An Unbiased Look at Hair Club for Men Part II (More Reflections from the Hair Loss Kid)
hal...@fishnet.com
In the second part of this review of Hair Club and similar products, I wish to give a
more detailed, thorough look at the service they provide, and perhaps give some suggestions
on how it might be improved.
As I've said, the "system" is attached to your head at Hair Club with a glue-like product
that they call "Polyfuse." Actually, there appear to be many different "polyfuses." In my
experiences as a Hair Club client over the past 5 years or so, I have noticed stylists using AT
LEAST five or six DISTINCT products. They are all casually referred to by the name
"polyfuse", but they have distinct, very different properties. It actually baffles me why they
use so many different alternative adhesive products; are they experimenting? No one has
ever told me, despite the repeated questions I raise. And though these products are all
referred to generically as "polyfuse," there are more specific names for each one: "hard bond,"
"skin bond," "hard pack," etc. Their appearances and textures are different: some are
thick and very gummy (one such product is very white and when applied has a tendency to
show through the system around the front edges if the stylist is not careful in applying it.)
Some are clear (colorless) and either viscous or watery. That last -- the clear watery one --
seems to be a variant of what is commonly known as "Crazy Glue". It is by far the most
effective in attaching the system to my scalp without slippage; however, it seems to have
fallen out of favor. I questioned one stylist repeatedly and she told me that HCM was
"not allowed to use that one anymore." I THINK there were problems with skin allergies.
Each one of these products has a predictable, more or less reliable efficacy. That is,
some are consistently very effective in keeping the system in place. Others tend to ooze out
the edges of the system or "melt down" after a few weeks, enabling what I call "System
Creep" (the phenomenon referred to earlier wherein the system slowly, inexorably, starts
migrating to unwanted places on your head.) More confusing still, some stylists prefer one
product, while others swear by an entirely different product for the same reasons. Some
will say that a certain variant of "polyfuse" is best for my skin type. Some will say that another
type does less damage to the system in the process of cleaning it for the next application, etc.
Each stylist has her preferences, proclivities, and unique philosophies, it seems, and there
are all these different products they can choose from.
NONE of these different variants of "polyfuse," however, is perfect. Some are so gummy
they get stuck in your natural hair and when full-service time comes around are a BITCH to
remove from your hair. Like I said, the BEST one by far was a thin, colorless substance --
watery and gluey -- which bonded the system to my head so well there was absolutely no slippage
by my next visit. But they've stopped using this product!
*************************************************
DON'T GET ME WRONG, now. A Hair Club system in general looks great. It looks enough
like your own hair, I'd say, that it will fool 90% of casual observers and even co-workers, most
of the time. If styled right and maintained well, no one will even give you a second glance!
Moreover, the entire experience is very close to what I remember having a full, thick head of
REAL HAIR was like! That is, the hair (ideally) blends perfectly with your own hair. You can
comb it and brush it. You CAN swim and play sports in it.
HOW is the system applied? In general, they shave most of the remaining hair you have
in the balding area. In my case, I have a lot of hair in this area. The hair is thinning more or
less evenly in front and on top, but there is considerable hair left. In any event, it's all shaved
down for practical purposes (when I went in for my first system I was under the impression that
a lot of this remaining hair would be allowed to show through and become "part" of the system;
however, they do not do this.
More to the point, they will shave a perimeter of about one inch around the "horseshoe"-
shaped border between your thicker, natural hair on the sides and in back, and the balding area.
It is along this curved perimeter that the polyfuse is applied. They also apply polyfuse directly
to the system. A good stylist will wait awhile and allow the polyfuse to settle (or "cure") before
attaching the system to your scalp. The shaved-down fringe of your own hair acts as a sort of
"anchor" for the system -- as polyfuse sticks best when there is a rough substrate, rather than
between the somewhat slick bottom of the system and the slickness of your balding area.
The system is originally custom made for the shape of your own scalp. This is done by
making a cellophane "template" or "mold" of your head -- a simple process -- and then securing
it's concave shape with tape. It is a very low-tech process but very well-suited to their
needs and it really works well! This "template" is then sent to New York or wherever your
system is to be made. When the system comes back, it will fit your head perfectly.
There are many more things about this experience I could discuss, and I will discuss them
in future installments. For now, however, let me leave you with this: No, everything about
Hair Club is not perfect. There are all sorts of little kinks that could be (and ought to be)
ironed out, such as: 1) Developing an optimum adhesive or "polyfuse" that will bond the
system to your head more reliably; 2) Developing a product that will add moisture and "bounce"
to the system hair without coating it with build-up and making it unmanageable; 3) Assuring
that clients never get caught between visits with a hair system that is badly fading and gives
you the dreaded "two-tone" look: 4) Making available to clients a products that will reliably
detangle the hair without coating it with unwanted build-up (they use such a product in-house,
but the "detanglers" they sell to clients to take home (usually "Mastey" products) are not
very effective; 5) Doing something about the problem of "System Creep" (the short answer to
this is that it isn't hard -- just make sure the stylist applies the system correctly -- in its one,
optimum position -- each time; 6) AND FINALLY: Developing a new product that will actually
allow scalp to show through, and will, at last, actually look -- upon very close inspection
(the kind that a girlfriend or potential girlfriend is liable to give) that the hair is actually growning
from your scalp (no woman will care if it REALLY is; all that matters is that it looks great!)
[I should also say "boyfriend" and "no man" -- hey, I'm a tolerant kind of guy!]
As far as price, this has come down quite a bit over the past five years. The quality is
definitely going up with the introduction of new types of systems with scalloped fronts, better
insertion of the hair into the substrate mesh, creating better mobility of the hairs, etc. They
are now offering a new (state-of-the-art) system which incorporates all of these features
at about $1500, plus, if you accept the offer for "membership," and pay $99 a month (which
includes all services such as coloring and hair additions previously paid for seperately),
a brand NEW system every six months at NO EXTRA CHARGE. DEFINITELY sounds like the
best deal they've ever offered me!
Take care now... Signing off,
The Hair Loss Kid
Richard Betancourt
The way your company Bullshits prospective clients is worthy of a
consumer fraud investigation!!
Tige
<<<The way your company Bullshits prospective clients is worthy of a
<<<consumer fraud investigation!!
I don't think he is a consultant for HCM. I think he is just trying to
help others make a difficult personal decision. I would commend him for
his efforts and have to look at your comments as a childish response to an
innocent opinion.
I agree with the original author's comments. I think the HCM system,
while not for everyone, is a really good alternative for some people.
Why are you so against it? It seems you have a private grudge against them
for some reason. Are you jealous that some people actually can adjust to
the replacement method? It seems there is more to your post that is
personal and subjective than an objective, mature point of view.
Tige
Eric Olsen
>I don't think he is a consultant for HCM. I think he is just trying to
>help others make a difficult personal decision. I would commend him for
The original poster of the HCM comments under this thread is the same
person as the "Gustavo" fake-post-troller. You can't take these comments
any more than "Gustavo". "Gustavo" is not trying to help anybody, he's
just another pathetic anonymouse who vainly clutches at trivial power by
misleading ignorant people on Internet. Sad.
--
-Eric