A toupee for men is a type of small wig or hairpiece that’s usually worn to cover up a bald spot on your 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.
The 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.
People in the olden days were weird as hell.
Today, toupees are marketed under various names — including “hair systems” and “non-surgical hair replacement systems” — and are designed to blend seamlessly with your natural hair.
Compared to traditional wigs, toupees are smaller and made to fit more loosely to cover areas affected by hair thinning or baldness. These men’s hair systems are typically attached with adhesive and can stick to your scalp for three to six weeks at a time.
Toupees are typically made with either French or Swiss lace. Swiss lace tends to be a thinner style and is typically used to lace front toupees, while French lace is a more durable style for men’s wigs and is easier to use for a first-time toupee wearer.
Advantages of Using a Hair Toupee
The biggest, most obvious advantage of wearing a toupee is that it covers up the fact that you’re balding.
Since toupees cover up baldness and signs of hair thinning, they offer an easy option for hiding diffuse thinning 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 when you’re in public but don’t want to commit to other treatments, like using medication or getting something like hair transplant surgery.