Full Cap Mens Hair System Or Topper?

[James Burton]

Hi all,
I am 21 years old and have been losing hair rapidly since i was 20. Its starting to really thin out and become noticeable. If it weren't for my slight hair loss on the sides of my head i would just get a top piece, but unfortunately the hairs on the side are becoming thin and whispy showing some scalp in some areas. Because of this i am looking into getting a full cap. I have a couple questions though:

-For other people who wear full cap what base works best for you?
-French lace, swiss lace, or thinskin?
-Which base style is the least detectible?

-Is there another style base that maybe works better (more undetectable)?

-I also go hiking, snowboarding, wake boarding, long boarding, camping, and on occasion swimming in lakes or rivers (very rarely do i swim). I don't really sweat too much while doing any of these activities. would i be able to wear the full cap while doing these activities without worrying about it falling off or the bond coming loose?
-what are others experiences with outdoor activities and full cap systems?

-I also travel, sometimes I'm traveling for 2 weeks, would i be able to bring my hair system bond and all that through the airport?

-I also wear hats while doing some of these activities, is it possible to wear a hat with the full cap and not have to worry about the nape area (or any area) detaching?
-And most importantly is the full cap wig noticeable? (I'm planning on ordering mine through northwest lace, if anyone knows of a better company please let me know)

-Do long hair systems look silly? I have always had long hair and would be getting a long hair system (atleast cutting it so it is long)

Any help or advice would greatly be appreciated, since I'm a broke college student i will also be applying the system and bond to my scalp myself, if you have any suggestions or helpful youtube links to make sure i don't mess it up too much that would greatly be appreciated.

I also am in need of suggestions for glues and tapes, i need the strongest available since i do sometimes wakeboard, snowboard, and hike.
Thanks!!

 

[Noah]

Hi James

Looking at your photos, I don't think you should be thinking of a full cap, at least for now. There are significant extra issues with a full cap compared with a standard topper hairpiece. In particular, it is difficult to make the back feel and look natural - the bit which is below your scull, where you are sticking the piece onto muscle rather than bone - and temples and sideburns are also difficult to make natural-looking in a hair replacement. For those reasons the styles you can create with a full cap are very limited. They are really a last resort. My advice would be to make do with your natural side and back hair for as long as you can. You may have a bit of thinning on the sides, but it is not bad yet. The fact that you have curly hair partly conceals the thinning. The current fashion for undercut styles where the sides are close-cropped also helps conceals thin sides (though not if you want long hair, obviously).

I don't wear a full cap myself, but I will try to answer some of your questions as best I can:

• I think most full cap wearers use a lace base. Lace is breathable, whereas skin is not, so wearing a full skin-based wig could get very sweaty, particularly if you are an active sporting guy. Lace is also a bit more forgiving on fit than skin.
• Skin looks more like a human scalp, so it gives the best look seen from above, and allows for very natural partings and crowns, but lace is better for hairlines. For a combed-back style where the hairline is fully exposed, you need lace.
• You don't need to worry about the bond coming loose during sport, or the piece coming off. The adhesives available are extremely strong and secure.
• You can bring glues etc through the airport, but if you want to carry them in hand luggage they have to be in bottles of 100 ml. or less, and in a 1litre ziplock bag.
• You can get very strong tape which will keep the nape from detaching, even while wearing a hat. The problem is that it is very detectable if anyone touches your hair - impossible to keep the hairpiece a secret from a date, for example.
• I have seen some pretty decent undetectable full caps, but they have to have rather shaggy unstructured styles.

 

[James Burton]

Thanks for your reply! okay so you don't think it will look too goofy with the topper? Ive also heard that its hard to blend toppers with my kind of hair, from your experience do you think this is true? Also would i be able to keep my long style with a topper and not have it look weird or noticeable? Ive heard thats why most people have the short sides is because its rather difficult to blend long hair without it being noticeable? I haven't had short hair since i was 8 and don't really like the short hair look for myself, and I'm also not necessarily a fan of the pompadour hair style (shaved sides and long top). Also with just a topper would i be able to apply it my self?

 

[Noah]

It won't look goofy; if it's done properly it will look just like your natural hair would have looked if you hadn't lost it. There is no reason why you can't keep a long style, and if you do, blending is not really an issue - it is only relevant with short styles. Having long hair makes it easier rather than more difficult. Of course, you need to get a good match on colour, texture and curl, but that is the job of the manufacturer and is rarely a problem. And yes, you will be able to apply it yourself. You may get it on crooked a few times at the start, but after a few goes you will be able to do it without any effort.

I sent you a PM about your other questions.

 

[FCKW36]

Hey, I have to use this thread because I have the same problem. At the moment I'm using Toppik and it's working fine but earlier or later I will need a hair piece. The problem is, my sides are thinning but I don't want a full cap. Is it possible to wear a topper with thin sides? Maybe with an undercut or something?

Some pics. The biggest problem is the lower part behind my ears.

 

[FCKW36]

no one?

 

[Noah]

Sorry FCKW36, didn't notice your question before.

I would say you definitely have enough sidehair to make a topper work, especially if you are willing to go with an undercut style, which is fashionable at the moment. You would crop your side hair quite short, which conceals the fact that it is thinning, and most of your hairstyle would be created out of the hairpiece hair on top.

Noah

 

[jayjones]

Going off of all this -- I am considering a hair system as well for the top and I have a couple questions

1. If someone wants a straight hairline on a hair system how can the correct curvature be made to fit in with the temple points? Since I am making a custom template I am not sure how to do it. I know there is a curvature to even a norwood 1 hairline, but people with a norwood 1 hairline typically have perfect temples that stick out that blend in with the straight hairline. Since I can no longer wear the hair style that fits with my appearance (pushed back mid pomp) I am seriously thinking to start wearing a hair system before it gets worse and people will know that I made the change. I have included a picture.

2. I have a thin hairline (norwood 3) but everywhere else is very thick. Is it possible to create a template mold without shaving your hair? I don't have long hair but it seems to get an exact measurement even a millimeter off could make everything a disaster -- I would plan to make the template and then check it against measurements made by parting the hair and using a tape measurement and seeing if it was the exact same

Finally I will be able to have thick straight hair with a system and not have to worry much about blending since I know how to cut my own hair and will use an undercut so that my lightly curly hair will not be a contrast on the sides

 

[Noah]

Hi Jayjones

1. Your temples look completely intact to me. Can I ask what age you are though? I am a bit concerned that you are aiming for an unrealistically low hairline, particularly in the first photo. You wouldn't want to look like a wolf man, with hair sprouting out of your forehead. Could you perhaps post a photo in which you are raising your eyebrows?

2. I'm not sure I understand what you are saying here, but yes, you can (and of course should) make a template without shaving. Just slick your hair down with water or gel and work over it. A template doesn't have to be accurate to the last millimetre - just to convey the curvature and the area requiring to be covered.

Noah

 

[jayjones]

Noah thanks for the reply!

I am turning 26. I'm not trying to go too low (just the normal 3 fingers measurement). I have included some more pics to really show how bad this hairline has gotten. Bottom line is that I don't like drugs and I always spent so much time styling my hair that the maintenance of a wig is something that I'd be totally fine with. I included photos of wet and dry hair. I always used to go to bed with styled glued hair so I don't imagine a wig being too much more of a burden.

 

[Noah]

Hi Jayjones, I see more what you mean now. The front inch or so behind your hairline is pretty thin. I have done some doodles of what I think you could do. Example 2 is a straight hairline. I don't think you need to do anything special to fit it in with your temples. Example 1 incorporates a bit of recession, which I think would be more normal for a 26-year-old. But it's your choice: there certainly are some 26-year-old guys who have not experienced any recession, and if a straight hairline is crucial for the hairstyle you want, you go for it.

Noah

 

[jayjones]

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Hi Jayjones, I see more what you mean now. The front inch or so behind your hairline is pretty thin. I have done some doodles of what I think you could do. Example 2 is a straight hairline. I don't think you need to do anything special to fit it in with your temples. Example 1 incorporates a bit of recession, which I think would be more normal for a 26-year-old. But it's your choice: there certainly are some 26-year-old guys who have not experienced any recession, and if a straight hairline is crucial for the hairstyle you want, you go for it.

Noah

Thanks so much for the ideas. Greatly appreciate it. Honestly I am a bit nervous to take the plunge but excited. The hardest part for me is not the stigma, but the fact its someone else's hair. Just gotta simply get over that. A hair transplant is not an option for me due to the fact I will need another one probably within 3-5 years. There's simply not enough donor hair to keep me safe for life. It's an exercise in futility. Couple questions for you.
.
1. Do you think because of the fact that I have so much hair still behind the hairline, will it require any additional maintenance (other than the weekly cleaning, reshaving, etc.) when the shaved hair underneath regrows within that week time? I included some pics for reference.

2. I am considering a full lace piece which will require a gluing of the entire piece, not just edges like on the poly perimeters... you mention full lace allows your scalp to feel wind, water, etc. How can it feel it when there is glue between the scalp and base?

3. In between reattachment sessions, do you feel the need to reglue the hairline part as a touch up in mornings?

 

[Noah]

Hi Jayjones

Yeah I'm the same - transplanting was never going to work for me, because I'm just too bald (don't think I would have done it anyway given the hit-and-miss results you see, but it would have been nice to have the choice). If wearing someone else's hair freaks you out you could opt for synthetic hair I guess. The expensive stuff is very realistic nowadays, but you can't bleach the knots, so you would have to have an injected skin hairline. To your questions:

1. No, I don't think so.

2. You can still feel rain, wind etc. The layer of glue is no different from having a layer of hair gel on your scalp.

3. I always check it in the morning and give it a good tug, but I very rarely have to do a touch-up. Maybe once a month. I do maintenance every week, so the bond is always pretty fresh and tight.

Noah