A Not-So-Hairy Situation
Women facing breast cancer are some of the bravest women in the world. Their strength exceeds them but they’re still human beings with insecurities and for many their appearance becomes a real concern. They begin to wonder what will happen to their hair during chemotherapy – will they lose it and if they do, will it be dramatic and come out in clumps or will it be subtle with a few strands here and there or best case scenario, will it be spared? While some women are lucky enough to have their hair not affected by chemo, most women will lose some or all of their hair within a few weeks of starting. Unfortunately, just like not being able to choose to be afflicted by breast cancer or not, hair loss is out of a woman’s realm of control.
Hair loss in breast cancer patients occurs during chemo because the drugs are meant to target rapidly dividing cells. Unfortunately, these drugs are not restricted to attacking only sick cells and since hair follicles are some of the fastest-growing cells in the body, although healthy, they too become targets. The extent of hair loss is specific to each patient, depending on their treatment plan which includes the type of drugs used, the amount of time between each treatment and the length of time necessary to undergo treatment. At undoubtedly the scariest point in life, it’s only accentuated by the fact that you may be more baldheaded than the day you were born and have no say in the matter.
The thought of the impending physical change of hair loss from chemo can lead even the toughest women to feel insecure about their image. There are studies that show some women may even fear hair loss more than losing a breast. The loss of a breast can be concealed but hair loss is more difficult to hide – you can’t live your life with a paper bag over your head (nor should you want to because you’re beautiful and brave!) So most women start to weigh their options and finally settle on what is most comfortable for them. While for some a simple scarf or baseball cap is enough, for others wigs are the answer.
The good thing to know is there are options. Being baldheaded is only temporary and depending on personal preference, self-esteem, and comfort level, there are solutions in the meanwhile.
WIGS
Wigs are an easy way to take back some control of your appearance. You can even have fun with them. Play with wild and crazy looks just because you can or reinvent your look by playing with different styles while you wait for your hair to grow back. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover that short bob you always wanted to try out but was never brave enough to chop your long locks for looks fabulous on you!
Here are a few tips on getting ready for a wig:
- Cut your hair short before starting chemotherapy. It’s less traumatic to lose shorter clumps of hair than long ones and it’s easier to fit a wig over short hair.
- Cutting your hair short lets you get used to the look that so when real hair starts to grow in, it’ll take less time to start feeling like yourself again. Plus, shorter hair is cooler and since wigs can feel hot, especially in summer months, it’s important to consider.
- Look through salon books and hairstyle magazines to find the cut that’s right for you.
- Interview a few hairdressers. Find one that has worked on wigs before and book an appointment to talk before the actual cut.
Here are some tips on finding and selecting a wig:
- Reach out to your hospital’s cancer center or local breast cancer organizations to get a list of wig specialists in your area.
- Once you have found your hairdresser, they may be able to suggest wig shops. Looking for a little more privacy than going to a store? Some wig specialists will come to your home with options to choose from.
- Check at your salon is they offer special services for women going through cancer therapy. Once you have selected a wig, some salons will to style it a variety of ways.
- Wigs made with real hair can be expensive, anywhere from $800 to $3,000, and can be harder to care for than your own hair while synthetic wigs can look and feel just as good with a much cheaper price tag, ranging from $30 to $500, and need very little care. Shop around to find what is right for you.
- Color is probably the most important issue in choosing a wig. Choose a shade somewhat lighter than your own. Chemotherapy can affect skin tone and less contrast is generally more flattering and won’t call attention to your complexion. Wig hair is also thicker than natural hair so even if the shade may be the same as yours, it will appear darker.
- Consider a “fun wig!” When you need to boost your mood, throw on your fun wig and show the world just how brave you really are!
SCARVES AND HATS
- Buy scarves in all different colors and patterns. They can be a fun way to accessorize any outfit!
- Get an array of fun and funky hats – from baseball caps, to straw boater hats, to fedoras, and military-style hats. This is your chance to be wild and imagine living your life as your favorite period character from a movie.
Filed in: Coping
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I know how you feel, my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 non-small cell lung caecnr in May, they did radiation and chemo which got rid of the caecnr in her lung and lymph nodes in and between her lungs. But, it had spread into her bones and several other lymph nodes, they did more radiation and chemo but she and was only given a few months to live, that was in mid-august. I could not accept losing my mom who is only 43 so I did a lot of research and found what I feel is her best hope. Maybe a good option for your friend , too, there are a lot of Breast caecnr patients here as well. Also, while she is doing shemo look into interveneous vitamin C, you would probably have to do it through an alternative doctor, because mainstream doctors unfortunately are not well versed in natural supplements. I listed a few links for vitamin c info at the end.I am currently in the Bahamas with my mother. There is a clinic here that has been in operation for over 30 years. We have been here for 4 of our 8 week stay, everyday is really inspiring. A lot of the patients stick around in the meeting room/ waiting room to visit, and share stories and catch up. There are 40 people all talking and laughing, talking about caecnr and life. The returning patients talk about how bad their caecnr was 4, 8, 10, 18 even 28 years ago when they started coming to the clinic, the caecnr that has since disappeared. There is nothing dangerous or foreign to the treatment, just building up your immune system in a very effective manner that allows it to identify and fight the caecnr. If you want to know more contact me or go to I cannot tell you how impressed I am with what I have seen and how my mother has already improved. I know one man who was diagnosed with pancreatic caecnr, he skipped all US, conventional (poisonous, dangerous) options and went to the Bahamas and is doing great now. Another man who has been coming here for 18 years that had prostate caecnr. People with just about every type of caecnr. But, they are honest here, you send them your medical information and they will tell you whether they believe they can help you or not, and they will send you home if they don’t think you are benefiting. My mom has shown drastic improvements and is feeling so much better. and we are in the Bahamas so we are having a good Mother-Daughter vacation. When we got here she was on 75 mg of morphine a day plus 6ml of liquid morphine a day, now she rarely takes any morphine, and only occasionally takes Advil. Some of the pain she does get is associated with tumor kill, it happens to most patients as their immune system begins quickly destroying the caecnr cells, it is a good thing.There are a lot of alternative treatments out there worth looking into. I have also done a lot of research on the Cesium Chloride/DMSO treatment and think that it has merit and you can do it at home.The clinic here believes that a supplement/liquid called VIBE works really well in addition to other treatments, I am going to look in to that some more.One very helpful website isUS doctors push chemo and radiation, but when you look at the statistics and side effects it is not a good option for most people. My Mom had both before we came here and now that I know more about them and have researched them I feel horrible that I let her go through them. She was lucky (so far) the only long term side effect she has shown is short term memory loss. The stories I have heard from the other patients here about how they were treated by US medicine astound me. One lady went home to have a shunt put in her liver so she would be ok to come here, but they refused to put it in unless she agreed to do chemotherapy, is that what our country is about? Denying helpful procedures unless we agree to dangerous, toxic ones? The drug companies run US medicine at least when it comes to caecnr treatment and it is sad. Most doctors will tell you not to try alternative medicine and some will refuse to even see you again if you do. To some degree they are not to blame, they have not been taught anything about it other than that it is evil and wrong and they would be rejected by their colleagues if they suggested alternatives.I am not saying that this will cure anyone, but I have seen dozens of people that it has helped and dozens more that are just starting, but already showing improvement. Please whatever you do, research first. I am so happy my mom is feeling better and I want to be able to help everyone else who’s parent, sibling, child, friend or self has caecnr, I know how it feels to watch them get worse and watch the treatment make them more sick. Good luck!! My prayers are with your family.
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