Need Some Help Understanding Toupees Vs Women's Wigs

[Frank42]

There's something I don't understand about Toupee's and women's wigs. Why is it that when men need a "wig", they get a toupee, a type of wig that needs to be glued to the head of the man, yet when a woman needs a wig, they simply get a wig that can just be put on without glue. Is there a reason for this?

I don't understand why we wear toupee's and not just women's wigs, if they are much easier to wear?

Another thing I don't understand is why wigs are only advertised for women. Why don't they sell men's versions? Or just call them unisex. Is womens hair that different from mens?

Why I ask is because I am strongly heading in the direction of a hair system of some kind, but my sides and back are disgustingly thin, so I'm not sure a toupee would work for me, and may need to go for a full wig. But I can barely find any information on wigs for males. Why is this?

Any guys on here that wear women's wigs?

Thanks.

 

[Armando Jose]

I am with you, protesis are good not only for women

 

[Noah]

Hi Frank

I think the main difference is that women are usually putting a wig on as a cosmetic addition over their real hair. They are not that fussed about whether it looks believable, and they are going to take it off at the end of the evening. Men's hair systems ("toupees" if you will) are usually prosthetic rather than cosmetic. Many men wear them semi-permanently for 2 weeks +, and often they are not public about doing so. They shave their head under the system and the system becomes their hair.

You can buy men's wigs, but anything you are pulling on over your remaining real hair is not going to look very realistic or be very comfortable for long term wear. Similarly, women who wear hair because they have lost their real hair (perhaps because of chemotherapy) tend to use a full cap hair system rather than a pull-on wig.

So that's it really. If you just want a hair hat to pull on, buy a man's wig. But if you want a semi-permanent hair replacement which is going to take the place of the hair you lost, buy a hair system. If your hairloss is so extensive that you have to replace your side hair as well as the top, buy a full cap hair system. That said, there are some parts of your natural hair that are hard to replace with a prosthetic, including the hair on the back your neck below the bony ridge, and your sideburns and temples. It is better to use your real hair in those areas if you can, and just replace the rest. Even if your side hair is thin, it can still be enough to support a hair system/toupee if you go for an undercut style, where the sides are cut short.

 

[BaldBearded]

The main difference between a wig and a toupe (or hair system) is in its' construction. A wig is generally a cap of stretchable fabric in which wefts of hair are attached. A wig may have a lace-front which is glued or taped to the scalp to mimic a natural hairline, most are just help on by pressure.

They don't stay on during swimming (or any other activity that may dislodge it) and are not meant to be kept on for long periods of time. They are also not known to be particularly comfortable and are usually worn on top of a stocking cap.

There is enough information on this forum of how a hair system is constructed.

 

[cottonReville]

Women of color often wear wigs - lace-front wigs - which would, I think, look ridiculous on a man.

The density is different - far higher in women's hair systems than in men's.

As noted by @BaldBearded, a good woman's wig has lace in the front, which is taped or glued to the scalp, and is worn for a period of a few days.