Everything you need to know about female hair toupee

As a woman who has dealt with hair loss for almost 10 years, I have to say that the world of wigs is pretty crazy right now. From hair extensions to wigs and now toupee, there are many artificial hair options to choose from. Whether you are looking to simply change your look, add some fullness, or deal with hair loss like I have; I have had a lot of fun since I discovered the top world. Now, toupee aren’t exactly a new form of wig. They’ve been getting a lot more attention lately, so here’s all you need to know about the rankings.

Alternative Hair Solutions
Let’s start with the differences between toupee and other forms of alternative hair. Extensions can take different forms (clip-in, taped, stitched, or micro-linked), but that’s another article entirely. Regardless of the form the extensions take, they are individual hairs that are fastened to your existing hair and then blended together. They can be worn for as long as you want, for months at a time. Extensions do not cover the crown area of the head and often do not hide thinning or bald spots at the top of the scalp. Or, place the wig on top of your head, wrapping and tucking your natural hair underneath. To a large extent, we all know what a wig is, so the main takeaway is that with a wig, your natural hair is hidden, making the wig look very full at the top.

What are hair toupee?
For saltire, they are a mix of extensions and wigs. Honestly, you get the best of both worlds here. They clip on to the top of your hair, but since they are much smaller caps, they sit flatter. With a toupee, you can also shake your natural hair and blend it with the toupee. Similar to other forms of wigs, you can purchase curly headpieces, bangs headpieces, or even custom pieces with balayage to match your own style. The possibilities are truly endless.

Reasons to try toupee
Now, why would you want to choose another form of synthetic hair? Believe it or not, toupee make life easier in many ways. There are many celebrities and TV personalities who choose to wear toppers to add fullness and give them a more sleek and stylish look on screen without the added work or heat damage. It’s like wearing a wig or toupee to add fullness without all the effort. For those suffering from hair loss (androgenetic alopecia, resting hair loss, postpartum thinning, patchy baldness, etc.), toupee can be a lifesaver. They are far less destructive than extensions and can cover the crown, a common area of thinning for women.

Often, women will choose a headpiece over a wig because you still have the option to merge your own hair for a more natural look. A saltire is usually not as full as a wig, so it is a gentler transition for those transitioning to a wig due to hair loss. Switching to a wig feels like a huge change, so being able to wear your own hair helps ease you into the wig world. As someone who has lost my hair, I definitely appreciated it. Basically, a topper allows you to get extra volume and thickness from all forms of wigs with far less work.

Tip for toupee
Consider your preferred style: small base, medium base, etc.; the larger the base, the fuller the top.
Mono is the layer of the toupee, so your hair will show through, which means you won’t have natural split ends.
French brushed gives a more natural look and scalp-like separation because there are two layers, one of which mimics the color of the scalp.
Density: The higher the density, the fuller the top layer. Personally, I prefer the lightest density possible because my hair is very thin so I want it to look like me. Lower densities would be 100%, 120%, etc. for the top.
Always place the toupee about 1-2 cm from the hairline.
Machine-made toupee are the cheapest option.
Hand or French drawn will be more expensive, but will provide a more natural/quality piece.
Synthetic hairpieces are cheaper.
Human hair toupee are more expensive, but have a more natural look and feel.

Disadvantages of hair toupee
While I do think toupee are a great option for the synthetic hair world, like anything they have their drawbacks and the last thing I want is for you to think this is a perfect solution. Nothing in life is perfect, right? I get questions all the time about what brands are the best hair accessories for women and my answer is always, I haven’t found one yet. toupee are great, but they can still cause some damage because the clips that hold them in place in the hair create traction and pull over time. Due to my own hair loss issues, I can wear a toupee for about 4-5 hours before it starts to get uncomfortable.