"2. When I grow hair directly on the V4 head it comes out too thin so I created a skullcap and subdivided it in Shade.  The problem I have now is that the group editor tool can't select some skullcap polygons, or else when I draw the square box to add it selects polygons outside the selection box.   Are the polygons messed up because they were subdivided?"

I'm not sure if this is the cause of your problem, but it can't hurt to try:-)

Sometimes, if your camera is too close to the object you are trying to select polys/verts on, it just doesn't seem to work. (This happens in the group editor in general, not just the hair room).

The reason can often be because the "hither" value of the cam is too big. Anything closer than that value gets ignored.

Two (obvious) solutions:
 - Move the camera further away, or
-  Reduce the hither value...

Cheers,
Diolma