Hello folks - another newbie here with newbie questions. I've been considering a hairpiece for 3 years now & I still can't make a decision. Here's my story:

I started losing hair 10 years ago, at age 20. My hairloss has been stable since starting Propecia 8 years ago. I still have quite a lot of hair, but the loss is in a Norwood 5 diffuse pattern. With enough concealer it looks close to a full head of hair - albeit a whispy, lifeless head of hair that can only be styled one very lousy way and can't deal with wind, rain or sweat.

The obvious choice would be to try a piece and if I don't like it, shave my head & wait for it to grow back out. But I have an aggressive hair transplant at the hairline and if my hair is less than 3 inches long, there's a visible gap between my transplanted and real hair. So if I shave the top of my head & decide I don't like wearing, I have to spend 3 months parading around a very obvious transplant.

In short, I'm in two minds as to whether to try one of these things. If anyone can offer answers to the following I'd be really appreciative:

#1.) Is there any way to try a hairpiece without shaving my existing hair? In hairpiece terms, my remaining natural hair is about 35% density, about 3 inches in length.

#2.) Anyone have any idea on how badly a hairpiece effects existing hair? I'm going to Morocco for 8 weeks in October and I'm tempted to try one then…but I'm concerned that if I decide against it, my existing hair will be damaged/further receded.

#3.) My other option is a second FUE transplant, but because I have a diffuse loss pattern I don't think I'd get the results I want. Furthermore, I'm worried that if I thin out my donor area with FUE it'll make for a worse look with a hairpiece down the track. So, how much better does a topper look if your natural side hair is thicker?

#4.) I know there are a lot of different opinions on this, but how much could I expect to get away with before others noticed I was wearing a piece? I'm guessing girlfriends are going to figure it out(?). How about workmates I work with under fluoro lights 8 hours/day? Seeing as I have a fair bit of existing hair (and they only ever see it with concealers), what are my chances of going unspotted?


Many thanks - I've really appreciated browsing through this forum; it's helped me a lot. Any suggested sincerely appreciated.

(07-30-2011, 01:12 AM)allegorymax Wrote: #1.) Is there any way to try a hairpiece without shaving my existing hair? In hairpiece terms, my remaining natural hair is about 35% density, about 3 inches in length.

You might be able to get a feel for what it will be like that way, but you probably won't get the full effect of how it's going to be until you shave and cut/blend the piece and break it in and wear it.

(07-30-2011, 01:12 AM)allegorymax Wrote: #2.) Anyone have any idea on how badly a hairpiece effects existing hair?

There's no way that constant tapes and glues are that good for the remaining hair over time... but you should be fine for a relatively short time.

(07-30-2011, 01:12 AM)allegorymax Wrote: #4.) I know there are a lot of different opinions on this, but how much could I expect to get away with before others noticed I was wearing a piece? I'm guessing girlfriends are going to figure it out(?). How about workmates I work with under fluoro lights 8 hours/day? Seeing as I have a fair bit of existing hair (and they only ever see it with concealers), what are my chances of going unspotted?

As long as your design, density, and cut are good- and you're careful and do your maintenance, it's definitely possible to be unspotted by most casual friends, casual dates, and coworkers. More serious girlfriends will know because you should probably tell them (though this is USUALLY not as big of a deal as some guys fear).