I think you’ll agree with me when I tell you…
Deciding to wear hair is NOT an easy decision.
(Those of you that already do wear hair…don’t you remember how scary it was to consider?!)
In fact, I bet you’re wrestling with a few things that are keeping you from finally pulling that trigger and having the hair of your dreams.
Today, we’re talking about 7 BIG FEARS women with hair loss face when it comes to wearing wigs or hair toppers…and knocking them down one by one so that you can finally feel confident moving forward.
Have another fear to add…or a fear you’ve overcome? Let us know in the comments once you’re done reading!
#1: You fear people will notice
You hate it, but you’ve actually gotten used to your hair loss and having to look at your see-thru hair on a daily basis.
That’s your new norm.
So, it’s totally scary to now have to even *think* about people noticing a new & improved ‘do. You know, one with much more hair.
“Maybe it’s just better to NOT wear hair…at least I can avoid that change,” you think.
But here’s the thing.
I stand firmly that most people in our lives don’t notice our hair loss…luckily, most people are far too self-absorbed. 🙂
This also mean that it’s likely they won’t notice your new, better hair.
Truly, anything has to look better than this (and this is WITH concealers!):
Note Child #1’s little hand that you can see plain as day THRU my hair!
I starting wearing hair several years ago after my second child was born, and guess what? No one noticed a thing.
If you’re concerned about transitioning, there are a zillion things you can do to help take the attention off of your head.
Wear your new topper or wig, but wear it up (no one even suspects faux hair when worn up!).
Wear a new, bigger piece of jewelry.
Wear a bold lip color.
Try some clothing you normally don’t wear.
(I promise, if I showed up in a dress, the last thing people would be noticing is my hair. I could probably wear a blond, curly wig and no one would bat an eyelash)
Do what you need to do to divert attention to make you feel the most comfortable as possible.
The “first time” is just that – one time. After that, it’s smooth sailing.
#2: You fear it’s admitting you have an issue
Yep, once you move onto wearing hair, you do have to admit to yourself that you are…challenged…in the biological-hair department.
There’s no denying this:
However, just because we have less-than-ideal hair does NOT make us weak.
Deciding to wear hair just might be one of the bravest things you’ll decide to do.
Imagine the strength you’ll feel once you decide, once-and-for-all, to take control of this awful situation and do something about it.
99% of us won’t be able to stop the hair loss. But those same 99% of women can make the decision to acknowledge that fact AND do what they can to make themselves feel and look better.
And that just may be wearing hair.
#3: You fear it’s a big commitment
It is.
And it kind of isn’t. It depends how you look at it.
Many women feel that if they so much as try a piece on, they are chained to wearing hair forever.
Or, if they browse online, this is their new “forever” world.
That’s not the case.
You can definitely give hair a try…maybe even wear it to the grocery store one town over…and never wear it again.
You can browse online and scour YouTube videos for hours on end…but that doesn’t mean you’re committing to hair for eternity.
Those that make the leap usually do decide that they are going to wear hair for life.
But, it’s not because they HAVE to.
It’s because having a full head of hair is kind of your God-given right, and damn, does it feel good to have hair again.
I’ll admit, once you start wearing hair full-time and have glorious hair it’s hard to go back to this (keep in mind that is allll 36 strands of my hair on the one side):
So, while many women do wear hair full-time and will never be without, there are others who only wear it, for example, for date night.
You get to choose.
#4: You fear there are things you can’t do
You might be thinking that wearing hair means you’ll have to give up all the things you love to do.
But, think again.
Love roller coasters? Riding in a Jeep with the top off? Going to the gym and doing aerial yoga?
These are all things I’ve done many times with hair.
Ok, not the aerial yoga part, but working out, for sure! I did have a reader ask me about this once, so I threw it in, for kicks. 🙂
Upside-down, corkscrewy, suspend-me-in-the-air roller coasters are no problem with the help of a headband to secure your wig or topper (or glue or tape! I glue my topper in the front to secure it and lay it flat).
Here’s (an absolutely fabulous) pic after a toboggan-type roller coaster taken just the other day. I had my kiddos with me, so this one was more tame…but I’ll ride the big guys with my topper any day.
Love to ride your bike, or are you obsessed with driving with the top down (as my husband is?). Even a Jeep is no match for my topper:
There are some manufacturers who make wigs specifically for working out – they suction to your head so those suckers are NOT budging.
Or, you can do as many women do and just wear a headband-type thing (Wigrip) under their wigs to secure them, and wear your hair up.
You can even buy a topper specifically made for working out, athletic headband and all (I have this one as part of the Topper Try-On program for Corner of Hope & Mane Community members.
Not all ponytails have to be low when you wear hair – I know several of you are accustomed to high ponytails and messy buns!
The one thing that IS tricky is swimming while wearing a wig or a topper. I wrote a post about swimming with a wig or topper a bit ago that you can check out.
But, even though true swimming is a bit hard to navigate (splashing around is no probem-o), figuring out a workaround for that sure beats runny concealers and a sunburned scalp.
One final note on things you CAN do, because I know you are wondering.
Yes…you CAN have sex wearing wigs and toppers. Promise.
#5: You Fear it’s Expensive
It does feel like it, doesn’t it?
You have the actual hair to buy, plus the necessary products, plus some tools, plus you STILL need concealers to help with customization, plus, plus plus.
Let’s take hair toppers.
A synthetic hair topper will set you back anywhere from about $100-$250. Maybe even less since all the major online retailers regularly offer between 20-30% off.
You can expect a synthetic topper to last approximately six months..at that point, you can turn it into an “updo piece” and it will last almost forever.
A good, human hair topper will cost $500-$1,000+ (plus requires upkeep and several specialty products) but should last a year or more. Again, this can also become an updo piece.
I’m glossing over this, but wanted to give you an idea.
I mainly wear synthetic toppers, and because my older pieces are made into updo pieces, which in turn stretches the life of my newer pieces as I rotate those updo pieces in with my “wear down” pieces, I can really get by purchasing one single topper each year.
This “updo piece” is just a clone of my “down”, nicer piece. But this piece was over two years old, when I took this pic.
My point is that hair lasts longer than you think.
If I spend $300 on my helper hair each year, that’s no more than what I was spending on salon visits, potions to regrow my hair (that never worked), and concealers, etc.
I still use concealers to help blend my hairline, but now they last 10 years instead of three months.
But what you can’t put a price on is time.
It used to take me at least 30 minutes to get my hair “just right” in the mornings.
Now, it takes me less than three minutes.
I save almost 165 hours getting ready each year.
That’s nearly a full seven days.
How much is each of your hours “worth”?
It may not be completely apples to apples…but if I multiply 165 hours by my hourly rate at work – holy moly, that’s some REAL money and well more than several human hair pieces (obviously, YMMV).
When you’re deciding if you want to wear hair as a solution to your hair loss, make sure you take into account the financial costs as well as the time savings.
#6: You fear not knowing where to start
It is, but that’s why you have me and all the other YouTubers and Instagrammers out there in this world.
Take your time researching and getting to know all there is about wearing hair.
Learn from our mistakes.
No one wants to look like this, due to trying something–anything--blind!:
If you’d like a “totally not overwhelming and maybe even fun” resource that goes over step-by-step how to pick out a hair topper, feel free to sign up for my 5-day email course.
I’ll walk you through all the major considerations so that you’ll feel MUCH more confident buying.
This will open in a new tab so that you can easily come back to this post.
Take your time learning and ask a zillion questions of myself, and anyone else that wears hair!
#7: You fear it has to be perfect
This holds a lot of type-A personalities back.
You might think there’s no WAY a wig or topper will look anything like your own hair so you don’t even bother to explore further.
Or, you’ve heard that it’s impossible to integrate your own hair in, or all helper hair is too shiny.
The hard truth when it comes to wearing hair is that no wig or hair piece is perfect.
I think there’s something “not perfect” with every piece I’ve tried, or own.
ESPECIALLY right out of the box.
I absolutely adore this wig below.
But, if I want to be picky, there are some things that bug me about it.
I have to remind myself that nothing is perfect, including any hair I’ve paid for.
But what’s also not perfect is a head of see-thru bio hair.
Or a ponytail the diameter of a pencil.
Or hair that’s lost so much strength and luster, it looks grayish and lifeless.
We need to stop letting the fear of having something slightly imperfect hold us back.
Because for every topper or wig that’s slightly too shiny or too poofy (both easily fixed!), there’s a family photo waiting to be taken.
For every hairline that is examined from 1/4″ away (even though no one else gets that close, and if they do we have bigger issues) there’s a girls’ night that needs to finally be scheduled.
For each of the 40+ silk top shades that are obsessed about every. single. night. because we can’t pull the trigger until we have the most absolute, *perfect* match, there is a partner or friend hoping to meet you for dinner instead.
Stop worrying about perfection and start living your life again.
Final words
All the things we’ve stopped doing (for me, it was pics with my kids) because of our hair loss are just waiting for us to come around and finally make a decision.
Ya know, sometimes as hard as it is, we need to sh*t or get off the pot.
It’s scary, I know.
But, so what? Do it scared.
Life keeps rolling with or without us…for awhile my life was at a bit of a standstill due to my hair loss.
Deciding to wear hair took guts, but I’m so glad that I did it.
Check out this post and read alllll the comments from women who don’t wear hair, and what they feel they are missing because of their hair loss.
You’ll also read stories from women who do wear hair discussing the things they can NOW do, since they have their confidence back.
No matter if you wear hair or not, I invite you to chime in on that powerful conversation.
The ONE THING I can say with certainty is this: no one who’s decided to wear hair has ever thought they should’ve waited longer to do so.
They always wish they’d started sooner.
Let’s make this the year you no longer wonder “what if”, shall we?
If you’re considering hair but are nervous, how can I help you decide if wearing hair is right for you? What fears do you have?
Hair veterans, chime in with your thoughts, too!
Leave a comment below and let me know what you’re thinking.
Here’s something I worry about: airport security. I usually wear a headscarf when traveling in order to avoid needing to use extensions or anything that clips in, but NOW THEY MAKE YOU TAKE OFF HATS AND SCARVES. So it would be great to wear a topper, but what if the metal clips set off security alarms, or the millimeter wave machine detects strange objects in my hair/head area (I.e., clips)? It would be mortifying to be asked to remove my hair in a security line. Does anyone know how TSA handles this? Anyone fly regularly wearing clip-in pieces? Thanks!
Here ya go! Wearing toppers with metal clips through the airport!
I ordered my first topper today! My crown has really been spinning due to having a baby and a medical issue, and I can’t get by with just using fibers anymore. I’m excited and nervous to receive the topper. I’m scared people will notice but realize that it’s worth trying as opposed to having a big bald spot in the back!!
Eeek!
Awesome, Emily! I hope you’ll let us know how it goes. 🙂
I have been following you for about a year. I got back and forth on toppers. Do I start wearing one? What if I do, will people notice? If I decide not to wear them after awhile will I look even more obviously thin? Ahhh I just don’t know what to do. I have been spraying with dark spray on my crown for about 2 years and due to many stresses (or maybe not related at all….who knows?) I can see straight through my bangs….I have long hair but the top is so thin that I look ridiculous. (I think so anyway) I live in New Orleans, and went to a local wig shop and the toppers look hideous on me. The ones that you have look MUCH better than the ones they sell. Theirs are very outdated and thick. I have ombre’ hair now and would love to get the nerve to wear a topper so I could stop feeling so self conscious. You are very encouraging!!!! Thank you!!!
Shawna
Do it, do it, do it!! Even if it’s just to get a feel and you wear it around the house.
Lauren , thank you thank you for a wonderful post ! I am a wearer of hair for many years and love it. Right now
I am trying to make my favorite piece
Last yet even longer (hot air brush, leave in conditioner ) because it’s been discontinued and Im kicking myself for
Not getting a back up when I had the chance ? ( it’s three years old already)
When you find one that is such a comfortable perfect fit that never moves on your head and you get compliments on the color and cut, it is a good idea to get a backup because you never know when it may be discontinued!
Oh no! What piece is it?
Lauren,
Thank you for mentoring, encouraging and supporting each one of us! Your blog posts provide accurate information and positive advice for thousands searching in the hair loss community. We have a myriad of faces and are all ages , yet face that mirror each day with renewed hope and confidence thanks to the work you have done. Like many others, I now consider myself a “pro” hair wearer and eagerly read each new blog post for hair updates!
I love that, Mary Jo! 🙂
Great post Lauren! 1&7 were the big ones for me too. The trick of transitioning to a topper by wearing it pulled up or back for a few weeks, is a good one. My tricks are: get a lace front, heat friendly topper & change it up often- up, down, wavy, straight – comes across more as ” real hair” if your style changes a bit day to day or week to week – more fun too! As for the color – i have med Brown hair – I don’t try to match it, I buy a highlighted, rooted color & it always works. My current favorite is top billing, 12/22 ss. And a big thank you Lauren, you got me started down the topper road 4 years ago – I’m forever grateful :)!
I love Top Billing! If my hair wasn’t 147 inches too long for it, I’d totally wear that one sometimes! Wish they offered a few different lengths.
Lauren, I’m 63, and I dipped my toe into the wig-wearing pond about 18 months ago. I never lost hair with babies the way that you did, but I had a shedding event when I was about 45, due to pre-menopause I think, and my hair has thinned even more very gradually over time since then. All of the women in my family have hair that gets much thinner with age. Blech. Anywho, your post describes so well many of the issues that can be experienced when we decide to wear hair. I have felt all of these. However, 18 months into it, I would never go back! Now that I am used to the way I look with a normal head of hair, trying to coax my thin, lifeless locks into a cute hairstyle holds no appeal whatsoever! I’m lucky in the respect that I have good skin for my age, and nice hair helps me look so much younger! It does take some time to get used to wearing wigs, but one day I just decided, “I’m doing this!” The convenience of it can’t be overstated, either. As you mentioned, it saves so much time getting ready, and wigs are fantastic for when on vacation, which I have been doing a lot more of at my age. I’ve purchased a lot of wigs and returned a lot of wigs, and watched tons of wig reviews. There is definitely a learning curve. But it is so worth it! If I had known about wigs and how freeing it would be, Yes! I would have done it a lot sooner. I never even thought about wearing a wig until my hair loss got very challenging. I’m just grateful that I can enjoy wigs during my retirement years. My husband has been very supportive. His mother wore wigs back in the 70’s! Just for convenience; she didn’t have hair loss. It was the fashion then, even though the wigs weren’t anywhere near as nice. Luckily it’s becoming fashionable again! Anyway, thanks for your blog. You are making a difference.
It’s fascinating to think about wigs in the 70s…I would’ve loved to have seen it. I’ve seen some ads from some old manufacturers, though…too cool. I’m glad you are loving your new hair! And yay for also having great skin! I canNOT relate to that, sadly!!
I used to wear hair extensions, very expensive and time consuming and never really solved my problem as the thinning hair on my scalp wasn’t covered. My daughter was getting married and I panicked about my hair. Being a single parent I knew I would be standing up in front of all those people to give a speech, so of course I wanted to look good. I got my extensions removed and didn’t know what to do about my thin straggly hair, then I remembered a wig shop near my work. I went in and came out with hair! amazing, I never even knew there were such things as toppers – still a bit of a taboo subject. I put the box under my bed for two weeks, then near the week of the wedding my daughter persuaded me to wear my new hair topper. She styled it for me and put it up on the wedding day and it looked fantastic. Since then I’ve never looked back. Like we all say, I just wish I’d known about it sooner. And thanks Lauren for all your advice and support to us.
Agree!! I quite liked my ponytail with the extensions I had in for a wedding several years ago…but ugh, trying to hide the beads at the scalp were a pain, and yes, them didn’t give me an volume on the top of my head. But, concealers combined with extensions were nice for a quick minute, and they were technically my first step with helper hair!
My biggest fear is that I will worsen my thinning hair using clips and glues that rub, stick, and exacerbate the problem, and then be forced to wear hair full time to hide these new spots of damage. I can get away with it right now using concealers but I think I will have to make the transition in the next two years… I just worry if I start too early I will no longer be able to get away with it the way I am now.
My second concern is that my bio hair is naturally curly and I switch it up between curly, blow drying, and doing a light wave with soft curlers. I worry that if my topper is straight-ish with a light wave (my most common style) and its hot or humid, my bio hair will spring and curl and look completely different from the topper. Have you ever had this issue?
Thank you so much for this site. It keeps me sane knowing I am not alone.
Hi Teresa! The clips *could* cause damage if you aren’t careful. I always recommend sewing or gluing in additional clips, and then rotating which ones you use each week. That way, you aren’t tugging on the same place for more than a few days. Make sense?
As for curly hair, that’s tricky! I’m preparing a post about curly hair, so stay tuned. Many share your fears! As you know, there are many wavy toppers…typically in the 2-range for curl patterns. Anything more curly than that is difficult to find. The wavy/curly topper in the post is Charleigh, from Uniwigs. My face is funny because the hair clearly does NOT match my own…but could be an option for curly-haired women. You can use Lauren15 for 15% off from them.
Another option is to cut-down a curly WIG into a topper!
Good post. This hair wearing type A personality girl still has issue s with my wigs not being “perfect” !! But wigs are still better looking than my balding head! I get compliments on my hair all the time and if I tell people it’s a wig their mouth drops and they say, “No!!!! I would’ve never known!” I’ve even had people argue with me! “No that’s not a wig! No it’s not!” Ha! I would say as some advice not to be discouraged if you get your first topper or wig and you hate it, or a wig doesn’t fit or feels uncomfortable and you feel so discouraged. Don’t give up. Keep looking. Give yourself time to adjust to something different. I remember thinking that my first wig was never going to stay on my head, it was surely going to come off and I was uncomfortable and it felt so bad on my head. About five days later I hardly remembered I had one on! Give it time. And BE KIND TO YOURSELF!
All of the fears that you described I experienced! So hard to decide to wear hair for fear of looking foolish and fake. I cannot tell you how many hours I agonized over whether to wear hair or not . When I finally got around to buying a piece and wearing it I felt that it looked fake because it was so shiny-even though it was real hair. But the hair on the top of my head is very see-through similar to yours. So wearing hair seems to be the only way to go at this point. I am grateful that you have provided so much useful information to those of us who are going through the hair loss process.Please do continue to share your words of wisdom and experience with us.
I will still share, of course! And yes, sometimes the scary way is the only way.
Love this advice!
I could relate to every reason in this post when I was starting out and still can relate to a couple of them, even after wearing hair nearly a year now. I also examine my hairline close up when in reality, no one is that close except my husband and we all know he isn’t looking at my hairline. I agree there is a cost associated with wearing hair but I would gladly give up Starbucks and pack my lunches all year if I had to, in order not to have scraggly, lifeless hair. And the comment I most agree with is that I wish I had done it sooner!!! I was so sad for so long and felt so hopeless. Hair has given me my confidence back and now, most days I don’t even remember I am wearing it. Of course there was a learning curve and some days were harder than others, but I followed Lauren’s advice and just “did it scared”. While I wish I had tried this several years ago, today I am very thankful I have found helper hair and will never go back to not wearing it.
Thanks for sharing, Kris! 🙂
Yes to pretty much all of the above! But I would have to add a #8 to that – Topper Clips… Worrying about the discomfort and if they will cause traction alopecia. That’s what holds me back from wearing my topper full time. Doesn’t matter if it looks better I just can’t ignore the feeling of them on my head
Clips can cause damage – make sure to add in some extra clips (sew or glue them in) and rotate which ones you use. That’s help. If you “feel” them, I’d suggest that you should add some more “grip” via gentle teasing of your bio hair, as well as using dry shampoo or hairspray prior to clipping.
I took the plunge three years ago (full wig) after reading your blog. I got SO many compliments on my hair from strangers, I was amazed, especially considering my wig was $22.00! Many women than one woman asked what salon I got my hair cut! Pros: non see-through, fast, easy hair! Cons: some itchiness, *pinchy* clips & discontinued wigs. Even so, I will never go back!
Yes! Was it an Amazon find?
Thank you Lauren for all your tips. A questuin though. Doesn’t the fact of wearing a wig, weaken what’s left of your own bio hair ?
And very Happy New Year to you.
Nah, I don’t see how it can. Some men might get thinning where a ball cap might hit…but a wig goes all the way around and there shouldn’t be “too” much tension in that it’s rubbing against you all day. I think us wig-wearers are ok. 🙂 The only “problem” is that it can appear thinner because we get used to a full head of hair.
I’m so glad I started wearing hair. I first noticed some quarter size spot of no hair at the bottom base of my scalp by the neck in back. Then week after week, the bald spot kept spreading up, but i has thick hair that grew down over it, so you could not notice the patch getting bigger when I wore my hair down. I started researching and right away came across Lauren’s posts. It was so encouraging to have such an honest, sweet and straightforward person discussing hair loss!! Luckily I bought a topper to try soon after, which was a good start, but my problem was at the bottom at first, not the top, so I went to try on wigs. I’m so grateful I started wearing hair before my own hair got so bad because it ended up being a pretty seamless transition. I never would have guessed at that time that I would lose ALL my hair, not only on my head but all over my body!! There is no way I could have limped along with concealers for long, but I never would have guessed it would get so drastic!! I have all my life had beautiful, thick hair. Sometimes I can’t even believe that I’m hairless now, but thank goodness for wigs, microblading eyebrows and false eyelashes, I can actually go out of the house and look normal. I say to anyone who is afraid to start wearing hair, don’t be. The sooner you try it, the more comfortable you’ll be. And if your hair grows back in, great. You can always stop wearing the wig or topper. But if it doesn’t, like mine, you’ll feel so much more comfortable knowing your bald spots are not showing.
Hi Lauren,
I really enjoy your posts. I have been losing hair for some time now. It is mostly in front like a receding hair line behind my bangs. I appreciate that you said some of us can wear hair sometimes and that is what I do. I have powders and hairsprays that can work, but it takes so much time to spread out this cotton candy hair and make it look like it should. Wind and humidity can ruin all my hard work and frizz makes it hard to wear my hair down. I have tried a few toppers, ordering online and I have been to a wig shop. Finding a color that works is very hard since my hair can look different colors in different light. I have a Jon Renau XL HD topper that I bought during the summer. I have only worn it a few times. My hair is actually lighter that it is, but it blends well. At times it looks like I have blonde tips when my hair shows. My father passed away unexpectedly. I have been hiding when I can and this time I had to go back and see people I haven’t seen for years and also meet new people. I made the decision to wash and wear that topper for the visitation and funeral. No one knew it wasn’t my hair. I did share with a few people that I had on a topper and I was losing my hair. I talked with my dad’s hair dresser whom I had never met. I thanked her for fixing his hair and I told her I have very thin hair like his and I am wearing a topper. She said she would never had guessed and felt it saying it felt very real. I also saw my old hair dresser and told her about it and she said she didn’t know either and she knew how my hair used to be. There were horrible winds that my hair would never make it through for two days and with my hood up this helper hair made it. I am so glad that you said that helper hair is not perfect. I have been looking for that perfect piece. I would like to not worry about wind or rain and maybe a full wig would do that. I haven’t found a wig I feel comfortable with yet. Getting comfortable is an on going process and only the individual knows how long it will take to get comfortable. There are some amazing wigs and hair pieces out there and it gives me hope all the time to see ladies such as yourself wearing them. Thanks so much for all of your information and I will be sure to pass it on to some friends who are new to this.
Debbie
Debbie, I’m so sorry to hear about your father. Hang in there.
Yes, sometimes wigs are easier! You mention wig…look at hand-tied wigs (although, they are more expensive) as the way those wigs are tied means the hair moves very believably…important if you think you’ll be in the wind much.
Great advice!! And yes, sometimes it’s GREAT to be a woman! I wonder how men with alopecia feel? I have yet to meet one in person.
Hi Lauren,
Very informative!
Believe it or not, I am interested in the curly topper you are wearing in the pic with the red shirt on. It would need to be longer for me , and a darker color, but it would match my curl pattern. Can you tell me please who makes this topper? Thanks!
So am I, interseted in the curly topper, a bit shorter though.
Hi Danielle, I haven’t talk about this one yet, but it’s Charleigh from Uniwigs. I did it in a custom color just to see what their designers can do..so, more on that one, soon. But you can definitely check it out. I think my code for 15% off still works, too: Lauren15. If you ever order curly/wavy from anyone, make sure you discuss with the company what the finished length it. The one I got is technically 18″, but that’s before they curl (perm?) it…so the finished result it more like a 12″!
Hi Dina! I believe it! The topper itself is fine, it’s just funny as it’s such a departure from my hair underneath! 🙂 I haven’t talked about this one yet, but it’s Charleigh from Uniwigs. I did it in a custom color. I mentioned to another comment above that I *think* my code still works (not completely sure, though) for 15% off: Lauren15. Make sure if you ever order curly that you confirm with the manufacturer what the “finished” length is. Sometimes they measure the hair pulled straight. Mine is technically 18″ but it’s more like 12″ when you look at it.
I am SO glad I switched to helper hair. And I mostly love my 18 inch Jon Renau Top Secret. My only thing with synthetic helper hair is that some brands (Jon Renau particularly) seem to get really clumpy and strawlike at the ends so quickly, even with all your great tips on making toppers last. I end up buying a new one about every three months. I blame the really dry climate where I live.
Oh boo, that could be! I know you said you tried all the tips – hot air brush, too?
ACV, the Bambu Silicon conditioner. Hair U Wear leave in. Hot brush too. I can get a few weeks more out of it if I use a round brush and a garment steamer. Alas. Still, I do really love my 18 inch topper, so it’s worth the expense. The Milan was amazing, but not long enough. And since my loss is pretty much total across the entire crown, I’m ok with a little less than perfect. Better than what I have (or, more accurately, don’t have) now. If only Jon Renau would make a wavy topper with a larger base…
A girl can dream.
You found Top Wave too small? I can make it work, but wish it was a bit bigger, myself. Also, I swear I heard *somewhere* that Milan was coming out with a longer length…could be interesting! I usually write them an email requesting it every few months, feel free to join the petition. 😉
Love, love, LOVE this post!! Thank you. You just articulated every fear I’ve had about making the leap – and then explained why all those excuses are just keeping me from the life and confidence I want. I have spent hours (SO many hours!) trying to pick the perfect topper shade – and there are hundreds. Then I obsess about toppers vs. wigs. Honestly, I just want to buy ALL the hair. 2019 is my hear wearing year!! Thank you for being an inspiration!! ?
Do it, do it, do it. 🙂
I have to go through metal detectors a couple of times per week. Will the fasteners on a topper set off the metal detector?
Nope. Do you have pre-check? I always wear my hair up when traveling and my barrette/clip sets it off…but not the topper clips. That’s with the pre-check detector. In the other one (the one that whirls around you), I have no problems with anything.
Hi Lauren,
Question: What if you are thinning on the crown, but
have naturally curly hair that isn’t that long and you’re getting older. The toppers I see are for younger women with long, straight hair. If I do see a topper that’s curly, it’s more for a ponytail in the back rather than a fill-in for the top of the head. I need something that would look natural for someone who has finally embraced the curly hair I hated when I was younger. I’m not ready to take the plunge yet, but I worry there won’t be anything appropriate for me when I’m ready. …and I’m scared.
Dee, how short is your hair, and how curly is it? Have you looked at something like Top Crown, by Jon Renau?