Buying a Toupee

People lose their hair for a variety of reasons including natural hair loss from aging, alopecia, illness and from treatments used to cure diseases like cancer-related chemotherapy.

If your hair loss is severe you may decide to cover your head with a hat, cap or woolen beanie but many men choose instead to invest in a toupee to address their hair loss problems. If your hair loss is patchy and located at the front or top of your head, or only in the initial stages then a toupee may be a good solution for you. If total hair loss results you might decide to wear a wig at a later stage. You may choose to wear your toupee permanently or only when you are out and about, it really is up to you. Here are some general guidelines on how to buy a toupee and disguise your hair loss.

General Tips

* Start to shop for your toupee long before you lose a lot of hair. This way you can match it to your natural color, texture, and style.

* Specialty shops for cancer patients are a good source of hairpieces. If you aren’t comfortable going to your local retailer, a sales associate may be able to come to your home to help you fit your toupee.

* The American Cancer Society’s “tlc” catalog is another source of toupees and wigs.

* If your hair loss is likely to be temporary consider borrowing one instead of buying it. Call your local American Cancer Society or enquire at the social work department at your hospital.

* If you need to buy a toupee due to hair loss from cancer treatment, it is a tax-deductible expense and may be (at least) partially covered by your health insurance . Do check your policy and ask your doctor to write out a prescription for a “hair prosthesis”.

Buying a Toupee

Call Your Hairstylist / Barber

When you make an appointment ask for some extra time. Tell your stylist that you have a new toupee that you would like trimmed and styled to suit your face.

Give Yourself Options

Toupees may be a little uncomfortable so you might not want to wear it all day or even every day but a hairpiece sticking out underneath a cap is far more comfortable than the bulk of a wig. Many wig stores and cancer specialty shops stock a range of side pieces and other aids designed to be Velcroed into a hat.

Where to Buy a Toupee

1. Ask your stylist, who probably deals with people who want to buy a toupee more often than you think.

2. Call the American Cancer Society.

3. Ask your doctor for recommendations on toupee retailers or salons If you can’t afford to buy a toupee call Cancer Care (800-813-HOPE) for assistance.

General Tips for Buying a Toupee

Hair loss can be a sensitive subject, especially if you are losing yours through illness or chemotherapy. For this reason it is really important that you are comfortable with the store, stylist and staff when you buy a toupee.

Telephone the store and ask about the privacy of fittings. If the store specializes in cancer patients ask about refitting (when you have lost more hair) and if they have a range of options, including hairpieces.

Find out if you can try on the hairpiece or return it if you need to. (some state’s health regulations prohibit this).

It is possible to purchase toupees online these days but if you decide to go this route remember that there is no way of knowing what you’re really buying until it arrives. If you buy a toupee over the Internet ask about return policies.

Choosing a Toupee

There are several options available: human hair or synthetic; short or long; custom- or machine-made; and a variety of prices (which can range from $40 to over $4,000). If you buy a toupee buy the style you can afford and are most comfortable with.

You’re Toupee – Synthetic vs. Human Hair

Some men prefer toupees crafted from synthetic hair since it is easier to maintain and more affordable. In general, synthetic toupees have a style molded into them, but some can be reset into different styles. A toupee that can be styled means you can change your look from time to time. On the down side you will have to restyle your hair each time you wash it. This type of toupee also dries much faster than real hair.

How real does it look? Synthetic toupees may look real (good quality ones often do), but they don’t really move or feel like the real thing. You also need to protect them from heat so you can’t use a curling iron or blow dryer (unless it is specially designed for hairpieces. Hot rollers may be used, but only at low settings. Never expose your synthetic hairpiece to the heat of an appliance like an oven as this will cause it to go frizzy. If you buy a toupee like this you need to be ultra careful and this may become irritating.

Toupees made from human hair look and feel more like your own hair. Unfortunately toupees made of human hair are very expensive ($1,000 and up) and very time consuming. They may be styled with conventional aids but we suggest taking them to a professional for washing and styling.

Toupees are made from three types of real hair namely Asian, Indonesian and European. The most common and affordable is Asian hair. It is also the heaviest and nothing like hair found on Western European women. Indonesian is a little finer mid-grade hair. European is the finest hair but also very difficult to come by so it’s fairly expensive. All the pieces are cleaned, stripped, dyed and / or permed, so you may not be able to tell the difference.

Toupee Construction

This is probably the most important aspect to the way a toupee looks. A good synthetic hairpiece is better than a badly made real one. Custom made, hand-made and machine-made toupees are available.

Machine-made hairpieces are the least expensive and most common kind, most people have seen this type of wig or toupee. They can look quite real until they are pulled back or parted in the wrong place.

If you buy a toupee and money is not an issue consider a hand-made one. These are very natural in appearance since individual strands are knotted on to a skullcap rather than wefts of hair being sewn together. You can part these toupees and style them with accessories since the vents can’t be revealed. Hair also falls and moves in a natural way.

Custom-made toupees are almost identical to real hair. They take a long time to make and may not be an option for cancer patients who need an immediate solution. Call the local chapter of the American Cancer Society to double-check that you are working with a reputable establishment.

Toupee Style

Before you buy a toupee decide if you want a natural look or experiment with a new style. With a few adjustments can make your wig look as natural as possible. A toupee can’t duplicate the way hair blends into your skin without make up and other aids. Use sideburns or at least wisps of hair to cove the hairline and help, and help your toupee to look natural.

Toupee Color

Match your own hair color or try a new tint and color the rest of your hair to match it. Think about going a shade lighter if you are having treatments since it will offset any skin tone changes that result from chemotherapy. However, do try to stay within range of your natural shade or lighter.

Examine the toupee piece outside in natural light. Study the color as well as the depth and tones for example high and low lightsn before you buy a toupee.

Toupee Supplies You Might Need

You will need a form to store the toupee on when you aren’t wearing it, a wire toupee brush, hair nets, pins to hold the toupee in place while brushing, low alcohol or toupee hair spray, and special shampoo and conditioner.

When you buy a toupee don’t be embarrassed by your hair loss. Many people lose their hair for a variety of reasons and your stylist and retailer won’t look askance at you if you ask for their help and guidance. They can be invaluable in helping you find the perfect toupee, styling it and taking care of it in between. Buy a toupee that looks as natural as possible even if it costs a bit more.

Whether your hair loss is permanent or temporary, have some fun with your toupee too. Change your style or color and create a new you!