What’s the point of investing in premium men’s hair pieces if they are easily noticeable and have a wig-like appearance? We’re not discussing cheap wigs that can be bought for $10-$20 at a dollar store.
We’re talking about high-quality men’s hair pieces that cost hundreds of dollars, designed to create a seamless, full head of hair that goes undetected by others.
Some might argue, “Well, that’s exactly what premium, high-end men’s hair pieces are meant to do, right?”
If professionally installed by a trained stylist, they should look authentic, natural, and indistinguishable from real hair.
However, we’re specifically addressing the experience of wearing a men’s hairpiece valued at around $200–$300, excluding installation fees.
As a wearer, maximizing the value of your investment means avoiding haphazard application. Achieving a realistic appearance is crucial.
This article provides seven tips to make men’s hair pieces natural and lifelike. Following these guidelines ensures your hair system blends seamlessly, creating an authentic and realistic appearance.
Men’s Hair Piece Base Is Crucial for a Real-Looking Scalp
A realistic-looking base is a crucial component of a men’s hairpiece. The degree of realism in men’s hair pieces largely depends on the material and quality of the base.
The base is the area where the toupee hair is attached. When men’s hair pieces are attached to the wearer’s scalp, the base should seamlessly blend in, indistinguishable from the natural scalp.
There are three commonly used base materials for men’s hairpieces, each with varying prices based on their natural and realistic appearance and comfort level.
These materials include PU skin, lace, monofilament, and hybrid bases that combine two or three different materials.
Men’s Hair Pieces With a Skin Base
Skin bases are one of the most basic bases in use. They are clingy, cheaper than other bases, and low-maintenance, making them ideal for most new wearers.
Skin bases are made from a thin (0.03 mm–0.1 mm) transparent polymer resembling a person’s epidermis (the superficial layer of the skin).
It melts into the scalp when attached, mimicking the wearer’s natural scalp. No one can tell the person is wearing a men’s hairpiece.
Men’s Hair Pieces With a Lace Base
Lace is considered the best base material for men’s hairpieces glued on. It is thin and features thousands of holes, making it breathable and comfortable on the head.
So it’s ideally used for tropical areas. Lace also resembles the wearer’s natural scalp; when attached, it appears colorless and does not reflect sunlight.
It creates a seamless appearance, where no one can detect the presence of a thin layer on the wearer’s scalp.
Men’s Hair Pieces With a Monofilament Base
Monofilament is the most durable base material when used as a base material. It is commonly reinforced with a PU lining around or across it to maximize durability. While monofilament bases offer a realistic appearance, they are not as fine and soft as lace.
Men’s Hair Pieces With a Lace Front
Lace front hairpieces have a lace front part along the hairline, while the rest of the base is made of other materials.
The base material around the front must create a realistic-looking front hairline; lace is the most suitable material.
Millions of wearers highly favor lace fronts due to their practicality and affordability. As mentioned earlier, lace is the most breathable and realistic base material, which makes it more expensive than other options.
However, since only the front section of lace fronts is made from lace, wearers can save on the overall cost of the hairpiece while still achieving a natural-looking front hairline.
Ventilation Techniques Is Critical for Men’s Hair Pieces
The ventilation method used to attach the hair to the base plays a crucial role in achieving a natural and realistic appearance for the hairpiece.
How the hair is tied or ventilated onto the base is a critical factor in ensuring the authenticity of the men’s hair piece.
V-Loop for Skin Men’s Hair Pieces
V-loop ventilation is a specialized technique primarily employed for skin hairpieces. It involves threading a small cluster of hair (4-5 strands) through the surface of the skin base and pulling it out through another hole, creating a v-loop shape.
This method is often called “knotless” ventilation, as the hair is not individually knotted to the base but appears as if it is naturally growing from the wearer’s scalp.
Injected Hair for Skin Men’s Hair Pieces
Injected hair is also an excellent ventilation technique for skin hair pieces, but not for ultra-thin skin (thinner than 0.03mm) hair pieces. The hair gets injected into the base instead of tied.
So it is also knotless. Injected hair beats v-loop regarding realism, as it doesn’t have return hair. Without return hair, the hairpiece won’t frizz, giving the wearer a more natural look.
Flat Knotting Techniques for Men’s Hair Pieces
Often, the hair gets tied to the base in knots, especially with lace or mono, where hair cannot be injected or v-looped.
Single or double flat knots (or single or double knots) are for hair around the sides and back.
The word “flat” means the hair tied this way will stick to the scalp, as we don’t want the hair on the sides and back to stand up, so flat knotting is perfect for hair in these areas.
In terms of realness, single knots are better than double knots, as with double knots, we loop the hair twice, so double knots are twice as big as single ones and appear as big bulbs at the roots.
But double knots are more durable than single knots, and just for that purpose, people use them.
Single and Double Split Knots for Men’s Hair Pieces
Also known as single or double reverse split knots, these knots provide a better lifting effect to men’s hairpieces.
Split knots are ideal for the top of the head as they allow for more hair movement and versatile styling options, resulting in a more natural appearance.
However, it’s essential to consider that split knots are generally larger than single and double knots. We prefer using smaller single flat knots to maintain discretion in the sensitive area along the front hairline, where visibility is a concern.
These smaller knots help minimize their noticeable appearance. Double split knots are larger and offer increased durability, similar to double knots compared to single knots.
Bleached Knots for Men’s Hair Pieces
To prevent the visibility of knots in the wearer’s hair, bleaching the knots is a widely used solution. By applying bleach to the underside of the base, the knots can be lightened to match the wearer’s skin color, creating a more natural and seamless appearance.
This technique is commonly employed in men’s hairpieces, especially around the front hairline, where knot visibility is a primary concern.
Silk Top for Custom Men’s Hair Pieces
Silk top hairpieces, typically for custom men’s hair systems, offer the most realistic hairlines and parts. Combining a silk top with a monofilament base provides durability and a natural appearance in a single unit.
The silk top is an extra layer on the monofilament base, resembling the scalp’s fine and realistic material.
Hair is tied to the monofilament base and then pulled through the silk layer, creating the illusion of natural hair growing out of the scalp and concealing the knots.
In summary, silk top hair systems deliver exceptional realism by combining a monofilament base with a finely crafted silk layer, ensuring a natural and seamless look.
Hair Type, Color, and Texture Also Matter to Men’s Hair Pieces
When choosing a men’s hairpiece, the hair type, color, and texture must be considered to blend naturally with the wearer’s hair. The goal is to create a seamless and authentic look that closely matches their natural hair.
Choose Human Hair Pieces for Men
For a perfectly real-looking appearance, human hair systems are a must. We want it to appear just like real hair, and human hair is real.
Undoubtedly, they will beat their synthetic counterparts (men’s fake hair pieces) in terms of realness and naturalness.
Realistic Appearance: Human hair pieces provide the most natural and authentic look as they are made from real human hair. They also have a realistic movement, texture, and shine that resembles natural hair.
Blending Capability: Human hair pieces blend seamlessly with natural hair, making it difficult to differentiate between the hairpiece and the wearer’s hair. It creates a seamless and natural-looking result.
Versatility: Human hair pieces offer versatility in styling. They can be cut, colored, and styled just like natural hair, allowing wearers to achieve their desired look effortlessly and look natural.
Hair Color Close to Your Bio Hair Color
You don’t want the hair color of your hair system different from your bio hair, or you have to get it re-colored frequently. A well-mixed and unified hair color is the key to realness with men’s hair pieces.
Easy Maintenance: Hairpieces with matching hair colors require minimal effort to maintain and blend with your natural hair.
You can style, wash, and care for your hairpiece and natural hair as a unified entity without worrying about stark color contrasts.
Easy and Versatile Styling: Choosing a men’s hairpiece with a color close to your natural hair allows for greater flexibility in styling.
You can easily incorporate your hairpiece into different hairstyles and seamlessly transition between looks.
Seamless Blend: Hairpieces with a color matching your natural hair create a seamless blend, making it difficult to distinguish between the hairpiece and your hair. This helps achieve a more natural and realistic look.
Hair Texture Also Matters to the Realness of Men’s Hair Pieces
Choosing a hair system that matches your hair type and texture is crucial. A thick and spiky hair system may not be the best fit if you have fine, thin hair. Similarly, a soft and silk-like hair system may not provide the desired look if your hair sticks up.
Opting for the right hair type and texture is essential for a natural and realistic appearance.
Toupee Tape and Glue. Also, Play a Part
In men’s hairpieces, attachment to the wearer’s head is typically achieved using toupee tapes and glue.
These adhesive materials are applied to the underside of the base, aiming for a transparent or scalp-colored appearance.
The goal is to ensure that the toupee tapes and glue blend seamlessly with the wearer’s scalp, minimizing their visibility and creating a more natural-looking result.
No-Shine Toupee Tapes Used for Men’s Hair Pieces
Lace and monofilament hairpieces are mostly attached using toupee tapes. As liquid adhesive may seep through their holes.
No-shine toupee tapes are recommended for men’s hair pieces, such as some of the newly made Walker tape rolls.
They are transparent but don’t reflect sunlight; they create a discreet and natural attachment when attached. These tapes will remain discreet and invisible, especially when applied to the front hairline.
Overall, no-shine toupee tapes are preferred in men’s hairpieces because they create a discreet and natural attachment.
They help achieve a seamless blend, a natural scalp effect, an undetectable edge, and versatility in application, all contributing to a more authentic appearance.
Ideal Toupee Glues for Men’s Hair Pieces
If you want the toupee to be virtually invisible, it is recommended to choose a transparent or clear toupee glue.
Transparent glue is designed to provide a discreet and natural-looking bond between the hairpiece and the scalp.
It dries clear, allowing the scalp to show through, which helps create the illusion of a seamless and invisible attachment.
When selecting a toupee glue, consider opting for products labeled “invisible” or “clear.” These glues are formulated to provide a robust and secure hold while remaining virtually undetectable.
It’s also worth noting that everyone’s skin and hairpiece compatibility may vary, so it’s advisable to test the glue on a small area of the scalp before applying it to the entire hairline.
This way, you can ensure that the adhesive suits your skin and achieves the desired invisible effect.
Anti-Shine Powder for Thin Skin Men’s Hair Pieces
Indeed, anti-shine powders can be a helpful tool to reduce shine on men’s hairpieces. They work similarly to makeup powders used to mattify and cover shine on the face, especially in situations where the wearer may experience perspiration or oily skin.
NYX Shine Killer:
NYX Shine Killer is a popular product that individuals, particularly girls, use to combat shine on their makeup.
This clear gel can also effectively eliminate shine from the poly hair system base, particularly focusing on the front hairline.
Simply apply a small amount of NYX Shine Killer onto the surface of the hair system base using a finger or cotton swab, and you will achieve fantastic results.
Anti-Shine Powder:
Another method to eliminate shine is by utilizing anti-shine powder. As the name suggests, powders can dull a sheen. To use this method, dip a cotton ball into the anti-shine powder.
Gently brush the powder along the base surface, targeting the front hairline, where the shine is most noticeable. This technique also provides effective results in reducing shine.
Conclusion
For a natural look with men’s hair pieces, focus on details. Choose suitable base material and ventilation techniques. Match your hair type, color, and texture to your natural hair.
Use no-shine tape and transparent glue for an invisible attachment. Reduce shine with NYX Shine Killer or powders.
Consider these factors for a confident and seamless look. Click here to view a collection of the latest men’s hair pieces.
Jean Smith is a fitness enthusiast and blogger who focuses on fitness and a healthy lifestyle. She is passionate about assisting people in living healthier lifestyles and is constantly on the lookout for new and creative methods to stay fit and healthy. Her articles are excellent resources for anyone interested in improving their health and fitness.