The present invention pertains to the wig making art and in particular to a hairpiece that covers only a portion of a person's scalp from the frontal scalp hair margin to a receding hair line of the scalp.
Especially in cases of frontal fibrosing alopecia, where hair loss is located over a uniform linear band along the front and sides of the scalp hair margin, it is desirable to provide a wig or hairpiece that applies only to the area of hair loss and blends into the natural hair at the receding hair line. Prior disclosure have recognized the need for such a frontal hairpiece including U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,980 issued to Inoue and Stahl on Apr. 24, 2012, and published application No. 2021/0219642 by Rossouw published on Jul. 22, 2021. These disclosures typify the failing of the prior art to provide a frontal hairpiece that actually covers all of the area of the alopecia, specifically the sides of the hair margin in front of the upper portion of the auricle of the ear. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a frontal hairpiece that provides artificial hair over the entire area of alopecia, including the area in front of the upper portion of the auricle, and blends naturally with the real hair at the receding hair line.
The preferred form of the frontal hairpiece of the present invention includes a flexible foundation having a base of thin plastic, preferably polyurethane, a lace frontal edge and a mono filament mesh that is centrally located within the foundation. The foundation is adhered to the bald frontal portion of a person's scalp, including the area in front of the upper portion of the auricle of the ear. Hair strands are attached to the outside surface of the foundation. The rear edge of the foundation forms a footing for clips that attach the foundation to the natural hair along the receding hair line.
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The curvilinear forward edge 3 of the base 7 is indented to accept an attached strip 4 of lace, or similar material, whose color and texture will blend in with the skin of the person wearing the hairpiece. Hair strands 6 similar to those attached to the polyurethane base are attached to the top side of the lace strip 4. If hairpiece longevity is a priority the lace strip may be omitted and the frontal edge 3 of the base extended forwardly to cover the area that would have been covered by the lace strip.
The central portion of the base 7 is relieved and replaced with a pane of mono filament mesh 8 that allows the scalp to breath. The mesh is attached around its perimetrical edges to the polyurethane base. Hair strands 6 similar to those aftached to the polyurethane base are tied into the top side of the mesh 8.
The rearward edge 9 of the base member 7 is stiffened to a small degree by the overlapping of the base member with the rearward edge of the mono filament mesh 8. This rearward edge provides a footing for a plurality of spaced apart clips (not shown) that attach the rear edge of the foundation 10 to the natural hair along the receding hair line.