The base decides how the topper looks. The attachment decides how it works day to day — how long it stays on, how much it stresses your own hair and whether you can take it off yourself in the evening.
There are five ways. Which one suits you depends mostly on how much of your own hair you have left, and whether you want to be able to take the topper off every day.
Clips
The most common attachment and the one that comes as standard. Small pressure clips fasten into your own hair around the edge of the hair piece. You put it on in about a minute and take it off just as quickly.
Requires that you have hair of your own to clip into, at least around the edges. Clips need something to bite on.
The advantage is freedom. You take the topper off when you sleep, train or shower. The drawback is that clips pull on the same points every day — move them a centimetre or so now and then, so the load does not always land on the same strands.
Tape
Double-sided tape between the hair piece and the scalp. The topper then lies completely flat, which makes it less visible than clips and more comfortable if your scalp is sensitive to pulling.
Requires little or no hair of your own under the attachment point. It works where clips have nothing to grip.
The tape is changed roughly every two to three weeks. Residue should always be dissolved with a proper remover, never scrubbed off.
Halo wire
A thin, adjustable wire that runs around the head and holds the hair piece in place with tension instead of clips. It stresses your own hair less than clips do, because the load is spread out.
Our Luxury Hairline Hair Topper is attached this way. The wire should sit under your own hair at the nape and over the ears, then be covered by the hair on top.
Sew-in
Your own hair is braided and the hair piece is sewn onto the braid. No heat, no glue. It is the gentlest permanent solution.
Requires enough hair of your own to braid, and works best on thick or curly hair.
The attachment stays until it is sewn again, which is done every six to eight weeks. You cannot take the topper off yourself in between.
Mesh
With mesh we attach a net to your own hair and fasten the hair piece to the net. The hair underneath is left alone and meets neither glue nor heat, while the result stays put around the clock.
For mesh we use either a lace closure or the Luxury Hair Topper Deluxe in real hair. Both are hand-tied, which is what makes the result read as your own hair once it sits on a net.
The choice between them follows how much coverage you need. A closure gives a natural parting on a smaller section. The Deluxe covers a larger area of the head and has mono in the parting with lace around it, which makes it the first choice when the hair has thinned across the whole top.
Requires some hair of your own to attach the net to. If the scalp is completely bare, a wig is the answer instead.
Book mesh with a hair topper or mesh with a lace closure. The whole method is explained on our mesh hair extension page.
How to choose
Want to take the topper off yourself every day: clips or a halo wire.
Want it to stay on around the clock without thinking about it: mesh or sew-in.
Have little hair of your own where the topper goes: tape or mesh, since clips need something to attach to.
Not sure which base you need under the attachment? Read mono, silk, lace or fishnet.
Frequently asked questions
Do clips damage your hair?
They can, if they sit in exactly the same place every day. Move them regularly, do not clip into hair that is already thin, and take the topper off at night — then your own hair will be fine.
Can I sleep with the topper on?
With clips or a halo wire you should take it off. With mesh or a sew-in it stays on, and then you sleep in a satin bonnet so the hair does not frizz against the pillow.
How often does mesh need redoing?
Every six to eight weeks, as your own hair grows out. The hair piece is reused each time as long as the base is intact.
Can I train with the topper on?
With mesh or a sew-in, yes. Sweat does wear on real hair that gets no moisture from a scalp, so rinse and condition more often if you train a lot. With clips it is easiest to take it off.
Can I change attachment method later?
Usually yes. The same hair piece can go from clips to mesh if the base can take it. We look at it in the salon and tell you if it will hold up.
See our full range of hair toppers, or book a free consultation and we will go through which attachment suits your hair.