Comment by Dawn on January 13, 2009 at 9:21pm

Hi Jamie,
Sorry,I am not familiar with this system.
How does it stay on for 3 months? Is it bonded??

Comment by Jamie on January 13, 2009 at 9:45pm

Yes, it is bonded. You have to go for monthly service and complete new hair every three months. The pics that I have seen look great, but I'm still really nervous. Thanks for your comment.

Comment by Jamie on January 15, 2009 at 2:23am

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Any input on what I should do, I'm getting really frustrated with the way my hair is now. Don't know if I want to go with a wig, do they stay on well, can I keep the hair I have with a wig. So many questions, and so many people here with input. I'm so happy for this site to actually talk to people that share the same thing. Thanks to all.

Comment by Maygensmom on January 19, 2009 at 4:21pm

My daughter was fitted last week for a hair system from the Hair Club for Men in Dallas. Because she is under 17 and is diagnosed with AA, they provide her this service at no cost to me. For this I am very grateful. I will let you know how this system works out though. Maygen enjoys wearing her wigs too. She has a beautiful blonde one that she wears. Marisa gave it to her. She wears wrap headbands with it and ties it to the side in pony tails. She only has about 15% of her hair left. There is some regrowth.

Comment by Brittney on March 27, 2009 at 10:43am

Hey, Jamie! I was going to write back on your profile, but then I saw this discussion thread, and decided to post here. I've worn Virtuesse before, and I thought it was great. It's the women's line of Virtual Reality, and there's a lady out of Tampa that did my Virtuess piece, and she's amazing. Her name Is Shannon Sorbara, and she actually teaches people how to put Virtuess hair pieces on people, and is just really good at what she does. I am not wearing a Virtuesse piece right now, it's a different piece that, yes, I do not know the name of! I will ask, and let you know when I go in next. I tried Virtuesse, and as nice as it is, it is more expesive than the piece I am wearing now, and I just figured, I'm use to this one, and it works for me, so I'll just stick with it. Mine is adhesived to my head, and no, I don't ever take it off. I'm just not ready to go around bald, so for me, it's perfect. I go in once a month for a new piece. I saw that you said you were going to go in every 3 months. So would you get 4 systems a year? That may be a little stretch. Since these systems are on all day long, they do lose hair throughout the course of wearing them, so wearing one for 3 whole months, may be a little thin by the time you're ready for a new one, depending on how active you are. However, I wore my Virtuesse hair piece for six weeks, and had plenty of hair, could have definitely gone another two weeks, to the 2 month mark. So, talk to them about that...maybe you can work out a 6 systems-per-year thing. That's just from my experience. But anyway, on to deatails, I take a shower with mine on, blow dry it, and straighten it. When I first lost my hair my senior year in high school, I was so devastated I needed as close to the real thing as possible, so a piece that stayed on all the time is what I went with, and I've stuck to it ever since. I use to go in once in between to get a service, that's where they take it off, clean it, wash it, re-adhesive it, and put it back on your head. Now, I either go without the service in between, or if it's in the summer and I'm sweating a lot, and think I need to re-do it, I take it off and do it myself. I wouldn't have done that in the beginning, but if your alopecia areata does happen to turn into totalis, or universalis, you will learn these things, and they'll become routine. I promise it's scary right now, but eventually you just learn that this is the life you've been dealt, and you learn to cope just like anything else. It will become a normal routine in your life. Also, I read someone's post about the hair piece smelling. I have a piece where right near the base, it has a small half an inch stretch-net-like material, that goes from one side to the other. This is to make it flexible when I rotate my head, but also to let it breathe. When you wash it, the shampoo will get under, and wash right out, and you won't have to worry about smelling. I don't have that problem, and if you do, just go in for a service, and they'll re-do the adhesive or bonding for you. I think the services should be free in your plan, ask about that, too. Also, I read about the bonding breaking up and not sticking. You will never had to worry about it coming off, even if the bonding is coming close to the end, when you're about to get a new piece or a service, it's still sticky under there. The one part of my hair piece that isn't stuck on with adhesive strips, is the very front. For me, I wanted it to be able to lay as flat as possible so it didn't look thick, or something. So I re-do that part myself, and sometimes I'll do that every other day or each day. Some people do it once a week, but I'm anal, and like to re-do it fresh everyday if I can. It takes me about 2 minutes. I look at it as the time it'd take me to put on my mascara if I had eye lashes, so it works out. I just flip back the very front of it, about an inch shows, I put a little alcohol on a wash cloth and use that to wipe the excess glue off, then I put a little of my boding glue on a q-tip and rub a little on the base. Then I take the blow dryer, and hold it on for about 10 seconds to let it dry, and then flip it back down, and I'm good to go. It doesn't itch me or bother me at all. I sleep in it, and it's totally fine, I don't feel it. I'm trying to think if I'm missing anything...I can't think of anything else...but ask any questions you want. When my alopecia came back, I was a mess, and would love to have been able to ask all these questions. So if you think of something, let me know! Hang in there! -Brittney

Comment by Jamie on March 28, 2009 at 2:24am

Thank you both so much for taking the time to get back to me. I really appreciate it.

Comment by Paula Lowry on July 16, 2009 at 5:21pm

I'd like to know what brand of hair piece Mike and Brittney wear that is bonded to the head and never takes it off (until it needs to be cleaned and re-bonded). I bought a piece from Hair Club about 3 months ago and it already needs to be replaced. I can't afford their maintenance programs -- way too expensive. Thanks for the info!

Comment by Leah on November 8, 2009 at 10:40pm

Hi Brittney
I'm very interested in what kind of hair piece you have and where is it from?

Comment by Tanya Stone on November 5, 2010 at 8:35am

I got a bonded on piece last week and am taking it off tomorrow-hate it-it bubbles and feels awful-looks bad too. I did had some hair and regrowth in bald spots-wish I wouldnt of done it-now I am shaved. my worry is the bonding will hurt the hair and follicles that it is on-does anyone have any experience with it?

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