What is The Difference Between Hair Toppers and Hair Extensions?

If you’re a woman looking to add more fullness or length to your hair, the two main options are hair toppers and hair extensions. But if this is your first time looking into the process, it can be pretty confusing and sometimes daunting as to which one to opt for.

That’s why we at Superhairpieces have created this guide to explain what hair toppers and hair extensions are along with their key differences, advantages, disadvantages and more.

About Hair Toppers

In a nutshell, a hair topper — also referred to as a “wiglet” or “half wig” — is a smaller kind of hairpiece that is designed to hide hair loss in certain areas of the scalp. As the name implies, they are placed on the top portion of the head with women usually purchasing them while the men’s equivalent is a toupee.

Unlike a wig which covers the full head of the wearer, hair toppers will cover certain areas such as a balding or thinning crown. They can come in various sizes and lengths depending on the wearer’s preferences with the most popular sizes being between 5x7 and 7x9 while the most popular length is 14 inches.

About Hair Extensions

Hair Extensions, on the other hand, are also hairpieces but that are designed to extend the length of your hair and additionally, add volume and thickness to it as well. They are usually installed on the back or sides of the head compared to hair toppers which are installed on the top of the head.

There are many different types of hair extensions too such as clip-in, cold fusion (or i-tip), hot fusion (or u-tip), machine weft, hand-tied weft and more, though the most popular ones are tape-in hair extensions. Hair extensions as a whole have become an increasingly popular choice for women today and are widely accepted in society.

Advantages of Hair Toppers

As aforementioned, hair toppers are beneficial because they can instantly cover bald or largely thinning spots on the top of your head in addition to giving you more thickness and density as well. As a result, toppers — if styled and applied properly — will blend with your real hair giving you the appearance of a natural, full head of hair.

Additionally, they are usually lightweight compared to certain hair extensions as you won’t feel the weight of it sitting on your head while they are also very customizable, coming in different sizes and lengths.

Lastly, hair toppers are easier to install than hair extensions as a whole as they are usually clipped on with the process taking only a few minutes, though they can also be glued or taped on as well. Hair extensions, on the other hand, take a bit longer with certain types taking as many as a couple of hours to install.

Advantages of Hair Extensions

While toppers are more ideal for those who have bald spots prevalent, extensions are ideal for those who have thinning or shorter hair overall than they would like. All you have to do is install it and you have longer and thicker hair instantly!

Certain kinds of extensions — such as tape-in — can also be worn regularly and don’t have to be taken off either. Of course, the trade-off is that it means more maintenance as well as a shorter lifespan with tape-in extensions only lasting six to eight weeks before it needs to be removed, cleaned and reinstalled.

However, tape-in extensions can be worn three to four times a year while others such as clip-in can last as long as a couple of years with the proper care. Hair toppers, meanwhile, can last up to a year but that can decrease to as little as three months if they are regularly worn to bed or the hairpiece is heated often.

To see a more comprehensive guide of the benefits of hair extensions

Conclusion

Both hair toppers and extensions give you instant results and require maintenance like any other hair system, but as noted above, each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages.

Ultimately, the decision lies on you and what your needs are. We recommend you speak with hair professionals to make the best decision for your hair.

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If you are interested in learning more about hair toppers or hair extensions, contact one of our Superhairpieces consultants today at 1-866-814-7879 or email at sales@superhairpieces.com to set up your virtual appointment.

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