How to Pick the Perfect Topper
Shown: Raquel Welch Gilded 12" Human Hair (Topper)
Today I want to share some simple tips on narrowing down the BEST top piece. Alternative hair, whether a wig or topper is a great way to enhance your look! Plus, they can be super convenient and make you look & feel beautiful. You deserve to look and feel good! If great hair gets you one step closer to feeling good about yourself, then it's worth every penny!
When we look our best it helps us to feel our best. Here are some easy steps to leading you to the perfect Top Piece. Here we go!
- CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF COVERAGE YOU NEED.
When deciding if a topper or full wig is best I suggest first taking into consideration the amount of thinning hair or balding you currently have. Is it beginning, mid/progressive or advanced?
Also, ask yourself are you experiencing the hair loss in the front/fringe, crown, part or throughout.
Measure the area you want to cover. It is important to stop and start your measuring in an area with a sufficient amount of hair. We want to make sure there is enough hair to clip into and not cause added stress on your biological hair. Take a fabric measuring tape and measure from front to back and side to side, write down your measurements.
- CHOOSE THE TOPPER
Sounds simple right? There is a large selection of sizes, fiber, construction and lengths. To help the process we’re going to break it down with four simple questions to ask yourself. These five questions should help you narrow down the options and find the perfect topper:
Use your front to back and side to side measurements to find the best base size. When searching online the toppers will list the base dimensions. One example is the Amore Long Mono Top #752 has a base size of 5.25” x 5.75”, this means the width is 5.25” and the height is 5.75”. It will also give a dimension for the length of the hair. This piece is 18” long. One thing to note is if the length of the hair is too long you can always have it trimmed by a professional or hair stylist that has worked with alternative hair.
B. What type of cap construction do I want?
There are a number of different types of construction for a Top Piece: Regular, Monofilament/Hand Tied, Lace Front and Double Monofilament. (See our Glossary for information on what these terms mean.) The most natural look and feel is the Monofilament/Hand Tied or 100% Hand Tied. Each hair is pulled through the top of the cap to look and feel like natural hair. Below I’ve included pictures of each cap construction for you to reference.
MONOFILAMENT CAP CONSTRUCTION (Aspen CHU-005)
DOUBLE MONOFILAMENT CAP CONSTRUCTION (Amore #752)
REGULAR CAP CONSTRUCTION (Noriko Berlin)
100% HAND TIED with LACE FRONT (Ellen Wille Close)
There are 3 options: Human Hair, Synthetic, or Heat Friendly. Human Hair will have the most natural feel, has the longest longevity of fibers and can be styled with heat. Synthetic is convenient, cost efficient and doesn’t require much upkeep but it cannot by styled with heat tools or it will ruin the fibers. Synthetic has memory to hold its style even after a wash. Heat Friendly is similar to the synthetic but able to be styled with heat tools. It doesn’t have the longevity of human hair but will be less expensive than human hair.
In the description of the Top Piece it will list the length of the hair. Top pieces range from short, mid, & long in length. I usually recommend finding something similar to your current length of hair but styles can be altered by a professional stylist to achieve your desired length or layers. It is better to go longer if you would like to alter it.
There are so many helpful ways to narrow down the correct color. I suggest sticking within a few shades of your natural color. There are those lucky few that can go from the dark browns to platinum blondes. I’m not one of them but I have met ladies that can do it very gracefully! Dark roots can be a help for a natural look in the lighter colors. There are helpful color charts listed next to each style on our site, although the pictures can vary in color due to how the picture was taken, lighting or screen quality so another option is a color ring. A color ring is helpful to see the color in-person, and at NameBrandWigs.com you can purchase a color ring, and then return it within 60 days for a full refund, or keep it if you’d like for future reference! After doing the color research I like to bounce color ideas off the color experts at Name Brand Wigs. They help confirm that the color I’ve narrowed down to is fitting for me. See our "Find Your Match!" blog post.
Have you ever shopped alone wishing there was a friend to give you an honest opinion on the outfit you were trying on? Yeah, you’re not alone. Skip scrolling the web for hours and hours, day after day, and feel free to give us a call, text message, email or online chat! We have plenty of ways to connect you with the support you deserve. Our friendly staff is here to assist you in finding a good fit! Our website also has a helpful way to narrow your selection into the choices you’ve made from Step 2: Choose the Topper.
Don't wait to try a topper or wig! If you feel insecure about how your hair looks, there is a solution and a way to help you feel confident in your appearance. It will transform the way you feel about yourself! There are options in helping with all stages of hair loss so don't live your life feeling less than absolutely amazing about yourself! Let us know if you have any questions or comments. We’d love to hear from you!
Have a lovely day!
Emily