There are three core materials used to produce the most popular hair system designs within the marketplace; lace, skin (poly/pu) and monofilament. Each has its own relative merits, or we can design a hybrid hair system, incorporating a combination of each material, so you can enjoy all of the benefits in one design!
Lace hair systems
The lace base systems have long been Hollywood’s best kept secret! Can you think of any well-known bald Hollywood movie stars that have appeared in films with hair? Have you ever been amazed at how incredible their hair looks? Now you can enjoy these same remarkable results
The materials used to make the lace hair system have been refined over the years and are widely used today by many of Hollywood's leading male actors, both on and off screen.
This innovative and undetectable lace hair system was once the reserve of the rich and famous, but together with our industry partners, Hair Hub have developed a product comparable in quality to that found on multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster sets.
The lace base is the lightest and most breathable hair system available. It is also our most undetectable system by touch. The lace base is constructed using an extremely delicate, flesh toned lace. Placed against the skin the lace becomes invisible rendering an extremely natural hairline and scalp appearance.
*Please note, the lace shown in the photo below is laying on top of a hand. When professionally bonded to the scalp, it becomes completely invisible.
Unlike many other hair replacement systems, the lace is so fine and coloured like your natural skin, it allows you to expose the hairline and create any hair style; including a quiff style.
There are, however, some drawbacks to the lace system. In particular, there is a trade-off between durability and undetectability. The lace base is more delicate compared to some of the other hair system options available, so they will require replacement more frequently (typically every 3-4 months).
Skin hair systems
The skin (poly/pu) hair systems have proved a very popular choice with our clients. Our skin systems are constructed using a proprietary blend of ultra thin polymers to create a feather light translucent membrane that allows your scalp to show through the base. This renders a natural scalp appearance, creating an exquisite illusion of the hair appearing to grow directly out of the scalp.
Individual hairs, strand-by-strand, are implanted into a skin-like membrane, each at scientifically predetermined angles to replicate the density and growth patterns of your original head of hair. The skin system is so thin, many of our clients refer to it as a “second skin”, which provides a completely seamless integration with your scalp, so it’s undetectable by both sight and touch.
The are several variants of the skin base, each produced in a different thickness guage. As a rule of thumb; the thinner the base , the more undetectable it is by touch, but the trade-off is a shorter lifespan. The options are:
Ultra-thin skin : 0.03mm (10-12 week lifespan)
Super-thin skin: 0.05mm (2-3 months)
Thin skin 0.08mm (3-5 months)
Medium skin 0.12mm (6 months +)
Monofilament hair systems
The monofilament base is the most durable in our range, which offers an economical choice that represent excellent value for money.
This is a more traditional base material that has been popular for many years due to its strength and durability. This base can last for well over a year, due to the thicker monofilament used in its construction.
This additional durability does come with its drawbacks. As a result of the thicker materials incorporated into this design, under close inspection, it’s not the most natural and undetectable system. That said, if your hair density is sufficient to cover the base (medium or above), then it will still look perfectly natural and will prove a viable and economical option. However, if you prefer a lighter density that exposes some scalp, the lace or skin bases may be a more suitable option.
Which one is best for me?
So, now you have a basic understanding of the different materials used to construct a hair system, you may be thinking; which one is best for me?
The answer is a highly individual choice and depends upon a number of factors, i.e. lifestyle, budget, age, hair style, physical activity, etc.
The all lace designs are popular because they're lightweight and fully breathable, so excellent if you're physically active and play sports. They're also popular due to the natural aesthetic appearance of the hairlines. Each lace front design we produce has a graduated density hairline with invisible bleached knots, rendering a realistic and natural looking hairline.
The only downside to lace is the shorter period of time you can wear a lace system for, before removal, cleaning and refit is required. If you're existing hair system client, you'll know that the longer you have a hair system bonded, the more the adhesive or tape residue will breakdown and go gooey. Unlike the skin base, as the lace base is not sealed and has hundreds of tiny holes in the material, this gooey residue can seep through the lace and penetrate the hair shafts, making the system very difficult to clean. As a result of this, we recommend only bonding a lace system for 1-2 weeks at time, before the adhesive residue breaks down, so the lace will be easy to clean and always stay in tip top shape.
The skin hair systems have also proved a very popular choice with our clients. The key advantage of a skin base is the bond period. As the base is sealed (the adhesive will not penetrate through the base as it breaks down over time), many client will wear skin system for up to 4 weeks, before removal and cleaning. So the maintenance interval is much longer, compared to lace. Also, full head bonds are very popular with this design, i.e. adhesive is coated over the entire hair loss area and the underside of the base, creating a very secure bond; facilitating the longer wear times.
Furthermore, the hairlines have also improved tremendously in recent years, as we now use an ultra-thin skin lip (0.03mm thick!) at the front hairline edge, with injected knots, creating a realistic looking hairline.
For some clients, a combination of each material is their preference; known as a hybrid design. This is typically a lace front and top, with a skin perimeter around the sides and back. Therefore if you would like a breathable base with a skin track area around the perimeter to easily apply tape and adhesive. Clients using this base often leave the system bonded in place several weeks, due to the benefit of having the skin perimeter, and simply re-bond the lace front every week, to keep the hairline looking it's best. So you can really enjoy the benefits of both materials in one design!
So as you can see, there really is no right or wrong answer to this question; it is often a case of trying each design over time, to test which one you like best.
If you would like some advice on choosing the best hair system design for you, we would be more than happy to guide you through the options. Please complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.