Deciding on the best toupee one should get can be a challenge for many wearers. There are hundreds of thousands of toupees being sold worldwide every year. How does one select the best toupee for them? There are many factors to consider, but here we’ll provide you a stripped-down version to save you the trouble:

Type of hair

Base material

They both play a pivotal role in the construction, functionality, application, enjoyment, and ease of maintenance of a toupee. With the right knowledge, one can conclude on the type of toupee they need.

Type of Hair

A Complete Guide about Toupees

From the get go, even before the construction of a toupee, the quality of the hair is crucial in determining the type of toupee one should wear. Toupees are created from either human hair or synthetic hair.

Human Hair

It is made from real human hair that is ethically sourced from donors with long healthy hair. The hair goes through an entire rigorous process of screening, cleaning and preparation to create high-quality human hair for the best toupees.

One should always opt for human hair because of the many advantages it has:

It can be styled just like the wearer’s hair.

It is versatile in terms of styling as it can be curled, permed, colored, or use any heat styling tools.

Its natural appearance gives the toupee that immaculate and natural look.

The wearer has more control over the toupee’s appearance.

Comparing with synthetic hair, human hair strands are easier to blend with wearer’s own bio hair.

The quality of human hair gives the hair a soft, shiny, and luscious appearance.

Base Material

A Complete Guide About Toupees

The base material is the most important element in the construction of a toupee. It is the foundation of any toupee where the hair strands are attached to and what lays on the scalp. It plays the biggest role for the wearer in finding the best toupee for them. A toupee wearer should select the base material for their toupee based on: lifestyle, environment, aesthetic preferences (density, curl, hair length, texture), durability, and functionality. Selecting a base material that matches these needs will provide the wearer the ultimate experience with their hair system.

Lace, mono, and skin are the 3 most common base materials for creating the best toupee.

1.Lace

One of the most popular types of base materials in the toupee industry. This is because of its breathability factor. It is made up of a finely knitted mesh material that will seamlessly blend on the wearer’s scalp giving a natural appearance. The mesh fabric has many tiny holes that allow comfort for the wearer. Lace is a soft delicate material. There are 2 types of lace.

French lace – it is a soft, light, breathable and undetectable base material. This makes it great for those who live an active lifestyle or live in a hot environment. The French lace material can be stretched to fit areas of the scalp that are bald and need proper coverage. The front of the French lace is ventilated using single split knots to ensure it has a natural hairline that looks like it is growing from the scalp. The French lace is a relatively thicker fabric than other lace materials so it can take a light to medium density. This lace has a lifespan of 3 to 4 months.

Swiss Lace – In comparison to French lace, Swiss lace is softer, lighter, finer, more delicate, and more undetectable. Just like the French lace, single split knots are used at the front part for a seamless and invisible It is also fantastic for people who like to work out, live an active lifestyle, during the summer weather, medical conditions, or have a sensitive scalp. Nonetheless, it is very delicate fabric that requires to be treated gently. This gives it a short lifespan of 1 to 2 months. It can only take a light density as it can easily tear.

Bleaching the knots at the front is pivotal for the invisible hairline knots one would want from a lace toupee.

Lace is a material that need extra care when toupee glue is used. The honeycomb structure of the lace material allows airflow, however liquid glue melts can penetrate the fabric as well. One must be extremely thorough in the cleaning process.

2.Mono

Mono is short for monofilament. It is the most durable fabric base foundation for toupee hair. It is constructed from a fine grade gauze material that is made up of nylon and polyester.  Attributed to its sturdiness, the mono base can take up heavier densities: from a medium density to heavy density. Mono base is great for wearers who want to have a fuller look. Because of its durability, it has a long lifespan of 6 to 14 months. The sheer fabric of the base makes it soft and comfortable to wear.  However, the fabric is so tightly woven which requires experiences and knowledge for maintenance, therefore it is not recommended for starters.

3.Skin

Skin bases, sometimes referred to wearers as poly bases. This is the most undetectable base material. It is made up of a very thin transparent polyurethane layer. It is a see-through material therefore the skin tone of the wearer’s scalp will reflect on the base giving the illusion that the hair is growing from the scalp. The thickness of poly varies depending on manufacture technique the thinnest material goes as thin as 0.03mm that will perfectly blend into the scalp. The thinness of this material makes the toupee virtually invisible and anyone touching the toupee would think they are touching the wearer’s scalp. The polyurethane material is a smooth surface that is water-resistant and will act as a barrier against sweat or water getting through. This also makes it very easy to clean.

The hair strands are ventilated by v-looped or injected into the skin base. The knotless hairline is invisible and looks extremely natural. With all the intricacy involved in constructing a toupee base, it has become extremely popular. The skin base is slightly delicate and can take on a light to medium density. It has a lifespan of 1 to 3 months, depends on the thinness of poly.

4.Combination

It is very possible to combine different base materials. This provides a better toupee experience. This is because the toupee base combines the advantages of both skin and fabric. A combo base toupee can be more durable, sturdy with a much longer lifespan, breathable, easy-to-maintain, or can hold a heavier density.

Toupee Color

It is very easy to overlook the impact of hair color for men has on the wearer. Hair color for men can draw attention to the face. Hair color for men is an important aspect in ensuring the toupee looks good when worn. Part of creating the best toupee for men is considering how to choose a color for men. You always want to choose a toupee color that matches the color of the natural hair, so it can blend nicely to give the visual the toupee hair is part of the rest of the hair. It is always advisable for all to entrust the toupee manufacturer with the coloring process of the toupee hair which they will do during the production process.

How To Choose a Color for The Toupee

The hair color for men and their skin tone has a dramatic effect on the outcome. An outstanding toupee manufacturer will have an extensive catalog of colors available for clients to choose from. The supplier should be able to customize colors to cater to the client’s color specifications. To make sure the hair color on toupee matches wearer’s bio hair, it is always recommended to send samples of their hair to the manufacturer for custom orders.

When finding the right hair color for men, use a toupee color ring from manufacturer is always the best option. It comes in letters and numbers with a color description which represents a color code that is a scale range developed by hair manufacturers based on toupee hair colors. This provides samples for toupee distributors, wholesalers, and hair clinics to match hair colors and the toupee hair wearers can use it to choose a color accurately.

Color Range Description

Black colors – 1 to 1b

Brown colors – 2 to 12

Blonde colors – 14 to 26

Platinum colors – 22 to 23 (some range from 101 to 104)

Blonde and platinum colors – 613

The greys – 34-60

Vibrant reds 130 to 134

Lighting and hair texture make the hair color look differently on a toupee. Always view color in natural lighting as it can look different in different light settings.

Hair color for men on a toupee can fade or look less vibrant for varying reasons:

Over Washing – washing your hair system too often makes hair color fade faster than normal.

Hot water – use of hot water causes toupee hair color fade fast as hot water will gradually strip out the vibrant color of the hair. Also, hot water will dry out toupee hair, leaving it brittle and dull, causing damage. Hot water can also damage the base of the toupee.

UV damage- overexposing the hair system to the harmful sun causes discoloration of the toupee’s hair. When toupee hair has prolonged exposed to UVA and UVB, the light damages hair cuticles, turns your toupee color into a red-orange hue color.

Harsh chemicals- especially found in shampoos and conditioners can strip out the vibrant hair color over time.

I.Y hair coloring not done professionally will not last as a lot of care and technique is needed in dyeing the toupee. Rely on a hair expert to dye your hair system.

Always recommend a toupee wearer to consult with a toupee expert when choosing the right color for them.

Toupee Density Chart:

Extra light density – 60%           Light density -80%

These are densities that are suited for men who have naturally fine hair or a lower density with their own natural hair.

Light to medium density- 100%

Those whose hair is not as fine but is not thick at all.

Medium density- 120%

Most men fall under this category. It is the most popular and the average hair density on men’s heads. It is not too thin and not too thick. The majority of new toupee hair wearers are comfortable with this density.

Medium heavy density – 140%

A toupee density for men who naturally have a fuller head. The toupee density will provide more fullness and volume to the overall look without being too much. People in their 20 to 40s who have always wanted to finally add a lot more density to their hair.

Heavy density 160%

It is a very full toupee. Very few people will have a natural, very full head of hair. It needs to be used strategically for optimal use. Mostly used in theatre performances as part of the stage costume.

If one is looking for a specific density to fit with the desired toupee style, the manufacturer should be able to customize a toupee to meet the specific density needs of the wearer. This is obvious but it is important to mention that toupee density is irreversible; if toupee hair sheds or is damaged, the density decreases. Only the manufacturer can restore the toupee’s density.