What is the Toupee?

Business was booming for sellers of men'sToupeeback in the day—but that day ended in the 18th century. For a 21st-century man looking to conceal hair loss or to make a fashion (yes, fashion) statement, the choices are limited. That's because about 75% of all wigs sold in the U.S. today are for women, according to hair-industry experts.

The men's ready-to-wear wig industry is under assault from two angles. The growth of hair-replacement systems, where a product is custom made and fitted to a client's scalp, continues to take market share. And many men no longer care that their hair is falling out because the shaved-head look is increasingly popular. Instead of concealing bald spots, men are eliminating hair spots by shaving it all off.

To see the types of products men can purchase online, we ordered two full wigs and two toupees from four retailers. Full wigs cover the entire scalp.Toupee, or partial wigs, are aimed at covering bald spots or recedingToupeehairlines.