Hello everyone, new poster but quite a long term lurker here.

After so many years trying to conceal and thicken and maintain etc etc I've decided to go for it and get a partial hairpiece.

Id be so grateful if anyone could answer a few questions for me!

1) I want a partial hairpiece to sit behind the hairline,to bulk up the forelock and restore the points on each side- essentially a U-shape if looking from the back to front,do I go for a custom or cut it from a topper to suit my needs?

2)I would guess sending in a hair sample would be best to achieve the best colour match?

3)My hair has always been very fine but I still have strong hair around the sides and back and forelock, i REALLY need help deciding what density to go for, any ideas?

4)I would imagine blowdrying and therefore the heat would do damage to the lace/system but what about on a low setting? Just wondering if i can keep it on to both wash my hair and to dry.

Ok so here are some pictures, anything I can do to help explain myself better please do say!

many thanks!

I'm guessing from the pics that you're still fairly young. Dude, you're going to be so happy. What you're dealing with right now is in some ways worse than being flat out bald.

Either of the options you mentioned will work. But you're going to need a template whether you're cutting a stock system on your own or ordering a custom partial. There's a "how to" tutorial on the TopLace website that will show you how to make a template. Just pop the thing on your head and draw the hairline that you want. Draw it and you WILL have it. And if you are young, as I've speculated, don't be afraid to lower that hairline in the middle by an inch or so.

I will throw one last thing out: you're thinning all over, so you might want to think about shaving the entire top and going with a conventional topper. I guarantee it's easier than what you're planning to do. But, in the end, it's whatever makes you comfortable. You can get outstanding results either way.

Best of luck. You'll be glad you did this.

Edit: I just re-read your post and it sounds like you're wanting to integrate your existing forelock with a system that begins behind your existing hairline in the center. Dude, it can be done, but it's more difficult. I would urge you to either get a partial that runs in front of your existing hairline (that's what I was referring to when I suggested you lower your hairline a little) and then curves around to fill the receding areas in the temples, OR just shave off the forelock all the way back to an area that is still pretty thick and work with a partial going forward. It's just an opinion, but I see no point in trying to integrate seriously thinning hair. It's going to be gone eventually, so you might as well shave the crappy stuff off and put some good stuff up there right now. Again, just an opinion. And I'd seriously consider shaving even more, if I were you, and going with a conventional topper. An added advantage to that is you wouldn't have to worry about matching density with your already thinning top hair if you went that route. Your side hair looks great, so I think the blending process would be pretty simple for you.

In order to really help with density we would need to see your side hair - the hair you highlight in the photos is the hair you are shaving off - except for the very front. But I do get a sense that you have an excellent density on the sides so... on first look I would recommend 65% sides and 55%-60% front.

Why so low?

Remember, you need to worry about transition (from no piece to piece) and I am not sure if you posted a pic showing what you look like with concealers.

So my density recommendation is based on you not wanting to walk into work on Monday looking a you swallowed a lion - although your side hair density may support that you will be outted immediately.

The tough part will be color match and getting the right placement/attachment behind the hairline.

If you can make that work and are happy with the results you are a winner.


HOWEVER...


Me being an experienced wearer would possibly opt for the full piece - meaning shaving the front

-OR-

Stick with concealers for a little while longer if all you are going to do is use a piece to cover the area behind your entire front hairline. The area behind your hairline seems to be thick enough for concealers to continue to do a good job.

If you are not happy with your current look with concealers and you are planning to only go with a piece behind the hairline there will not be much of a difference between that and what you have now (with concealers).

Getting everything to line up with a piece is tough as it is when there are 3 sides of natural hair to align to - factor in a 4th side - your front - and you are facing more trail and error.

Good luck!

My suggestion would be to take an electric clipper and give yourself a nice low buzz cut. Try that out for a few weeks or months and see if you grow into it (as it were). Nice clean, no maintenance. The look may become you, after you acclimate to it. Your life will be much simpler from there going forward.

He came here to a HAIR REPLACEMENT blog for help about hair replacement, not to be told it would simplify his life if he shaved his head.

OF COURSE shaving your head would be easier than wearing a hairpiece. If he wanted to shave his head bald, he would have done that already!

I appreciate that concealers have been your best option to-date and the concept of not using them is unthinkable, but............ and its a big but......... I promise you that when you finally do stop using them and switch to a piece, you'll realise how awful they were.
The time, the mess etc will all be behind you and its not until your free of them that you'll understand what I'm saying.

Best of luck.

PS. I agree with starting off with a lower density at 55%.
It will be less of a shock for you and those that see you.
With time you could go thicker.

If you want to keep the hair you have at the front, then this is the sort of template area you should be thinking about.

I`d simply shave the top off and be done with it...as one of the posters above said....it`ll continue thinning anyway and you`d be making `work`for yourself trying to sit a system in behind your front hair ... it could look `off` because system-fronts are graduated in terms of density, unless you ask for non-graduated, and you could have problems either way getting that front bit of your own hair looking `right`with a system sitting behind it...any slight differences in colour/density will catch the eye---the front hairline is what the casual observer sees first....
Your hair seems to have a natural centre-part too .... just order that also....the crown-point has an obvious `swirl`or change of direction...send in those pics so they can see it and they`ll tie the hair into the lace so that it copies that. As Reubin suggested, go for a low `starter` density...step it up on subsequent orders..... I`d even go lower than 55% --Toplace densitites are relatively `high` in terms of what you might expect.... I`m sure John can easily advise on what will work best for you...so don`t sweat over getting density figures bang-on....just send in pics and your order can be adjusted to suit by John.Make your template and mark `front`and `back`on it so there`s no confusion at the factory. Tek a few random hair-samples from around your head..remember...hair at the back/crown tends to be darker than front-hair so don`t take it all from the one spot [i.e. crown]...you`ll need a sample approx. the diameter of a pencil and about an inch long...tie/hold it together with a small elastic band. Excuse the shaky line I`ve drawn...using a touch-pad on a laptop so it`s not too steady, but I`d cover that kind of an area....sit the front edge of the system on your natural hairline.... it wil look off if you go too far away from that [forward or backward] ..the general wisdom is to replace what you`ve lost.... I can`t see your sides, so I can`t say anything about your temple-area, but again, just fill in any `gaps`which weren`t there before. Go for Swiss lace for the moment.... I see you have the hair swept back in one pic..you can do that easily enough with Swiss as it`s invisible to all intents.

Black_nail: Take a breath, exhale, and reread my post. I didn't suggest that he SHAVE his head. My suggestion was to *audition* a close crop hair style, one that he might possibly grow to like it. If he does life becomes way simpler going forward. It's a kind of due diligence.

The fear of going short is certainly no greater than that of wearing a piece and worrying about who may or may not discover it. Let me be very clear, I have no problem with wearing. Do what makes you happy. But why not at least first explore a simpler approach.

Would actor Jason Statham look better with a full head of hair? Maybe. But he also looks fantastic without, like many men. Others not. But without trying first, you won't know. There's no harm in trying, right?

I have to agree with Bangless in that its worth a try to see if its an alternative.
I shaved mine and just looked like Uncle Fester.
The minute I did it I regretted it & spent months under a hat growing it back.
But at least I knew it wasn't for me.

To know you have a viable alternative would alleviate the stress involved with wearing.
Conversely, knowing I didn't have the option of a shaved head made me more determined to get to grips with wearing and do the very best I can with it.

Wow, didn't expect so many helpful replies so quickly! Lots of information to digest.
I've actually had short hair before, indeed very short but I wont go for the shaved look.I would look 'ok' I'm sure but I feel I just missed out on actually enjoying having hair.
With regards to the shaving the front, the forelock has been the same for 7 years now, I've been on one or the other of finasteride or dutasteride since 2005.
I would really like to keep the bit at the front, I'm gonna go for a longer/choppy kinda look soI'm fairly confident I can incorporate it and i dare say that it would look better than the sometimes catastrophic look I have on some days at the moment!
Thankyou so much everyone,really appreciate it.I'm gonna have a proper read through all the replies, make a few notes and see where I can go from there!