The world of alternative hair can be confusing. Where does one start when faced with terminology like wigs, lace front wigs, synthetic wigs, human hair wigs, toppers, hairpieces and headwear? What do I need? What’s going to fulfill my needs? Let us break it down for you.

Wigs are a complete cap that covers your entire head and has hair attached. They come in both human hair and synthetic varieties and both have their own pros and cons. In addition, they are available with different cap constructions like lace fronts, machine made, monofilament and hand tied. There are numerous different style and colour combinations that are suitable for all people, whether you have a little, a lot or no biological hair.

All wigs are fully adjustable which makes them especially great for people undergoing chemotherapy, who have some biological hair but anticipate loss in the future. The adjustable straps allow you to choose the right wig before you experience hairloss and can be adjusted to achieve the perfect fit at every stage. Wigs are also suitable for those who have no medical need but simply want to achieve a look they can’t with their own biological hair and are a fantastic hairloss solution for alopecia.

Toppers are different to wigs as the hair is attached to a base that clips into your natural hair at the top of your head and the lengths blend with your own hair, giving you extra thickness and coverage. Toppers come in many different base shapes and lengths designed for beginning, mid and progressive stages of hairloss. They are ideally suited to those with fine hair, people who have had a medical procedure and have a bald patch and those with alopecia. Like wigs, toppers too are available in human hair and synthetic, monofilament (hair looks like it’s growing out of your scalp) and machine made (pre teased at the roots to give height).

Hairpieces are hair add ons that attach to your own hair giving you a longer/thicker ponytail, a cute messy bun or curly up style for example. Hairpieces come in many different styles and are suitable for people who can get their hair up in an elastic. Hairpieces need to attach to biological hair that is long enough to tie up.

However, there is one hairpiece in the Starkles range that is designed especially for cancer patients called the medical fringe. This fringe is on an elastic headband and is designed to be worn underneath turbans, hats and head scarves to give the appearance of hair underneath.

Finally, there is headwear, a term given to caps, hats, head scarves and head coverings designed for hair loss. Available in many different styles, colours and fabrics. Some styles need to be tied and others simply slip on with no fuss.