When most people think of the word “toupee,” their brain conjures images of caricaturesque tufts of mismatched hair, plopped on the heads of sad-looking people just trying to do their best. There’s a gust of wind that comes out of nowhere to humiliate an unsuspecting toupee wearer. Or maybe it’s just a static image of Cousin Itt from the Addams Family, hair strewn head-to-toe.

Either way, when we think of the word “toupee,” the next word we think of is “nope.”

But toupees have come a long, long way in the last few decades. What were once considered last-chance options by people whose hairlines were quickly approaching non-existent have actually transformed into a reasonable, financially viable temporary fix for men who want to look and feel their best despite their hair loss woes.

One of the biggest advantages of wearing a toupee is the ability to conceal the appearance of baldness. However, they also have several significant downsides, which means they may not be the best option for treating for hair loss. 

A toupee for men is a type of small wig or hairpiece that’s usually worn to cover up a bald spot on your scalp. Most toupees are made from real or synthetic hair and are worn at the scalp's crown — the area at the top of the head that's often prone to hair loss from male pattern baldness. 

The term “toupee” comes from the French toupet, which refers to a tuft of hair. During the 18th century, toupees evolved from realistic hairpieces to exaggerated devices that featured padding, cushions and wireframes to create the appearance of incredible hair volume. 

People in the olden days were weird as hell.

Today, toupees are marketed under various names — including “hair replacement systems", “hair systems” and “non-surgical hair replacement systems” — and are designed to blend seamlessly with your natural hair. 

Compared to traditional wigs, toupees are smaller and made to fit more loosely to cover areas affected by hair thinning or baldness. These men’s hair systems are typically attached with adhesive and can stick to your scalp for three to six weeks at a time.

Toupees are typically made with either French or Swiss lace. Swiss lace tends to be a thinner style and is typically used to lace front toupees, while French lace is a more durable style for men’s wigs and is easier to use for a first-time toupee wearer.