What Is a Toupee? What to Know About Hair Hairpieces for Men

Men Googling “What is a toupee?” often find comically bad hairpieces from decades past in their image results, but toupees have come a long way in recent years.

Toupees are small hairpieces that cover balding areas of the head. Like hair extensions, they’re meant to seamlessly blend with your existing hair to create a realistic-looking, financially viable fix for hair loss or thin hair.

What is a toupee for? One of the biggest advantages of wearing a toupee is the ability to conceal the appearance of baldness. However, toupees also have several drawbacks, and they don’t actually treat hair loss.

We’ll cover what toupees are, how they work, and who they’re best for. We’ll also share some alternatives, if you decide it’s not for you.

A toupee is a small type of hairpiece, usually made of artificial fibers or real human hair. It’s designed to be worn on the crown (top of the scalp) to cover areas affected by hair loss.

The English term toupee comes from the French toupet, which refers to a tuft of hair. During the 18th century, toupees evolved from realistic hairpieces to exaggerated devices that featured padding, cushions, and wireframes to create the appearance of incredible hair volume.

Today, toupees are marketed under various names — including hair replacement systems, hair systems, and non-surgical hair replacement systems. Modern iterations do a much better job of blending seamlessly with your natural hair. 

Men’s toupees are sometimes called toppers, especially small hairpieces just for the crown.

Toupees are typically made with either French or Swiss lace. Swiss lace tends to be a thinner style and is typically used for lace-front toupees, while French lace is a more durable style for men’s wigs and might be easier to use for a first-time toupee wearer. 

A toupee for men is a type of small wig or hairpiece usually worn to cover up a bald spot on the scalp. Most toupees are made from real or synthetic hair and are worn at the scalp’s crown — the area at the top of the head that’s often prone to hair loss from male pattern baldness. 

Toupees may be secured with adhesive or attached to a lock of hair in several places to keep them from moving. Then you can blend the toupee hair with your existing hair.

Compared to traditional wigs, toupees are smaller and made to fit more loosely to cover areas affected by hair thinning or baldness.

Toupees are typically attached with adhesive, which can stick to your scalp for three to six weeks at a time. But some men may take them off at night and replace them in the morning.

The biggest, most obvious advantage of wearing a toupee is that it covers up the fact that you’re balding.

Male pattern baldness (also known as androgenetic alopecia) is a common problem affecting around half of all men by the time they reach their 40s. Many guys even develop premature hair loss in their 20s, which can be an extremely distressing, confidence-killing experience.

Since toupees cover up baldness and signs of hair thinning, they offer an easy option for hiding diffuse thinning (hair loss all over the head) or a bald patch without serious intervention.

This can make wearing a human hair wig or toupee a good choice if you’re interested in hiding your hair loss while in public but don’t want to commit to other treatments, like using medication or getting hair transplant surgery.

A solid, good-quality hairpiece can definitely help you conceal your hair loss problems. When fitted and cared for properly, it would take a real professional to be able to tell where your real hair ends and your hairpiece begins.

Toupees don’t require a prescription, they come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re relatively inexpensive.

On the other hand, toupees for men have several drawbacks.

While wearing a men’s hairpiece offers certain advantages, it isn’t a treatment for hair loss. Although it’ll cover up the fact that you’re balding, it’s only exactly that — a disguise.

This means your hair loss might still worsen over time — even if it looks better, thanks to your toupee.

There’s also the inconvenience of applying adhesive to your fake hair every three to six weeks and trying to fit it onto your scalp. 

Finally, when it comes to actually “treating” male pattern baldness, toupees only offer temporary results. Unlike hair loss medications or surgery, once you remove your toupee, you’ll still be affected by baldness that may become more severe over time.

A convincing hair toupee can be somewhat pricey, both to purchase and to have fitted professionally.

Toupees can range in price from less than $100 to several thousand dollars.

As a general rule, the more convincing a toupee looks, the more it’ll cost. You know what they say: Good ain’t cheap and cheap usually ain’t good.

While a natural-looking toupee can appear almost identical to natural hair, a bad toupee can miss the mark. So more expensive options will usually deliver better results.

A good-quality toupee will need to be fitted by a specialist to match your scalp, unlike less expensive, off-the-shelf wigs for hair loss. 

As with natural hair, you’ll need to clean and condition your toupee to keep it looking its best. You’ll also need to keep hair adhesive on hand. Over time, these hair maintenance products can add up.

Bad toupees can stand out in several ways.

Common signs of a bad toupee include:

• Not matching your hair color. If you wear a toupee, it’s important for it to match your natural hair color as closely as possible. Any contrast in hair color can make it obvious where your natural hair ends and the toupee begins.

• Having an artificial texture. High-quality toupees are often made from human hair. One of the most common signs of a bad hairpiece for men is an artificial texture and appearance, which can happen with synthetic toupees.

• Adding too much hair density. If your hair is thinning, wearing a toupee that gives you a full head of hair can make things up top look awkward and unnatural. A good-quality toupee should look as natural as possible, which means matching your natural level of hair coverage and choosing the appropriate hairstyle.

• Looking “too perfect.” Very few 50-year-olds have the natural hairline of a 20-year-old man. Bad men’s hair systems often provide a perfect Norwood 1 hairline, which can look unnatural if you’re in your 40s, 50s, or older. 

Contrary to popular belief, hair loss isn’t just something that affects older men. According to research published in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, 16 percent of men aged 18 to 29 are affected by moderate to extensive hair loss.

If you’re among this group of men and toupees just aren’t your thing, you have other options. Possible alternatives include:

• Finasteride

• Minoxidil

• Hair transplant surgery 

• Following a well-balanced diet

Keep scrolling for details.

Finasteride

Oral finasteride is a prescription-only, FDA-approved medication that works by blocking dihydrotestosterone, or DHT — an androgenic hormone that can damage hair follicles and prevent them from creating new hairs.

Our guide to DHT and hair loss goes into more detail about how this hormone is created, as well as the effects it can have on your hair if you’re genetically prone to male pattern baldness.

Numerous studies have found that finasteride is effective at stopping hair loss from male pattern baldness and stimulating hair regrowth.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a group of over 1,200 men given finasteride experienced a more than 15 percent increase in scalp hair count around the crown over the course of the two-year treatment.

That efficacy has some staying power. In a 10-year study of finasteride carried out in Japan, more than 99 percent of men who took finasteride experienced no further hair loss. And 91.5 percent showed noticeable improvements in their hair.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil’s exact mechanism of action still isn’t fully understood. But it’s believed to promote consistent hair growth by increasing blood flow to the scalp and causing hair follicles to enter into their anagen (growth) phase early.

Several clinical trials have found that minoxidil works wonders for men who suffer from hair loss. In one study, about 84 percent of men with male pattern hair loss who used minoxidil for 12 months rated it as either very effective, effective, or moderately effective at stimulating hair regrowth.

Hair Transplant Surgery

If you’re dealing with a noticeable bald patch at your crown or an obvious receding hairline you’d like to fill in with hair, you might consider hair transplant surgery.

This procedure involves surgically transplanting hair follicles from the back and sides of the scalp (areas that aren’t normally affected by male pattern baldness) to your hairline, crown, or other areas with noticeable thinning.

Several methods are used to perform this procedure, each with different costs, advantages, and disadvantages. One thing we can tell you in advance is that none of them are very cost-effective.

Following a Well-Balanced Diet

The old saying “You are what you eat” really holds true, especially when it comes to prioritizing hair health.

Protein filaments called keratin are the building blocks of hair. If you want to support your hair health and maintain a manly mane, add plenty of quality protein sources like poultry and fish to your diet.

Aside from bumping up your protein intake, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables can offer a number of benefits. These ingredients are packed with vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal hair health, and they can help strengthen the hair you still have.

Our list of foods to eat for hair growth has more specific tips and ideas.

What is a toupee? It’s a small hairpiece made to conceal a bald patch on a man’s head. But the hairpieces available today are a long way away from your father’s toupee — that’s for sure.

Thinking about using a hairpiece to feel like your best, most handsome self while you sort out a more permanent hair loss treatment plan? Here’s what you should take away from this article:

• Most modern toupees for men can look convincing when fitted properly, but they can be costly and inconvenient to deal with daily.

• If you want to treat hair loss, you’ll likely get better results by using evidence-based, FDA-approved hair loss medications such as finasteride or minoxidil. These medications are backed by real scientific evidence showing improvements in almost every aspect of your hair health, from growth to overall coverage.

If you’re ready to add a hair loss treatment to your daily routine, Hims offers finasteride online as part of our range of hair loss medications, following a consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate for you.

We also offer minoxidil online, either on its own as a topical solution or with finasteride and biotin gummies in our Hair Power Pack.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.