Are you good at detecting when someone is wearing a wig or toupee?

Yes, sometimes it's really obvious

No. i've never worn one (except once in high school when I was playing a woman) so I don't have the faintest idea what they are all about.

I suppose I could get on testosterone therapy and find out, but I haven't been motivated to do so.

Yes, I am.

More in person.

I can spot them a mile away.

Hairdresser here. I went bald in my teens, and I wore one for many years, learned a lot along the way and am proudly bald again- Once I fooled a roomful of hairdressers.

The undetectable ones are new and have several different colors blended or even grey added to blend with the natural sides. Because they fade and oxidize brassy, they need to be toned occasionally, but this darkens ALL the hair and will become rather obvious over time. You really need to buy a new one or have a second one to swap out after 9 months- even the very best sourced ones get a sandpapery texture after a certain period.

No matter how good the cut or style, as scalp hair grows on the sides, you will see telltale ledge where the natural hair begins to separate from the top cut, usually razor cut to blend. `Wealthy guys go and have it serviced every other week to keep them undetectable.

The best ones are sheer like pantyhose on the the top (lace front) but very delicate, and look like the hair is growing from the scalp. I once had a guy not understand me when i told him and struggled to understand- because it literally did not compute with what he was seeing, lol. A great fitting also takes into consideration where the hairline and density would be age appropriate- NOT trying to have the hairline or thickness of an 18 year old. It is an art form to do this and a great stylist can command thousands to do so.

Ever pull off an bandaid you wore and there was a stink? They are attached with a strong medical adhesive just like a waterproof bandaid. If you are active or sweat a lot, yes they smell like a sweaty baseball cap and need to be removed and cleaned regularly.

The other telltales are when sweaty, the top is still dry though the forehead is wet, and there is no “flow” or swing, like a natural scalp that pushes up from the scalp and hair a certain direction. This means unlike real hair longer styles are immovable and you can’t really brush a hairpiece straight back, or pull into a ponytail without giving it away.

Pay, You will pay for the privilege! 3-4 thousand for the piece, $600 or so every six weeks, and replacing it every year or so.

They often get called “hair systems” now and they can look pretty good from a distance. Up close you can usually see it’s an overly thick ‘nest’ of hair plonked upon the head.

R7, that was quite fascinating. Thank you for sharing!

Yep. Even the newer types

Its my X-Men mutant power... hey! there are worse powers out there

To be honest, OP, after many years on DL I now pretty much default to the assumption that everyone is wearing a wig.

Is that a common thing in 21st century?

Thomas Dolby got a new hair system.

If you spend the money on a good one, you won't be able to tell. But if you're cheap or broke, then it's obvious.

Not any more, they have become much improved. On bad hair days I wish I owned one.

Rip Taylor takes out all the guesswork.

Things start going off the rails at about 15:45.

[quote] To be honest, OP, after many years on DL I now pretty much default to the assumption that everyone is wearing a wig.

That's refreshing. So many DLers clutch their pearls at the suggestion that their celebrity FAVES wear hair pieces and have ... gasp! ... plastic surgery procedures.

I've always wondered. What's the protocol if someone you know suddenly turns up with a full head of hair? Like do you acknowledge it or just pretend they've not gone from looking like Patrick Stewart to Fabio.

They’re getting harder to recognize among the younger generation of men who are wearing them but usually very obvious with older guys.

White people are now just catching on to lace front wigs. Hollywood, black people, and drag queens have been doing them for at least 20 years but the general white person is still uncomfortable with the idea of a wig, even though so many white women have destroyed their hair from hair extensions which are usually gross to me.

The keratin bonds and tape-ins are horrible for your hair. Keratin bonds are melted into your hair and it looks like the end of a shoe lace at your scalp, it’s really bad.

The big issue with front lace and balding is the glue. I don’t know if they make clip ins for men but I’d rather do that than glue the wig to my head.

I honestly weep for men who aren't blessed with a full head of hair.

No.

was the late actor Tony Lo Bianco, who passed away this month wearing a toupee from approx 1972 (around the French Connection) on?

How would you know?

Thank you R7 that was a great read.

I just can’t understand how there are super wealthy men, some of them in the public eye, who wear such obvious shitty wigs. It must be that you get used to seeing it everyday so it becomes normal to you, like those ladies who have surgery with their big lips and cat like eyes.

R7, thank you for the breakdown. Are you talking about wigs made with human hair or wigs made with synthetic hair? Seems like you could re-use the wigs made with human hair.

Stevie Wonder could spot this local access cable interviewer's toupee.

R20 I’d suggest it’s more that, unless you had a nanna around with wigs, they were less common for white women. Black women of all ages wore (or wear) wigs much more often—at least that was the case when I was growing up. My best friend had to explain to me why his very pretty mom’s hair was always changing—she had a full collection.

I don’t understand the question, and I refuse to answer it.

In another thread someone insisted that Bea Arthur never wore a wig on the GG. I feel like that isn't true. Was she wearing wigs after season 3? All actresses hair was always so elaborate and thick and luxurious, so I thought maybe they were all wearing wigs just for practicality reason.

I always pull hard on the scalp before I have sex. Don't like surprises.

R7 put into excellent words the observations I've made about people's (fake) hair, but couldn't describe well. A neighbor has one of these hair systems I'm sure. I noticed things like, his hairstyle and length hasn't changed a bit in 5 years. When he's out doing yard work in 100 degree heat, his hair is dry but his face is red and drippy. And his hair, although blended salt and pepper gray, is too thick and the hairline too youthful, literally standing on end in the front.

Now I'm seeing guys everywhere with hairpieces of varying quality. On TV last night there was an ad for a window contractor, and one of the guys on there had a rug - you could see the hair shelf as described by R7.

I'd imagine even very wealthy people who can afford the best of hair systems are at times not interested because of all the time and effort required to maintain it.

R31 that actually happened to me once at the WSC, receiving head. I pulled back, and just had to tap him out. Shivers!

Wonderful, R33. Did you carry on?

Always.

R34 do you not know what it means to tap out?

I can spot it from the other side of the street, at night.

No but I can detect lip filler

A family friend had a toupee he worse for 50 years and I never knew it. But I knew him since I was a baby so that’s just how he was to me.

But I could tell Stan Zbornak had on a bad toupee the minute he was introduced. But that was definitely intentional and Dorothy called him out on it immediately.

I can tell immediately

George Maharis had four on Styrofoam heads. Rotated to make it it look like his hair was getting longer.

He could still suck like pig.

Can you tell Minnie Driver was wearing a wig here?

Nooo, not at all!

Nope?!

No, me neither!!

No R36.

It's getting harder to tell in movies because they use CGI to erase the silk. David Fincher talked about doing this to erase Rosamund Pike's wig line in Gone Girl.

Are you going to tell her about your little Hair Hat?

No one at CNN tells Frank Luntz to take off that wig. I thought they were journalists.

Take a guess.

"When ____________ took a part in my movie _____________, she was already famous for wearing wigs. I took her aside and said: '______, I don't want you to wear a wig on this picture. I hate wigs.'

She said: 'I promise you, I will not wear a wig.'

Just to make sure, I also told the set hairdresser, to see to it that ____________ never wore one.

Anyway, on the first day of filming the hairdresser beckoned me over and said: 'Pull at her hair. You'll see it's real.'

I pulled at her hair. It remained firmly on her head. And, to my satisfaction, she came to the set every day with her real hair on show.

When she'd finished on the film, she came across to where I was standing to kiss me goodbye. Then she walked off to the edge of the set and suddenly called out:

I looked round - She had taken a wig off her head and was waving it at me. Her real hair had been a wig all along . .

R48 They actually blurred out Christina Hendricks's lace forehead line on "Good Girls".

R51, Nicole Kidman? 👩‍🦰🧑‍🦲

No one can tell if you just spend enough money on it!

There was the time this guy was on his knees blowing me in a restroom. I grabbed his head to move it back and forth, his toupee came off in my hands.

R53 Nope.

I was waiting to see a specialist at a big medical Centre and chatting with the receptionist. I saw a female staff member walk by and asked the receptionist if that woman was wearing a wig? She replied How did you know? It is a big secret! I guess I have the gift.

Do you remember the episode of The Dick Van Dyke show when Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) blurted on National television that Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) was bald? She went to his office to apologize. He had several wig heads with toupees on his desk. “this is my ‘gosh, my hair gets frizzy when it’s humid toupee …. This is my ‘gee it’s time for a haircut’touper …”

There was an usher at the symphony who had a toupee that looked like Cousin It. So much hair, so little hairline. I had to force myself to look away when I was close to him because otherwise I would certainly have stared out of curiosity. He wore it for at least a decade. I haven't seen him in several years, so I have to assume that he died. I do feel grateful to have a pretty full head of hair. Granted, it's all silvery white now, but the person who cuts it tells me I'm not allowed to complain about the color because I actually have hair.

I guess what I would notice if I were really trying to ascertain what I was looking at, is that in real hair, there are little tiny bits of scalp visible between each hair, especially at the hairline, whereas with wigs, weaves, rugs, toupees, you don't see scalp or any kind of hairline that looks natural.

I instinctively clock smoke and mirrors in the crotch area.

There's a waiter at one of my local chain restaurants who has a really obvious toupee. The toupee is black, but his natural hair is a shade or two lighter, so you can tell where the fake hair ends and the real begins.

Toupees, hair systems, "Hollywood teeth" (implants; even more obvious when they're the full set of uppers or lowers, like a set of dentures on implant posts with plastic gums) and most facial plastic surgery. I've had implants placed and I had plastic surgery as a kid and I worked for a doctor, so I know where to look if a 70-something's face looks 40-ish.

If you're familiar with antique car shows, some vehicles are described as "10 footers" or "20 footers" meaning the car looks great from 10 or 20 feet away. But not so great up close: you can see the flaws.

I'm pretty good at it, yes. Something about not seeing the scalp, the sides look weird and it doesn't move or move right like hair attached to your scalp would. Also the color is usually not right.

Back when I was a baby gay I tricked with a daddy visiting from Poland. I was kneeling on the floor blowing him and suddenly felt this hairy mop-thing against my hand. And I quote: “I always know it is the crazy real thing when my little hat falls off!”

OMG - how could I forget the funniest toupee of all?! Ralph Cifretto on “The Sopranos!” Joe Pantiliano. When Tony kills Ralphie,, Christafuh goes upstairs to dismember him. Ralph’s hair came of in Chrissy’s hand.

Off not of ^

R63 - for me, it's the super unnatural amount of dense thick hair on an older man. They have the hair density of a 22 year old at 45-55. Nope.

There was one commercial last year with a guy with salt and pepper hair in his 50s - I can't recall what it was for - moving service of some kind? Total wig. I wish I could find it.

They need to thin the wigs out some - I'm not against it by any means. It can make a world of difference - but you're not 25 anymore and your hair shouldn't look like that either.

I've seen men in their 50s with thick, thick hair. I don't think it's a given that your hair thins when you age.

I need to get better at detecting wigs/hairpieces.

What really grinds my gears of that "fake graying at the temples". That think white strip underneath a sold brown of black top piece.

[quote] I've seen men in their 50s with thick, thick hair. I don't think it's a given that your hair thins when you age.

I was once talking to a female co-worker, about 20 years my junior, who blurted out, "You have a lot of hair for a man your age."

R51 Marlene?

Yes I am very good at spotting toupees. If it's a hairpiece on a man - I let my disapproval be known by staring at it because that man is a delusional coward.

*I do not do this to females wearing a wig because they are wearing a wig for different reasons such as illness, baldness etc.

[quote] that man is a delusional coward

Maybe he's not trying to fool anybody ... but himself.

R72 Nope.

[quote]Maybe he's not trying to fool anybody ... but himself.

Exactly R74. Bald men who not fooling themselves and lean into it are brave and sexy as fuck. Men who wear toupees are snivelling cowards. It's about a man's character. I know it's harsh but it's reality.

R73 Many women wear them for style or they have hair insecurity. Not everything is about illness.

Yes for those reasons too R77. And that's why I don't ever acknowledge a female wearing a wig even if it is very obvious. I pretend I don't notice. In contrast to males - females are societally and socially expected to have hair. To not have hair is very shocking unless it's on purpose like an edgy buzzcut.

There's a big difference to the expectations of two genders in this specific case.

Snatch it their head. My drunk mom did that to a party guest once and then passed out behind the sofa.

r73 Most women wear wigs for style, to achieve longer hair, etc. As women get older they don't necessarily go bald, but have very thin hair. So some women want fullness.

Guess who this was.

"When ____________ took a part in my movie _____________, she was already famous for wearing wigs. I took her aside and said: '______, I don't want you to wear a wig on this picture. I hate wigs.'

She said: 'I promise you, I will not wear a wig.'

Just to make sure, I also told the set hairdresser, to see to it that ____________ never wore one.

Anyway, on the first day of filming the hairdresser beckoned me over and said: 'Pull at her hair. You'll see it's real.'

I pulled at her hair. It remained firmly on her head. And, to my satisfaction, she came to the set every day with her real hair on show.

When she'd finished on the film, she came across to where I was standing to kiss me goodbye. Then she walked off to the edge of the set and suddenly called out:

I looked round - She had taken a wig off her head and was waving it at me. Her real hair had been a wig all along . .

Same person as the last time this post appeared. Zzzzzz

r81: Sinead O'Connor?

R81 Nope.

R83 Nope.

Think of an actress that wears wigs in real life, not just in movies/TV.

No one can detect my ratty Korean wig!

Isn't Dolly Parton an obvious choice? She's been in a number of films.

Cher?

R88 This is an actress only. Not a singer.

R81 Zac Efron ?

R90 Haha.

Actress British Wears wigs in real life

Is R81 Jane Fonda?

R81 No, British.

Joan Collins?

R81 it could be Nicole AND/OR her husband!

R94 We have a winner. It was Joan Collins and the movie was "The Big Sleep" from 1977

I read somewhere that, when Charlton Heston had to wear a wig in a movie, he'd make them put it on over his toupee instead of taking the toupee off and putting the wig over his bald head

R97 Yep, that's true.

New Wig Trivia time:

This foreign born legendary actor was in everything and played a number of the most iconic film and literary characters in history and also had some fascinating adventures in his personal life before he was famous.

He had a striking physical appearance but was very sensitive about one aspect of this which was his hair or lack of it.

He wore a toupee his whole film career and was never seen without it in public. In fact, he wore one even when spending time with his family.

The one exception to this was a film he made about halfway through his career where he played a relative of a famous fictional character. He was naturally bald for that role.

A number of his friends advised him he should stay that way as it made him look even more distinguished but the actor rejected that. In fact, he even told reporters that he had shaved his head for the role.

I remember arguing with a friend for weeks about whether or not Sam Malone of "Cheers" (Ted Danson) was wearing a wig. I was positive it was all his real hair and it turned out to not be after all. While it wasn't a complete piece, he did wear wiglets to give it body.

R99 - Sean Connery?

[quote] I remember arguing with a friend for weeks about whether or not Sam Malone of "Cheers" (Ted Danson) was wearing a wig.

There was a scene in which Ted Danson took it off. Carla was feeling like a loser and admired Sam for being so perfect, so he took off his piece to show her that he wasn't perfect either. I suppose even then it was more than just an open secret.

R101 No

Is the guy mentioned at r99 Christopher Lee?

R104 Ding Ding DIng, you got it. It was for "The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes"

More wig gossip please!

Terribly so.. Men should avoid toupee and/or hair dye at all costs.

Humphrey Bogart allegedly had a thing with Verita Thompson, the wigmaker and hairdresser who did his hairpiece for 14 years. Including the years he was married to Bacall.

[quote] Men should avoid ... hair dye at all costs.

A professionally done tint might not be so bad. It's important to leave some grey in.

More Wig Trivia.

This actress would casually leave her $10,000+ wigs on the floor of her trailer while filming her superhero movies.

Well, at least they weren't $100,000 wigs.

Ok, go! Who's wearing it best? What works best? The wig that looks the most natural, hardly recognizable? Or the wig that is not just obvious, but deliberately obvious? Personally, I like Kristin Davis' and Selma Blair's wigs.

R11 Kristin Davis wears a great wig on "And Just like That"

Britney Spears wears a lot of crappy looking extensions

Anymore guess to R110?

R110 is Zoe Saldana

R115 Nope.

R116 A lot of people are guessing Zoe... what do you know otherwise?

R117I know who it is.

R118 well, spill it then!

R119 It's Gwyneth Paltrow in the Iron Man movies.

R120 wow. Cunty!

I have a graduate certificate from NYU's Nicole Kidman School of Wig Studies.

When Allison Janney went to the set of "Mom" without her wig, everybody was shocked. They all thought it was her real hair.

OH, yeah. I just notice who had their skullcapped head all pulled back under their beehive so tightly, that their mouth resembles an asshole like mine, ha ha ha ha cough ha…!