Finding Your Holy Grail: The Quest to Pick the Right Adhesive for Your Client and Their Hair System

By Trey Pasch, Creative Strategist, Walker Tape

In the highly lauded action-adventure film, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, our titular hero faces a life-or-death situation — choose the correct grail and live, or lose your life by picking a false grail.

The process of choosing the correct adhesive for the right system is similar, albeit without the threat of death. But the consequences of choosing poorly can lead to a damaged system, irritated skin and more.

How does one navigate through the shelves and choices to choose the right adhesive for their client’s hair system base?

It begins and ends with the material with which the hair base is constructed. There are many different types of bases, but the three most common are:

Lace Bases

Lace, or mesh, bases are built to be breathable, undetectable, and comfortable for clients to wear. Although less durable than other base types, they offer the client a more undetectable look.

On the other hand, lace bases are generally more thin, fragile, and prone to damage than poly or mono-based systems. In other words, the stuff of nightmares for wearers and stylists.

For lace-based hair systems, thinner tapes or liquid adhesives that leave behind less residue are recommended. They will protect the delicate lace while also providing a firm and comfortable hold. Walker Tape usually suggests lace tape or tapes that last for roughly one to seven days for lace bases.

Poly Bases

Poly-based systems are built to offer an all-natural look for their wearer and blend into the scalp like camouflage. They mimic the feel of skin through the plastic material and come in a variety of different thicknesses — from ultra-thin .03 mm bases to a thicker 0.25mm.

Though they are not as breathable or as softly comfortable as their lace-based brethren, poly-based units are much more durable and are stronger compared to other base types.

The adhesives chosen should pair with the thickness of the base, as a four-plusweeks adhesive may damage thinner skin bases, and a one to seven days adhesive might not hold onto thicker skin bases.

A day-to-day or week-to-week wear tape is a good option for those with thinner skin bases. In the case of thicker bases, a four-plus weeks hold liquid adhesive would be more appropriate. When choosing adhesives for poly bases, make sure they offer optimal strength and comfort.

Mono Bases

Commonly referred to as "monofilament", mono bases blend the strength of poly and the softness of lace, to create a hair system that is strong, breathable, and comfortable.

But the biggest benefit of mono bases is that they create the illusion of hair growing from the scalp. Hand-tied fiber strands are hand-assembled into a single layer of the base for an all-natural look. Only one more task remains: Finding an adhesive.

Mono units are capable of using almost any adhesive, thanks to the factors listed above. This could be a four-plus weeks tape or a one-to-seven-day liquid adhesive, or even a hard bond. The choice then would come down to what your client prefers.

There are, obviously, other factors that go into choosing an adhesive – tape or glue, client skin type, activity levels, sensitivities, allergies, climate, etc. – that can influence the decision on what to pick. Aside from the scalp, however, the system base is by far the most important consideration when installing a hair system.

Choose wisely, and you can guarantee a comfortable, strong, and safe bond for your clients and their hair units.