JRob's Hair Replacement Blog

There are a couple of things you will need to do to prepare your new lace unit for a cut-in.

One of the things that will probably need to be done is to remove any excess lace.

After the hair has been ventilated into the base of a hairpiece, the ventilator generally leaves some of the excess base material intact. This allows you to customize the perimeter to your liking, as some people prefer to leave a small amount of lace extending out from the hairline, temples, or any other area on a full cap.

On an all French lace full cap, I generally prefer to trim the lace all the way back to the hairline around the entire perimeter. For me, the french lace tends to buckle at the hairline if I leave any excess lace, so I simply remove it entirely. Swiss lace is a more flexible material, and as such I like to leave about 1/8 of an inch of excess lace at the hairline and temples. I would recommend leaving a little excess lace with any kind of lace base, test it for yourself, and remove more material if you think it will help you to achieve a better attachment.

In order to trim the lace you will need a small pair of scissors or a sharp hobby knife.

For trimming lace where I am actually removing a piece that still has hair ventilated into it, such as the sideburns, I always use a hobby knife with a sharp, triangular shaped blade. Using the very tip of the knife I am able to easily cut through the base material without having to worry about cutting the hair, which is very important to maintaining the integrity of the unit. As long as you grip the base properly, you will be able to trim away the excess with minimal damage to the hair.

The trick to this method is to work from the underside of the unit, gripping the base with four or five fingers, in a manner that does not place tension on the hair itself. This method requires a little practice to position your hands properly, but when you get the hang of it you can remove sideburns or any other parts of the base that contain hair quickly and easily.

When trimming away base material that does not contain any hair, you might find it easier to use scissors.

When using scissors to trim the base, comb the hair back away from the edge to prevent the hair from being cut. This time you are going to cut the lace from the top of the base. Once the hair is combed away from the edge cut the lace slowly, opening the jaws of the scissors just enough to cut the lace. By making small cuts, you will avoid cutting any stray hairs.

Continue working your way around the base, combing the hair back and trimming the lace one section at a time.

You might also notice a small plastic tag sewn into the lace toward the back of the unit. This is easily removed with a small pair of scissors or a hobby knife.

The tag is usually sewn on to the piece using a fine monofilament thread. You can remove the tag by locating the top of the stitch on the tag itself, and breaking the stitch with your knife or scissors.

You will probably have to break at least every other stitch, pulling the thread out as you go. Be very careful not to allow the scissors or knife to touch the base to avoid cutting the unit itself.

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