Do Wigs and Hair Toppers Cause Hair Loss?

Hair loss can be a traumatic experience. While wigs and hair toppers can make a fashion statement, many people wonder whether it comes at a cost.

Is it bad to wear a wig everyday?

The short answer is no, it is not bad to wear a wig everyday with proper precautions. Your hair will grow under your wig as it would without a covering. 

While there are some sources that claim hair pieces can cause traction alopecia over time, this is not the case for most people. Wigs and hair pieces do not damage your natural hair as long as you wear them in the correct way and take preventative measures. 

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Here are some tips on how to protect your hair under a wig:

1. Wear a wig and/or hair topper that correctly fits your head

Wear the correct cap size for both wigs & hair toppers is possibly the most important factor to ensuring that you protect your hair under your wig and hair topper. However, it also helps you maintain your natural hair underneath the piece.

Wigs that are too big for your head will be loose and tend to move around more easily on your head. This friction will pull on your natural hair and may cause premature fall out.

On the other hand, hair toppers that are too small for you will tend to "bubble up" on the top of your head. To fit it against your scalp, you may need to put additional tension on your clips that cause more pulling than normal. 

A correct cap size will feel comfortable resting on your head. It should not feel too tight or loose and should sit flat without any gaps from your scalp. 

To find the right fit for you, visit our FAQ for tips on "how to measure your head."

And make sure to wear a wig cap and grip for wigs when measuring your head!

2. Avoid tapes and glues if possible

Tapes and glues are commonly used with lace frontal and full lace wigs to ensure the wig stays in place and the lace lays flat. 

However, these tapes and glues not only are hard to remove, they may have harmful and toxic ingredients that cause damage to scalp, hair, and skin. You may experience thinning edges from wigs when regularly applying wig tapes and glue. 

There are certain types of wigs that enable you to wear the piece without tapes or glue. These glueless wigs still look extremely realistic and can be taken on and off in seconds making them a convenient choice! To ensure that the wig stays in place, we recommend wearing a wig grip or band instead of applying tapes and glues. 

3. Loosely clip on clips and combs (use hair powder if needed)

One of the most common mistakes that women make when wearing hair toppers for the first time is that they tend to clip on hair clips too tight against their head.

When hair clips pull on your hair, it can cause painful headaches in the short fun and traction alopecia in the long run.

Hair topper clips should be loosely applied against your natural hair. At first, you may think it is too loose, but after you adjust to the feeling, you will realize that the hair topper will not fly off!

If you feel that your hair gets oily throughout the day and cause the hair clips to move around, we recommend using a dry shampoo or hair powder in order to keep them in place. 

Securing the clips so that they do not move reduces the pulling on your hair, which can cause traction alopecia and premature hair fall out. 

4. Alternate cap sizes and clip locations for hair toppers

If you wear your hair topper every day, you may consider either rotating the clips on your hair topper or having a secondary hair topper on hand to rotate out every few weeks.

Think of clips as a weight on a semi-soft surface. The longer the weight stays in one place, the more likely it is to make an indentation in that specific area. With small, subtle movements repeated over time, it also may cause friction which may increase stress to that area.

In order to avoid targeted stress on your scalp, rotating the clips around the head allows the scalp to rejuvenate and evenly restore its balance. 

5. Take care of your natural hair and scalp!

Scalp is skin too! As we age, so do our scalp and hair. You may notice that over time, you find that your hair falls out more easily and that it becomes more fragile and prone to breakage.

It's essential to take care of your scalp and hair with gentle, non-toxic ingredients and avoid excessive heat (including UV rays) and chemicals.

We recommend using a hair oil for your ends to reduce breakage and pure 100% rose water to keep your scalp balanced.