Hair camouflage: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Hair is venerated, cherished, and desired in societies throughout the world. Both women and men express their individual identities through their hairstyles. Healthy hair contributes to successful social assimilation, employment, and overall quality of life. Therefore, hair loss can have detrimental effects on almost every aspect of a person's life. In this review, we discuss the myriad of options that aid in concealing and camouflaging hair loss to facilitate a healthier-appearing scalp. Camouflage options for patients who suffer from hair loss include full or partial wigs, hair extensions, concealing powders and sprays, surgical tattoos, and hair transplants. We describe these modalities in detail and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Keywords: alopecia; concealing; hair camouflage; hair loss; hair transplant; micropigmentation; tattoo; wigs.

Fig. 1

Example of patient with patchy alopecia areata.

Fig. 2

Example of patient with severe alopecia areata, alopecia universalis subtype.

Fig. 3

Wig cap with monofilament top, lace front, and handtied back with silicone around the perimeter to allow for better grip of scalp for individuals with total hair loss. Photo courtesy of Hair Enhancements of Pittsburgh (HairEnhancements.net).

Fig. 4

Lace-front wig cap. Photo courtesy of Hair Enhancements of Pittsburgh (HairEnhancements.net).

Fig. 5

Integration wig. Photo courtesy of Hair Enhancements of Pittsburgh (HairEnhancements.net).

Fig. 6

(A) Androgenetic alopecia: thinning of the crown and frontal scalp prior to camouflage application. (B) Camouflage powder application resulting in instantly thicker-appearing hair.

Fig. 7

Before and 1 year after surgical hair transplantation. Photo courtesy of Dr. Brett Bolton (GreatHairTransplants.com).

Fig 8

Linear scar secondary to hair transplantation surgery (A) is concealed with micropigmentation (B). Photos courtesy of Tino Barbone of The Scalp Micropigmentation Center (ScalpMicropigmentationCenter.com).

Fig. 9

Balding scalp (A) concealed with micropigmentation to mimic pores in scalp (B). Photos courtesy of Tino Barbone of The Scalp Micropigmentation Center (ScalpMicropigmentationCenter.com).