How Do You Style and Apply a Hair Topper
As non-surgical hair loss solutions continue advancing, hair toppers have emerged as a versatile option for discreetly concealing thinning or balding patches. By blending your natural strands with premium undetectable toppers, you can achieve a wide array of stylish looks hiding any sparseness. But with so many quality toppers on the market, how do you select and wear one providing the most seamless finish? Let's explore the top tips to style a apply a hair topper.
Related Read: Best Human Hair Toppers 2023
What are Toppers Made of?
Hair toppers are made from monofilament, lace or a silk base. The base can vary in different sizes, they can be it can be 1.3”x3”, 5”x5”, 10”x10” and anywhere in between. They also can come in different lengths , and different thicknesses as well. Hair toppers are usually hand-made by workers. A hair topper usually takes about two weeks to create, it can be parted in any direction and it looks very natural.
How to Style and Apply a Hair Topper
Choosing the Right Topper Type
Quality toppers come in synthetic, human hair or heat-friendly fibers. For blending in optimally, many prefer natural human hair toppers allowing heat styling just like bio hair. While synthetics maintain styles without added effort, human hair matches your strands texture-wise. Monofilament toppers lay the most natural whereas lace styles suit close-cut hair.
Part, crown or frontal shaping toppers target specific loss areas. Measure your sparse zones to determine size. Wider circumferences suit advanced lossstages. Regarding density, try medium for moderate thinning, light for subtle coverage or dense if bold fullness hides loss better.
Ensure Color Blending
Hair toppers arrive in a rainbow of shades to match all natural hair colors. The closer the match, the less detectable your topper appears. But professional coloring your roots slightly darker than the topper could camouflage differences. You may also find customizing your topper helps.
Conversely, rather than hiding loss, toppers let you experiment with vibrant shades impractical for natural hair. So don't feel confined - let your topper unleash creativity!
Find Your Styling Match
As with bio hair, texture impacts how styles set. So consider toppers blending with your hair type - is it straight, wavy or curly? Straight synthetic toppers stay sleek all day whereas curly human hair takes hot tools. Monofilament lace adds polish or monofilament pieces let you rough dry loosely. Know your styling strengths to find the compatible topper.
Prep Your Hair
Before wearing your topper, backcomb thin areas slightly using a teasing comb. This gives fuller coverage where needed. Apply firm hold fibers like Toppik to disguise any baldness, blending well for a natural effect. Spritz with volumizing spray inside layers and at hairline after clipping for extra body.
Positioning
Identify the optimal placement for your topper. Depending on its style and your desired look, toppers can be placed at the crown to add volume or toward the front to create a natural hairline. Once you've found the ideal position, use the clips or other attachment methods to secure the topper in place. Ensure that it sits snugly against your scalp and blends seamlessly with your natural hair.
Blending
Gently blend your natural hair with the topper hair to create a cohesive look. Use a comb or your fingers to blend the hair at the parting, ensuring a seamless transition between your natural hair and the topper. Adjust the position as needed to achieve a natural appearance.
How Are Hair Toppers Different From Wigs?
Size of base - Hair toppers have a smaller base that is meant to blend with existing hair, while wigs have a larger base that covers the entire head. Toppers are often lace front or monofilament style bases.
Application method - Hair toppers use clips or tape to attach to natural hair. Wigs use an entire cap that fits around the head. This means toppers don't cover all existing hair.
Blending ability - Because toppers have a smaller base and use clips/tape, they are designed to blend seamlessly with natural hair around the attachment area. Wigs provide full coverage so blending is not the goal.
Movement - Typically toppers will move more naturally with your bio hair since your natural hair is still showing around the perimeter and blended in. Wigs can sometimes look more like a separate piece.
Coverage area - Toppers are intended to provide coverage or fullness in specific thinning areas, like a part or crown. Wigs offer coverage for the entire head.
Level of hair loss - Toppers are best for beginning to moderate hair loss. Wigs are preferable for advanced stages when little natural hair remains.
How Do I Wash and Care for My Hair Toppers?
Wash every 2-4 weeks or as needed depending on wear. Toppers don't collect scalp oils like natural hair.
Use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo formulated for wigs/toppers. Look for moisturizing oils that won't dry out fibers.
Wash by massaging shampoo into the topper fibers with your fingertips - avoid rubbing or twisting.
For synthetic toppers, rinse thoroughly then run under warm water while squeezing out excess moisture. Air dry.
For human hair/heat friendly tops, condition after washing then rinse. Use a hairdryer on cool setting while shaping with a round brush if desired.
Weekly or biweekly, use a nourishing deep conditioner treatment to keep fibers soft between washes.
Gently brush through fibers 1-2x/week with a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush to remove tangles.
Store on a mannequin head or wig stand between wears to retain shape without crushing fibers.
Protect from chlorine, saltwater or other elements by rinsing with fresh water after swimming activities.