Could you please indicate why the following approach doesn’t seem to be option as far as I can see on the market?

I’m wondering why there are no companies offering to attach single strands of hair (real or fake) directly to the scalp using some type of bonding adhesive. No mesh or anything like that but bonding the miniscule head of a strand to the scalp with adhesive. These strands would stay attached during showers, etc. until one could wash out the attached hairs with a special shampoo that can break the adhesive bonds. Or even better if the bonds can break down themselves over a reasonable duration of say a few weeks.

Then one would proceed to attach “fresh” strands as required. It would be like going to a hairstylist except one would go to add these strands. This would avoid the non-breathing aspect of hair pieces and possible traction alopecia. I’m sure the cost may be relatively high for the manual work but it may be the only option for some people who have limited options. I can envision a machine that might be able to do this efficiently as well.

Is there no such bonding material for the skin available in the medical community that would last for weeks at a time? Thank you for your informative blog.

Cyanoacrylate (more commonly known as Super Glue) is used in medical glues and can probably accomplish part of what you want. However, the skin does cycle and the top layer of skin often comes off, taking the glue with it. What you are describing would take a lot or work. Who do you imagine would do it if you couldn’t get your machine invented?

It’s fun to come up with new ideas, but this just doesn’t sound reasonable due to the time and effort to make it look natural. Hairs can’t just be dropped on the head randomly after smearing glue on your scalp.

The Wall Street Journal looks at various toupees/wigs/hair systems/rugs. Here’s a snippet from the article:

Business was booming for sellers of men’s wigs back in the day—but that day ended in the 18th century. For a 21st-century man looking to conceal hair loss or to make a fashion (yes, fashion) statement, the choices are limited. That’s because about 75% of all wigs sold in the U.S. today are for women, according to hair-industry experts.

The men’s ready-to-wear wig industry is under assault from two angles. The growth of hair-replacement systems, where a product is custom made and fitted to a client’s scalp, continues to take market share. And many men no longer care that their hair is falling out because the shaved-head look is increasingly popular. Instead of concealing bald spots, men are eliminating hair spots by shaving it all off.

Read the full article at Wall Street Journal

If you’re going to wear a wig for whatever reason, this article serves as a splendid little review of some of the top wig sites. At the very least, it is interesting to read about the pricing and policies of these sites.

Can you tell me some of the pro’s and con’s of hairpieces and weaves?

I’m sorry if this sounds like a cop-out, but I wrote a couple of chapters about this very topic in my new book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, and really can’t rewrite those chapters here. If you come and visit me, I will give you a copy of the book as I do all visitors to my office… or you can order it online.