What's a good concealer?

[Boondock]

I've had a search around this forum, and haven't really found the answer I'm looking for yet.

I'm going to be applying for graduate jobs in a couple of weeks, and I'd like a concealer to improve my overall look. I have a clear receding hairline to anyone who wants to look, but I feel concealing this somewhat will improve my overall look, and perhaps boost my chances in the interviews. Is that paranoid? Possibly. But it's what I believe anyway.

This would be mostly for frontal loss. I have a noticeable receding hairline, but there are patches of thinning and vellus hair which I might be able to conceal.

I've seen toppik, prothick and dermamatch mentioned here. I have no idea what would be best. I don't care about swimming, rain etc, since I'm not intending to wear this in the long term right now. It's really just about what looks best.

So, chaps, what do you recommend?

 

[thetodd]

I use prothik.
It thickens the hair above your hairline, so it makes your recession less obvious. Also, it stays on better. Using toppik near your hairline is just asking for trouble.

 

[Boondock]

Cheers Todd. Has anyone else had success on Prothik? Or FAILED to have success with toppik in this area? I'd really appreciate lots of viewpoints, because I have no experience whatsoever in this area.

 

[s.a.f]

Concealers are not generally very good for recession, they work very well for thinning (although obviously they cant really add body) they make hair look denser. I find fibres nanogen/toppik are the best in terms of results and ease of use and natural looking.

 

[thetodd]

I just think that if you thicken the hair right above your hairline, it looks better. Prothick and dermmatch are the only concealers I trust in that area. Your receeding hairline will still be somewhat apparent, but it will look better if the hair you still have looks thick and healthy. Hair fibers come off easier, which isn't as big of a deal if they are on your crown. Prothick stays on better.

 

[Boondock]

^ Yeah that's pretty much what I'm trying to do. I'm not replacing hairline, but filling in the flimsier bits behind the clear recession. It should give a slightly better overall look, so I'm going to give it at least a try. Prothik will be the first thing I look into.

 

[thetodd]

^ Yeah that's pretty much what I'm trying to do. I'm not replacing hairline, but filling in the flimsier bits behind the clear recession. It should give a slightly better overall look, so I'm going to give it at least a try. Prothik will be the first thing I look into.

That's probably the best choice for just above your hairline.
My only advice is not to over do it.
Prothik does a great job of giving your hair a thicker appearance and even shading your scalp, but too much of it gives your hair a very dull appearance. It also gets stiff (how bad depends on the amount you use), so if some girl decides to run her fingers through your hair, she might get a bit turned off. Also keep in mind that it doesn't wash off easily. It's not like you have to scrub it with a brillo pad, but the stuff that gets on your scalp takes a little more effort to get off. I'm not trying to preach here, but I thought I'd give some friendly suggestions. Do not use it like you would a hair spray. Apply it in short bursts until you get the desired effect.
Once it's on, check your forehead closely to make sure none of it got there. You don't want people thinking you spray painted your head. I probably made you a little worried about using prothick now, but don't be. It is a very good concealer when used properly.
Good luck.

 

[Boondock]

Ok, todd, thanks for the pointers.

 

[thetodd]

Didn't mean to annoy you, dude.
I was just trying to give you a little primer on how to use the stuff once you get it.