Remember a zillion years ago when I told you about the second topper I ever wore full-time, the Long Mono by Jon Renau?
I started wearing her in the spring of 2014 after I retired my Amore Long Piece. I really loved her because she is lightweight and has such realistic looking highlights.
I’ve never thrown out any of my pieces (yet!) because they’re good to keep around for Frankenstein-ing. Ya know, experimenting and stuff. Oh, and clip harvesting.
That all sounds a little macabre, huh?
This particular piece I haven’t done anything crazy with, but I’ve kept her around for updos. That’s about all I can do with her…she is ratty with a capital R.
She definitely needs to be pitched, but, shh, don’t tell her.
Next week, I’ll show you a tool I use on my synthetics to keep them looking new and swingy—I’ll demonstrate it on this topper so you’ll get to see just how old and clumpy she is.
I thought it would be nice to rotate this one back in to help give my head a break from my Milan’s clips, since clips can definitely cause more damage.
The way I wear my pieces (cock-eyed) puts the front clip in a very awkward place, however. It hits right at the very spot where I probably have the worst hair loss.
She’s been great for doing a quick updo. I’ve been wearing her while running errands, splashing in our (kiddie blow up) pool, and to the local theme park.
I’ll tell you a secret, too.
I don’t even brush her anymore. I just put the piece on, twist it into an updo and go about my day. At night, I take off my hairclip, unclip the piece, and throw her in the closet. Throw her, literally.
No brush needed.
Not that you can tell, though, right? I think this old gal looks pretty good in pics.
I actually love that she has some flyaways on the side. It’s just a totally believable look.
That’s it, folks. Just a bit of rambling today.
P.S. I’ve also published Karen’s story about her experience wearing the Noriko Berlin for the first time. Two posts for the price of one!
I stumbled upon your blog and I have to say you are a life saver! I started losing my hair after my kids were born. (28 years ago) It has gotten worse with medical issues and menopause. It seems to me we all go through the same issues with the loss of our hair. The denial, embarrassment, the struggle to hide it, frustration and the shameful looks from others. Oh and of course the person who thinks your blind to it and says, “wow! Do you know your hair is really thin on top!?!” I want to run home and never see the light of day again!
You have given me hope to find a solution! Thank you!! I’ve been reading all your posts and I’m feeling so much better. But I’m a little confused as to where to begin. My thinning is mostly on top. Do I start with a topper? Do I get a full wig? How do I pick a color? Help…
Thank you so much for this blog! I hope you realize what you have done for those of us who are still so embarrassed by this. You have given us a light at the end of a swirling tunnel! The possibility to walk out into the sun and not see a beacon of light shining of my scalp! (I wear baseball hats all weekend long to avoid this phenomenon). You are a great motivator!!!
Thank you again,
Carol
Aww thanks!
Feel free to email me – I can probably answer your questions best in that format! Just click “Contact” on the top of the page.
Hi! I just have to say I LOVE this blog, you’ve really helped me take the plunge into wearing hair and I couldn’t be happier! my hair has never been thick by any means but after my son was born 5 years ago it really started to fall out and never got any better. I was so self consious and hated the way I looked/ felt. Ive been wearing hair for about 9 months now and I feel so much better! I started out with the Jon Renau long mono topper and am now wearing the Noriko Milan ( which now gives me the hair I’ve always wanted :-)). an added bonus to this page is that we have the same hair color which takes the guess work out of picking the right color! anyway I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience because if I had not stumbled upon this page I’d still be miserable with my situation and struggle to hide my hair loss every day. also, I’m really looking forward to your post on getting the swing back into your pieces. I’ve researched some different techniques but I’m curious as to how you do it. Thanks again- you’re awesome 🙂
Glad to have you here!
Just wondering if you have ever used any type of hairspray on your toppers? I like my hair to stay in place for the most part and don’t really care for the slippery, shiny, & flat with very little volume look like my bio hair currently has without hairspray. I use it everyday all over my own hair & can’t imagine that I wouldn’t want to use it on synthetic hair as well, especially if I pull some of it back. I assume I’ll want to tame & smooth some flyaways. Any thoughts or recommendations on best type of hairspray to use on synthetic hair? Does it have to be for synthetics, or can it just be everyday hairspray? I certainly don’t want to shorten the life of the piece any faster than normal!
Hi! I saw your comment on my other post but I’ll just reply here. I just use any old hairspray (some old Tresemme stuff I Have on hand). They do make hairspray that’s made for synthetics, but I haven’t found a need to use something specially-formulated. I don’t use a ton of it by any means, but there doesn’t seem to be any buildup or anything if I lightly mist it over the course of a few days.
Lauren, I have seen several comments on the wigs support forum talking about the back crown area of the Amore long mono top being a bit sparse, to the point that some ladies prefer to only wear it if they want to wear their hair in an up do. I am planning on buying a topper so that I don’t have to wear the sides of my hair pulled back in a barrette anymore to cover at least 2 weird parts or splits (about an inch down the back from the top of my scalp & 1/8″ – 1/4″ wide) that are starting to crawl down the back of my head. Seeing stripes of white scalp with dark long hair all around them, screams hair loss in my mind & is pretty hard to ignore if you are looking at the back of my head (like when I’m standing in line at the store). I don’t see anyone else with their hair parting down the back of their scalp like myself (let alone in 2 areas) & it makes me extremely self conscious. Also don’t like to use any of the irritating concealers I’ve tried more than I have to & my overall density is getting thinner anyway, so toppers here I come.
Anyway, do you notice a difference between the amount of hair and density between the Amore long mono & the JR long mono? That could help me decide between the two if one happens to provide more coverage in the back than the other. Does one of the two maybe separate less & look less stringy than the other over a period of wear, which I would think would indicate better coverage & thicker density in the back? One lady on wig support mentioned in a post that if the wind was blowing, it would highlight the fact that her hair was thinning in the back due to light density, but that the front & sides had plenty of coverage, & for that reason, she usually only wore it pulled into an up do. I still have enough bio hair that I believe the Milan would be an overkill at this point, but if I know how the density in the back of the JR mono compares to the Amore mono, if at all, that may make my decision easier. Do you notice either one seem to have less coverage in the back compared to the front & sides? Thx!
I personally do not see any difference between the two pieces in terms of back coverage, but I don’t have an “issue” in this area. I’m not sure if that helps or not!
Hey there, I like what you’ve done with your pics and you look amazing! Its wonderful to know theres’ hope for looking sexy with this hair problem, because I’m always aware of it, and I often feel like I’m not sexy whenever I look at it in the mirror. Its just hope and a positive outlook for the future that I need I guess.
Hi Lauren,
I just ordered the Noriko Milan and can’t wait to try it on. Helper hair is a journey of trial and error. Even though I like the Ellen Wille Topper it is still not perfect (if this is ever possible) for me. I was torn between the JR Long Mono and the Noriko Milan. In the end I decided to go for the Milan. I just wanted to have your opinion as you have a lot more experience with it: can you also wear the Milan in an updo?
Thanks as always for all your support.
Kat
Sure you can! Check out the post I did on it: https://cornerofhopeandmane.com/helper-hair/topper-casual-updo/
I’m really stuck (& I mean Really stuck) between the Amore long mono top and the JR long mono topper for my first purchase. I would love it if anyone that has had both for a period of time, could give me an idea if one is more durable (how long before fiber looks worn, stringy, frizzy), least meshy (I know that’s not a word but..) on the mono/part, comfort of clips, etc than the other. I know Lauren has has the Milan & the JR, but I can’t remember if she’s had the Amore mono topper. I’m very indecisive, so any comments on either of these two based on personal use would be very appreciated. I’m really tired of thinking I’ve found the one, getting close to placing an order after guessing at a color, only to find that there might be one with better reviews that I should be looking at instead. Been trying to figure this out for 6+ months now, and while I’ve come real close, the most I’ve accomplished is to order 1 JR heat defiant color ring, only to find out HD hair is frowned upon among the wig support community, and now I have a Rene of Paris color ring on the way. If I did choose the JR long mono synthetic, I still won’t know for sure what color since there are more browns to choose from than the HD line. Wish I had an eye roll emoji here to insert!
I have had both (in fact I like to the Amore long mono in this post)! They are really, really close in just about everything. I just found the 8H14 color to be perfect for me in the Jon Renau line. The mono tops are very, very close. The hair fiber is almost spot on, too – I’d say the JR lasted maybe a teeny bit longer but not much. I DID prefer the clips of the JR as I found them more comfortable.
Oh my gosh, I must’ve totally brushed over the reference to the Amore long topper in your article in the beginning. Duh me! Thanks for pointing out the obvious as apparently I can’t read today.
Great, I think I’ll start with one & then purchase the other the following month so I can check them both out for myself. It’s just nice to know I probably won’t go wrong one way or another thanks to your blog. As many YouTube videos as there are out there, I still can’t find nearly enough “real” people trying out these toppers in particular as I’d like, let alone in a variety of colors. Thanks for the many detailed articles on toppers (especially these specific brands) & their care, they help all of us that are new to the idea of wearing hair, as well as some that have had years of experience feel more confident not only in ourselves, but in the choices we make when it comes to choosing the right type of hair, based off of your experiences. Keep the awesome articles coming, they never get boring!
I love this topper, I have it too. It’s good to know when it gets “ratty” I can still wear it 🙂 So when I decided to debut my topper at work (I’m a high school teacher) with all my colleagues and students I took this topper and had bangs cut in it and wore it in a ponytail. Because my hair has been so thin most of my teenage and adult life, I have never been able to have bangs. My hair was a HIT, tons of compliments. So when everyone complimented me on my hair I said, “Oh thank you! They’re clip in fake bangs! So when I don’t feel like bangs I can take them off!” I know I didn’t owe anyone an explanation, but that’s what I decided to do, it worked for me. I can switch out my topper with bangs with my normal topper and I doubt anyone will give me a second thought. In fact, it was that day that I realized most people didn’t even notice my thin hair in the first place. Most people thought my bangs were real. One guy said “Wow your bangs don’t look fake at all!” One lady even asked where I got them because she wanted to try fake bangs too lol. I agree with something Lauren said a while ago. We are the ones who make our hair a big deal, most people are so centered on themselves they don’t even notice us.
Em,
I love the idea of cutting bangs into a topper and saying they are clip in. Funny how some fake hair is not only socially acceptable (no offense, not sure what term to use) but also trendy. Not sure I could pull off bangs but maybe I’ll try in the future.
That line from Lauren is one of my favorites too.
Thanks for sharing your experience!