Hair Pieces Appropriate For Women With Androgenetic Alopecia

Any woman who has experienced hair loss may eventually consider purchasing a hair replacement (I hate the word wig!) to camouflage that loss.  Whether the hair loss is due to Androgenetic Alopecia (also known as female hereditary thinning), Alopecia Areata, or is a result of chemotherapy treatments, there are different types of hair pieces suitable for each kind of hair loss.

In this blog, I’d like to talk about the hair pieces particularly appropriate for women with Androgenetic Alopecia (AA) which is the type of hair loss that I myself have.  My favorite happens to be a full cranial, net base human hair piece, but I have also worn other types of hair pieces through the years.  A few years ago, I worked in the hair replacement field with the famous Charle Dewitt, and during that time I learned a great deal about different types of hair loss, and which hair piece offered the best solution for each of our clients.   

Women who have AA, can, of course, wear a full cranial synthetic or human hair piece, which can be found with a net or breathable cap. Although synthetic hair pieces are good as an interim hair piece, I always found that I was far happier in a human hair piece, aesthetically as well as for comfort and security.   Some women opt for a custom made, full cranial vacuum type piece, which, while designed for women who have no hair at all, can still be worn by women who have some hair.  They would just need to wear a bit of double stick tape just below the front hair line for security. These custom made vacuum style pieces are expensive, but they are designed to fit very well and look extremely natural.   And best of all, they don’t damage the existing hair.

Depending upon how much hair a woman has, she may want to consider wearing a partial, or integration hair piece.  These are pieces which are usually custom-made, and may be attached with the use of clips, combs, double stick tape (below the front hair line) and/or by pulling existing hair through openings in the wig cap. 

A word of caution (and I’m going out on a limb here):  it is my belief that hair extensions are not a good solution for a woman with Androgenetic Alopecia (AA).  With AA, the woman experiences diffuse hair loss, i.e. hair can shed from any part of her scalp.  Any additional stress on these fragile hair follicles can cause what is known as ‘traction alopecia’, and in some cases this type of hair loss will not correct itself, even when the extensions are removed.  Hair extensions were originally intended for runway models.  With extensions, these models would have ‘thick and/or long glorious’ hair to show off the larger-than-life couture fashions, then after the fashion show they’d have the extensions removed. 

You can imagine what happens to hair that is put into horizontal sections of tight cornrows starting at one temple, around the back of the head, and ending at the opposite temple.  Onto these cornrows, lengths of hair extensions are attached horizontally until the scalp is covered.  Regardless of the expense (and time!) to have these extensions put in, most women wear them for at least several months and in some cases, years. Periodically, they need to return to the stylist who originally put these extensions in to have them tightened (which is usually not free!).   Wearing them 24/7 is very damaging to your own hair.  You are constantly rubbing your head on your pillow when you sleep, which causes tangling and additional stress to your existing hair. The extensions themselves suffer as well.  Very shortly, hair extensions that started out looking great begin to look sad, tired, fuzzy, and abused.   Shampooing is difficult and time consuming and the constant weight of these extensions is very hard on your fragile follicles.  If you are considering this type of hair addition, please stop and think how long you are planning to wear these.  To my way of thinking, if you wear cornrows and hair extensions for any length of time, you are ‘mortgaging your future’ both from a hair standpoint and a financial standpoint!

The lesson?  Don’t wear any piece which will cause further damage to your hair.  To my way of thinking… every hair is precious.

Before buying any hair piece, do your homework.  Research what is out there (don’t you just love the internet?!) and when you think you’ve found a great hair piece and styling resource, ask to speak with a few of their customers.  There is no better way to assess how reputable a hair replacement company is than to speak to an existing customer. 

Above all, be realistic.  Don’t expect to look just the way you used to when you had your hair.  Find a hair piece that is suited to you, and that can be styled in a way which enhances your appearance, rather than detracts from it.  You need more than just a ‘cover up’ if you are going to feel good about presenting yourself to the world! Make sure your stylist knows the look you are after before purchasing a hair piece.  Remember that you probably will need to have bangs cut (they need to camouflage the front of the hair piece), so if you used to wear your hair in a slicked back pony tail or chignon, don’t think you are going to be able to duplicate that look exactly.  Bring photos of styles you like, but be prepared to be flexible. Be prepared, also, to return to the stylist for a little more detail work after the first cut.  Very few stylists are able to interpret exactly what the client wants the first time, and there is usually a bit more cutting, thinning or 'fine tuning' required.  Most stylists (hopefully) will not charge for this second visit.

You may have to compromise a little on your expectations, but if you find the right hair replacement resource and communicate your expectations to the stylist, you are probably going to be happy with your purchase and feel good about wearing your new hair replacement.

Linda Rieschel