How to Collect Hair Sample

To achieve a natural look with your hair system, you need to closely match your growing hair color and texture. If you’re having trouble finding a good match using the color ring provided, try sending us a hair sample instead.

Most people’s hair is not one uniform color all the way throughout. Hair tends to be lighter or have more gray tones at the temples, with darker tones in the back. Therefore, it is important that you collect samples from your temples, one side, and the back of your head. You may send samples from both the right and left sides, but only one side is necessary.

A good hair sample should include about 100 hairs and measure at least 1-2 inches in length. Don’t use clippings from a hair cut for your sample, and avoid a sample with very few hairs shorter than 1 inch, as it will not be of much use. To keep the hairs in the sample together, it’s important that you bundle and tape them together at one end. Do not place loose hairs in a bag, or use an alternative method for keeping them together. If you have long or color-treated hair that has oxidized or faded, do not use it, because you will get an inaccurate color match. For best results, collect the hair sample a couple days after coloring your hair.

When planning to collect your hair sample, you may want to enlist the help of a friend or stylist. We will explain a few different methods for gathering a sample; choose the one that works best for you. No matter which method you choose, be sure to collect samples from areas that have coverage from surrounding hair. For example, when collecting a sample from your temple, use the hair behind your hairline, so the hair in front of it will cover the hair you cut.

In preparation, cut a few pieces of tape, each about 3 inches long. After you’ve gathered your samples, you will bundle them and tape the ends.

It is essential that the samples be taped together and facing in the same direction, so we know which end was near the scalp. By knowing which end is which, we can better determine the color match. This becomes especially important if the ends of any strands have oxidation or color fading.

When you use a disposable razor, the cut hair will blend into your remaining hair, because a razor creates a feathered look rather than a straight, blunt cut like scissors do.

Using scissors to collect a sample will leave a harder edge on the cut hair, so be mindful of the area from where you collect the sample so you don’t have a noticeable cut line.

Like a razor, professional thinning shears feather and layer the hair, allowing it to blend into your remaining hair.

Thinning shears work particularly well if you are collecting a sample from an existing hair system, or if you have short hair, because you can cut close to the base or scalp without having to make a blunt cut that is much more noticeable.

If you’re unable to collect samples from all the recommended areas of your head (the temples, sides, and back), do the best you can, and send us whatever you can gather. The back of your head is the most vital area to from which to collect a sample. If you can’t gather a sample at all, speak with your hair replacement consultant we will arrange to send you a color ring so you can use it to choose a color to match to your growing hair.

Once the samples from each area of your head are bundled and taped, put each in its own little plastic bag. Label the bag with your name and the area from which the sample was taken. If you include samples from both the left and right sides, be sure to note which side the sample is from. Having marked bags ensures that we know what part of your hair system each sample corresponds to.

The samples can be sent to us via any shipping method of your choice. Inside the package, be sure to include a note with your contact information, so we can get in touch with you once we receive the samples.