Would appear it doesn't matter how much spray you put on your head, that stuff doesn't want to stay on it, when you lie on a pillow, or worse still, one of those paper towel rolls on an osteopath's couch. How embarrassing was that?! I hear you ask... Very. Mortified. Fed up with it. If you spray a load on the crown, you sometimes get a hole from the alcohol in the spray, so have to touch it up after, but seriously. How does anyone wake up the next morning when it's on the crown and not get this. Even if I am on my side, it's still the same. Anyone found any great tricks, especially when they're getting any kind of treatment and have to lay on those couches?
Anyone Actually Keeping Toppik On Your Head
- Thread starter Esprit
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Almost 2 years ago when I was solely taking finasteride without anything else, I also started using Toppik daily to cover my hair loss. I never used to shampoo my hair daily, even before any treatments, I would usually shampoo my hair once a week, and if I showered I would usually water rinse my water.
I couldn't bare to watch myself without Toppik so I pretty much kept it on all the time, I always felt that the day after with Toppik when you leave it in looked much better compared to the first application. So I would usually have Toppik on for 3-4 days in a row... First application I would have to use quite a good amount, then the next day just a bit of a touch up, and I felt as it would look much better having slept with it for a day. Needless to say there was "black powder sh*t" everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. I was extremely worried about other people touching my hair as it woud always leave a black powder residue. I tried using sprays and stuff like that but I felt as if it make the hair stiff dry and I didn't like it much, and powder would still come off.
I restarted treatments after being 6 months off any treatments.This time I'm on minoxidil and finasteride. Due to minoxidil I now actually wash my hair every single day before I go to sleep, then apply minoxidil. So now because I have to also apply Toppik everyday I now I apply to a very few exclusive areas and no longer bath my scalp with it. I now almost never get my hands covered in powder as I barely use any. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful regarding which products to use for Toppik not to come off. But what did help me was just go all in with hair loss treatments, and lessen my Toppik usage. So yes I now have to use a volumizer shampoo and brush my hair in a way to cover thinning spots, but I feel much better knowing my scalp isn't caked in Toppik. I also never go to sleep with Toppik on anymore.
Thanks for your reply mate. Yeh, I know I should be on something, but I put it off and put it off until it's so bad now I wonder if it will even help.
I can't take finasteride, but do I want to risk getting on minoxidil if what thinness I have takes a dive too as so many people say it can speed that up too. What's spironolactone that keeps getting talked about on here. I know that pain of not being able to look at yourself in the mirror without concealer on. It's bad enough having to look to put the Derm on before the fibres. Life is cruel eh...
I can't take finasteride, but do I want to risk getting on minoxidil if what thinness I have takes a dive too as so many people say it can speed that up too. What's spironolactone that keeps getting talked about on here. I know that pain of not being able to look at yourself in the mirror without concealer on. It's bad enough having to look to put the Derm on before the fibres. Life is cruel eh...
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I did have initial shedding at first with minoxidil, but 4 months into minoxidil things are looking much better *touch wood*. I have areas where I don't need to apply Toppik there any longer. spironolactone on its own probably won't do much, it's something you need to use in conjunction with finasteride or finasteride with minoxidil. Not using any treatments and having to use more and more concealer everyday is not fun. Perhaps look into transplants, just so you could get enough hair for some coverage with a buzzcut. If you're gonna leave your situation untreated then it's only gonna get worse and one day you won't have enough hair to use a concealer or you'll end up having to use so much concealer it might look fake and obvious.
Thanks for that, yes, you're right of course. It's just the taking the concealer off every night to apply the minoxidil, and that sinking feeling of looking at it nightly! Do you do the minoxidil twice daily? I don't think I could handle it. Any sides? Looking into transplants, but most surgeons run away with diffuse work.
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Yes I apply it twice daily. Once in the morning, then apply a bit of hair fibers. Before I go to bed I shower and apply minoxidil.
Perhaps you could post some pictures to show your current situation since you said it might be too late for you.
Regarding side effects, I started off with Kirkland's liquid minoxidil and tried my best to stick it through, but I quit after 1 month as my scalp itching terribly and the entired scalp just felt irritated and fried. During that month I lost shitloads of hair, which probably didn't have to do with the actual minoxidil shed, but more with propylene glycol in the liquid minoxidil which I'm allergic to. I then took a 1 month break from minoxidil and then started Kirkland's minoxidil foam. With the foam the itching is very mininal and bearable. In fact, even before I started minoxidil I had an itchy scalp, and the scalp is itching just about the same now.
The downside is minoxdil foam is more expensive and I have to use a lot to cover my scalp. Other than that I don't feel any side effects really.
Regarding finasteride side effects, I can still get it up whenever, but erection quality decreased. Sorry for the too much information, but it might be crucial info, it seems to me like I can't maintain hard rock erections like I used to, I can still get an erection but the quality is let's say at 85%-90% of what it used to be. I'm not sure if I have brain fog or anything like that... Don't think so. I used to think finasteride gave me fatigue but then when I quit it for 6 months I still had days where I felt fatigue so it's probably from something else.
As a side note, if anything is causing the itching, I think it's also the actual hair fibers. Have found hair fibers brand which cause minimal itching?
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It's funny you should say that about the itching, I get that even when I only have Dermmatch in my head, I now use the Derm on front as that's gone thin now too. Some days I won't bother with fibres if I know I'm not seeing anyone, as Derm is enough for my view. Back is lousy but don't look unless I really have to. I don't know the fibres make the itching because I use both Toppik and Nanogen. And get the itch even when I only have Derm on or one of them. I think it's a losing hair thing, the itch. Or maybe the shampoos. I use Nano thickener one or Regen which I swear makes me lose more hair. Maybe Keto makes the itch?
Don't ever apologise for too much info, That's what helps us all out.
Do you put the foam all over the head, back and front still or selective? Will it make the existing hair reliant on it if I put it all over I wonder? Kirkland is a US thing mainly isn't it? Maybe I"ll try the Regaine Foam once a day for a few months and see how it goes. The itch I can cope with, the dark circles/bloating and palpitations I read about on here are more of a worry though. Are you off the finasteride now?
Have you tried Nano or just use Toppik?
Don't ever apologise for too much info, That's what helps us all out.
Do you put the foam all over the head, back and front still or selective? Will it make the existing hair reliant on it if I put it all over I wonder? Kirkland is a US thing mainly isn't it? Maybe I"ll try the Regaine Foam once a day for a few months and see how it goes. The itch I can cope with, the dark circles/bloating and palpitations I read about on here are more of a worry though. Are you off the finasteride now?
Have you tried Nano or just use Toppik?
follicle2001
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I have always been curious about these products but have never used them as I am afraid it would look unnatural, fall off, blow away, land on my collar, etc.
An old coworker of mine wore Toppik and it looked very unnatural.
An old coworker of mine wore Toppik and it looked very unnatural.
The only time it falls off, well actually it rubs off, is if you lie down and rest your head on a pillow, or a doctor's couch with that paper towel covering, embarrassingly enough, Personal experience! Really horrible experience.
How did you know the bloke at work was wearing it, did he tell you, or you just assumed he had fibres on his head? If applied properly it should look fine, in 'most' cases, as long as you're vertical!
How did you know the bloke at work was wearing it, did he tell you, or you just assumed he had fibres on his head? If applied properly it should look fine, in 'most' cases, as long as you're vertical!
follicle2001
Established Member
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He had a very early and pluggy hair transplant and he tried to make it fuller with toppik. It just looked like he poured it on his head. It took me a year before I could talk to him without looking at it and not just looking at his face.
I've only ever seen one person out and about where it looked like they had a carpet on their head, and it wasn't a wig, and that is usually down to using too much of it yeh. I don't mind the odd peek thru near the scalp just to make it look more natural. Using a ton of it is not great, no.
I found with Toppik it depended on the type of hairspray I used BUT nothing could get it to stay on overnight or off the pillowcase lol. However with a super firm (I think it was Fudge) hairspray at least during the day could keep it stuck to my scalp more or less..
Not heard of 'Fudge'. I've tried LOADS of sprays. Interesting you say that... some hairsprays are better than others. The most annoying kind is the stronger in alcohol ones I guess, which leaves the scalp holes. Nothing more annoying than pouring the Toppik on and then spraying it, and within in a minute you check the back of your head and see white spots where it's penetrated through the concealer and into the scalp and you've left with the holes where it's disolved the Toppik.
Is there a hairspray strong enough to hold, but not strong enough to dissolve the concealer.
My pillow case looks like a dirty protest.
Also, I bought one of those pump type Nanogens, which are absolute rubbish. The pump action actually blows the Nano away and removes the stuff you have put on your head. Whoever invented that is an idiot. The whole unit is a blower so obviously it's going to do that. Anyone used one? They're a rubber ball, grenade shaped things.
Is there a hairspray strong enough to hold, but not strong enough to dissolve the concealer.
My pillow case looks like a dirty protest.
Also, I bought one of those pump type Nanogens, which are absolute rubbish. The pump action actually blows the Nano away and removes the stuff you have put on your head. Whoever invented that is an idiot. The whole unit is a blower so obviously it's going to do that. Anyone used one? They're a rubber ball, grenade shaped things.
Ah which country are you in? here in the UK (and I think states too) Fudge is a long established brand 
They have numbers from 1 to 10 indicating how strong the hold will be which is useful. I agree though some hairsprays are better than others although I hate inhaling them when spraying :/ Not used the Nanogen you mentioned but regards to pillowcase I quickly learnt to switch from cream to black cover haha
They have numbers from 1 to 10 indicating how strong the hold will be which is useful. I agree though some hairsprays are better than others although I hate inhaling them when spraying :/ Not used the Nanogen you mentioned but regards to pillowcase I quickly learnt to switch from cream to black cover hahaNo, I'm in the UK. Just looked them up, they have hundreds of products, which one do you use?
Some smell quite rank. I've got about 6 different ones I'm trying at the moment. Used to use John Frieda which went up to silly money very quick, but it's quite strong in alcohol as well. If it wasn't one of the dissolvers I'd pay whatever, but it gets a bit strong, and at 6 quid a can now it's not worth it. Even dark colour pillow cases it still looks horrible in the morning. Brown streaks, which don't brush off. You have to wash them A LOT.
Also, I don't really notice any difference with Toppik or Nanogen anymore. I used to favour Nanogen, but don't anymore. Both the same coverage. I've tried 3 of the top brands, and I've got a 4th to test which I've not used yet. I've never tried any of the cheap alternatives though. Dozens on Amazon these days.
Some smell quite rank. I've got about 6 different ones I'm trying at the moment. Used to use John Frieda which went up to silly money very quick, but it's quite strong in alcohol as well. If it wasn't one of the dissolvers I'd pay whatever, but it gets a bit strong, and at 6 quid a can now it's not worth it. Even dark colour pillow cases it still looks horrible in the morning. Brown streaks, which don't brush off. You have to wash them A LOT.
Also, I don't really notice any difference with Toppik or Nanogen anymore. I used to favour Nanogen, but don't anymore. Both the same coverage. I've tried 3 of the top brands, and I've got a 4th to test which I've not used yet. I've never tried any of the cheap alternatives though. Dozens on Amazon these days.
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I used to use the spray with 9 factor hold, can't recall the name sorry but just aim for a high number for strongest hold. You don't have to worry about smell as their stuff all smells really good, but they are not cheap, it's quite a premium price range unfortunately. As for pillowcase I would be tempted to just take the Toppik can with me and match it to the closest shade cover you can find. Only other suggestion would be to wash out on a night but don't know if that's practical..
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I don't even bother with Toppik these days. Dermmatch is king as far as concealers go.
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Never practical at the time, as most of us know only too well. Even Dermmatch can rub out on pillow when on crown
That's a fantasy for most of us... I'd love to be able to get away with just that, but sometimes that's just brown painted on head. You've got to have a good coverage to be able to only use Dermmatch. And sometimes over scalp it won't even colour it brown, it dilutes itself