Hair Replacement Systems

• Hair Club for Men
• Hairpieces
• How Are Hair Systems Made?
• How Long Do Hair Systems Last?
• How Are Hair Systems Attached?
• Can I Transition Out of Wearing One?
• Why is Good Look Ink the Solution?

 

Watch testimonials from two former hair system wearers:

 

Hair Systems (Such as those offered by Hair Club for Men, Apollo, etc):

You may be one of the many people that suffer from hair loss and have heard about Hair Club for Men. HCM is one of the first companies to specialize in men’s hair replacement systems.  But what, exactly, is a hair system?

A nylon mesh is attached to the scalp and the hair that remains on the sides of the head is bonded to the nylon mesh. New hair is added by weaving it into the mesh, giving the illusion that the hair is growing from your scalp. Because the hair on the sides continues to grow and the scalp needs to be cleaned, a monthly adjustment is necessary. The average hairpiece lasts about 6 months before it dries out and loses its luster. The cost can range from $1,000 to $5,000 per piece, and the adjustments needed every 3-4 weeks cost between $50 – $250 per visit .

In addition to the substantial financial commitment of wearing a hair system, there are several ways in which a graft will limit the activities of the wearer.  These include limitations and restrictions when swimming, water skiing, motorcycle riding, etc.

Hairpieces

While toupees and hairpieces are typically associated with men, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair or cover a partially exposed scalp. The desire to wear a hairpiece is a natural response to a long-standing bias against hair loss that crosses cultures, dating to at least 3100 BC.

Toupee manufacturers’ earnings indicate that toupee use is in overall decline. This is due in part to alternative methods for dealing with hair loss, such as the adoption of the shaven down look.  The mainstream acceptance of this look has given many men an easier, cheaper, and lower-maintenance option that has far less stigma attached.  This trend toward shaving down was sparked partly by some famous male pattern baldness (MPB) sufferers such as Michael Jordan and Bruce Willis.

While most toupees are small and designed to cover bald spots at the top and back of the head, large toupees are not uncommon and are referred to as a “Full Cap.” Other names for toupees are “hairpieces”, “units”, “grafts”, or “hair systems”–all commonly used alternatives to the word “toupee” which as a far more negative connotation.

It has been stated that many men are aware that they are fooling no one with the use of the toupee, but that, because the bias in western culture against hair loss is so strong, they opt instead to have the look of hair–whether it is natural or not–on their heads. Unfortunately, in their desire for the hair loss to be unnoticed, hear system wearers often become noticed specifically because of their unnatural hair system.

That being said, modern hair systems have advanced in authenticity and are often far less detectable than in the past.

How are Hair Systems Made?

Toupees are often custom made for the needs of the wearer, and can be manufactured using either synthetic or human hair. While synthetic hair will be more durable and last much longer, it is a less realistic match, particularly in texture, to a wearer’s existing hair, causing it to be more suspect.

Special care is needed to maintain a synthetic hair unit. Special shampoos are usually recommended, as well as care in the drying of the unit. Traditional blow-drying can deteriorate and even melt the synthetic hair. Human hair systems are the better option with regard to maintenance and can be colored to match and blend into existing hair.

 

How Long do Hair Systems Last?

Because the donated human hair woven into a system is no longer getting nutrients from the body, it becomes dried out and loses sheen and luster. Typically, a system will need to be replaced every 4 to 8 months.

 

How are Hair Systems Attached?

Toupees are attached using adhesives, tapes, or clips, or they are sometimes woven into the remaining hair.  Lower cost, more primitive versions can even be attached with an elastic band.   Adhesives can be parameter-bonded, which is the preferred method of Hair Club for Men. They can also be fully-bonded, which means they are completely glued over the entire surface of the head.

The perimeter bond used at Hair Club for Men has several negative consequences. One common occurrence is called “track alopecia”.  This additional and permanent hair loss is caused by the constant bonding and removal of the hair system every 3 to 4 weeks.

In the case of a perimeter bond, the client’s healthy hair serves as the “track” for the newly bonded hair unit. Warm adhesive is applied to the track as well as to the perimeter of the hair system in order to bond the two together and secure a good fit. Where there is no hair in the front, a double-sided tape is used to hold it down.

Track alopecia develops when the stress of this maintenance depletes the “track” until the client’s remaining healthy hair becomes depleted. In addition, the chemicals used to breakdown the adhesive and remove the hair unit for monthly cleaning also have an adverse effect on the remaining healthy hair on the sides and back of the head.

Track alopecia is also very common among wearers of weaves and extensions.

 

How Can I Transition Out of Wearing a Hair System?

The image that is represented by a hair system wearer–one of no hair loss–can create an expensive dilemma.  The commitment that a wearer has made to a hair system can make removing it an almost impossible choice. After all, people know them with hair! Many hair wearers feel enslaved to the monthly cost and maintenance of their hair system, with no alternative solution in sight.