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Have you been looking to get that youthful fullness back into your aging, thinning lifeless hair? Then this Fine Thin Hair Dilemma: Halos, Wigs & Toppers post is for you!
Read my struggle with fine thin hair and the ways in which I cope with thinning hair. For more on this subject see my Fine Hair section of the blog.
In my previous life, before I became a DIY lifestyle blogger, I was a hairstylist. But not just any kind of hairstylist, my specialty was pretty unique.
I worked in the hair replacement/hair loss business cutting and styling wigs and hairpieces for men and women with fine and thinning hair.
For some years ago now, I can’t believe it has been almost 5 years, I started writing about my own hair loss journey and some of the tips and crazy techniques I use to get a fuller look to my fine thin hair.
If you are new to my blog then please go back and read the first post in the series The Fine Thin Hair Dilemma and then read the follow up from a few years later The Fine Thin Hair Dilemma: Part 2 before reading this post. That way you will know where I’m coming from and where I have been.
I had hoped through the years that it wouldn’t be me sitting in the wig stylist chair, but sadly here I am baby thin hair and all. As time goes on, however, there have been some great improvements in the wig and hairpiece business.
For one is the prices! The more we demand better solutions for hair loss, the better the cost of owning a quality wig or hairpiece becomes affordable.
I have found some great ways to style my thin hair using superb quality wigs, secret halo extensions, and my newest love of wavy hair toppers!
The Fine Thin Hair Dilemma: Halos, Wigs & Toppers
Let’s catch up first with my first line of defense for thin hair….
FAV HAIR PRODUCTS (hair products for fine straight hair that worked for me):
These are the latest products I have been using. As you may have read in my previous posts, I am a sucker for a new product that promises any kind of body for lifeless, too soft, thin hair. I think I’ve tried them all.. lol!
- These days my favorite fall back shampoo is OGX Biotin & Collagen Shampoo & OGX Biotin & Collagen Conditioner. Every time I try something new I always seem to gravitate back to this brand. I love that it is sulfate-free but still lathers really well. The conditioner is one of the best I’ve tried that does not weigh the hair down. Only use a dime-sized amount and only on the ends of the hair.
- My fav shampoo & conditioner combo is the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Full line. I say new fav, but I only use it on the days I am going out or getting dressed up. Usually just the weekends. The rest of the week I use the OGX line because I do not blow dry or use heat appliances on those days. I just wash, let it dry by itself and wear. I try to save my hair from heat damage as much as possible during the week.
- I still use the Big Sexy Hair Root Pump on my roots, Redken Hot Sets 22 Setting & Heat Spray when using heat appliances and before adding my hair to velcro rollers. One new thing I added to my routine is Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast after putting in my velcro rollers. I spray this spray in between the rollers for added body. This stuff adds incredible volume and texture to my hair! I love it!
- I am still using the Colored Hair Gloss by John Frieda (I used the color Cool Blonde). My two fav hairsprays are still Got 2 Be Sexy Hair Spray (this one is getting so hard to find these days but it is my all-time fav hairspray for fine thin hair) and a great alternative is Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play.
Now for the fun part! Let’s talk wigs!
A couple of years ago I decided to buy a couple of wigs. I found a great wig vlogger her channel is named Taz’s Wig Closet on Youtube. By watching those videos, she convinced me that we can all look great in wigs.
I was literally compelled to buy them just by watching her. Her name is Taz and she looks so amazing and beautiful in every wig she tries on. Seeing her literally gives you confidence that you can feel good wearing a wig. Check out her channel in the link above and you will see what I mean.
So this brings me to ask the question. Why can’t we have the hair of our dreams?
I’m tired of rubbing two hairs together to try to make it look presentable. TV stars, movie stars, Instagrammers, and social media stars wear wigs and hairpieces all the time and we never even blink an eye, if we even know it.
It’s time to feel good about ourselves again. I am now at the beginning of my fifties and frankly, I am starting not to give a hoot about what people think of me anymore. I just want my hair back and since there is no magic pill or serum, I decided to try a different approach! Secret hair!
Let’s talk about Wigs and Hairpieces:
What is a Wig?
Wigs are pretty self-explanatory. They are worn over your existing hair. They can be human hair or synthetic fiber with monofilament or weft type tops, sides, and backs with full or partial cap sizes.
What is a Halo Extension?
A halo extension is 5-10 wefts of hair sewn together. Usually, around 12-20 inches in length that will go from temple to temple on your hair. The top portion of your hair is left out to hang over the top of the halo.
It is secured around your head with clear monofilament string (aka. fishing line). The line lays one to two inches behind your natural hairline and down under your existing hair.
What is a Hair Topper?
These are small 5 x 5 inch (or larger) based monofilament hairpieces that can be used as a new thicker hairline, just behind the hairline or only over the part.
They can be clipped into your hair with clips, or tied and glued onto existing hair for longer wear. There are also crown toppers for the top of the head. Hair length can be anywhere from 8 inches to 22-inches long and in synthetic, heat-friendly synthetic or human hair.
In the 1990’s I worked at a few high-end hairpiece companies. Yes, those “Hair Club” type places you would see on late night tv.
The hairpieces back then, or today what we call a hair topper, sold around $1500-$4000 back then. They were hand tied mono top lace front human hairpieces that were tied or glued down to your natural hair.
You would sleep and shower in them every day. That kind of wear and tear would cause fading of the hair color and the hair to fall out of the hair from the mono base.
They need to be constantly maintained and after a few months, they will need to constantly hair color to match and make it look right. It’s like you go bald all over again in six months.
Nowadays, some of those high-end places are much lower in price as they should be. The “actual cost” wholesale cost of those hairpieces are (and this depends on the size and length of hair) $50-$200 for a stock piece and up to $400 for a custom piece.
Plus you have to pay as much as $60-$80 a month to have the piece maintained. So you see those places have a huge markup that is pretty hefty. You are paying for their nice office and fancy commercials.
Knowing all I know about this business, my quest was to set out to find the most natural wigs and hairpieces that I can feel comfortable in and good about wearing, without them costing a fortune. Plus, I don’t want to damage the natural hair I have left.
At one point, I wore human hair extensions glued into my hair with a wax type adhesive. When they started to grow out they became a hot mess and I ended up losing some of my existing hair in the removal process.
I don’t want to go down that road again. I am also wary of using metal clips in hairpieces. They can thin your hair out or make you go bald in spots faster than you think.
For an in depth look at hair toppers see my Hair Topper Q & A post.
Here’s what I did next.. I went around to some hair supply stores and some upscale hairpiece shops. I looked at a ton of videos on Youtube, Amazon, and even eBay and here is what I found!
Hair Beauty Supply Stores:
I found a huge assortment of hair at the hair supply store. When I say a hair supply store, I do not mean Sally’s Beauty Supply. I mean the kind of beauty supply store that sells nothing but wigs and extensions.
The store I went to was as big as a warehouse. I was like a kid in a candy store! It had great quality human and synthetic extensions, toppers, and wigs for prices around $40-$100. It was just what I was looking for!
I bought the above synthetic halo extension for $40 and a hair wrap type ponytail for the same price. All in all, this is a great way to get quality hair at great prices.
You need to find one in your area and check it out. They are not an online store so I could not link to them.
The Hair Couture Smart Hair Halo above has an extra strip of hair connected to the halo. You wrap and layer the weft over your top hair for added fullness. More on how it works on their website.
Upscale Hairpiece/Wig Shop:
The shop I went to, all their hair topper pieces started at $500 and the wigs were $1000. They looked amazing and were custom hairpieces being sold as stock pieces.
This is a great way to start with a topper if you do not know what you want. They reminded me of the pieces being sold at Highline Wigs, Madison wigs, and others like them.
YouTube:
One of the best sources of wig ideas and tips is on YouTube! If you do not know where to begin with a wig or topper then this is the best place to start! I have a bunch of favorite Wig Vloggers I follow.
My best advice is to look over the main wig brand websites (I’ll add a list of my fav’s at the end of this post) and choose a style. Then go to YouTube.com and type in the style with the color of your choice and literally a ton of videos come up with the styles and shades.
I do this when I am looking for certain colors by brand. It is tough to choose what color you want from a flat swatch on your computer monitor. Seeing them on a live person gives you an idea of how it will look on you.
The Wigs I Bought:
I mentioned above that I bought two wigs. I did! But not just any wigs these are from Continental Wigs UK shop. They are Belle Madame Brand Wigs.
They are super lightweight, not filled with a ton of hair, sheer mono top, sheer lace front and just plain gorgeous! The first one above is the Belle Madame Carlotta in color Danish Blonde Root.
The long one above and my personal fav is the Belle Madame Angelina in color Danish Blonde Root. Ladies these wigs are gorgeous! Check out Taz’s YouTube videos featuring them here, YouTube Carlotta and YouTube Angelina.
You may need to fast forward a little in the videos to see the wigs I am talking about. To order these wigs you have to buy them from Continental Wigs in the UK.
It took about two weeks to get them. But it was well worth the wait! You can find them occasionally in US stores online like Cysterwigs.com. To me, these are some of the most natural looking wigs for hair loss. The lace front wigs just look undetectable on the front hairline.
Amazon:
Amazon can be a great source of wigs and hairpieces. I bought a human hair halo from VeSunny. It was excellent quality and almost exactly like the Hidden Crown Brand Halo in every way.
Only the Amazon version was around $50, a fraction of the price of the other Hidden Crown halo at $200. I know this because I have a Hidden Crown Hair halo (see below).
The one from VesSunny sadly didn’t match my hair. But since it is human hair, I am going to try to color it darker to use for a darker winter hair look.
Hidden Crown Hair is the first halo hair company I found. They have tons of fantastic reviews and most runways feature models wearing their hair. So, I bought one of these first to get the hang of using a halo.
Here is my Hidden Crown Halo Review: The only issue I had with it was the coloring did not match my hair exactly. It was more of a beige tone. I had to use a gold base coloring shampoo to get a better match with my own hair. Otherwise, this is an amazing halo. The human hair is top quality.
This is a grainy pic of me from my phone. I took the pic in a shaded hallway, ugh. I am wearing the Hidden Crown Halo with my hair pulled back in a clip.
Right now my hair is shoulder length and I needed to pull the halo back in a clip to make it blend until my own hair grows out a little to look flawless.
When I first checked into halos, I could not find a pic of the underside of the halo unit. I had no idea what I was buying really.
If I am going to fork out $200 I want to see what I am getting. Now that I have one I am guessing they are made so simply that if they posted the underside showing the wefts you wouldn’t need to buy the more expensive ones.
They look pretty easy to make yourself. There are a few DIY videos on Youtube on just how to do it. I posted the underside view of mine so you can see exactly what they are and how they look. I added some wig clips to secure my halo. I take no chances with it falling out, lol.
I bought my daughter a long 20-inch halo extension from this buyer on Amazon. I thought it would be a piece of junk but I was pleasantly surprised to see it was a great match and excellent synthetic fiber!
Not shiny or brassy like cheap synthetic can be. It was a whopping $9.98! Good buy for someone with long hair that just wants to add length, highlights or just try one out.
Another fav Amazon find was this fun baseball hat hair extension for $20! The hair is surprisingly great quality and very thick. This is great for when you want to throw and hat on and go to the store. This would be a great solution for chemo patients! There is a short version too.
You can make your own wig here in my DIY How to Make a Wig Hat tutorial.
eBay:
eBay actually turned out to be better than I expected for wigs! After trying the halo extension I just wasn’t satisfied with the way the top of my head looked.
I will still wear it but I really wanted to get a topper to try and add some height and thickness to my part area. I was looking for the most natural looking part. I knew wanted a monofilament base topper with a lace front.
The topper I was looking for was one by Jon Renau called Easihair Top Wave 12 inch. This particular company has been out of stock for a few weeks on the color I was wanting. It is a pretty popular piece.
I decided to look on eBay for the color and I found it! Or at least I thought I did. What I found was a great seller that owns a wonderful wig shop called Pinkee Promise in Tennessee.
Cheryl was so friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about what I was looking for. The Jon Renau topper was back-ordered even for her. She directed me to another topper that is a dead ringer for the Jon Renau topper.
It is the Belle Tress Lace Front Mono Top Wave 14 inch in Honey Chai Latte (see pics above). Even the color is almost identical to the other one. To me, this is the best topper for thin hair.
The hair is a fine texture and the density is low. Great for a starter piece. This hair is Deat Defiant or heat friendly. That means it can be style using a curling iron or flat iron. See my post on how to style heat defiant hair fiber for more info.
This is me with the Belle Tress Straight out of the box. My hair is actually in a ponytail. I just stuck it on to see how it matched. Pay no mind to the goofy look on my face, lack of sleep and makeup, lol. I just love it!
I do wish it was a little bit thicker. There is not a ton of hair in the base and I knew this when I ordered it. It really looks so natural not being super full. I just hope it will last.
The Tope Wave has no perma-tease (the crinkled hairs on a wig that add height and fullness, like teasing) at the base or roots so it lays down smooth like a natural part would.
It looks so real! I can’t believe it. It blends perfectly to my own darker roots. I think I am addicted! I will be ordering more! It is so far the best hair topper for thinning crown and top.
Other Online Shops:
Another one of my fav finds is this thick density human hair scrunchie by Hairart to make a large bun. It is so soft and the color is perfect. It blends seamlessly with my hair.
The wrap shown is the HAIRART HAIR WRAP 6 inch – #24:14:12 PALE GOLDEN BLONDE: LIGHT ASH BROWN: LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN. It has a mix of three colors. Use the code WIGREVIVAL to get 10% off.
Check out my new post! Hair Toppers Q & A, Newbie Guide! Everything you need to know about hair toppers
Products I have been using on my new wigs and hairpieces are as follows:
Synthetic Hair:
- Batiste Dry Shampoo Spray to dull the shiny synthetic fiber
- Loreal Magic Root Coverup Color Sprays to darken roots or change tones
- Zotos Age Beautiful Root Touchup in Dark Blonde (Also found at Sally’s Beauty Supply) use to change the color tone of the synthetic hair since you can not use hair color on the fiber
- Wide wig comb
- Wig stands
- Bell-horn It Stays Body Adhesive to hold lace front down to the skin
- Silicon Mix Bamboo Deep Conditioner
Human Hair:
- Kirkland Signature Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner (recommended by Highline Wigs)
- Silicon Mix Bamboo Deep Conditioner
- BioSilk Shampoo, Conditioner & Serum to smooth the hair
- CHI Argan Oil plus Moringa Oil
- Tressa Watercolor Color Shampoo to deposit color to change tone: use instead of using permanent hair color
- Loreal Magic Root Coverup Color Sprays to darken roots or change tones: use instead of using permanent hair color
- Zotos Age Beautiful Root Touchup Dark Blonde (Also found at Sally’s Beauty Supply) use to change tone instead of coloring the hair
Some of my Fav Wig Brand Companies:
Online Wig Stores:
- Pinkee Promise Online
- Continental Wigs UK Belle Madame Wigs
- WigStudio1
- Highline Wigs by Sharon
- Wigstudio1
- Wigs.com
- WigOutlet.com
Some of my Fav Wig Vloggers on Youtube:
My Fav Amazon Hair Finds:
So this is what I have been up to lately with my hair. I know I have given you a lot of options for where to start with wigs and hairpieces. If any of you have any favorite wig tips, stores or great toppers to share please leave a comment.
I’d love to hear your story and get some info on where to get some great hair for reasonable prices. Plus, I may get brave enough to do a video on what I learned and the fun topper I got. Who knows maybe I’ll just join my favorite wig vloggers!
Do you have a wig you didn’t wear or just didn’t like the color? Join my FB group and buy, sell or trade wigs with a wig sister! See ya there!
Love it? Pin it!
I’m thinning and I have no clue what’s available, so this is great info for me. I’ve been clicking through the links and love that I can see what’s available.
Oh, I am glad you liked the post! IT’s a lot of info.. but a great place to start. I hope it helps.
Kim
I loved reading your blog on thinning hair. My hair is VERY thin. I stopped using color in my fifties when it first started turning grey, I am now 75 and it is still only greyish/white around the front and still pepper/salt in the back. I always wore my hair short and washed every day or every other. About two yrs ago I started letting it grow and pulled it back and in somewhat of a bun as it grew longer. It is still only (barely) shoulder length. I’m afraid to cut it again as it barely covers my head now. I’m too old to wear it down around my shoulders, so am going to try some of your suggestions, but need something for grey hair as most of the products you mentioned were for colored hair. Any suggestions?
Hi Carol,
You can buy the Hair gloss by Jon Freida in the color clear. They are all just glosses that fill in the weak spots of hair. They just come in colors to accent your hair when your normal hair color is washing out of the ends. The clear colored one does the same thing there is just no accent shade. All the other products I mentioned are great for grey hair too! Spray your hair with some root lifting spray, blow it dry and then roll your hair with the velcro rollers. Leave the rollers in for 20 minutes or so to cool off and then take the rollers out and then put your hair in a bun and it will definitely be fuller. You could also use a spray-on hair color on your scalp to hide the thinning. I use a small amount sprayed in the very front of my hair where I have a thin spot. It washes out really easy. I use the Loreal Magic Root Cover Up spray I mentioned at the bottom of this post in Golden Brown. You can find it at Walgreens. There are a lot of different brands of spray-on hair color to try. A good place to find a variety of these sprays is a Sally’s Beauty Supply, they have quite a few options of spray-on hair color you won’t find at regular drug stores. As for your bun in your hair.. they make faux hair buns that you wrap around and over a small ponytail and they look quite real. That would be a great way to go to get a fuller look to your hair. Amazon.com has what I am talking about in grey hair shades you find them here. Sally’s may have them too. I am so glad you liked my Fine Thin articles and I hope I was able to help you. Thanks for reading!
Kim
Do you have videos of putting on the halo or toppers. I’ve never worn one before and would love to see them put on in a video
Hi Jackie, here is a Topper application Video. I hope this helps.
This was an amazing read, I’m so thankful 😉 Thankful I found you and all this information early in my journey! Thanks, Kiki
I am glad I could help get some perspective of what you’re going through. Thanks for reading, Kiki.
Kim
Omg, you are an inspiration. The topper you were wearing. Is it possible to see a before and after shot?? It looks unbelievable!
Hi Kim, thanks very, very much, for all that info’ I’m an frustrating hair lost, your info is great, as soon a s I finish writing I’ll start looking at all the sites you have giving, will let you know, thanks again
Josefina(Josie) Foky
Hi Josefina,
I am so glad you were able to find a little bit help in my posts! I am glad you took the time to read my story. I have been wearing my topper for a little over 3 months now and after the holidays I am going to a series of posts and videos on hair topper issues and how to fix them. Thanks for reading!
Kim
Ok, I’ve read your info and looked at dozens of UTube videos including Taz’s, who advises us to own and rock our wigs, and people won’t notice. But how about all of the people in our circle (I work with hundreds of people in different boards and nonprofits, am very social, have over 100 friends in the area. How do wig wearers or topper wearers respond to everyone seeing your hair in noticeably different lengths and styles; my hair is so thin, any addition is going to be noticeable and garner comments, right?)
Also, it is a huge challenge finding grey wigs, especially multicolored grey wigs and toppers, and I hope the industry responds to this gap in the market.
Sharon
Hi Sharon, Good questions!
There are lots of ways to go with beginning wearing wigs and toppers. I am thinning on the top front area these days and going with a topper was my way to go. I found the Belle Tress Top Wave and it resembles my hair when I put rollers in and all I was having to do to make it look full. It is a 6.5 x 6 based lace front hairpiece with 14-inch long hair. It is a slightly thinner type of topper. The hair is not at all thick and wiggy looking.
There are smaller toppers by Jon Renau that are small enough to just fill in your part or crown. You could get one of those first. When I was replacement tech years ago for bald men. It was tough for them to just one day have hair. We had a system of hairpieces that were small and gradually we got bigger with each new one. Then they graduated to the full piece when they were ready. I am going this route. When they got their hair, sometimes they would wait and say do it while on vacation from work and return from work with it on. I just bit the bullet and wore mine out one night in front of my friends and they had no idea I was wearing a topper. I was sweating bullets the whole time. Now 6 months later I am so used to wearing it I hardly tighten it down. I don’t like how my hair looks without it now. I have not had one person say one word to me about my looks hair different. Just try to get something super close to how you normally wear your hair. Then build up from there.
As for the grey colored wigs, I agree there really are not enough choices. Jon Renau does carry a few colors of grey in the small toppers and Raquel Welch does too. Unfortunately, Belle Tress does not at this time. You should watch for the new colors that come out each season. They release the toppers in some of the wigs shades depending on the time of the year.
Jon Renau Easipart
Raquel Welch Top Billing
The other option for grey wigs is buying a custom topper. You would need to find a wig shop that does custom orders. They are a bit more pricey.
Thanks so much for reading! I am going through a big home move right now but I plan to do a whole lot more posts and videos with my toppers as soon as I get settled.
Kim
Hi Kim –
I love your blog with lots of good info. I am thinning quickly on the top of my head. I am a mouse brown with some light graying and really don’t want to go reddish or darker in my later years. I need a topper covering the front top and a little on the crown about 6″ long but cannot find that color at all.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Sue
Hi Sue,
Read back up in the post above yours I answer the grey topper question. Unfortunately, companies do not make a lot of options for grey hair. Custom ordered toppers may be the way to go for you.
Kim
Kim
Thank you so much for doing so much research on toppers and wigs. When I realized my hair was thinning, it was impossible to have a clue where to look for help. When I think back to hairpieces I wore in public then, all I can do is laugh. Over the past three years, I have ordered 5 or 6 and my current goto is the easipart xl by Jon Renau..
I have looked locally to try and find someone who might be knowledgeable with new ideas on how to add hair to my existing hair without success. Of course, there are national companies who are using the systems used for the past 20 years but I do not find anything creative unless you look in the UK. For some reason, they seem to be more creative with their options but I don’t think a trip to the UK is in my future. lol.
What I really want is a small piece that could be integrated without damaging my existing thin hair or even wefts that would not show and could be left in for a week or two. Call me vain but I would like to wake up with my hair if possible and then do maintenance every so often. I know they can shave your head to attach a piece (no way) or use tape (prefer not to) but there has to be someone creative who can figure out a way to integrate a piece that would do this, or am I crazy??? lol
I found one system that is patented by a woman in California and there is a person in Ohio (where I live) who can do them. Supposedly, these do not attach to your hair and thus will not harm what hair you have left. My hair is thin and I am trying to make it more full. The kicker is they want you to purchase two pieces at 1k each,. They do use euro hair but that is alot of money or else I am just cheap.
With your background, have you thought of designing something or maybe you already have that can be left in for a length of time, perhaps with stranding or some other connection??
I am sorry for the book I just wrote but if we settle for what is offered, we won’t make progress. Thank you again for your research, I am going to look at a few of these options. I look forward to hearing back from your.. I won’t write a novel next time.
regards
ckf
Hi CKF,
You absolutely can have a hairpiece, (preferably human hair only), attached for a couple of weeks without glue or tape. You need a hair replacement salon, not a wig store. Most hair replacement salons can do a knot tying method as well as a lot of other methods. The knot-tying method is where they sew monofilament string to the edge of the hairpiece and they pull your hair through the mono loop and tie the hair in a small knot. They add a dot of glue to the knot of your hair. It can last up to 4-6 weeks. Then you come in and the snip the small knot out and tie it to another small of your hair. Meanwhile, the first knot or section that was in a knot it still growing and fills in. This does cause a lot of stress on the hairpiece. Showering daily and sleeping in them damages them over time. They will only last anywhere from 6 months to a year or less. They will need to be maintained, colored, etc. between wears. The salons do make you buy at least two to swap them out and to keep the maintenance down as you said. I would not recommend sleeping and showering in a synthetic piece it will be frizzy within a few days and ruined by the heat of your body and showering.
I use clips in my piece. I tease the area a little bit and spray it with hairspray then clip into the hair. You could possibly find a salon that would braid the area and have the edges of the piece sewn to the braid to hold it in your hair, but you are still adding stress the thinning area. I am sorry I could not be of more help to you. Let me know if you find a better answer for attachments.
Kim
I’m so happy I found you! Thank you so much for all the informative info on hair options for us thin hair girls. I too was on the search for a gray hair topper. I actually had one custom made and it’s perfect. It’s a 6 x 6 mono base and 12” in length and it human hair. I got it at http://www.gorgeousstrand(dot)com they don’t have it listed on their website so you’ll have to email them to ask about it. Hopefully in the future there will be more stock options for those of us with gray hair who are thinning in the crown. Until then I think custom is the way to go.
Hi, Kim, just found you on the net today and I’m so glad I did. I think maybe I will be able to find what I have been searching for for years! I am a mature lady well past 50 with very baby fine and thin hair. I use fibers and special shampoo’s to disguise as much as possible the areas on my crown and sides where my scalp shows through. I tried the toppers, which I liked best, and wigs that I liked the least. But what I hated in both of those options are the volumes of hair that really make me self conscious because all I want is a piece with fine hair and moderate volume and not fakey shiny. I like to wear my hair up or tied back at the neck but most of the pieces are poker straight and either too short or too long. Finding just a lightly wavy piece that can be worn tied back at the neck or worn twisted back with a claw clip between 10-12″ is nearly impossible. However, I did find a lot of possibilities on you site that may work for me so I feel encouraged to give it another try. Any help or suggestions would be welcomed!.
Hi Cheryl,
I would say to try the BelleTress Top Wave 14 inch if they have a color that is right for you. It is a really lightweight topper compared to most. A lot less hair. The only thing you need to know is it is Heat Defiant hair. So it will need to be smooth out and recurled every now and then. You can use a large curling iron on a 210 or lower setting to do it. (Get a curling iron that has heat settings on it). I am going go do a tutorial on it soon or you could try one of their wigs instead. The Belletress heat defiant hair to me is least noticeable synthetic hair. It has minimal shine and can be worn straight out of the box. Note: Not all Belletress hair is heat defiant, so watch the descriptions.
Kim
Hello, I have frontal Fibrosing Alopecia where I have lost hair from my temples back. I have been to four salons who want to charge $1000-$2000 for a small topper. Is it possible to buy one on line and then bring it to a salon to have it styled or is that frowned upon?
Hi Paula,
Yes, you can buy a topper online and take it into a salon. If you have a regular hairderesser she can do it or find a wig shop that does maintenance on wigs. Some of the big shops will charge you around $100 to cut it in. Just go slow and leave it long when cutting it until you are sure of the length. The hair does not grow back.
Kim
Seeing the top of your head with the one wig on made me tear-up with relief. It looks SO good, so real! Thank you for sharing REAL, UNTOUCHED images we can trust.
Young 40’s plain brown hair that is super thin!!!! So thin on top that my part is 2” on scalp! A topper was suggested to me. I don’t like hair in my face. Can I wear my hair in a pony tail or messy bun with a topper?
Hi Ms. F,
Yes, you can wear a topper in a ponytail and possibly a bun. Most people use a faux bun and their own bio hair to wear their hair in a bun. You can see the faux bun or hair scrunchie I use at the bottom of this post. I just updated it, the bun image was missing.
Kim
This was such a helpful read! Thank you for sharing. I’m new to wearing wigs and I’ve found some great ones.
My hair is thin and I have frontal fibrosing alopecia. Hair has receded 3 inches. What type of hairpiece would you recommend?
Hi Janice, If the loss is only on the front area of your head then go with a topper. Get a tape measure and measure the width and length of the area of loss and pick a topper with a base to cover it. If you think it is spreading then go with a larger base. They start at 5×6 and go up to 9×9. Beyond that, you would need a wig. 9×9 toppers cover a lot of areas like a wig but, if you think your hair is too fragile to handle the clips from a topper go with a wig first. Try looking at Jon Renau Toppers, they have a lot of different sizes to work with. Then there are more expensive solutions in Human hair, my fav is Highline Wigs and toppers. I hope tthis helps,
Kim
Thanks. I have never had thick hair. What wigs are better, that are not so thick.
I just bought my first wig. It is Raquel Welch and it is pretty full. Here is a link to lightweight wigs by Cysterwigs. I would go on sites like that one or try wigs(dot)com or Wigstudio1(dot)com and look around. Read the reviews. Go to Youtube and watch videos on wigs to get a better feel for what ones you might want. Start here with Taz’s Closet.
Thank you for the great info. I wondered into a wig shop and almost bought a $1200 human hair topper. So grateful for your post!
Hi Kim,
So thrilled to have found your site and joined your hair club! Here are a couple of wig/topper sites I’ve found recently that I’m really excited about Thanks again for coming to our rescue. Love your site! Mazy
Oh, I’m so glad you found me Mazy! Thanks so much!
Hi Kim
Under the heading online stores: there is a pic of a scrunchie with different colors of blonde in it…do you know the color? Also in the pic of the bun by Hairart are there 3 different 6” scrunchies shown in order to get that color combination?
Thanks
Darlene
Hi Darlene, The color is listed on the second image. Maybe it would not show up for you? I added it to the post now. It is the HAIRART HAIR WRAP 6 – #24:14:12 Pale Golden Blonde/Light Ash Blonde/Light Golden Brown. It is only one wrap blended with three colors. Use the code WIGREVIVAL to get 10% off.
Kim
Hi Kim
Thank you so much for your speedy reply…I will order the bun and hope it matches my hair. So glad to have found your site!
Darlene
Your welcome, you are going to love this wrap is so soft and realistic.
Kim
I just ready all three parts of this blog… THANK YOU! I have experienced a lot of hair loss over the last 10 years (I’m 51 now) and am constantly looking for ways to keep the hair I have, prevent breakage, regrow hair or at least disguise the thinning spots, and your recommendations are fantastic!!
Your welcome, Peggy! Glad you found me and I was able to help.
Kim
Hair loss has been a big concern for me over the years. My sister recommended halo extensions. Initially, I was a little concerned about how the extensions would fit or if the color would match with my natural hair. But, I was glad the color matched perfectly and the extensions look really natural. Now, it’s been more than 6 months since I started using halo extensions and I’m still very happy with them!
That’s great Kayra! Glad you found something to help you. I wore halos first myself.
Thank you so much for sharing ,it really helps . My hair has taken a turn for the worst really thinning on the sides and looking really see though .I`m also a hairstylist so looking at hair all day can make it seem worst.But all your tips and advice is really helpful starting to look into helperhair .Thanks so much, Do you think halos are easier to manage at first compared to toppers?
For me the toppers are easier. The halos never really matched well to my bio hair.