TECHNICAL SESSION ON NON-SURGICAL HAIR SYSTEM
PROVIDED BY

Foreward

The following technical session on non-surgical hair replacement is provided by Tony Masini - President of A Plus Hair. A Plus Hair is one of the pioneers in the mail order business for hair replacement system. What impress me most about A Plus Hair are the following:

• TREMENDOUS COST SAVINGS - Because A Plus Hair does not have the same overheads as a traditional hair replacement studio, high quality hair systems are available for as low as $350.
• DUPLICATION SERVICE - A Plus Hair can duplicate your existing hair system at a fraction of your original cost. If you are satisfied with your existing hair system but do not want to pay a hefty price to replace that system at a hair replacement studio, get a quote from A Plus Hair.
• COMMITMENT - I have spoken to Tony on many occasions and am really impressed by his honesty and passion for the business. Tony has been very generous with his time and he practically gave me a course on hair replacement system over the telephone.

Tony has offered me a lot of technical information on hair system and I would like to share that with HairSite's readers here.

TECHNICAL SESSION ON NON-SURGICAL HAIR REPLACEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) TYPES OF HAIR - HUMAN vs SYNTHETIC

2) BASE MATERIALS

·         Fine Monofilament·         Silk Monofilament

·         Fine Welded Monofilament

·         Polyurethane

·         Silicone

·         Super Skin

3) HAIRLINES

·         Lace Front

·         Scallop Front

·         Under vented Front

4) BASE TINTS

5) KNOTTING

·         Single Knotting

·         Double Knotting

6) ATTACHMENTS

·         Bonding

·         Tape

·         Clips

7) DISPOSABLE UNIT PROGRAM

TYPES OF HAIR
HUMAN vs SYNTHETIC

HUMAN HAIR - in general, European or Indian hair is the finest human hair available.

• Advantages:

o        No man made material can duplicate the feel or naturalness of human hair.

o        Can be permed easily.

o        Can be styled and blown dry to suit individual.

• Disadvantages:

o        Oxidation may occur after a period of time (eg: due to sunlight) and may need to be recolored periodically.

SYNTHETIC HAIR - in general, synthetic should include a blend of kankelon and toupalon. Kankelon allows for more curl retention while toupalon allows for finest feel.

• Advantages:

o        Synthetic hair color fades slowly and recoloring is not necessary.

o        Synthetic hair has memory and can be pre-styled to customize individual's preferences.

o        Tangles less easily.

• Disadvantages:

o        Synthetic hair cannot be recolored.

o        Synthetic hair cannot be blown dry. It has very little tolerance for heat.

o        Synthetic hair does not have the soft feel of human hair.

BASE MATERIALS

·         FINE MONOFILAMENT

o        This is very fine closely woven nylon net material. They are lightweight and allow scalp to breathe. Monofilament is usually very durable and can be used for permanent and semi-permanent attachment. Some companies called this the Mesh system. For example, A Plus Hair refers this type of base as the "M-Mesh".

·         SILK MONOFILAMENT

o        This is finer silk material similar in nature to Fine Monofilament but softer and more comfortable. The only drawback for Silk Monofilament is that they are not as durable as Fine Monofilament. Similar to Fine Monofilament, Silk Monofilament also belongs to the "Mesh" family. For example, A Plus Hair refers this type of base as the "S-Mesh".

·         FINE WELDED MONOFILAMENT

o        Fine Welded Monofilament is made from clear nylon threads woven like window screen, extremely durable and has larger weave than Fine Monofilament. It can be used for semi or permanent attachment.

·         POLYURETHANE

o        This kind of base is made from clear polyurethane material reinforced with very thin gauze substance. They are durable and look very natural. Scalp can be seen through the material. Any type of bonding can be used with Polyurethane bases and it can be made very thin and undetectable. A drawback for Polyurethane is that any types of hair coloring products will stain the base. It also retains heat and looses hair very quickly. A Plus Hair refers this kind of base as the "Breathable Skin" unit.

·         SILICONE

o        This is synthetic rubber compound which can be made into a skin-like base and hair can be easily colored without staining the base. Silicone is the closest match to feeling like skin. The base is not easily stained by hair coloring products and it does not retain heat. Silicone gives the appearance of hair growing from the scalp. The only drawback is that Silicone base are generally thicker than the other types. Also, Silicone base requires special adhesive for attachment purposes. It does not attach well with tape.

·         SUPER SKIN

o        Super Skin is offered by A Plus Hair and it combines the advantages of both Polyurethane and Silicone. Super Skin bases are durable and give the appearance of hair growing from the scalp. The bottom layer of Super Skin base is a thin specially blended Polyurethane materials that can accomodate any kind of attachment (bonding, tape etc). The top layer of Super Skin is an ultra-thin specially formulated Silicone that can be colored easily.

HAIRLINES

·         LACE FRONT

o        Lace Front is usually a small piece of nylon net that extends about 1 inch outward from the front of the base unit. Lace Front can be trimmed and easily customized to the desired hairline. It is very natural looking but not durable. There are at least two types of Lace Front:

§         1) French Lace - ultra thin, delicate and extremely natural looking.

§         2) Fine Welded Mono - a stiffer screen like material, more durable than French Lace but does not look as natural.

·         SCALLOP FRONT

o        This is thin polyurethane material which is scalloped cut in various sizes and extends about 1 inch outward from the front of the base unit. Scallop Front is very durable and gives a natural hairline.

·         UNDERVENTED FRONT

o        With Undervented Front, the hair around the hairline area of the unit is "sewn under" rather than coming from the top and thus giving the appearance of hair growing from the scalp.

BASE TINTS

·         A good hair system should be able to accommodate different base tints (eg: clear, pink etc) to match the customer's skin tone. It is details such as base tints etc. that distinguish a good hair system from the rest.

KNOTTING

• Knotting refers to the manner in which hair is inserted into the base.

o        Single Knotting - the most natural looking but not very durable.

o        Double Knotting - the most durable but doesn't look as natural.

ATTACHMENT

·         Bonding

o        Most permanent attachment are done with adhesive applied to the hair system. Bonding is the most secure method to attach the hair system to your scalp. The bonding material, usually some kind of glue or medical adhesive, is applied on the perimeter on the base of the hair system and then attach to the scalp. It is generally true that most people can shower and swim without having to take the hair system off for an extended period of time. The major drawback is that the hair system will become loose after about four to six weeks.  You have to visit the hair replacement studio periodically to have your scalp cleansed and to have new bonding materials reapplied to the hair system. Also, the life of the hair system tends to be shorter.

·         Tape

o        Tape is the most convenient method. It allows for frequent cleaning of the scalp and also prolong the life of the unit. Many tapes nowadays are waterproof so that you can participate in sports or go swimming without having to worry about the hair system coming off. Despite popular belief, tape can also be very secure.

·         Clips

o        Under this method of attachment, tiny clips are sewn into the perimeter of the hair system. The hair system is then clipped into your existing hair to facilitated the attachment. The major drawback with clips is that they can be very uncomfortable.

DISPOSABLE UNIT PROGRAM

·         This is usually some kind of service contract between the hair replacement studio and the customer. The contract entitles the customer unlimited maintenance and repairs of his or her hair system at no additional cost over a certain period of time.