Short answer: you can work out most of your old hair system's specs from the unit itself, old order emails and a few measurements. The essentials are base type, base size, density, hair colour (including grey percentage), hair type, length, curl and direction. If you are unsure about any of them, send the unit or a template and let a specialist read it for you.
This matters most when the company you ordered from is no longer around, as many former Hair Direct customers found. Without an account to log into, the knowledge of what you wore lives in your old unit, your inbox and your stylist's memory. Here is how to recover it.
Start with what you already have
- Old order emails or invoices. Search your inbox for order confirmations. Product names often contain the base type and size, and some list density, colour codes and grey percentage.
- Your stylist. Whoever cut in your system usually remembers how it was attached, how it was cut and whether it was thinned.
- The unit itself. Even a worn unit tells you a great deal, as the next sections show.
1. Base material and design
Turn the unit inside out and look at the base under good light.
- Lace: a fine mesh you can see through. Breathable and natural at the hairline. Some bases are lace all over, others only at the front.
- Thin skin (poly): a smooth, film-like surface. Easy to clean and bond, very thin skins can feel almost invisible.
- Mono: a firmer, fabric-like mesh, often with a poly or skin perimeter. Durable for daily wear.
- Hybrid: combinations, such as lace front with a skin perimeter.
Our base guide has close-up photos of each type.
2. Base size and shape
Measure the base front to back and side to side across the widest points, in inches. Common sizes are 8" x 10" and 7" x 9", but your unit may have been cut down. If the unit has been trimmed a lot, a template of your head is more reliable; see our sizing guide.
3. Density
Density describes how much hair is on the base, usually as a percentage. Light to medium densities read as natural for most adult men, and too much density is one of the most common reasons a system looks like a hairpiece. Compare your unit with the descriptions in understanding density, and remember that density is often lighter at the front.
4. Colour and grey percentage
Colour is the hardest spec to judge from a screen. Look for a colour code on old invoices (codes such as 1B for off black, or 1B with a grey percentage). Otherwise, compare a cut sample of your own hair with a colour ring in daylight, or send a hair sample with your unit. See our colour guide and how to collect a hair sample.
5. Hair type, length, curl and direction
- Hair type: most systems use human hair; the origin and processing affect softness and how long it lasts. See hair types and processing.
- Length: measure the longest hair on the unit; new systems arrive longer so they can be cut in.
- Curl or wave: straight, slight wave or a specific curl size.
- Direction: freestyle, swept back or with a parting. See ventilation and hair direction.
6. Hairline and knots
Look at the front edge. Is it a straight, soft or irregular hairline? Are the knots at the front bleached so they are less visible? These details make a big difference to how natural the front looks, so note them or point them out when you send the unit.
Write it down
A simple checklist is enough: base type, size, density, colour and grey, hair type, length, curl, direction, hairline and anything you want changed. You can enter it in our custom hair system builder, choosing "not sure" where needed. A specialist reviews it before production and no payment is taken when you request a quote.
When to let us read the unit for you
If several specs are uncertain, sending the unit is quicker and more accurate than guessing. Our pickup service ($39) emails you a prepaid label; we inspect the unit and confirm every detail with you by email or WhatsApp before any payment. Former Hair Direct customers can read more on our Hair Direct customers page, and the full process is on how to duplicate your old hair system.