didn’t look natural (to much recession), but the appearance of the hairs was great, and it did look like they grew out of my head. I think this is definitely the most tricky part in making this work. I think it is an advantage to be able to customize on your self, since you actually can’t guarantee that the system you get will be perfectly ventilated (at least it doesn’t seems that way).

Looking forward to hear from you!

Y

Drawing arrows is always a good idea but it’s no guarantee that it will be made perfectly. It’s always better to have a finely crafter hairline that was tied by the ventilators, but as you know this is a hit and miss thing. I do lots of modifications to my units, even at the hairline if needed, BUT….the results you get will depend upon how the unit was made at the factory. In other words, if they tied small knots and bleached them well extending 3/4″ of an inch back from the hairline, you can get away with a lot of cutting and still maintain realism. On the other hand, if the ventilator only ties the first 1/4″ really well, you are going to have to be careful that you don’t cut all the way back into bigger, (possibly unbleached) knots or risk losing realism. Of course this is less of an issue if you aren’t exposing hairline…

Bottom line- don’t be afraid to get in and cut the lace and pluck some hairs (this can be done easily with eyebrow tweezers after soaking the area with leave-in conditioner) to achieve the look you want. Just make sure you inspect the unit first to make sure that you aren’t going to be losing realism in critical areas.

Good luck, and send pictures when you get things ironed out!

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!

The Price of Rushing an Attachment

JRob — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:31:48 +0000

Last night I was supposed to go out with some friends but I had several things I had to finish before heading out. One of them happened to be doing an attachment.

I decided to do the attachment after I finished everything else on my list so I could shower immediately before. I allowed plenty of time (or so I thought) and after my shower I started my normal attachment routine.

For some reason I have been getting the nape attached a little too far forward lately. This is the first part of the unit I attach and even though I was trying to get it right this time, I still attached a little too high for some reason. Since I was using tape I immediately sprayed a bit of alcohol on the area and pulled the unit off my head. I spread a little bit of glue on top of the tape to give it back its tack, and I placed it back on my head, this time in the proper position.

I flipped the unit back while I applied the rest of the tape and glue to the front, and two seconds before I was ready to flip it back over for a smooth attachment, the unit fell to the ground behind me.

By this time I started to sweat because I knew that I was running out of time.

Here I am, ten minutes before my friends are supposed to arrive, and my normal attachment method has completely failed. Having the unit tacked to the back of my head allows me to “roll” it up toward the front, keeping it in near perfect alignment so it hits the glue line just about dead on. Now I have no attachment “anchor point” as I normally do, and I have 5 strips of tape on the top of my head and glue at the hairline and temples. I’m sweating more and more, and I have only seconds to decide what to do.

I decided that in this case it would be best to attach from front to back, and this was the first time doing this with a full cap. I took advantage of the pressure sensitive nature of the tape and glue (it does not gain full adhesion until you apply pressure) combined with a spray of alcohol all over my scalp to give me the time and leeway to position the unit properly. Before I sprayed the alcohol though, I lined up the tip of the hairline and tacked it down.

After a spritz of alcohol I then flipped the entire unit in place. It was only roughly positioned so I had to work quickly to align each section before the alcohol evaporated allowing the adhesives to grab the lace.

Everything turned out ok since my friends didn’t end up showing up on time and I did manage to get a pretty good attachment despite the situation.

Next time I’m not going to count on getting lucky. This will be the last time I put off my attachment until the end of the night.

my application time with full cap–from dino

dino — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:11:32 +0000

I wanted to describe the time involved in my application process, which I am very pleased with. I have been using supertape (ST) with good results. This piece has a higher density so you can’t see the shiny tape underneath the base. Just like blue liner (my previous tape of choice), ST holds my full cap’s nape down nicely, even with the full cap’s nape well below the occipital lobe. Given the irregularity of my base shape, I cannot get very close to the edge with the roll tape, so I stop the tape about a quarter of an inch all the way around the perimeter (about a half inch from the edge in the front hairline) and use ultrahold for the edge all the way around. Cleanup is fairly quick, because the amount of glue needed is fairly small. Removal of the unit and cleanup of scalp and mirror slide of the unit only takes me about 20 minutes total. Mind you, I am not washing the unit in that time. I only wash once in about 3 removals. Putting on the unit takes me about 25 minutes (not including styling time), because cutting the ST and removing the backing is time consuming- kind of a tough tape to apply, IMO. The tape tends to fold over on itself causing me to need to occasionally throw out the piece of tape and do that one over. And adding the glue around the entire perimeter, even for a small width of glue isn’t super fast. 25 minutes for application isn’t too bad, given that I have a solid hold until I decide to remove (which I like to do after about 5 days, even though the bond would certainly last at least an additional several days). I hope to learn a trick or two to make removal of the tape backing even easier, which can potentially take off a few minutes from the application time.

[edit- JRob "I have had all kinds of problems with the backing on the stronger "stretchier" tapes, so I know exactly what you mean. One thing you might want to try is taking a t-pin (or safety pin, or any kind of pin for that matter) and slide it between the tape and the backing, pressing the tape down into the lace and lifting the backing away with the tip of your finger or your fingernail. See below. Thanks for posting!"]

Doubled My Attachment Time

JRob — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:24:10 +0000

Pretty simple really, but it just goes to show how even with years of experience you can still learn something new!

One of the main reasons why I could only get about 4 days out of an attachment was due to scalp irritation issues. This was only a problem in the areas where my unit had french lace, and only where there was no adhesive applied.

I finally caught on to the fact that the irritation might be due to the friction between the thicker french lace and my skin, so I started applying more tape in the areas where my skin was getting irritated.

Problem solved!

Here is a short video showing the areas where I apply tape.