Tips for applying Toppik?

[elliotramsey]

Hello,

I got my first bottle of toppik today. I decided to test it out before taking a shower so i could just wash it out.

I only really need it in the front to add more definition to my hairline. And i don't need a lot either.

So i tested it out, and man is it messy stuff! The bathrooms at my house are being renovated, so i'm forced to use my parents' bathroom. Boy, that stuff managed to find its way into every surface anywhere a foot around the sink.

In addition, it got all over my forehead and took forever to clean off, and even then, you could still kind of see it up in the corners of my hairline.

BUT the stuff did exactly what i wanted, it made my hairline darker and more defined.

It had been a few days since i had washed my hair (because of dry skin issues), so by today my hair had begun to get all weird on me, so i was having a bad hair to begin with. I took a shower (after cleaning up the mess for 30 minutes, and even then ill be lucky if my mom does see anything) and shampooed everything out, expecting to see my bad hairday again, but was surprised to see my hair (and hairline) looked pretty good. I was probably in need of a shower anyways.


Anyway, does anyone have tips for applying toppik with less mess and less dirty forehead?

Thanks

 

[agent00]

I would definitely invest in the spray applicator, it costs about $25 (I am from Canada so it may be a bit lower or higher depending on where you are) but it is definitely worth it. It's a lot easier to direct the fibres to your scalp. It also saves a lot of fibres too. Sometimes it can get clogged but blowing on the end usually clears it out. Also, when you screw it on the bottle, fibres can get trapped on the part of the bottle where you screw the applicator, so make sure you always check.

I've heard mixed reviews regarding the toppik hairspray, but personally it's not bad. It doesn't have that hairspray smell and it does a good job keeping it on (sometimes I can go 2 days with a single coat, including working out). When I first started using Toppik, I made the mistake of using too much, which not only makes your hair look funny, it makes a mess everywhere. Spray a bit on then gently pat it in.

The spray applicator definitely saves on the mess, but one thing that is inevitable is the mess it leaves on pillows. I live on my own now, but every time I go and visit my mom she always nags me for the "dirt my hair leaves on her pillows". I'd recommend picking up a few cheap black pillow cases.

Overall Toppik is a great product, I can't go anywhere with out it. I'm fresh out, so it looks like I'll be sporting the ballcap at work the next few days unk: (thank god my boss is cool and doesn't mind me doing so).

 

[elliotramsey]

Cool agent00.. thanks for the insight!

 

[Mens Rea]

See here:

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=61938


Basically:

After shower dry down your hair to it's 50-60% dry. Put some toppik in. Blow dry your hair down. Put some more toppik in. Use hair wax but most importantly hair spray to hold it in place. Then you can actually add more toppik. Your hair will be held in place and density will be transformed. It works extremely well for me and im heavily diffused.

 

[Esprit]

See here:

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=61938


Basically:

After shower dry down your hair to it's 50-60% dry. Put some toppik in. Blow dry your hair down. Put some more toppik in. Use hair wax but most importantly hair spray to hold it in place. Then you can actually add more toppik. Your hair will be held in place and density will be transformed. It works extremely well for me and im heavily diffused.

Don't supposed you've a before and after pic? No need to show face, just hair?

 

[kejan]

Interesting thread.
I'm in the process of growing in my hair after 7months of shaving. I'll need some toppik for my diffuse thinning, but I stopped using it because of the 'morning after' black patches on the pillow.

I won't be using much this time, but I tried it with the lock-in spray that toppik and nanogen provide but it didn't seem to hold.
Does hairspray really work to hold it in?

Toppik/Nanogen can be great and really does beef out your hair and it can make you feel/look happy about yourself, but maybe I wasn't applying it correctly as this is why I quit it. It was getting too much hassle and I am fairly active guy - I love running almost 5-6x a week.

I know that before hand I probably used far too much. As I had about a 6-7" haircut all over and def used too much toppik for the crown and diffuse. I ended up shaving my head because I was fed up having to 'do my hair' and the mess it made.
Now that I'm used to seeing myself with short hair. I'm going to try a short - high and tight type cut, but with more hair on top and thinner sides so I'll only be using a bit of toppik on top and not the sides etc.

Good luck everyone with using it. I'll be giving it a go again this weekend. I'm going a boys' weekend trip with 3 friends, and I've not seen them since February when I had a shaved head. So hopefully I'll not have a white pillow come the weekend morning and the embarrasment of explaining that to them :woot:

 

[Mens Rea]

See here:

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=61938


Basically:

After shower dry down your hair to it's 50-60% dry. Put some toppik in. Blow dry your hair down. Put some more toppik in. Use hair wax but most importantly hair spray to hold it in place. Then you can actually add more toppik. Your hair will be held in place and density will be transformed. It works extremely well for me and im heavily diffused.

Don't supposed you've a before and after pic? No need to show face, just hair?

To be honest i don't like to depress myself with before pictures, man.

But i assure you i go from "extremely sparse" to "pretty normal" (still with crown thinning but it looks acceptable when i do it really well).

Try it and report back?

 

[kejan]

Thanks finfighter. I've got some hair now after growing it in for 6weeks, it looks crap but I threw some toppik on tonight to test and it certainly looked much better.
I'm off to buy some holding product tomorrow. What's best for your results? Put some holding spray on straight after applying the toppik/nanogen? And then put another 'coat' on 10mins after the first? Or should one procedure hold it in place?

I'm in the UK and strugglign to find that L'oreal one you mentioned. I take any type of strong hair-spray type/holder is probably alright?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Esprit]

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=61938[/url]


Basically:

After shower dry down your hair to it's 50-60% dry. Put some toppik in. Blow dry your hair down. Put some more toppik in. Use hair wax but most importantly hair spray to hold it in place. Then you can actually add more toppik. Your hair will be held in place and density will be transformed. It works extremely well for me and im heavily diffused.

Don't supposed you've a before and after pic? No need to show face, just hair?

To be honest i don't like to depress myself with before pictures, man.

But i assure you i go from "extremely sparse" to "pretty normal" (still with crown thinning but it looks acceptable when i do it really well).

Try it and report back?[/quote:9ktuctwk]

Understood mate! I know the feeling...
I tried Toppik a couple of years ago but didn't get on with it, just looked like soot in my hair. I use Nanogen now, which I've used for a year or more, and sometimes it looks good, but it doesn't sit well, and hits the scalp leaving hair on top if you know what I mean. The fact it ALWAYS rubs off after one night on a pillow does my head in, Even topping it up it never looks good. I've done it now so many times, you'd think I'd have mastered it by now, but I just can't seem to do it properly and daren't go outdoors with it

 

[kejan]

Thanks finasteride, I didn't get the one you mentioned but a Wella Super-strong from the local store,hairspray which I'm going to try tonight. I'll try your technique.

Espirit, I feel your pain.
I used nanogen for about a year or so and that's what annoyed me, the pillow being covered with black powder and it getting clogged in your finger nails and even just resting your head on a sofa, pillow etc and it would come off.
but, I didn't use any hairspray.

I ended up shaving my head for a bit and now decided to grow my hair back in as I'm a NW3/diffuse.

Have you tried hairspraying your hair after applying nanogen? I'm going to try this and the other thread technique of puting toppik-nanogen in the hair.

all the best.

 

[BaranbtJones]

This is a repost from another toppik thread...

I have my own way of applying Toppik, that I am not sure many others use. I also use the black toppik.

I have jet black hair on the sides and without toppik the hair on top of my head looks dark to light brown.

I am also a diffuse thinner, with one inch hair on sides and back and 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch hair on top. I cut my own hair (my dad is a hairstylist, and taught me, so I am not so bad at it), and style it in a way that is a bit concealing (hair on sides gravitating towards middle and spikey in front), however, with no hair stretching long enough to be called a combover.

1) I apply toppik as liberally as possible.

2) I finger comb it all throughout my hair.

3) I take a warm shower, with no shampoo in hair, rinse for like 5 mins usually.

Done.



I don't know if this works for anyone else, but it makes the conceal job look more natural for me, especially at the hairline. It also makes it look like not enough of a extreme difference so people aren't questioning me about it (Makes my remaining hair look twice as thick, but doesn't make it look like I have "more hair" than before). Even better, I can touch my hair and allow others to touch it, even when sweaty, and they don't get the black glitter or lint on their fingers.


My previous method was to sprinkle it on my fingers and apply it without touching my scalp. This method had a great natural look too, but I had to literally dodge people when they tried to rub my hair or touch it...


I am sort of suggesting trying both ways, cause the original spray or shake n' go methods made toppik clump on my scalp, creating a ghastly shitty look. Unless I went for full coverage, which just made people question me about having a combover or hairpeice (neither of which I do).

 

[kejan]

Hey folks,

Well I tried it last night and finfighter's method of applying two coats of spray worked. I didn't use L'oreal or tre-semee. Just a Wella ultra-strong hold one form the store and it seemed to have worked fine. I used nanogen as well. So maybe Espirit if you fancy, you can try too.

 

[Esprit]

Hey folks,

Well I tried it last night and finfighter's method of applying two coats of spray worked. I didn't use L'oreal or tre-semee. Just a Wella ultra-strong hold one form the store and it seemed to have worked fine. I used nanogen as well. So maybe Espirit if you fancy, you can try too.

Thanks mate, I do use hair spray, Extra Strong, the John Frieda one, which has got ridiculously expensive now, over 5 pounds a hit, but it still does the pillow thing, and the slightest scratch give the the dreaded black fingernail.

 

[sterling9000]

Instead of shaking the bottle over your head you can just tap it against your scalp where you want the concealer to go. It makes the product come out alot less messy since it concentrates the application more.