Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jazla Wigs on February 12, 2018 at 11:49am

Hi Alo-mom,

Do you mean you want to glue a wig or topper to your head, or tape extensions?  Maybe there is a new method of gluing individual hairs to your head? If there is such a method I am not familiar with it. 

If you are referring to a wig/topper/tape extensions then generally most people get about a month of wear before needing removal and reapplication.  The maintenance costs will vary depending on the area you live in.  I think you are also here in the Bay Area  which means it is likely more expensive here than if you lived elsewhere. 

I hope that helps.  :-) 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kathy on February 12, 2018 at 8:18pm

I have a topper and I sewed metal clips on be Use the Velcro they gave me didn’t feel tight enough. I too would like to know if glue does more damage to scalp than metal clips? 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jazla Wigs on February 12, 2018 at 9:11pm

Hi Kathy,

Bonding(gluing) to hair is not ideal and I wouldn't recommend it.  Bonding is best suited to be applied to scalp, not hair.  Bonding to hair is problematic in a variety of ways: it can be challenging to get a secure attachment, it is difficult/messy to remove, and when removing some of your own hair comes out with the glue removal.  

Bonding to hair will cause more damage than clips.  If you rotate the clips intermittently and make sure you are clipping them properly you shouldn't have damage to your hair or scalp. They can take some getting used to and can become a bit uncomfortable at times, especially after wearing them all day but they are a better option than gluing your topper to your hair.

There are other options outside of bonding but they each come with their own unique set of challenges.  You have to weigh the pros/cons of each and decide which one is right for you.

I hope that helps.  :-) 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kathy on February 12, 2018 at 10:01pm

Yes, it does. Thank you

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Unfair2HaveHairThere on February 25, 2018 at 9:14pm

Also, if you're thinking of bonding for the first time for a special occasion (like going on vacation or whatever), start practicing a month or so ahead of time, because there's a learning curve, it turns out.  :-)  

I've found that the tapes that say they'll last a month don't for me but some that are supposed to only last a week last much longer, maybe because I have a chemically weird scalp.  

It is messy, whether tape or glue.  On the other hand, after a year of bonding, I can say for sure that there's a psychological change that happens that somehow makes your bonded hair "really" your hair, or at least that was the case for me.  

Downsides are definitely messiness.  I've dealt with some chronic conditions in the last year that zapped my energy, and the result was that I didn't always take my bonds down when I should have, and that compounds the messiness.  You want to get tape off while it's still in one piece. 

Also, last summer in the peak of the heat, I kept smelling this god-awful smell and couldn't tell the origin until I took my hair down and discovered that one of the tapes I was using suddenly disagreed with my body chemistry in a SERIOUSLY offensive way (ergo the need to practice and try things out before you bond for a special occasion).  

I do feel more confident bonding than I ever did with clips, and I had a hardcore system with clips (cornrows, hard hairspray, gummy hair spray, clips) that kept things pretty secure, but nowhere as solid as bonding.  However bonding is much itchier for me, too, and my natural hair, what there is of it, grows really freaking fast (isn't that cruel?  five hairs on your head that insist on growing at Rapunzel-rates), so that adds to itch and necessitates the shave-down more often.  

I do whole-head, so I'm not sure if it would be easier or more difficult with just a topper, because if you end up shaving to bond, you'll need some precision in placement.  Years ago I thought I could start with a topper, but couldn't ever find anything to match my naturally fine, stringy hair, so just went whole-head and have been (mostly) happy ever since. 

Good luck!  :-) 

• ▶ Reply