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I would like to tap the knowledge of all you fellow hair wearers out there on the subject of spirit gum. I know a little bit about it but I would like to know more, if someone would enlighten me. I've spoken to 3 different HD hair techs about it and none of them has ever heard of it. Until the invention of our high tech adhesives, this was the #1 choice ( if not the only choice ) for attaching lace front toupees, beards, moustaches, etc. on the stage and in movies for about a hundred years. This is the stuff that kept John Wayne's hair from blowing off into the sunset. Spirit gum is an amber colored, resin based liquid adhesive that works pretty well for daily wear. It kinda reminds me of varnish. It is still available; I just bought some on Ebay. I've been using it because I really would like the option of removing my hair daily if I want to. I know most of you prefer the long term bonds. I may go that way myself if I can't find a daily wear adhesive that works for me. Spirit gum works OK, easy to remove and clean up with alcohol. But sometimes the bond lets me down before the day is over. I don't know if it's the nature of the stuff, or if I'm not applying it correctly. The directions are very simple: just brush it on, wait a few seconds til it gets tacky and press the lace onto it. I've been told that with the modern adhesives you must wait a few minutes until it dries before you apply the lace. I wonder if the same thing goes for spirit gum. Is anybody out there familiar with this?
Jeff
Hey Jeff!
I'm not in show biz, but I did use spirit gum many moons ago when I wore a partial hairpiece up front. Never had much luck if I perspired and it smelled like tree sap (which come to think of it, I think it was!). If memory serves, I let it get a little tacky before applying the hairpiece.
Hi, Bob,
I knew there was someone out there beside myself that knew about this! Thanks for your input. By gum, it does smell like tree sap, doesn't it? Do you have an opinion as to a modern day equivilent, one that would adhere securely all day and is just as easy to remove?
Hey Jeff,
I'm not sure what would be best for daily removal without too much effort. I've used the red liner tape which has a decent hold and can be reapplied if you spray it down with alcohol or Adjust-A-Bond. The disadvantage is that red liner tape may not offer the best look for a light density system and you would have to remove the tape every few days.
Hope that helps. Also, you can comfortably wear your system for several days with one of the many adhesive products available today. I'm just as comfortable sleeping in my hair as I am without it.
Hi, Joe,
Thanks for your reply. It does get hard and crusty when it dries. I think it really is akin to varnish somehow. Aside from attaching lace, it was used in the theater for holding all kinds of hair and makeup creations to the skin. It was good for short term usage, for an actor in a stage play or shooting scenes in a movie. I guess the time element is why most people don't use it anymore.
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