All wigs are not created equal!

Rague

I have a wig that was given to me by the CCI but it really doesn't fit good (as in not comfortable/uncomfortable) and when wearing it if there is even a breeze (or I walk too fast) it goes 'everywhere' and is obvious that it is a CHEAP wig. I'd worn it some when going out but not very often. BUT Monday, I had an appt. and a "brand spankin'" new wig was ordered for me at a local shop. I picked it up yesterday morn. It's a little shorter and lighter than I had envisioned but looks better (at least to me LOL) than I expected it to. It is SO COMFY (blows in the wind but doesn't look like a wig - just wind messy hair) - I had it on yesterday from the time it was put on (approx. 9:00 am) until I started getting ready for bed. I love it, Hubby loves it and Son loves it (if they didn't - they WOULD be honest!).

Just gotta say again - I LOVE my new wig!

MyTurnNow

Rague, that's wonderful!!
Rague, that's wonderful!! It's all about being comfortable with whatever you wear; wig, ball cap, scarf, etc. I'm glad you feel great and I'm sure you look great, too! Take care.

carkris

MyTurnNow said:

Rague, that's wonderful!!
Rague, that's wonderful!! It's all about being comfortable with whatever you wear; wig, ball cap, scarf, etc. I'm glad you feel great and I'm sure you look great, too! Take care.

thats wonderful !!!!

thats wonderful !!!!

Rague

MyTurnNow said:

Rague, that's wonderful!!
Rague, that's wonderful!! It's all about being comfortable with whatever you wear; wig, ball cap, scarf, etc. I'm glad you feel great and I'm sure you look great, too! Take care.

I was/am quite OK with all
I was/am quite OK with all my scarfs and I have many as I seldom ever walk in to look at material without finding at least one that would make a great scarf (LOL) so I have many and had no problem with wearing them. Also as it is still very cold here for several months - stocking caps and Momba socks are called for some of the time as I do have to be outside with the horses - BUT I LOVE my new wig.

jnl

MyTurnNow said:

Rague, that's wonderful!!
Rague, that's wonderful!! It's all about being comfortable with whatever you wear; wig, ball cap, scarf, etc. I'm glad you feel great and I'm sure you look great, too! Take care.

Happy that you got your new
Happy that you got your new wig and love it! I bet you look great!

Hugs, Leeza

JanInMN

You deserve to feel
You deserve to feel beautiful! Yeah!
***smiles for you***
Janice

Skeezie

jnl said:

Happy that you got your new
Happy that you got your new wig and love it! I bet you look great!

Hugs, Leeza

Hi Rague,
Glad you got a good wig. It really makes a difference. When I went wig shopping at my local Mastecomy Shop she showed my the different types from machine tied to hand tied. I chose the hand tied with the linen top and you cn see my scalp thru it. When I got it I took it to my hairdresser who trimed it into my hair stle and thinned it and people don't know it's a wig. I do, even tho it only weighs 2 oz.it's still something on my head. I'm inbetween sizes so it's a little big but I put a small piece of two-way tape on the front and it's secure. A good wig really makes a big difference. It's not real hair but looks like it and is just wash and wear. I was lucy, my BCBS paid $300 toward it...I paid $135. My hubby and friends love it, maybe looks better than my real hair? hahahaha.

I just hope I can get rid of head coverings by May or June. I have about 1/4 inch now and can hardly wait!

Hugs, Judy :-)

scout5000

It's so great that you found
It's so great that you found a fabulous wig. I hated mine and think I should have looked for a better one. Glad you found a good one.

GrandmaJ

a Good Wig
Glad you love your wig... I also bought a "good one"...went to a very nice salon that specialized in wigs for chemo patients. Lost my hair two weeks after chemo started. At Christmastime went and bought another one and so glad I did. Last chemo was end of Oct and still not enough hair to go to work without the wig and besides its all gray !!! A good wig can make you feel good about yourself. I found when I just wore the scarves I would see people staring at me, like "poor lady, she has cancer" and I didn't like that.

Judy

Marlene_K

A great wig
I know the feeling of getting a lousy wig and then getting a good one. They sure make those wigs online look very pretty and they are so inexpensive. Well, when they arrive, there is no wonder why they are inexpensive... a hard lesson to learn that 'you get what you pay for'! I ended up going to a local salon and they spent literally hours on me helping me decide what to get. I was extremely happy with my choice. It was a lot shorter than I was used to myself, but I got a lot of compliments. Many people told me that I should sport the same style when my hair grows back. Yea, even though shorter, I imagine it will be quite some time before it gets to be even that length. But much like you, Rague, there were many that would have either not said anything at all or bluntly told me it looked like ****. It makes all the difference in the world if at the very least that we can feel somewhat attractive with a wig... even though it has to come off at the end of the day, lol.

So glad you feel good about your wig! I know the feeling )

Megan M

Marlene_K said:

A great wig
I know the feeling of getting a lousy wig and then getting a good one. They sure make those wigs online look very pretty and they are so inexpensive. Well, when they arrive, there is no wonder why they are inexpensive... a hard lesson to learn that 'you get what you pay for'! I ended up going to a local salon and they spent literally hours on me helping me decide what to get. I was extremely happy with my choice. It was a lot shorter than I was used to myself, but I got a lot of compliments. Many people told me that I should sport the same style when my hair grows back. Yea, even though shorter, I imagine it will be quite some time before it gets to be even that length. But much like you, Rague, there were many that would have either not said anything at all or bluntly told me it looked like ****. It makes all the difference in the world if at the very least that we can feel somewhat attractive with a wig... even though it has to come off at the end of the day, lol.

So glad you feel good about your wig! I know the feeling )

You should have a great wig!
You should have a great wig! I am very happy for you and I imagine you look wonderful!

Hugs, Megan

Balentine

Marlene_K said:

A great wig
I know the feeling of getting a lousy wig and then getting a good one. They sure make those wigs online look very pretty and they are so inexpensive. Well, when they arrive, there is no wonder why they are inexpensive... a hard lesson to learn that 'you get what you pay for'! I ended up going to a local salon and they spent literally hours on me helping me decide what to get. I was extremely happy with my choice. It was a lot shorter than I was used to myself, but I got a lot of compliments. Many people told me that I should sport the same style when my hair grows back. Yea, even though shorter, I imagine it will be quite some time before it gets to be even that length. But much like you, Rague, there were many that would have either not said anything at all or bluntly told me it looked like ****. It makes all the difference in the world if at the very least that we can feel somewhat attractive with a wig... even though it has to come off at the end of the day, lol.

So glad you feel good about your wig! I know the feeling )

How do you know if it is a good wig or not?
I know nothing about wigs. I went to a wig store/salon that was recommended to me by the nurse at the cancer center I go to. I bought a wig that is made from real hair and I like it but only wore it a few hours and it started to feel uncomfortable after about 2 hours. Some of the other wigs there that had the fake hair were twice as much but did not look as natural as the one I bought made from real hair. I only paid $89 for it so is that not a good wig? I don't start chemo for another month so I have plenty of time to figure out what to do with the wig thing but just would like some clarification as to what constitutes a good wig. Also, how to you wash it and take care of it? The instructions were kind of vague and I don't want to ruin the wig. It said to brush it first, wet it then put shampoo on it and lightly brush it through, then rinse it but don't wring out the water or twist the hair and not to brush it at all until it completely dries.

Skeezie

Balentine said:

How do you know if it is a good wig or not?
I know nothing about wigs. I went to a wig store/salon that was recommended to me by the nurse at the cancer center I go to. I bought a wig that is made from real hair and I like it but only wore it a few hours and it started to feel uncomfortable after about 2 hours. Some of the other wigs there that had the fake hair were twice as much but did not look as natural as the one I bought made from real hair. I only paid $89 for it so is that not a good wig? I don't start chemo for another month so I have plenty of time to figure out what to do with the wig thing but just would like some clarification as to what constitutes a good wig. Also, how to you wash it and take care of it? The instructions were kind of vague and I don't want to ruin the wig. It said to brush it first, wet it then put shampoo on it and lightly brush it through, then rinse it but don't wring out the water or twist the hair and not to brush it at all until it completely dries.

Hi Balentine
Well, price of the wig is one way to tell. It depends on what you want. I went to a shop that has an insurance certified breast prothesis and cosmotologist (wig person). All they do is sell wigs, hats & head coverings etc., and fake boobs, bras etc. The wig person started out showing me the different types of wigs, first the cheapest machine tied, then graduated to a better machine tied and finally two different types of hand tied. The cheaper machine tied wigs were much heavier and the hair (all wigs had the exactsynthetic hair)was teased at the crown. The hand tied wigs looked like our hair looks at the crown, the best had a linen crown which allows for your own scalp to show thru the parts so it really looks like your own hair. It was also weighed the least, about 2oz. That was the wig I chose. My BCBS paid $300 and I paid $435. But in order for insurance to cover it has to be sold by a certified cosmotoligist. The real hair wigs started at $1,000 and up. They have to be washed and set like your own hair. The synthetic wig is wash and wear. Very easy to care for. It never loses it's style. You dunk in the water with the cleaner and let sit for a few minutes, rinse, shake out and put on wig stand and let dry. After my hairdresser trimmed it to my style and thinned it, it really looks like my hair. But it still is something on my head...I only wear it when I go out and take it off as soon as I get home. I am between a medium and large so in order to feel really secure, I put a tiny bit of two way tape at the very front and I'm good to go. I will be happy when I don't need it anymore, but it works for now.

Good luck getting a wig that feels better and is easier to care for!

Hugs, Judy :-)

Skeezie

Skeezie said:

Hi Balentine
Well, price of the wig is one way to tell. It depends on what you want. I went to a shop that has an insurance certified breast prothesis and cosmotologist (wig person). All they do is sell wigs, hats & head coverings etc., and fake boobs, bras etc. The wig person started out showing me the different types of wigs, first the cheapest machine tied, then graduated to a better machine tied and finally two different types of hand tied. The cheaper machine tied wigs were much heavier and the hair (all wigs had the exactsynthetic hair)was teased at the crown. The hand tied wigs looked like our hair looks at the crown, the best had a linen crown which allows for your own scalp to show thru the parts so it really looks like your own hair. It was also weighed the least, about 2oz. That was the wig I chose. My BCBS paid $300 and I paid $435. But in order for insurance to cover it has to be sold by a certified cosmotoligist. The real hair wigs started at $1,000 and up. They have to be washed and set like your own hair. The synthetic wig is wash and wear. Very easy to care for. It never loses it's style. You dunk in the water with the cleaner and let sit for a few minutes, rinse, shake out and put on wig stand and let dry. After my hairdresser trimmed it to my style and thinned it, it really looks like my hair. But it still is something on my head...I only wear it when I go out and take it off as soon as I get home. I am between a medium and large so in order to feel really secure, I put a tiny bit of two way tape at the very front and I'm good to go. I will be happy when I don't need it anymore, but it works for now.

Good luck getting a wig that feels better and is easier to care for!

Hugs, Judy :-)

Hi again Balentine,
I should have reread my post before I hit "post". I did not pay $435, I paid $135, the total for the wig was $435.

Sorry bout dat! :-)

Balentine

Skeezie said:

Hi again Balentine,
I should have reread my post before I hit "post". I did not pay $435, I paid $135, the total for the wig was $435.

Sorry bout dat! :-)

Wigs
Well, I suppose I will see how this one feels for awhile. I do not start chemo for another month so it will be awhile before my hair starts coming out. I wanted to find one beforehand and not wait until my hair actually starting falling out. There are not alot of wig shops around where I live so I just went to the one the nurse told me about in my hometown. Some of the synthetic wigs cost much more than the wig I bought which has real hair. I did not want a wig with fake hair just because when I put it on, you could tell it was fake. I like the wig I got...I am just wondering how to make it feel more comfortable. I will be trying to work 8 hours a day and dont know how uncomfortable it may get. What type of cap do you wear under the wig? I am wondering if there are caps that wear better than others and take away some of the discomfort. I will have to also try the double sided tape to keep the wig from shifting I guess. I will be glad when all of this is over. Knowing there have been countless others before me that have been where I am and survived just gives me so much strength. I thank God for all of you.

Rague

Balentine said:

Wigs
Well, I suppose I will see how this one feels for awhile. I do not start chemo for another month so it will be awhile before my hair starts coming out. I wanted to find one beforehand and not wait until my hair actually starting falling out. There are not alot of wig shops around where I live so I just went to the one the nurse told me about in my hometown. Some of the synthetic wigs cost much more than the wig I bought which has real hair. I did not want a wig with fake hair just because when I put it on, you could tell it was fake. I like the wig I got...I am just wondering how to make it feel more comfortable. I will be trying to work 8 hours a day and dont know how uncomfortable it may get. What type of cap do you wear under the wig? I am wondering if there are caps that wear better than others and take away some of the discomfort. I will have to also try the double sided tape to keep the wig from shifting I guess. I will be glad when all of this is over. Knowing there have been countless others before me that have been where I am and survived just gives me so much strength. I thank God for all of you.

I find it hard to believe
I find it hard to believe that a human hair wig sold 'today' for $89. Back in the early to mid 70's when I had my shop, wholesale for machine made, Asian hair wigs were more than that. European hair is a lot more expensive.

It is goinjg to fit differently once your hair comes out than it does now. It is amazing how much space even thin shorter hair will take up under a wig and thick longer hair takes a lot more - BUT both make a BIG difference in fit.

Human hair should not be brushed while wet - it stretches and breaks. There are many good wig cleaners on the market that you use with water and simple soak for a while, rinse lightly and pat dry before putting on wig head to dry.

Balentine

Rague said:

I find it hard to believe
I find it hard to believe that a human hair wig sold 'today' for $89. Back in the early to mid 70's when I had my shop, wholesale for machine made, Asian hair wigs were more than that. European hair is a lot more expensive.

It is goinjg to fit differently once your hair comes out than it does now. It is amazing how much space even thin shorter hair will take up under a wig and thick longer hair takes a lot more - BUT both make a BIG difference in fit.

Human hair should not be brushed while wet - it stretches and breaks. There are many good wig cleaners on the market that you use with water and simple soak for a while, rinse lightly and pat dry before putting on wig head to dry.

wig with real hair
I was also surprised to find this wig for just $89 but you can tell that it is real hair just by the way it looks and feels. As I said, the owner of the shop said that the price depends more on who makes it than if it is real or fake. The hair is straight though so I am assuming it is Asian which I know is cheaper. I just hope I do not ruin the wig. How often can you wash the wig anyway? Maybe I need to get a backup wig just in case I do ruin it. Has anyone gotten a prescription for their wig and sent it into your insurance company for reimbursement? I was told that you can do that as long as the salon puts their provider number on the receipt.

Lorrie Balentine