Micro, macro and standard capsules: when to use each

Micro capsules

The smallest attachment, used where the hair is fine or where the bond risks being seen: the parting, the temples and the hairline around the face. They take longer to apply and require more of them, but they are the only correct choice on weak hair.

Standard capsules

The working default for most clients. They balance application time, weight and durability, and cover the occipital and side zones where the bond is naturally hidden by upper layers of hair.

Macro capsules

Larger bonds that add noticeable density quickly. They are only appropriate on genuinely thick, healthy hair — on fine hair they create weight the follicle cannot carry, which leads to breakage and client complaints.

The rule that prevents most mistakes

The capsule must always be lighter than the hair holding it. If you find yourself hoping the hair will cope, the capsule is too big. Reducing the size and increasing the number of strands is always the safer correction.

Mixing sizes in one head

Professional work almost always mixes sizes: micro at the face and parting, standard through the main zones, and occasionally macro at the lower back where hair is strongest. A single size used everywhere is a sign of an inexperienced master.

Choosing size zone by zone

A professional head is planned before the first strand is attached. The parting and hairline take micro capsules, because that is where a bond becomes visible. The occipital zone takes standard capsules, because the upper layers hide the attachment naturally. The lower nape, where hair is strongest, can carry a larger bond if extra density is required.

How size affects application time

• Micro — the most strands, the longest application, the safest on fine hair
• Standard — the working balance of time, weight and durability
• Macro — fastest density, appropriate only on genuinely thick hair

Time is a business consideration, not a technical one. If a client's hair requires micro capsules, the correct response is to price for the extra hours, not to switch to a larger bond.

The most common professional error

Using one capsule size across the whole head. It is faster, it looks acceptable in photographs, and it is the reason clients later complain about bonds showing at the parting or breakage at the temples. Mixed sizing takes longer and is the difference between an amateur result and a professional one.