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| This is me in my current wig. |
Wearing a Wig While Getting Cancer
Treatment
Barbara Henderson
Do you ever wonder why people with
cancer don’t wear wigs? I can give you a
few pretty good reasons, AND a few tips on how to wear a wig anyway. I also have a few tips on how to choose a wig.
First, people don’t wear a wig because:
They itch
They are uncomfortable
They don’t look natural
Second, these problems can be minimalized:
Wear a headband or wig cap under the
wig. I don’t wear a wig cap. I do wear headbands. I bought extra wide ones from a cancer web
site. These are very helpful. They make the wig fit better. They keep the itchy material off your head. They allow for some air to go through the top
of the wig to reach you scalp.
Rub something on your head before you
put the wig on. I use any sort of pain
killing rub such as Asper-cream, peppermint oil, lidocaine, and even cortisone
cream. Rub the stuff on, then put on the
headband, then put on the wig.
Now,
since I have given you some hope on actually wearing a wig, I want to give some
tips on actually buying a wig.
Look for something that is very
similar to the hair style you are currently wearing OR similar to a hairstyle
that you have worn in the past and really liked.
Second, consider the color. I was a natural brunette before I got
cancer. It said ‘natural brunette’ right
on the box. Anyway, I had always wanted
to try highlights in my hair, but I never had actually done it. So, I choose a wig that was basically my own
hair style. Then I choose a color that
was like my own color, but that was highlighted. I ordered it.
Then it arrived and it was basically a blond wig. I tried it on. It looked fine. I decided to keep it. The style was the key factor. I think I would have liked it in any
color. I am now quite comfortable as a
blond. I will probably stay blond when I
have my own hair back.
Unfortunately wigs, or at least the
wigs in my price range, don’t stay looking nice. No matter how carefully I wash a wig it seems
to get frizzy. If someone out there
knows how to repair wig frizz feel free to let me know.
Personally, I have mentally divided my
cancer treatment into 3 parts. Due to
the possibility of staying on a treatment for 12 months after chemo, I may have
to divide it up into 4 parts. Anyway,
each section of treatment calls for a new wig.
I up to wig number two. I would
have stuck with wig number one, but the frizziness was just too bad to keep
wearing it all the time. By the way,
that wig is long enough to put in a short ponytail or little bun at the nape of
the neck It looks fine either way. Anyway, that wig works fine as a back up. The problem is that the frizzier it gets the
more it itches. So, that wig has to be
worn in a pony tail or bun, or it is tooscratchy to wear.
Then, as I approached surgery (or
‘phase two’ of treatment as I call it) I decided on a new wig. This time I decided to get a wig that was
short. I had worn my hair short a few
times and I knew the basic style that I wanted. Actually, as soon as I knew I
was going to lose my hair I got the scissors and whacked off my hair in a short
style. (I have never been bashful about cutting my own hair.) I cut the top spike short, layered the sides
slightly, and left a few twigs around the bottom. The style was similar to what
I had worn when I was in my late teens and spent a lot of time waterskiing. I chose a wig that was multicolored. It is basically a dark undertone with several
shades ranging from blond to really blond. Anyway, the wig looks fine. Being shorter than the first wig there isn’t
a lot of hair there to frizz. When I
wash it it does go back to its original look with little to no frizz.
Yesterday I was at a hospital getting
everything set up for the surgery next week.
I saw several doctors and various technicians. I ‘gave’ enough blood that I expected to need
a transfusion before I left. The topic
of conversation was my wig instead of my health. Everyone wanted to know if it was really a
wig. I wanted to reply – DUH – of course
it’s a wig. No one has hair this perfect
unless it is a wig.
The truth is that you can get a wig
that looks wonderful. The next truth is
that you can wear a wig with only a little discomfort. There isn’t any perfect solution of which I
am aware. However, having real hair grow
straight out of you head isn’t perfect either.
Let’s do a little re-cap here.
As soon as you know you are going to
lose your hair – get your hair styled in a very short style. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, pay
up to big bucks to get a short style that looks good on you. This might even include one of those computer
programs that lets you try different styles before you actually get it
cut. Personally, when I am able to grow
enough hair to have the short style I had before chemo started I will call this
cancer phase of my life over. I will
feel like I am back to a normal, or at least at a new normal. (And Yes! Hair is that important to me.)
Anyway, the short style is
important.
Second, buy a wig that is a familiar
hair style to you, and a style that you have enjoyed wearing in the past. As it turns out, color may not be that
important, but if it is very important to you be sure to stick to a color you
know you can be comfortable wearing. My
going blond was a total accident, but it worked out well anyway. I would have never risked it on purpose to
begin with though. If you are fortunate
enough to have a wig salon near you, by all means go and try on your wig before
you buy. I have ordered both of
mine. Just so you will know, the first
one was $135, and the second was $200.
There are wigs that are a lot more expensive than that, but that was
pretty much my limit.
Hats
– they all scream ‘chemo
– chemo’.
The idea of wearing a hat instead of
wig is a just that – an idea. Most chemo
hats are like neon signs screaming ‘cancer, cancer, cancer’. Personally, I don’t find them much more
comfortable than the wigs. However, they
do have their place even in my life. If
you like hats, than by all means wear hats.
Just personally they are not a style that makes me happy. Well, honestly, nothing about cancer makes me
happy, but wigs do help me have a better attitude.
My experience with hats goes like
this.
First a beret style knit hat seems to
look the nicest. They have a band around
the bottom. I tilt it to one side with a
bit pushed up in the front. I hold the
shape in place with a safety pin. You could
use a costume jewelry piece if you happen to have one. To look right hats seem to need to go over
your ears, OR have a fringe of hair sticking out. Which brings us to hair pieces.
Hair piece number one:
Bangs.
I stick them on the headband I always wear. Then I put a hat on over the bangs. It does look very nice. The problem is they itch more than a regular
wig. They are bearable though. I prefer the wig, but this is a nice change
and looks good.
Hair piece number two:
It is called a halo. It is basically a fringe of hair that leaves
a big bald spot on top or your head.
Wearing it without a hat looks sort of like a monk in an old Robin Hood
Movie. But, when you put the hat on it
looks very nice. The problem is that it
itches. I ordered mine slightly
curly. I wish I had gone with straight. I think it would itch less.
Both of these hair pieces look good or
even great. The issue once again is
comfort. Since I do prefer the wig I
usually just wear the wig. If the hair
pieces were more comfortable I would likely wear those. Both look fine.
This may sound rather silly, but if
women wore hats more, it would be easier to get a hat and wear it without
feeling like you are the only one within 3 blocks wearing a hat. That alone says ‘chemo’.
I am wondering if, or hoping that,
hats will be easier to wear comfortably when my own hair starts to grow back
in. I would suggest you have a few hats
or caps. I sleep in knit hats. If I am feeling bad and spending most of the
day laying down I also wear a comfortable hat.
It is possible to lounge around in your wig, but since the two wigs I
have bought seem prone to frizz I don’t like to spend the day napping while
wearing my wig.
Ultimately getting through cancer
treatment is about what helps and encourages you best. For Christians the help that matters most
comes from God. It is God Almighty that
sends you any other form of help that you may have. Loved ones, family, friends, and even doctors,
nurses, and all medical staff are gifts from God. Be thankful.
There are many things that do stay the same during your treatment. God doesn’t change. Heaven and eternity do
not change. Love doesn’t change. Praise
the Lord.
Remember, cancer and hair loss is the
perfect opportunity to get the eyebrows you always wanted. When yours fall out just draw in the shape
and width that you like. I use a simple
brow pencil. I make it a little darker
than I want it to be. Then I put a
little powder on my art work to sort of set the penciled in brows and help them
to last until I wash them off. If you
are bored, practice drawing different eyebrow shapes. There isn’t wrong way to do it.
I would also suggest that you use
makeup like you always use makeup. If
you don’t do makeup then don’t do makeup.
I really would draw in the eyebrows regardless because they frame your
face and give a very natural look. When
in doubt go a little lighter and smaller with the brows, but do pencil them in.
Personally, chemo seems to almost burn
my face. It turns red for a couple of
days. It feels really hot to the
touch. Then it seems to peel a layer or
two of skin. So, my skin actually looks
better than when I first got sick. I
have lost twenty pounds, so I am definitely back in my skinny jeans. Hopefully I won’t lose any more weight.
Hair loss has been extremely
upsetting. I am trying to keep it in
proper perspective. Even with stage four
ovarian cancer my prognosis is good. I
have a very good chance of recovery. It
has been overwhelming to have so many people tell me they are praying for
me. It some ways it has been worth it to
see all the good things people have done for me and my family. It is a case of ‘counting my blessings’. I have been blessed. I am being blessed. Except for the cancer part – my life is
wonderful. However, back to the hair
loss. THAT is bad. So, I am making the best of it, or I am doing
the best I can to make the best of it.
If you are dealing with cancer and hair loss, I am truly sorry. Of course there are things more important
than losing your hair, but that doesn’t make losing your hair any less
dreadful. I have read many blogs about
people losing their hair and saying it didn’t really bother them. Well, good for them. But it does bother
me. So, I am doing my best to deal with
it as cheerfully and practically as possible.
One thing I should mention is that losing my hair was extremely painful. I had no idea it would hurt. I had no idea my scalp would be so sore I
could barely touch it without whining ‘ouch’.
Honestly if it hadn’t fallen out I would have probably had to shave my
head anyway. During the process of
losing my hair it became very clear that keeping my hair was not a good option
either. Anyway, my hair is gone. My wig looks good. My makeup looks the same. My eyebrows look good. I actually enjoy drawing them in. From a realistic point of view they do look
fine. I am an artist. You can trust me on this one. Remember all you have to do is give a good impression
of perfect brows. Unless someone is
looking at you under a microscope no one is going to notice they are fake.
And, no one is going to notice that
your hair is a wig unless you tell them or they already know you are wearing a
wig. I have had to prove my hair was a
wig to my oncologist and several people at the hospital yesterday.
Energy wise it isn’t going to make a
lot of difference whether you wear a wig and makeup or not. It is probably going to make a difference in
how you feel. The thing is for me that
is important is to just look normal for me.
I don’t look 20, but that is because I am 60. I don’t want to see someone staring back at
me from the mirror whose image screams ‘cancer, cancer, cancer’. I don’t want my train of thought
interrupted. I am not in denial about
having cancer. I just don’t want it to
consume every single thought. Looking
normal for my age and my personality helps me think on the good things. I will probably help you as well.
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