First Install

Well I had my hair installed on Wednesday, a friend of mine who is a stylist did it for me.  Well..........I had 175 tips ready to go, and she only installed 98 of them.  It took her about 3 1/2 hrs, and when I got home I saw just how bad it looked.  I have naturally thin fine hair, and it looked even worse then that.  So, after I got all the kids into bed I stayed up until 1am putting more shrinkies in.  I put in about 40 and still need to put in another 40 or so.  Here is what I learned:

Make sure your installer had a better understanding of placement, then just a 5 min internet Drd locks look.

Don't start an install/reinstall at 10pm, and have to get up at 7am

Wear capris, not knit ones, but denium or cotton fabric.  Here's why, pull the leg of the pants up above you knee, and then shove the handle of the mirror into the pants.  It's like having a 3rd hand!!!

I bought the "cheapy" heat wand that was listed in prior topics, and it works great!!!  It is dual sided, and shrinks those baby's down real fast!!

Attach your hair strand to the shrinkie before loading it onto your threader.  I did this by inserting the pretip into the shrinkie, then took the heat wand and melted part of the shrinkie to the tip.  Works FABULOUS!!!!!

Book a massage after your install!!  My back and butt hurt from sitting on the hard counter for 3 hrs!!!!

I am going to finish installing and replacing this after noon, I'll post pics after I am done.

Oh, also, I pretipped with epoxy, not sure if this is the way to go, easy to work with, but the tips are rock hard!!!  I am thinking next time of trying either Aleen's or ???? Any suggestions???

I use epoxy and have never had 1 melt to my hair or shed.  You have to make sure of the temp. tolerance on the package. 

I agree, I always choose to install at the most inappropriate times.  That mirror idea is clever, I'll give it a go in a couple of weeks.

thanks girlie...Im gonna check out some of the epoxy brands. I will check labels and read the warnings and use caution! But I seriously need to find a quicker and easier tipping method!

Actually I tried some stuff the other day called Quick Grip. All purpose Permanent Adhesive. From Walmart in the craft section. Its in a yellow tube & package. It sets up really fast. I made about 25 tips and they were completely solid & dry within about 10-15 minutes or so. I will further test them as soon as I get a chance. There is no cancer warnings on package. Although it does say to avoid prolonged breathing of vapors, contact with skin and to use in well ventilated area...causes throat, nose eye irritation....and the usual warnings about flammability, like all glue labels say. It says it contains acetone and can be thinned or cleaned with acetone, so I would think that the tip residue could easily be cleaned out of the hair with normal products that we use with shrinkie residue. Although I will top coat with nail glue or LG to help prevent any of it transferring into the hair.

Well I finished my install.  I ended up taking out all of the tips that the "stylist" installed, cutting them in half and then reinstalling.  I think that I ended up putting in close to 200 tips in, I lost count after I starting cutting them in half!!!  I will post pics once I take and after photo today.  It looks great and the shrinkies are so light, after I had my GL installed, my head hurt for about a week afterward.  I think that I need to get it trimmed to blend it better, but if I flat iron my head hair it blends really nice.

Marie87--I found that when I used the quick set epoxy I did not have enough working time to make the tips, how do you do it? I ended up starting with the 5 mn set, but found that time to short also so I moved on to the 20-30mn set, but found that to long.  They need a 10mn set!!!

Will post pics soon (have to figure out how to do it ;0)   )

Jodie-- I have before, after, and then really after pics that I am working on uploading.  The wand that I am using is from Wimex.  It cost me $40 and that included shipping.  It works like a dream!!!

www.salon.wimexbeauty.com

try that link.

Ok here are the pics.  My stylist has the before shot and her cammera is not compatible to my computer without alot of monkey business.  So, I have the shots of when I came home from the salon, and then after I put probably another 100 tips in. 

As you can see in the top picture, it doesn't look like I have any hair.  It is about 98 tips in.  YUCK!!!  My hair is just above my shoulders and layered so that I could "flip" the ends up.

The bottom pic shows after I added probably another 100 tips, but I have not cut it and you can see the line of my "head hair" and my extended hair.  What should I do???  If I flat iron it, it looks better, but if I just let it dry (like as shown in the pic) there is a definate line.

I only used 12" hair, I think that I will go longer next time!!!