Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Maz on February 5, 2018 at 12:33am

Hi MnM

I'm in Australia so you can't follow my tracks but I can tell you about my experience. I started out by trying cheap wigs and hairpieces off the internet just to get a feel for what I could do. And,by the way, you can cut a wig down to the size and shape you want. However, they rarely give you that little bit of sideburn that we should have. Eventually, I realised that it's impossible to get the right colour without help so I asked a hairdresser about who supplied wigs in the area. She pointed to the only one in our area who supplied hairpieces though her business is extensions. I'm now onto my second hairpiece. She works out the right blend of colours (not one colour) and the size. For me she orders european remy hair on a flat piece of lace. If I remember correctly the last one is 11.5" x 6". They cost $105 each. I cut small triangles out of the back edge and sew them together to make it sit properly. Then I sew 3 clips on the back edge. I glue the front edge on from ear to ear every morning. At first it seems complicated but it isn't and I "do my hair" in a minute or two. At night I just pull the front edge from one ear to the other. It comes off easily but is rock solid all day and I'm unaware of it almost all of the time. It is a little harder to give your head a good scratch and if noticed at all feels like sunglasses on the head. 

You will have to have something across the top of your head but it doesn't need to be much. Just enough to tie the sides together and make it all stable. Clips are good where you have plenty of hair but where you don't have hair I recommend hair glue. I lost a lot of hair at first when I was using tape. If you've got a lot of money by all means go to a studio and let them work it all out for you. If you haven't got so much then work out what you think you need then check out the extensions sellers in your area. They may be as helpful as my lovely Amy, who really does her best for the right price.

Lots and lots of luck.

Maz

Permalink Reply by MnM on February 5, 2018 at 11:13am

Thank you so much! I’m happy I’m able to hide it for now, but feel like those days might be numbered. I’m hoping to find a solution now and get comfortable with it so when I do make the transition I’ll feel somewhat better. I appreciate your post! 

Permalink Reply by Halfbakedwho on February 9, 2018 at 2:30pm

Hi MnM

we seem to have the same problem. I too have a ton of hair, and am having a hard time being taken seriously when I go to ask about solutions for the rapidly receding hairline. My hairloss on the sides, which I cover with what I’ve got left, goes back behind my ears. But it’s my forehead that’s worrying me the most, b/c my hairline there has that moth-eaten look. I don’t have bangs - with curly thick hair I think it looks weird, so I’ve been pulling my hair over my forehead in these wisps to hide my hairline. But I don’t know what I’m going to do in about 6 months or a year. The idea of finding hairpieces and cuttting them up and sewing them together overwhelms me - that’s not me - I don’t know how to do that. So far the only sort-of solution a hair stylist proposed is extensions with glue that come to 300-something euros every three months! So if Maz can explain more how she does her handmade hairpiece I’d appreciate it. I need like a youtube tutorial, please ; ), because I really don’t know what you mean when you say « sew them together to make it sit properly ». I find this totally intimidating. 

The only « good » news is that I know where to get curly hair extentions, and yes, they can adjust the color. I don’t think I need 50+ of them though! Thank you for this discussion... conundrum. 

Permalink Reply by Maz on February 10, 2018 at 8:04pm

Hi Halfbakedwho,

Sorry I can't do a youtube tutorial but I don't think you need one. If you want to go ahead look at things called a closure, or a frontal hairpiece. I mistakenly thought I needed a topper but obviously they aren't what we need. I will include some photos so you can see what I'm talking about.

I didn't need to cut and sew my first hairpiece because it wasn't as wide as the second one. All I cut with it was the front (hairline). I decided that I wanted wider the second time but then had to shape it. I glued it on at the front then decided where and how much had to be removed, carefully cut the triangles out and stitched it back together. If you really can't do that I would bet that you would have a good friend who would have no trouble helping you with it. That's the easy bit. Figuring out exactly what you need and finding someone who can see what you need and knows how to get it for you is the hard part. 

Good luck,

Maz

Permalink Reply by Halfbakedwho on February 11, 2018 at 4:56am

Hi and thank you SO MUCH, you look lovely in this BTW. 

So if I see this correctly, it’s a band that goes around your head, with hair in front and some hair in the back? You have a closure and not just a frontal piece, correct? 

My best friend is someone who sews and is crafty, and she says she will help me. I am starting to see what I’ll be needing. I am no longer fooling myself that I won’t be needing something to hide this. I’m 52, and still have a long time ahead of me and need some hair to go along with that ; ), and see the hair loss from week to week progressing. 

Now the trick is to take your pictures around and see who will give me the basic elements to design something appropriate. You are right - the toppers don’t make any sense, and since this pattern of hairloss is so rare, I am just sent out with nothing (on top of that the curls are apparently intimidating - it would be easier if I had African hair I suppose, or basic straight/wavy European hair). Here is a picture of my shower with a piece of my head : / ! If you click on the picture you can see a bit better. 

thank you again for taking the time to show me this.

Permalink Reply by Maz on February 11, 2018 at 8:02am

Hi again,

My research tells me that what I have is a frontal made in the measurements I asked for. Amy called the first one a closure but, since it goes from ear to ear I think it is actually a frontal. Apparently they are often sewn onto caps to make full wigs. That's not what we need. We need it firmly glued to our lost hairline then just clipped to the hair at the back. That's about at my crown with my first one and a bit further back with my second one. As the first one was a little darker than my hair and most of it was at the sides the blend was a little uneven. That's why I asked for more at the back and a lighter colour. It blends well, even though it is a little warmer than my hair. I wet my hair down just before applying glue and sticking my frontal on, mainly to get my hair out of the way because I don't want it mixed up in the glue. Lots of curly hair would make a difference I presume but you won't know unless you try. Maybe you could do what I did and get really cheap stuff off the internet just to get the feel of it and figure out your requirements. I have got a cheap cut down synthetic wig that works quite well but it's not quite as comfortable though my husband thinks it's the best.

I'm quite relaxed about it all now that I have it under control. Admittedly, I have far bigger family problems which make mine seem trivial by comparison. However, I really do understand the whole dilemma and frustration that comes with this wretched condition and will help others as and if I can.

Be adventurous,

Maz

Permalink Reply by Minter on February 11, 2018 at 8:05am

Maz, you look beautiful and thank you for posting your quick tutorial, it is very clear and to the point- I have a topper that I also thought I needed, but maybe one of these days I will do something similar to what you have done.  

Halfbakedwho, nice shower haha! Just joking ;-) You do have lovely curly hair and the front of your ears look very similar to mine- I'm getting my hair  cut this week with "sideburns" cut in like in the 90's, I've just found Got To Be hair "glue"  and it is the best thing ever for keeping my hair stuck in place! 

Permalink Reply by Halfbakedwho on February 11, 2018 at 8:20am

Permalink Reply by Halfbakedwho on February 11, 2018 at 9:01am

So okay, this is actually my « good » side. Here you get a nice view of my ear, and my shelves. 

I see you what you mean about having to figure this out yourself. I just killed a half hour trying to find my hair - the only thing I found is a full synthetic wig - must move on to other things... !

Permalink Reply by Halfbakedwho on February 11, 2018 at 10:40am

No shelves show up here - that's in another picture. Ok, so maybe I could get this, and cut it. 

https://www.lightinthebox.com/fr/la-mode-or-blond-mix-a-court-boucl...

Opinions please. Obviously I need a lot of help, and I live with only male people who are totally useless. Going to look up your hair glue, Minter. I am totally procrastinating with this, I should be doing about 400 other Very Important Things. 

Permalink Reply by Maz on February 11, 2018 at 6:39pm

Ha ha, only half an hour. You haven't even scratched the surface. By the look of your good side you have time up your sleeve. When I was at that stage I didn't even know I had FFA. I was a LOT further on before my daughter pointed it out. She has exactly the same condition so was surprised I hadn't noticed. 

That's a nice synthetic wig and cheap enough that you can play with it without too many tears. It's a tool for learning. If you get it. The synthetic one that I actually use occasionally (when I go out with my husband) was the first one that I bought. I tried it as a full wig and decided that I hated full wigs. It sat in the cupboard for a year or two until I thought of cutting it down. It's not my colour but it looks like I've had my hair streaked.

The glue. I couldn't find Got To Be glue but found Taft Glued 6. It works. If you can't find Got To Be just look for hair glue that is used to spike hair. There will be something.

You're doing well. You're going to be well prepared when you get to the stage when you have few options. Take your time. Learn about hairpieces and hair loss. I haven't taken anything or rubbed in any creams but my daughter has done it all. Our hair loss is the same. At present there seems to be nothing that actually stops the loss and it does come and go. I have months with no loss then it starts up again for a few months for no reason (unless it's seasonal - who knows).

Good luck

Permalink Reply by MnM on February 11, 2018 at 7:46pm

Maz that’s interesting, my mom and I both have ffa, she was diagnosed shortly after me. Hers has been less active than mine. She is not treating at all, whereas I have/am doing it all. 

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