Like pretty much every other women's health issue, hair thinning is just another one of those taboo topics we don't talk about.
And it's funny, really. Not funny, funny — but considering how many of us deal with it (you can step into a room and at least one person in that room will struggle with thinning hair), it's a conversation that needs to be louder.
In case you're not yet across it, female pattern hair loss is a term used to describe hair loss or hair thinning in women— and it will affect 49 per cent of women at some point in their lifetime.
Hair loss is a fickle beast. And the causes behind it are way more complicated than it seems — because no two experiences are the same. It can be triggered by everything from genetics and illness, to periods of extreme stress and hormonal conditions.
Watch: Sally Obermeder talks on No Filter about the moment she had to shave her head. Post continues below.
Take Australian author Sally Hepworth, for example.
The New York Times bestseller is someone who is vocal about her experience with hair thinning, opening up the conversation around hair loss on Instagram. Hundreds upon hundreds of followers have praised her for normalising hair loss.
Speaking with Mamamia, Hepworth said, "I have a condition known as trichotillomania, which is really just a fancy way of saying I pull out my hair from the root when I’m anxious."
Heard of it before?
Commonly called 'trich', the hair-pulling disorder usually begins in late childhood and is something that typically lasts for life, taking an emotional and social toll on individuals.
"The Wikipedia definition describes it as 'a mental disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body, despite trying to stop.' For me, I pull the hair around the crown of my head," the author shared.
Given trichotillomania is a silent disorder, many people keep it a secret — so it's surprising to learn just how common this condition is.
US-based studies estimate it affects around two to five per cent of people - however, its prevalence in Australia remains unknown due to the lack of research funding. The result? It's pretty poorly understood.
For Hepworth, compulsive hair-pulling is something she's lived with for most of her life. She was a tween when she started doing it, which soon resulted in a bald patch on the crown of her scalp.
"The first time I recall pulling out my hair was around age 12, during a long drive from Melbourne to Queensland. Thirty years later, I’ve never quite shaken the habit, despite hypnotherapy, psychology, and a rapidly growing bald spot."
Dealing with this distressing disorder, combined with ageing and the common effects of perimenopause, Hepworth said she has been experiencing thinning hair.
"I have periods when I don’t pull out my hair, but the habit always returns in times of stress - suffice to say after the last few years my hair is fairly thin on the ground, so to speak. Combine tricho with a bit of perimenopausal hair thinning, and I have found myself rather follically challenged of late."
As Hepworth told us, learning to deal with her hair loss has been a journey. She said trying to tackle thinning hair can feel exhausting — but there are options out there.
How to get thicker hair.
So, what are the best options when it comes to thinning hair?
While there are prescription treatment options if you want to go down the medical route (again, the effects of this are different for everyone), alternative hair is a solution that is growing in popularity.
There's everything from clip-in hair wefts (hair extensions) to crown extensions (also known as a 'topper' or 'toppette'), synthetic wigs, and custom human hair wigs that can be cut and styled to suit your individual preference.
"I started with clip-in hair wefts to add volume to my hair," Hepworth told Mamamia.
"I’d seen people use them on TV, and I thought they were a clever idea and seemed easy enough to use. I used these for a week or two with some success, but they didn’t cover the crown of my head where I most desperately needed coverage."
"It wasn’t long before I disappeared into the rabbit hole of alternative hair, and that’s where I found 'toppers' - a hair-piece which covers the crown of the head. I bought one of these, and while I was online, found myself looking at wigs as well. They looked so damn good, I decided I needed to try one."
"Now I’m the owner of several wigs and toppers and I have to say, I’m obsessed. Not going to lie, having a good hair day at my fingertips is a game changer. And the upside is that I can’t pull out my hair while the wig is on. If wigs are good enough for the Kardashians… why not me?"
Hear, hear.
In a recent Instagram post, Hepworth shared some of the latest wigs she's tried, asking followers to help her choose which one to buy.
"If you're looking for someone who's having the best day ever, you've found her because I just got a delivery from Highline Wigs, who have sent me a bunch of wigs and toppers to try on," said Hepworth.
The first was a "silk topper with curtain bangs,", option two was a "silk topper with full bangs" and option three was a "full lace top wig."
"The hair feels so soft... it's human hair, so you can straighten it, curl it — you can do anything to it. The hair quality just feels so good. It would be so easy to wear."
Check it out below:
Okay, but HOW GOOD DO THESE LOOK?!
We... we just... swoon!
Keen to hear more? Below, we take a look at some of the best alternative hair options for thinning hair, including some of Hepworth's go-to brands.
1. Highline Wigs.
Let's start with the Highline Wigs first — because we can't stop thinking about them.
The first one Hepworth tried was a long silk topper with a curtain fringe. She told followers: "I love the curtain bangs. I feel like they're the answer between regular bangs and real bangs."
"The hair feels so soft. It's a topper but you can't really tell that my hair is short underneath. It's a skin top or silk top, which means it looks like a scalp. I can't fault the comfort level, the quality of the hair."
We love to see it.
The second option was also a topper, this time with full bangs. "I think it would look amazing in an updo," Hepworth said.
(Can confirm: Looked amazing).
"The good thing about a fringe as well is that you don't have to worry about anyone seeing any lace or anything and the hairline looks so good."
The last wig she tried on from Highline? A "lace-top wig" with what Hepworth describes as an "unbelievable hairline".
"It's invisible," she added. "It just looks like the hair is growing out of my head. I love the colour of this one. I love the quality of the hair. If you are a wig wearer, this is a no-brainer!"
"There's something about not having to worry about your own hair at the back. You just tuck it into the cap and go, and it doesn't matter what's going on underneath."
2. Raquel Welch.
"I have a Raquel Welch wig (from the Unfiltered range, in Shaded Biscuit) which I love," Hepworth told Mamamia.
"It's got a lace front and has a really good hairline. I got it from Wigs Online."
As Hepworth goes on to explain, it's synthetic hair with a natural part line. It's completely versatile and you can switch to a middle part, a side part, or style in a ponytail.
"The best thing with synthetic hair is [that] it retains the style. The wig came as tousled hair - but if it gets caught in the rain or you wash it - it dries back in the style that it came in."
"So, it doesn't need to be re-styled day in and day out," she told followers.
3. Hidden Crown.
One of Hepworth's topper recommendations is a brand called Hidden Crown.
Hidden Crown's selection of original crown toppers are an easy way to instantly add volume and coverage to thinning hair, and they come in a range of different colours and lengths.
They're made from what's known as Remy hair (human hair from a donor) and cost $397 USD (around $610 AUD).
"I think it's cooler for the hot weather," Hepworth told followers.
When it comes to toppers, Hepworth said you'll obviously need to have some bio hair (real hair) underneath to be able to clip the topper onto. You'll also need to style the extensions to the same length as your hair.
4. LC Wigs.
This. This is Hepworth's FAVOURITE wig.
It's a custom human hair wig made through LC Wigs in Melbourne, which she describes as "the Porsche of wigs", adding "This is the best quality wig I've worn."
LC Wigs can be fit, cut and coloured in the Melbourne salon, making them completely customised to the individual. The best part? You don't have to sit in a hairdressing chair and wait for the colour to process.
How good!
Hepworth said, "Liron from LC Wigs is a wig-master trained in Israel, and her wigs are unbelievably realistic and incredibly comfortable."
"The process was so easy and fun — basically I showed her a picture of my dream hair and she [made] it."
Hepworth shares that the wig not only feels comfortable and light on the head, but it also looks totally natural.
"When asked if you can see [the hairline], no one has noticed yet. Most people are surprised when I tell them that it's a wig — because I tell everyone."
5. Gold Hair Collection.
Made from 100 per cent human hair, Gold Hair Collection is another one of Hepworth's alternative hair recommendations.
"It was a little long, so I took it down to the hairdresser to get it cut," she shared to her followers on Instagram. "I've added a couple of clips to the front. They custom coloured it to match what my hair would look like."
"I stuck some Elastoplast underneath, which gives it more of a 'scalp feel'," she shares.
She also uses some concealer powder with a brush, dabbing it in between the part to cover the net and make it look more natural.
As Hepworth goes on to share, the Gold Collection wig is super versatile. You can style just as you would your normal hair — straighten it, add curls, etc.
"Sometimes they can sit quite flat and look quite 'wiggy' - so I put the blow-dry on it and give it a little bit of a blow dry and make it look a little more realistic," she said in her Instagram clip.
You can also move the part around anywhere you want — which she said is something you can't do with all wigs and toppers.
6. Uniwigs.
Another of Hepworth's recommendations is a brand of hair alternatives called Uniwigs.
In an Instagram reel, she shares, "The one I got sent to me by Uniwigs was called the seven by eight-inch Courtney. It's a topper rather than a wig."
Hepworth said she had her topper customised to the cut and colour of her choice.
"It's human hair - it's called Remy hair," she explains. "It's not the highest quality of hair, because it's often been processed quite a bit."
"What I really like about this one - and I've had a lot of requests for examples of affordable or budget hair pieces - is that it's at the lower end of some of the costs I've seen. It's online at the moment from $309 USD."
"It's affordable. I think it looks great; I love the colour — it's a really pure, white blonde. It's also rooted."
"The thing I love about toppers is that because it sits on top of my hair, you can put it behind your ears, you can put it up in a ponytail, you can do anything you would do with your normal hair. For people just starting out, and you don't feel like you want to make a bigger leap to a wig - it's just like hair extensions."
"The other thing I love is that it has a big base — meaning it also causes less damage to your hair. And when you are losing hair, you don't want clips that are going to cause pulling and tugging."
She does note, however, that you can't change the part with this one — so if you opt for a middle part, you're not going to be able to flip it to the side, and so forth.
While the hair quality is a little different to other toppers and wigs she's tried (it's also machine-made, while ones from brands like LC are handmade), Hepworth said she thinks it's a great starter wig.
So, if you've never tried toppers or wigs before, and you're looking for a budget-friendly option that's actually good - check it out!
How much do custom wigs cost?
The costs between wigs and toppers will vary, and while you can pick up a lot of great starter options on sites like Amazon, Hepworth said the payoff of a custom wig, for her, is priceless.
"Custom-made human-hair wigs aren’t cheap at around $3000, but when you think of the money you’ll save at the hairdresser, your wig will pay for itself. Not to mention that you’ll never have to worry about regrowth or pesky grey hairs again."
Hepworth encourages others struggling with hair loss to dip their toes into some of the amazing hair alternatives on the market — and above all, not to feel alone.
"Don’t be afraid to try alternative hair. The wig stigma is rapidly changing (thank you, Kardashians), and these days they are so comfortable and realistic that most people will never realise - unless you whip it off as a party trick like I tend to do."
"Wigs are the next big thing. You heard it here first."
Do you struggle with hair loss? What are some tips you'd like to share? Drop them in the comment section below.
Feature image: Instagram/@sallyhepworth
Top Comments