You know when you had your own hair, the oily substance(sebum I think) that comes out of your scalp that gave your hair its shine, moisture, and hold? If your wearing a piece, how do you still benefit from it, isn't the hair going to to look dull, dry, and all over the place like those wigs?

Simple answer---you don`t benefit from it, which is why dryness /brittleness need to be held at bay by using leave-in conditioners and not shampoo the hair too often. Those scalp-oils can also interfere with bonding materials when you`re doing a re-bond of your system...a wipe-over of the scalp with an alcohol-soaked cotton pad will remove any traces of such oils and helps scalp hygiene too... then your tape/ glue can really grip the scalp-skin. A daily spritz with water and using a good leave-in conditioner or even a little Brylcreem onto / into damp hair will help mimic what happens when a person has all their own hair and it`s lubricated with the oils emanating from the scalp.

Would you say the use of such products is as good as, better, or worse than natural scalp oil for shine, moisture, manageability, and overall good looks?

Nothing is as good as Mother -nature ..anything which we ` design` to mimic natural oils, will always be second-best in my opinion.

Jojoba oil is the closest natural oil to our own sebum.
It has been used for centuries as a conditioner for hair and skin.
The secret to using this oil, which is in fact a wax substance, is to use a very,very small amount as too much will compromise the bond,as will too much of any conditioning product.
I personally use jojoba oil and find it does a great job in keeping the hair from drying out.
A quick google search will tell you all you need to know.

@Paul: Can't argue that. I guess what I was meaning to ask was how much realism am I giving up? Is it a significant difference to where I can't look like I have a healthy, well kept, attractive head of hair? Maybe this is the best way of asking: Although it's 2nd best, how far behind am I from the guy with a natural head? Would it look clearly inferior standing next to that person? I'm 20 years old so I'm concerned.

@LTB: Does it smell? Would about stuff like wax works, pomade, etc?

NoHairNoFair,

Some wearers complain that their systems arrive with hair that looks TOO healthy and ask how to matt down the shine.
Once styling and grooming products are applied, the sheen or dullness is masked.

I take it you're not a wearer yet because if you were, you'd appreciate that this is likely to be very low on your list of issues regarding wearing.
Initially, there are much bigger hurdles to overcome!

If systems were to look ` inferior` to a person with all their own hair, well, not many of us would wear..what makes a system more `obvious` to my mind is inappropriate density -- a topper needs to carry more of less the same density as the remaining growing-hair in order not to be obvious as a system... in the case of a Fullcap, particularly on more mature guys, a lighter density is best..no point in a fifty year-old having hair as ` strong` as a man in his early twenties. Crucially, the skill of the person styling the system can mean the difference between being obvious and not...also the ventilator who made the system in the first place...some make a better job of it than others.....we`ll always be at the mercy of those variable factors...... so, to go back to your original concern, there are a myriad of products you can use to give shine /seal in moisture and provide lustre to the hair ---- many pomades and other such things can and do build up on hair and you end up shampooing too often, which in turn contributes to more dryness and lightening of the colour.... you can try LTB`s suggestion but remember [as he has stated] the trick with SO many products is not to go overboard with them, or you`ll defeat the purpose... I keep my routine simple....mist regularly with water, shampoo infrequently, and use a leave-in conditioner [again-- not huge amounts !] Hope that clarifies things for you !

Seriously? Have you not looked at any of the photos of the amazing results many get around here? Natural oils are the least of your worries. The majority of people you see with dry frizzed out "wiggy" looking hair are NOT wearing a piece. They just have dry frizzed out hair.

Much ado about nothing.