The Back to Basics series will provide help and advice to women who are new to hair loss and alternative hair. In this first post and video, Georgina will explain what a hair topper actually is!
So… what is a hair topper?
Hair toppers are designed for anyone with thinning hair – in particular, at the top, crown and sides of your head. The only requirement to wear a topper is that you have enough of your own hair. You cannot wear toppers if you are completely bald.
I have a medical form of hair loss called androgenetic alopecia (also called female pattern baldness) and so my hair has diffuse thinning across the top half of my head. It is particularly thin at the front and parting, but also at the crown and sides.
You don’t have to have medical hair loss to wear a topper! They can be used to give extra volume, for a glamorous up-do, to cover up grey roots or just to make thin hair look thicker.
Toppers are similar to wigs, but they cover less of your head. A wig is generally held onto your head by a band, whereas most types of topper clip into your own hair using pressure-sensitive clips.
To wear a topper you must have some of your own hair to attach the topper to. Generally, you will blend the topper together with your own hair. But if your own hair is very fine or straggly, you can buy toppers that are very thick and will cover most of your hair.
You can buy human hair toppers, synthetic fibre (plastic) toppers and also a mix of the two. There are also standard synthetics (which can't go near heat) and heat-friendly synthetics that can be styled up to a certain temperature.
Watch my YouTube video (below) to find out more about what a hair topper is.
You can watch more Back to Basics videos, reviews of branded toppers and wigs, and general advice on alternative hair on the Her Hair My Head YouTube channel.
