(06-16-2010, 12:51 AM)ToplaceUSA Wrote: I received this photo yesterday. The guy is currently wearing a topper. He was wondering if he should just shave his sides and go with a full cap. I think his sides are thin but still workable. I know a lot of guys they get to this point and the hair loss stabilizes. I don't think he's ready for a full cap---not yet. But he needs to go with a light density to match his sides and back. Your thoughts?

A person is ready for a full cap when he/she either:

a) Does not have enough natural hair to work with

or

b) Gets to the point where blending and color match are too much of a hassle

Almost anyone who has tried a full cap will tel you that despite a few drawbacks, it shouldn't always be looked at as a last resort.

If I were consulting him my first question would be "Are you happy with the results you are getting with a partial unit?" If the answer to that were anything but "YES!", my second question would be "What issues are you having with a partial unit that you would like to solve?"

Most people who are asking about a full cap are asking about it for a reason. Often it has to do with their existing hair being too thin, but a lot of people are attracted to the idea of going with a full cap for other reasons, such as:

1) No blending/color match required, and no potential for blending/color lines

2) No need for maintenance cuts

3) More flexibility to be able to craft exactly the kind of hair you want

4) Ease of styling, ease of maintaining realistic look, more realistic look in the morning

And last, but maybe most important for the younger guys-

5) Less stigma is attached to replacing all of your hair than with a traditional "toupee"

That's right, a lot of people (myself included) feel a greater sense of freedom wearing a full cap.

To sum it up-

I believe that this gentleman could still fairly easily pull off a partial unit. However....if he is asking questions which means that he is beginning to have some "issues" that he is hoping to address.

If he were new I would say start with a partial and see how it works for you. Since he knows what is involved with a partial, I would advise him to give a full cap a try. After all, what is the worst case? He can grow the sides back and go back to a partial at any time.