Stop Obsessing Over Your Hairline - The Back and Sides Matter Just as Much

Stop Obsessing Over Your Hairline! The Back and Sides Matter

Ask any hair system wearer what they think about most and the answer is almost always the same: the hairline. Is it natural? Can people see the edge? Is the lace visible? Does it look like it's growing from my scalp?

The hairline anxiety is completely understandable. It's the most scrutinised part of any hair system and the one that most directly gives the game away if it's wrong. But in over a decade working in the hair industry and several years wearing a hair system myself, I can tell you that the hairline is not where most detection happens. The back and sides are.

Where people actually notice

Think about how you normally see another person's hair. Mostly from the side and the back - walking behind someone, sitting next to them, standing beside them. The hairline is only visible face-on, from a relatively close distance, in decent light.

The back and sides of your head are visible from almost every angle in almost every situation. And if the density, colour, or texture of the system hair doesn't blend naturally into your own hair at the sides, if there's a visible line where the system ends and your natural hair begins, that is what people notice. Not the hairline.

I've seen beautifully applied systems with perfect lace hairlines that looked immediately obvious because the blend at the back was wrong. And I've seen systems with slightly imperfect hairlines that looked completely natural because the cut and blend were done properly. The blend wins every time.

The three things that matter at the back and sides

1. Density matching

This is the most common mistake. A hair system with medium density sitting on top of thin natural hair at the sides creates an obvious disconnect,  the top looks to thick compared to the sides. The barber needs to thin out the system to match the density of the sides, not leave it at full thickness.

Equally, if your natural hair at the sides is thicker, and with a thinner system sitting on top of it looks disproportionate. The blend should flow, density at the system transitioning gradually and naturally into density at the sides.

2. Colour matching

Hair colour is not one colour. Natural hair has variation - lighter at the tips, darker at the roots, different tones in different light. A single-colour hair system sitting next to natural hair that has texture and variation can look flat and obviously different even when the colour number is technically correct. 

When choosing a system, look at your natural hair in different lighting conditions, not just indoor light. The system colour should match your natural hair in daylight. If in doubt, go slightly lighter rather than darker - lighter colours blend more forgivingly at the edges and colour can be added to the hair if needed over time.

Also, if you are going grey or are of age where this is common - add a grey percentage to the system. This also lightens the solid colour to a more natural shade.

3. The cut and fading at the blend line

This is where a barber who understands hair systems is worth their weight in gold. The transition from system hair to natural hair at the sides and back needs to be a gradient, not a line. A skilled professional will work the natural hair up into the system edge using clippers and scissor work to create a seamless blend rather than a visible join.

If your barber is cutting the system hair without considering how it connects to the sides, just trimming the top and leaving the blend to chance - find a new barber who works with hair systems regularly. The cut is as important as the system and instal itself.

What to tell your barber

Most barbers or stylists who don't work with hair systems regularly will focus on the top and front because that's where they feel needs the most attention. You need to make it clear that they focus attention on the entire area.

• Ask them to assess the density of your natural hair at the sides before they touch anything
• Ask them to thin the sides to match the density and take out extra weight if needed
• Ask for a gradual subtle blend into the system edge rather than a clean line at the perimeter
• Ask them to check the back specifically, some head shapes when a system is fitted can appear flat - most wearers never see the back of their own head and it's where the blend is most often neglected
• This one is for you - have realistic expectations of what they can achieve with a hair system, and be clear on the hair cut. I have seen many systems ruined because the client wasn't clear enough with their barber.

The honest truth about the hairline

A great hairline on a poorly blended system still looks wrong. A slightly imperfect hairline on a perfectly blended system looks completely natural. The hairline is important, of course it is, but it is one part of a whole picture that needs to work together. Remember - you can hide the hairline, you can't hide the side of your head.

Spend less time scrutinising your hairline in the mirror and more time looking at the back and sides from every angle. Ask someone you trust to tell you honestly how the blend looks from behind. That's the view most people have of your hair, most of the time.

A great system deserves a great cut. If you need help finding a barber/hair dresser who can get the cut just right, reach out - we can point you toward professionals experienced with hair systems.

 

Cheers, Benny.