Hand-Knotted 7x9 Human Hair Topper, 14" or 16"

A topper clips onto your own hair rather than covering your whole head, so it needs some existing hair at the crown to grip. If there is very little to attach to, a wig is the better answer — we would rather say that now than have you find out after opening the packet.

• Position it about two to three centimetres back from your own hairline. Sitting it too far forward is the commonest mistake and the one that makes a topper obvious.
• Tease a little of your own hair where the front clips will sit. The clips hold far better on slightly backcombed hair than on smooth hair.
• Clip the front first, then the sides, then the back. Working front-to-back keeps the parting straight.
• Blend your own hair over the edges at the sides. That is what hides the perimeter of the base.

The base on this piece is 7 x 9 inches, which covers the crown, the parting and a margin either side. Measure the area you want covered before ordering — a base larger than the thinning area is easy to hide, one that is too small is not.

A topper sits against your own hair, so the match matters more than it would on a full wig — there is nothing to hide a mismatch behind.

• Match to your mid-lengths, not your roots. The topper lies alongside the length of your hair, and most people’s roots are darker than the rest.
• Match in daylight, near a window. Bathroom and shop lighting both lie, in opposite directions.
• If you are between two shades, take the darker one. A colourist can lift a topper a shade or two quite easily; darkening one convincingly is harder.
• Highlighted or balayage hair is usually best matched to the lightest tone running through it, not the base.

It is human hair, so a colourist can tone it to your exact shade if the match is close but not right. That is a much shorter and cheaper appointment than a full colour.

Lengths are measured stretched, from the base of the piece to the ends. Textured hair sits shorter than its stated measurement once dry:

• Straight — almost no shrinkage.
• Body wave — an inch or two shorter.
• Deep wave and water wave — roughly a fifth to a quarter shorter.
• Curly — up to half.

On a topper, pick the length that matches your own hair rather than the length you want overall. A topper noticeably longer or shorter than your own hair reads as a separate piece however well it is coloured.

Hairpieces arrive compressed from packaging and look thinner and flatter than they are. Shake it out and let it hang before judging it.

A topper has no scalp feeding it oil, so the ends dry out faster than your own hair would. It also gets handled at the clips every single day, which is where most toppers fail first.

• Unclip gently rather than pulling the piece off. The knots at the clip points take the strain.
• Detangle from the ends upward, never from the base down.
• Wash sparingly — every ten to fifteen wears is plenty — with a sulphate-free shampoo, holding the base rather than scrubbing it.
• Condition the mid-lengths and ends, keeping conditioner off the base, which loosens knots over time.
• Air dry flat or on a stand. Never wring or twist the base.
• Heat protectant every time, at moderate temperatures, and keep the iron away from the base itself.
• Store flat or on a stand rather than folded, so the base keeps its shape.

On coloured pieces: blondes and ash tones fade fastest. Wash in cool water and use a purple toning shampoo every few washes, not every wash.

Unopened items in their original packaging can be returned within 14 days of delivery. For hygiene reasons, hairpieces, toppers and wigs cannot be returned once the packaging is opened, or once the hair has been worn, washed, cut, coloured or otherwise altered — so please check the base size, length and shade before opening.

If an item arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, contact us within 30 days and we will replace it or refund you in full. Your statutory rights are unaffected. Full details are in our refund policy.

Free shipping to the UK, USA, Canada and France on every order. No minimum spend, nothing to work out.

Everywhere else, shipping is free on orders over £150, or the equivalent in your local currency. Below that, the rate is shown at checkout before you pay, based on your delivery address.

Delivery takes 3 to 25 business days depending on destination. Orders to the UK, USA, Canada and France arrive at the faster end of that range; more distant destinations take longer.