Hairpiece, toupee, wig—these are head accessories used in a balding head to simulate hair that is no longer there. Some are very noticeable, yet some are incredibly high quality and could make one doubt there was any real hair there.

Hair prostheses belong to the latter category. They are high-quality, custom-made hairpieces made to fit the skull of the wearer. The term “hair prosthesis” gained prominence because they were first made for patients of diseases that included hair loss as a condition. 

Chemotherapy, alopecia totalis, trichotillomania, and really any disease that can cause hair loss belongs to those diseases. The name is actually officially used in tax deduction status or medical insurance! As a nonsurgical solution, a hair prosthesis can enable you to simulate hair for an affordable price.

Types of Hair Prosthesis

Hair prosthesis is primarily used by people who suffer from diseases that cause hair loss. The key difference from a run-of-the-mill hairpiece is that they are suitable for the skin of the patient. 

There are a few different types of hair prostheses, classified based on the type of material employed in creating them. 

Laser Hair Prosthetics

These are pieces designed to be more breathable than your average hairpiece. And thus, they fit for people that live in rather arid climates or people that are very into physical sports.

As a trade-off, they are also a bit less realistic than other types of hair prostheses. But they are also very durable and require very little maintenance over time of use.

Skin Hair Prosthetics 

It’s the one type of hair prosthetics designed to be the most realistic, natural-looking, and skin-like out of all of them. This is due to some of them having a lesser thickness than the rest, with some being only 0.3 mm thin.

Yet the thinner it is, the less durable it will be. For that, there are some thicker models of skin hair prosthetics. They are ideal for people that don’t do sports frequently and live in colder climates. 

Medical Hair Prosthetics

The scalp of patients experiencing hair loss is sensitive. The base of the medical hair prosthetics features hypoallergenic fabric to address this issue.

Who Should Wear a Hair Prosthesis?

Hair prosthesis is particularly convenient for the following groups of people.

• People that lost their hair due to illness or medical treatments
• Those whose recipient area (balding spot) is unable to sustain hair follicles properly due to scarring
• Those whose donor area (back of the scalp) hair has become too thin to be suitable for successful grafting
• People unwilling to undergo a surgical procedure such as hair transplants
• People that are planning for a hair transplant for the future but want to look good meanwhile

If you count yourself among any of these groups of people, a hair prosthesis is likely a great choice to improve your appearance.