I have been ordering my extremely expensive European processessed human hair wigs from the same salon for a couple of years due to my extensive alopecia areata that has left me virtually completely bald. During this time I have had problems with shedding due, ostensibly, to the fact that I chose a very light blonde color. When I ordered my last $2500 system I was forced to sign a contract stating that I could not return the system if there were any problems relating to the "color". I was desperate and vulnerable at the time and made the mistake of signing.

When I received my new system the hair was coarse and tangly, with several jet black, red, and yes pink, hairs intermixed with the blonde that I had asked for, but I tried to work with it. The salon did a "treatment" which I assume was a "bleach bath" to "seal the cuticles" and wanted to do another one when that didn't ameliorate the problem. I spent hundreds of dollars on brushes, combs, detangling sprays, shampoos, and conditioners all to no avail. Finally, the other day -- after I had the disgusting excuse for a top-of-the-line, top dollar (but really bottom of the barrel) hair system for about a month -- I washed it with the latest shampoos and conditioner that promised to be a panacea for all my horrible hair woes. When I got out of the shower the underside of the hair was so matted and tangled it looked like I had dread locks. While the top layer of the hair was decent, the underside was so tangled that my hair dresser said even a bleach bath would be futile.

I told the salon that I believe the system is suffering from a common wig dilemma called "cuticle lock" where the cuticles are not completely removed and are not all going in the same direction, therefore the hair becomes tangled and the hairs get stuck on eachother. No one at the salon had ever heard of cuticle lock, which I found shocking, and the salesperson accused me of making up "some bullshit about it being sown wrong to get out of my contract." Please, I need my alopecian sisters and brothers to post their experiences and knowledge of this bane of the existence of many who wear hair known as cuticle lock. I may need this as evidence that I am entitled to either a new system or a full-refund. I cannot afford another system at this time, and need to get this situation resolved in my favor. It is bad enough that the costly insurance I have doesn't even make a dent in the exhorbitant costs of purchasing and maintaining my hair systems. Please post your cuticle lock experiences below, and clearly state that they were not related to the hair being too light. Thank you very much!