Toppik Review: King of Hair Building Fibers?

Do you have fine, thinning or balding hair and want to know more about Toppik hair building fibers?

Thinning hair can be a natural, but unwanted, part of the ageing process or a symptom of underlying health or environmental problems. It can affect both men and women at any stage of life and can cause big issues with self-esteem, confidence and mental health. In extreme conditions, thinning hair can play a big part in disorders such as stress, anxiety and depression, all of which can exacerbate the problem.

Fortunately, there are solutions to thinning hair; from changes in dietary health to eliminating the underlying environmental factors, cosmetic surgery to over the counter products such as hair filler fibers.

What Are Hair Filler Fibers and How Can They Help with Thinning Hair?

Thinning hair can occur as a result of age, stress, medical complaints or due to many environmental or dietary factors. People suffering from thinning hair will find that they produce less hair on their scalp and those that do grow are shorter, thinner and less densely packed; this results from hair follicles becoming smaller and producing what is known as ‘vellus’ hair. Eventually these miniaturized follicles become dormant and stop producing hairs altogether.

Toppik’s before and after images show excellent results for thinning hair. Image via website.

Also known as hair building fibers, hair fillers can either be manmade or produced from natural keratin that can be applied to the scalp to create an effect of greater hair density and volume. Using a static charge which works like a magnet, these microscopic particles adhere to existing hairs and create an illusion of a thick head of hair.

You can purchase filler fibers in a variety of different colours designed to match your natural hair though the range from different manufacturers does vary.

The static charge produced from most fibers is strong enough to bond with your existing hairline to withstand day to day wear and tear such as perspiration, rain and wind.

There are a lot of different products available on the market, each purporting to offer different benefits but all promising to create greater hair density. In this guide, we take a look at Toppik hair building fibers including the technology behind the claims, some common questions as well as how well it works. For a review of Toppik vs Capoki (another well-known hair filler fiber), see our piece on how the two compare.

What is Toppik?

Founded three decades ago, Toppik Inc. is a US based manufacturer and supplier of hair care products aimed specifically at the hair loss market. They produce two products; Toppik and Couvre.

Unlike some products on the market Toppik’s hair building fibers are made from natural sources, closely resembling the natural fibers of human hair. Extracted from wool, the fibers are a keratin protein which makes them look and feel more natural.

Toppik is supplied with a spray on applicator as well as a variety of tools to help apply the fibers naturally.

Their product is available in 9 different colours; black, dark, medium and light brown, auburn, medium and light blond, grey and white. The fibers work well on all hair types including Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean and Asian hair. Hair colors can be combined to match your natural hues and tones.

Toppik has a range of 9 colors to combine and match to your hair color. Image via website.

The range of additional accessories makes Toppik a popular choice with consumers looking to tailor their hair care to suit their own hair type and hair care regime. Their products include:

• FiberHold Spray – a hair spray designed to act like a laquer to maintain your style but also to strengthen the bond between your hair and the hair fibers.
• Hairline Optimizer – effectively a comb with an irregular edge, the optimizer is designed to help produce a more natural looking hairline when applying the fibers to the scalp.
• Applicator Spray – optimized to create an even application of fibers, the spray helps you target the areas that need the fibers. Very useful if you have patchy hair loss.

The accessory range with Toppik can help maintain your style for longer. Image via website.

• Colored Hair Thickener – A spray on color that works on the scalp to reduce the appearance of thinning hair. Use this with the Scalp Concealing Lotion to vastly improve the effectiveness of the fibers to create the illusion of thick hair.
• Shampoo and Conditioner – specifically targeting thinning hair these two products provide nourishment to existing hair in the form of keratin proteins to protect and repair.
• Hair Styling Brush – with its nylon bristles and broad surface, the brush is designed to help create volume and lift to maximise the effect of both natural hair and Toppik’s own hair building fibers.
• Brow Building Fibers Kit – for those people whose eyebrows are affected by hair loss comes this easy to use application to fill eyebrow hairs.

How to Use Toppik Hair Building Fibers

Toppik hair fibers come in a variety of different sized containers each capable of being sprayed or shaken directly on to the scalp. You should wash and dry your hair before using any products that you would normally apply to your hair before applying Toppik and style your hair prior to application as you would do normally.

You can then shake or spray the fibers onto your hair and, using the hairline optimiser, apply to the hairline itself. The whole process takes around 30-60 seconds when the professionals do it though it can take a bit longer when applying the fibers to yourself, especially to start with. As soon as the fibers come into contact with your hair they will bond using natural static and stay firmly in place.

Once distributed, you simply pat the fibers in place to help even distribution. There is no ‘setting’ or waiting time.

You do need to be careful when applying Toppik as it does bond with any hair it comes into contact with. What this means from a practical point of view is that if you are too liberal and not too careful then any fibers that fall on your face may bond with the hair on it. Not too bad for men trying to grow a beard but a little hard to wear for ladies. It is for this reason that using the spray applicator is to be recommended as this can help you target the fibers to where they are needed most and also avoid those areas you don’t want to cover.

The hairline optimizer may also seem like an unnecessary accessory but really does help to create a more natural hairline. Without it, the edge of the hair can either blend into the hair on the face or, if you use something to shield your face, appear too severe.

Once you have styled your hair, it is recommended that you use the Toppik hair spray to fix your fibers more securely. Though the bond is secure for most normal daily wear and tear, it can help to prevent any loss of style or fibers thinning through friction, excess moisture (such as really heavy rain) and static build-up.

How Do Toppik Hair Fibers React to Rain, Humidity and Moisture?

Because the fibers adhere to the hair using static, the bond is resistant to ordinary weather and daily use including wind, rain, humidity and perspiration. Most users find that they can even get their fibers wet during a shower without the bond being broken. However, Toppik fibers will lose their bond during a proper soaking and using wet shampoo; they can also be lost during swimming.

Toppik do produce a range of dry shampoos that can be used to increase the duration of each application as well as hair sprays designed to maximise thickness and secure the bond.

How Long Do Toppik Fibers Last?

Topic fibers bond to the hair using static and can stay in place with daily wear for several days until you wet shampoo your hair. Most users find that the duration of the full effect can be diminished after two to three days.

For the best results, it is recommended that you wash out the fibers every 24-48 hours and reapply. Some people find that the results can be prolonged with just a top-up application after a few days. It goes without saying that this will vary depending on how much hair loss you are experiencing and whether you have used any hair spray to help maintain the bond for longer. Additional factors may also affect the longevity of the fibers including how much you brush your hair, whether you use any additional styling products and whether you wear anything on your head. Though this latter point does not affect Toppik on an occasional basis, wearing hats of a certain material can cause additional static and reduce the efficacy of the fibers ability to bond to your hair.

Does Using Toppik Hair Fibers Prevent Healthy Hair Regrowth?

Simply, no. Because the hair fibers work by bonding with existing hair and do not interfere with the pores or follicles themselves, using Toppik will not prevent any natural regrowth. Now is probably a good time to state that using hair fibers also doesn’t encourage any new growth.

Toppik is used by both men and women to help reduce the appearance of thinning hair. Image via website.

Does Toppik Work?

Which is surely the question anyone considering Toppik wants to know. Does it actually work?

The claims made by the manufacturers are nothing short of miraculous and the videos are almost like watching a magician at work; one minute you have a balding man, the next he has a thick head of hair. Is it too good to be true?

The vast majority of users would suggest otherwise and reviews come from a huge and far reaching range of audience:

• Amazon users rate Toppik with 4.3 Stars out of 5. In fact, 82% of almost 2500 reviews were 4 stars or above.
• Google users rate Toppick with 4.5 stars out of 5 with an 88% positive rating.
• Facebook users rate Toppick with 4 out of 5 stars with a 70% positive rating.

Toppik is recommended by Harpers Bazaar, Allure, The Oprah Magazine, Essence, Today and Redbook.

Over 3 million men and women over the last three decades have been using Toppick to improve the appearance of thinning hair with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Digging into many of the negative reviews, there are a couple of recurring gripes over the longevity of the product and the appearance of the product. Both seem to suggest that users did not choose a suitable color or color combination and expected the fibers to last longer than the advised 24 hours. Though this could be perceived as a blanket dismissal of any negative experiences, there is an underlying issue which users need to be aware of. Hair thickening fibers only work if they can bond with existing hair. If you are completely bald then this product won’t help. It can help accentuate the volume and density of any surrounding hair but, when it comes to the area where there is no hair, you will not see any transformation.

Overall, the repeat custom for Toppik speaks for itself with millions of happy customers. In a recent survey, 96% of customers would recommend Toppik to others and nine out of ten agree that Toppik looks natural.

Not only that but Toppik is recommended by both hair transplant surgeons and hair stylists to help improve the appearance of thinning hair. Dr Craig Ziering, a hair transplant surgeon and star of the Netflix series, ‘Celebrity Plastic Surgeons of Beverly Hills’, recommends Toppik to his patients both prior to surgery and post-surgery to conceal thinning hair. Hair transplant surgery can take time to produce results and the interim period can make hair loss more pronounced. Due to the fact that Toppik is safe to use (no irritation, infection or reaction) post-surgery, Ziering confidently recommends Toppik:

“Because it provides immediate gratification, it is remarkable to watch the morale transformation for patients severely troubled and discouraged by their loss and yet limited in donor hair or money, or who are approaching their restoration with small surgical sessions over an extended period of time.”

There are other products available that offer a combination of natural materials, range of accessories and choice of colors but few that have been in business for as long as Toppik.

Feature image courtesy of toppik.com