If you haven’t experimented with one, a hair topper can be a bit of a mystery. A hair topper is a bit like a half of a wig (and is also known as a half wig). Unlike a full wig, a topper isn’t intended to cover all of your biological hair. Hair Toppers are additions that enhance your own hair.
There is a multitude of reasons why a person may opt for a hair topper. Half wigs can add volume and body to fine flat hair, for one. Usually, though, toppers are used to disguise and conceal hair loss.
Because female hair loss typically begins at the part on the top of the head, a topper attaches onto the crown of the head to cover minimal to advanced hair loss.
Since biological hair is still integrated into the look, choosing and wearing a topper can be some trial and error. There are five common mistakes clients often make and we’re going to fill you in on them so you can avoid them!
Blending
Hair toppers usually attach with pressure-sensitive clips. If you’ve used clip-in extensions, you’ll be familiar with them. While clips are much safer than glue or sewing, you cannot attach them to weak or damaged hair.
Why? If you secure a topper to fragile hair, you risk not only a loose fit but also further damaging the hair. If you’re already experiencing hair loss, you likely don’t want to damage any remaining hair.
You don’t want a topper that is the exact size of your hair loss area. This is an instance where you want some overkill, so you can get full coverage.
It's important to know that a hair topper needs at least one inch of hair to clip onto, and this hair should have enough density so that there isn't a risk of the clip-in attachments causing additional hair loss.
To learn more about blending your topper into your bio hair, watch the video down below.
Application and Removal Process
When you go to apply the hair topper, make sure you have at least an inch of healthy hair to attach to, as mentioned above. Luckily, once you have the right base, pressure-sensitive clips are easy to use. To see how to apply a topper, we have a video for you.
Removal is also easy, but it takes care. If you have fragile hair, you don’t want to damage your biological hair. Never yank or tug the topper from your hair. Carefully unclip each clip one by one. Once they are all unclipped, then you can remove the topper.
Styling
Do hair toppers need to be styled? Yes and no. It truly depends on the type of fiber your topper is made of.
Wigs and toppers made from synthetic fiber come pre-styled. They are ready-to-wear and keep their look through wearing.
However, synthetic doesn’t have the styling versatility of human hair or even heat-friendly synthetic. Toppers made of these materials can be styled using heat tools, meaning you can customize your look!
The best choice for you depends on your lifestyle. Consider how you prefer to style your own biological hair. How much time do you have to devote to such styling?
When you want to style your hair topper, secure the topper onto a canvas block head. You should never style a topper while wearing it! If you want to see a topper being styled, check out our video on the subject!
Measuring
Why is measuring so important? The perfect fitting topper will offer you security, confidence and look more natural. It will also reduce the risk of damaging your bio hair.
To measure for a topper, use a fabric tape measure. You’ll want to use a mirror or ask for some help. First, measure the hair loss area from front to back. Then, measure from side to side.
Using your measurements, you’ll shop for a topper by base size. For example, the topper Special Effect by Raquel Welch has an 8-inch base, while Real by Ellen Wille has a 6-inch base. If you want to see how to measure for hair toppers, check out our video below.
Color-Matching
Toppers are additions to your own hair. They do not cover your biological hair from view. Because of this, you’ll need a topper in a color that blends seamlessly with your own hair.
Hair color is not universal though. Still, across brands, some colors are the same. Reference this chart when color shopping.
Black: 1, 2
Brown: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
Blonde: 14, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24, 26
Red: 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 130, 131, 132, 134
Grey: 34, 36, 38, 39, 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 59, 60 and 92
Platinum: 101, 102, 104 and 613
We understand that trying to match your hair color online can be difficult. To remedy this, we do have a color ring program. Through this program, you can purchase a ring of professional color swatches. Once you’re done with the ring, you can return it and receive credit towards your next purchase!
Have you committed any of these mistakes? Don’t worry - we won’t judge! Let us know how you learned from your experiences!