Why hairpieces can’t be natural-looking and durable at the same time
Posted by Superhairpieces on Aug 10, 2022
It’s every hairpiece customer’s goal to find a non surgical hair replacement system that’s both natural-looking and durable. However, you will notice that when you’re in the market for a brand new unit, getting one that is both equally natural-looking and durable at its fullest potential is next to impossible.
You can’t expect a natural-looking hairpiece that is undetectable and have it last for several months as well. There is always a trade-off. But why is this the case in the first place? Continue reading if you’re keen on learning more as well as how you can get the best of both worlds.
What makes a hairpiece natural-looking?
Whether a hair replacement system will be natural-looking or durable will depend on certain factors such as the base material, the thickness of the base, and how the hair is ventilated into the base. However, it’s more or less, the thickness of the base.
Natural-looking hairpieces tend to come in thinner base materials, and that's all it comes down to – the thickness of the base and the materials used to enhance the illusion of hair growing out of the scalp. The thinner the base, the more natural-looking your system will be.
Lace material, which is usually French lace, is notably renowned for having a natural-looking appearance while being a thinner base in general. When a lace hair system is attached to the scalp, whether you use tape or liquid adhesive, it will look like hair is growing directly from your scalp rather than a hairpiece.
Some of our popular full French lace models for men are the M105 and M115. Both models provide a super soft, high-quality lace with light to medium hair density. They’re lightweight, comfortable to wear, breathable, and of course, natural-looking.
For an even more realistic look, you can opt for the bleached front models of the M105 and M115. You might be wondering how bleach fronts contribute to the unit's natural look. In short, they're bleached roots at the front of the hairline and can appear extremely natural if the bleached front hair strands aren’t too long. The short bleached strands of hair will make the front hairline appear even more natural because the knots are lighter in color, making it difficult to view the knots on the unit. However, if the bleached hair strands are long and more visible, it will compromise the natural look.
The knotting can also play a role in how natural-looking a hairpiece will be. V-loop ventilation, for example, is when the knots aren’t tied, but rather looped into the base of the unit to hide the knots. It’s another method used to ensure the knots are invisible, which plays a significant role in the overall natural look of a unit. It's typically used on ultra-thin skin hairpieces such as the M111 or HD111 which are known for being the thinnest and lightest available bases. However, this comes at the cost of durability.
On the other hand, there is the injected method. The unit is ventilated by hand, and hair strands are injected into thin skin material resulting in hair appearing to grow directly from the scalp with multiple directional flows, which creates a natural look.
READ: Hairpiece and wig production: Everything you need to know
The difference between injected hair strands and v-loop ventilation is that the injected method will result in one strand of hair appearing from the unit with no returns. The v-loop hair strands are looped underneath the base and back up to the hairpiece resulting in two strands appearing per v-loop. Notably, v-loop and injected hair are great at concealing knots as it provides that undetectable look that even strangers walking past you will have a difficult time noticing.
What makes a hairpiece durable?
One key takeaway you should have from this blog is that the thicker the base, the more durable it is. But as you’ve guessed by now, this comes at the cost of a natural-looking appearance. Compared to a thinner base, a thicker base will look more prominent on the wearer’s scalp. That’s not to say every thick-based hair system will not look natural as some may still have a lace front which helps provide an undetectable hairline. However, it will still lack the overall natural look of a thinner base.
For optimal durability, monofilament bases with poly skin are the way to go. Monofilament bases are extremely durable in general and can last anywhere from four to six months or more depending on each individual's circumstances.
Because of its durability, monofilament bases can carry higher than 120% hair density – this provides plenty of volume, so no matter how much hair sheds, it’ll maintain its longevity due to the sheer amount of hair density. But what contributes to this durability?
Monofilament is usually paired with lace or poly skin. Poly skin, thick poly skin in particular, is known for its durability and ease of attachment, which is why any durable hairpiece you will find is more than likely to have some combination of mono and thick poly skin.
READ: How long does a Superhairpieces hair system last?
The M100 is one of our most popular toupees for men when it comes to durability. It carries 120% hair density and can last anywhere from four to six months. It comes in a monofilament silk top with a 1” clear poly edge and a small scalloped front. A scalloped front is a zig-zag pattern on the front hairline which helps deceive the eye and achieve a more natural-looking appearance.
If you’re looking for additional durability, opt for our M112. It carries 130% hair density and is very long-lasting. Moreover, it comes in a mono silk top with poly perimeter and a double folded lace front.
So why can’t a hair system look natural and durable?You now know what makes a hair system natural-looking as well as durable. But what is actually stopping one from being both? In short, a hairpiece can’t simultaneously carry both durability and natural looks at their highest quality simply because the base design would simply contradict itself.
As we previously mentioned, the thinner the base material, the more natural-looking it is. The ultra-thin skin hair systems are some of the most natural-looking hairpieces available because the thickness of a skin base is super thin. Ventilation such as v-loop and the injected method help contribute to this natural look by hiding the knots of a unit while the scalp is more visible. But because of how thin the base is, it will naturally not be durable. Likewise, a thicker base will be more durable, but will fail to deliver a natural look no matter what type of base material or knotting/ventilation is used because of the base thickness.
What if you want natural looks and durability?
With the above stated, you can still get a hairpiece that is natural-looking and durable. Lace front hair systems and mono with poly hairpieces sit right in the middle of a natural look and durability. Lace fronts enable natural-looking hairlines, and the hairpiece achieves additional durability when paired with a monofilament or poly skin base.
Some of our popular ones include the M104, M108, M109 where you can essentially get the best of both worlds! Just keep in mind that it won’t be as natural-looking or durable as other hairpieces that focus on those specific traits such as a full lace toupee that provides maximum natural-looking capabilities or poly with monofilament with its ultimate durable units. There’s always a compromise to be made.
ConclusionThere is no right or wrong option when picking a hairpiece, as it all comes down to your personal preferences. But ask yourself this question – do you want a unit that looks very natural or long-lasting?
Your answer to this question will narrow your options down before you get into the nitty-gritty features of hairpieces. On the other hand, you can pick a lace front hairpiece combined with a monofilament base, for example, where you can get both natural looks and durability with a compromise as they don’t possess the full potential of these two specific traits. In the end, the choice is yours. But for now, an equally durable and natural-looking system is not out there.
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Interested in learning more about getting started with hairpieces? Browse through our website at www.superhairpieces.com (US & International) or superhairpieces.ca (CAN)
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