Wigs, hair weaving and other ways to camouflage hair loss

Camouflage hides visible scalp without surgery, giving the look of thicker hair. It suits some people, especially when a transplant is not possible, but it has limits.

Options at a glance

Wigs

Baldness becomes more obvious when the scalp shows through the hair, and camouflage is the simplest way to deal with it. Many people with hair loss, including diffuse thinning, prefer hairpieces or wigs because they seem easy to use.

Wig hair is made of either synthetic acrylic fibre or natural hair. There are two types: interwoven wigs, which are woven into your own hair and rise as your hair grows, so they need frequent adjustment; and worn-over wigs, which sit over your own hair. Modern wigs give immediate, natural-looking coverage, but they can become uncomfortably hot in summer and often cause problems such as itching, dandruff, being noticed and upkeep.

How hair systems are attached

Hairpieces are fixed in place by hair weaving, hair bonding, hair clipping or hair gumming. All these methods are quick and less expensive at the start, but each has its own disadvantages; they are temporary and cannot be worn for a lifetime.

Newer methods, such as spraying artificial keratin fibres, are used to mask sparse and thinning hair.

Camouflage or hair transplant?

Camouflage is temporary, while a hair transplant grows your own hair. Where a transplant cannot be done, for example because of poor donor hair, camouflage is recommended to improve appearance and confidence.