Yeah I agree with Paul. It really is hard to get a sense of your hair loss. You need to take pictures without the concealer, because most people are gonna say don't get a hair system looking at those. And to understand if you should get a small partial or a regular topper would depend on your hair density and how easy you think it would be to blend in a hair system with your own hair. If most of your hair is really thick, I would probably opt for getting a small crown system, If you think your hair is too thin with concealers and it would be easier for a topper than go that route. U should make the system up to the point of your thickest hair if you are going for a topper. right where u would comb your hair DOWNWARDS in the back of your head is where the piece should end. No point of using up ur thick back hair if not needed.

I think u should send us a pic of ur balding first, than people could get to other questions .. cause depending on what kind of unit you have might depend on the adhesives people would recommend etc.

about the color, you just send in a hair sample, they should be able to match any color.

as far as detectability to the touch. Super fine swiss or a skin system properly attached could be good. If you had a small crown system lets say and u got a skin system for that and it was totally bonded tight to the skin, I would say it would be pretty undetectable to the touch, but it has to be bonded right with no gaps so u can feel the edge.

I honestly never sent in a sample as thick as a pencil. Where your hair is thick before you get your next hair cut, cut from that area. I am sure your hair color is roughly the same on your head no? especially in the back is where your gonna be blending into the piece anyway. I think even half a pencil thickness and an inch long SHOULD be fine but let john answer that.