Options for Those Suffering Hair Loss

Small hairpieces can be woven into or fused with existing hair. Larger ones have to be either taped or clipped on and taken off at night, or in a more permanent form, attached with waterproof glue and worn constantly for weeks. There are also painful (and potentially hazardous) procedures where hairpieces are sutured or tied to skin grafts to keep them in place. Hairpieces cost from $1,000 to $2,000 for good custom-made jobs (about $300 to $500 for one off the rack).

Before you wear it, your furry friend must be trimmed by your barber to look natural. It also has to be shampooed regularly to keep it from smelling and replaced periodically (depending upon the type, as often as every three months). Some touperies offer leased hairpieces you can trade in every six months so you are always wearing low-mileage hair.

The Hair Club for Men, the largest chain of hair replacement salons in the United States, offers a one-stop solution. Hair Club salons can not only fit you for a woven hairpiece, but also give you a haircut and a quick styling every month. Contact Sy Sperling at (800) 424-7258 or at www.hairclub.com.

Hair-in-a-can

If you have a hot date and need a full head of hair fast, try Toppik, the successor to spray-on-hair. You shake Toppik, made of tiny protein fibers, until you shampoo, or at least they're supposed to. A one-month supply of Toppik costs $19.95 (www.toppik.com). It comes in eight colors and according to the company is "totally undetectable." Let's hope your date thinks so, too.

The comb-over

Who says you can't do a lot with a little? For centuries the lowly comb has been used by balding men to accomplish the impossible task of creating a hairline when there is only forehead. The comb-over offers multiple options depending upon the state of your pate: front-to-back, back-to-front, and the wraparound, which covers the real estate from one ear to the other. To do the comb-over, let your side and back hair grow out, artfully comb it around, then stick it in place with a little hairspray. Don't laugh-it works for Rudy Gulliani.

Other solutions

Some balding guys start wearing hats to avoid facing up to reality. Others grow beards or mustaches to compensate on the bottom for what has been lost on top. But why bother when being bald is so fashionable right now? Get a buzz cut from your barber or shave your hair off yourself. You will save money on shampoo, never have to worry about a bad hair day and best of all, you can comb your hair with a towel.