Using Concealers after a Hair Transplant

The impact of concealing agents can be remarkable, but they don’t work in a bald frontal area or places where there’s just not enough hair to work with. If you decide on a hair transplant to supply some needed hair, the concealing agents can work for a lifetime because the hair from a hair transplant lasts a lifetime.

Concealers that darken the scalp work well with transplants even if there’s either not enough hair or enough money to cover the whole head with transplanted hair. The Figure shows a man who would have been completely bald had he not had hair transplants. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough donor hair to get the fullness he wanted, so he applied a concealing foundation to his scalp.

Figure: Top view of a post-transplant patient without (a) and with concealer
(b); back view without (c) and with concealer (d).

Trying Thickeners

Do hair thickeners work? Yes, they do! But their effects are only temporary, and they have some limitations. Some men who are thinning use wax and pomade to make their hair look fuller. These products are the same as those that were so popular in the 1950s when the popular style for young men was slicked back hair. 

In addition to achieving the slick look, these products also add extra thickness to your hair and provide the feeling and appearance of fullness. A thicker hair shaft increases the fullness of one’s hair exponentially. Even small increments of added thickness can have a major impact on the fullness of the hair. Doubling the thickness of a single hair will increase the overall bulk fourfold. So, thickening each and every hair shaft may produce four times more bulk than having more hair!

Propecia
Medications such as Propecia works so well for much the same reason. Propecia not only has the potential to grow new hair, but it also thickens tiny miniaturized hair to provide more coverage.

Comparison of Popular Concealing Products

Many hair loss concealing products, whether they’re powderbased or fiber-based, perform similar functions, so how do you choose the right solution for you? The table lays it all out for you, comparing features of three products on the market. Many people use combinations of the various products, either in different areas or together in the same area. We recommend that you try all the products to find the right product.

Toppik and XFusion: fiber products that can make hair shafts thicker

There are many types of fiber products that can make hair shafts thicker; two of the more well-known products are Toppik and XFusion. These products are comprised of organic keratin fibers with a similar chemical makeup to human hair. You apply the product by spraying, painting, or sprinkling it on your scalp, where the fibers cling to your existing hair and create an illusion of a thicker and fuller hairline. The fibers stick to your existing hairs by static electricity, so you don’t have to worry about it coming off.

After the product is on your hair and scalp, it’s very difficult to take off completely — except with a thorough hair wash. See Figure for an example of a fiber product at work.

Toppik and other hair fiber products should blend in with your own the hair color, so choose the right color for the best results. The subtle addition of the extra fibers will diminish any contrast between your hair and scalp color. The drastic improvement also comes from the fibers adhering to the fine vellus hairs — shorter hairs which have little or no pigment — which can make your hair look thicker. In all, it’s a great illusion.