scarves, hats, wigs?

ccincin

What did you wear. Now that I will finally be starting I'm beginning to freak out a bit about the hair loss thing!
Also, where did you get?

seof

hats
I got a free wig from the local ACS. They have items that have been donated by survivors who are no longer using them. Everything is clean and there is a person to help you learn how to use it. I wore the wig at home once and decided it was not comfortable. I got many hats from the TLC catalog (SEE ACS website) and from friends. It's funny that some of them did not fit anymore after my hair grew back because they slide off on the hair, but I have become a "hat person".

seof.

Sher43009

I did scarves. Walmart has
I did scarves. Walmart has really pretty bandanas that I wore. The longer scarves were too heavy for my head but the bandanas worked well. I also made fleese scarves. I used the bandana to size them and cut it into a triangle. I also went through the winter so was always cold. At night I'd turn the fleese scarf so the knot was on my forehead to sleep.

ACS has a link to TLC that has scarves, hats etc. you may want to check out.

Which chemo are you going for?

new2me

I went for hats
I bought a wig, but haven't worn it yet - if at all. I have scarves but only worn it 1 time. I have several hats that I bought through www.headcovers.com I also put bangs on the back of the hats that makes it look like i have hair. Everyone thought it was so cute. Now, since the weather is cooling off - I have found that I am so very cold so I started to wear beanie hats.
I have tried to have fun with the whole hat thing. So everyday I try to wear cute hats. Nothing I can do about the hairloss, so might as well have some fun. thats my motto.

Love, Kelly

Rague

You name it - I wore it!
I live in the Black Hills area of Dakota (actually on the prairie just ENE of the Hills). Winter is long and hard here and I did Chemo last fall/winter so I was always cold.

The BC Navigator at the CCI had given me a cute short wig before hair left and before I went to the first Look Good Feel Better class. I took it with me when I went to the class - why I don't really know but I did. Long story short - it was absolutely perfect for a lady who was there so it went home on her and the next day I stopped at the salon of the instructor and picked up a frosted gypsy shag that had been donated to her and she didn't think there would be anyone it was right for but worked for me. Actually with it being longer and the wind we get I didn't wear it except if we were going to dinner or Church or something other than just out in the wind. In Jan. when I saw my PA, she got 'hot' that I hadn't gotten the wig she had put in for in Aug. - that afternoon I got a call that an appt was made for me a local salon to order my wig. The one I picked is a really cute short frosted that I wore a lot as even in the wind it didn't 'look like' a wig.

We have horses that have to be cared for and thankfully last winter Hubby and Son did most of the work but I still had to out in all sorts of weather some of the time. Wore ski caps with hood of hoodie sweat pulled over them. Wore fleece Momba Socks I made - they were probably my favorite for outside time. I wore lots of scarfs that I made - they're easy and get quite pretty with a little imagination. While at home, I always had a stocking cap on inside.

Just me.

Susan

Heatherbelle

I've worn them all, along
I've worn them all, along with wearing nothing at all on my stubbly head! First -check with your local ACS. They may be able to give you hats & a wig. We have a wonderful cancer center in my city that has a wig salon & nice selection of hats -they let me have 2 wigs and gave me about 4 different hats. I had a bunch of bandanas that I wore for a while, but once my hot flashes kicked in they just got too hot. I did buy a nice Coach & Christian Dior silk scarf on ebay - they are bigger & cover more of my head than a regular bandana, and the silk feels so GOOD on my scalp! The wigs I only wear if we go out for a dinner, or the few times we've gone out to a club with some friends. Also, do a google search on the "Good Wishes Project" - im pretty sure that's what it's called. They will give you a silk headwrap or scarf of your choice for free -they do that for people going through chemo. I got one from them & it's gorgeous!
I have a few cute "beanie" style stocking caps that I wear alot -again ebay - and I've gotten tons of hats from Goodwill. My favorite has to be a black baseball cap with a pink playboy bunny logo embroidered on the front. Makes me feel sassy
I honestly thought i'd never wear a wig - but throughout everything i've worn both of my wigs (one's brunette like my natural hair & the other is platinum blonde!) quite often.
If you do any buying or selling on ebay -i'd start there. Huge selection, you can narrow down the items by color or style, they have tons of wigs on there too. I ended up buying one from there that is just a "halo" of hair that you wear under hats -bangs, back fringe & a little bit on the sides so it looks like real hair peeking out from under your hat!
*hugs*
Heather

Stace_aka_Pollyanna

CC, I went "hair shopping"
CC, I went "hair shopping" as soon as I decided to tackle chemo. Find a local wig store and talk with the beautician there. Mine was a hoot and it was ALMOST as fun as going shoe shopping! I tried a platnum, like Heather, and did NOT rock the blond at all (very sad) but did find an entertaining "Bambi" long and flowing style for the "holidays".

As far as hats... my eccentric mother has scoured our local St. Vincent de Paul and Goodwill for bucket hats that she can "embellish" with flowers, pins, birds or anything else she can get her hands on!!

My "shave" day isn't until the 6th-ish of December so I can't speak to how scarves stay on but I did request a beautiful scarf that Heather mentioned from franceluxe.com (click on upper right corner "good wishes")WWW's -- Headcovers.com, headforcover.com, chemochicks.com have some hip and fun accessories and tools for us baldies

Find your beauty mark and remember.... IT'S ONLY TEMPORARY!!! (Easier said than done I know, but that what everybody keeps tell me ugh!!)

Blessings and hugs,
Stace

Gabe N Abby Mom

I do it all. I have a long
I do it all. I have a long wig, a short wig, several hats, and several scarfs. I find the wigs less comfortable, so I wear them less often. But they are good for the times when I don't want to wear the "I'm having chemo" sign on my head. I go topless at home, grab a hat when I walk my daughter to school, a hat or scarf for shopping, etc.

My Mom-in-law who works full time, wears a wig to work, and then hats/scarfs/topless evenings and weekends.

There are several "how to wear a scarf" videos on you tube.

Have fun with it, and find what works for you.

Hugs,

Linda

Angie2U

There is a post on here that
There is a post on here that has a lot of sites. I will bump it up for you.

Christmas Girl

Bought a wig...
But, didn't use it. Not even once. Wore hats (like so many others have already described - the ACS TLC is a great source) and scarves/bandanas. And, became a major earrings collector!

Most importantly - do whatever is most comfortable for YOU. Don't choose just to make OTHERS comfortable. It's not about them, it's about you. And always remember - it's temporary.

Best wishes to you, and...

Kind regards, Susan

Heatherbelle

Goodwill!!
I think I cleaned out our local Goodwill's this weekend - they are a GREAT source for knit caps/beanies & with they colder weather here in Indiana they are coming in handy. And as a bonus on yesterday not only did I score 3 new hats for my daughter & I to share (she's 9) - I also found 3 adorable ones for the 2 yr old, AND 2 cashmere scarves & a 100% cashmere pashmina wrap for myself
My stubbles are really starting to come in, it started growing back in (albeit slowly) when I finished with AC but started on taxotere. 2 weeks after my last taxotere is when we noticed it really coming back in. 3 weeks after last infusion & I'm sprouting new eyelash growth also (didn't lose all of those either, but easily 2/3 of them). There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is completely normal to freak out about hair loss. Harder for me to lose my hair than my boobs.
*hugs*
Heather

ShirleyCurls

I wore hats. I live in a
I wore hats. I live in a hot climate and with my itchy scalp and hot flashes, I think wigs would have been uncomfortable. Since I have lymphdema, I couldn't tie a scarf. I found some nice cheap hats at TJ Maxx and Ross.

I also had to wear a tobaggon(sp?) inside because my head was freezing!

Chefrox

ShirleyCurls said:

I wore hats. I live in a
I wore hats. I live in a hot climate and with my itchy scalp and hot flashes, I think wigs would have been uncomfortable. Since I have lymphdema, I couldn't tie a scarf. I found some nice cheap hats at TJ Maxx and Ross.

I also had to wear a tobaggon(sp?) inside because my head was freezing!

Hats/Wigs & Scarves
Well I am the newbie but I already know the moment Doc says chemo that I'm having my head shaved. Now I have some real cute chef hats that I'll wear and a couple chef skull caps too.
My brother in law is bald and shaves his head so he is gonna teach me how. I had just started growing my hair long again so it will get donated when it gets shaved off.

I can't imagine how I would get by without all your help already. I'm just getting ino studying specialty diets for school so now I will work on Cancer ideas and share them all here...

Thanks to all of you...

Chef Rox

dee1962

Chefrox said:

Hats/Wigs & Scarves
Well I am the newbie but I already know the moment Doc says chemo that I'm having my head shaved. Now I have some real cute chef hats that I'll wear and a couple chef skull caps too.
My brother in law is bald and shaves his head so he is gonna teach me how. I had just started growing my hair long again so it will get donated when it gets shaved off.

I can't imagine how I would get by without all your help already. I'm just getting ino studying specialty diets for school so now I will work on Cancer ideas and share them all here...

Thanks to all of you...

Chef Rox

this time around i wore a
this time around i wore a wig and love it they say it looks better than my own hair lol...but sometimes i do wear scarves when i'm home .....

tgf

dee1962 said:

this time around i wore a
this time around i wore a wig and love it they say it looks better than my own hair lol...but sometimes i do wear scarves when i'm home .....

bucket hat for me
I hate to shop ... but I sort of went shopping crazy when I knew I would be losing my hair. I tried on a couple of wigs but felt like I had a bathing cap on. So ... I bought several of those adorable knit hats in a bunch of colors but only wore one simple one to sleep in when it got cool. I also bought several really pretty scarves and bandana things and when they arrived I tried my best to tie them so they'd look as pretty as the pictures did ... but I never quite got the hang of it. I even watched the videos on the web and thought I was following them step-by-step ... but no matter what I did ... I still ended up with one big knotted mess. I finally gave up and donated them all to the cancer center here in town. And ... I just "lived in" my adorable little denim bucket hat that I think I got out of the TLC catalog. I almost hate to admit it ... but I loved that hat. It was so easy to just plop it on and go out. No fussing ... no tying it ... nothing ... just plop it on and go. I loved the "low maintenance" aspect. In fact ... after my hair started growing back ... when it finally got long enough that I was comfortable going without the hat ... I still kept my hair very short. No comb, brush, hair dryer, curling iron etc. Very, very low maintenance. Towel dry ... and sort of aim it in the right direction with my fingers ... and that's it! :-)

Good luck ... I'm sure you'll be gorgeous in whatever you wear.


hugs.
teena

joannstar

Wigs & Scarves & Headwraps
My onc advised me to go wig shopping before I lost my hair, which I did. The wig is beautiful and was covered by my AFLAC cancer policy (although United Health refused even when I had a perscription for a "cranial prosthesis"). My hair started to fall out in clumps about day 17, so I buzz cut it off to 1/2 inch. All the dark hair fell out and left only those resistant greys. Because I live in Florida, I found wearing the wig to work to be just too hot so I went through all my scarves and found some that worked. I also bought several different head wraps at www.headcovers.com which has a vast selection.
Someone else recommended the site: www.franceluxe.com who will send a free beautiful silk headwrap if you ask for it. They asked me to post the following note to try to spread the word about their great offer:

Hello,

I'm very new to the TNBC foundation and am thrilled to have found this resource. As a tech challenged person, it took me awhile to figure out how to even post a message. My name is Laurie Erickson and I am the CEO of a fashion accessory company located in Washington State. A few years ago I launched a program called Good Wishes scarves - a program where my company makes one, free of charge, silk scarf or headwrap for women experiencing hair loss. This program was borne as a result of an email I received from a loyal customer, Hillary, who bought hair accessories from my company. She wrote to our customer care address and asked if we had any products for women who are losing or have lost their hair. I replied no at the time, but offered to make her a scarf at no charge, in a color of her choosing. When her scarf was completed, we had a staff meeting and had a moment for this terrific woman, silently sending her Good Wishes. After receiving her scarf, we communicated from time to time and I told Hillary that should she meet anyone along her journey, who might enjoy a Good Wishes scarf to please let me know and I would happily have our factory make one for her - she told me that her Good Wishes scarf had brought her comfort during her chemo sessions. At a subsequent Chemotherapy session, Hillary met a woman who learned of our fledgling program and requested a scarf - we were so happy to know that our desire to give was becoming a reality.



I have really struggled to connect, to give, to share our scarves with women. It seems so odd to have the ability to give and KNOW the need is out there, but struggle to find the bridge to get that done. Fortunately, I spoke with Malaak Compton Rock earlier this week and she told me about TNBC - I was so happy when we spoke and I said "you're my Bridge!" - she was as always just lovely and helpful and I am absolutely optimistic. My head has been spinning with ideas and so I write to you here to help me spread the word. It’s very simple. My company works with hundreds of different silks and cottons. I will give as much as I possibly can to the community of women who are undergoing or experiencing an event where she is losing her hair. I have two options at this time; a scarf (which can be a bit cumbersome for some) or a headwrap called "It's a Wrap" which can be viewed on our website www.franceluxe.com. I will send you one at no charge.

If you or someone you know would enjoy either a scarf or an It's a Wrap - please email me at laurie@franceluxe.com and me and my staff will work to get it done for you.

In closing, I've worked in the fashion accessories industry for over 20 years. It is an honor and a pleasure to put smiles on faces through sharing our work - I believe in the power of sending good wishes. Thank you and I look forward to working together with you to perhaps send some comfort to women and/or children.

Jean T. Szabo

hats & Scarfs
Wearing the "beanie" caps that were given to me by the Cancer Center where I get my Chemo/Radiation. Just got the free silk scarf in the mail from "Good Wishes". Pretty scarf in fall colors of rust, orange and cranberry. Actually find not having my hair less of a bother while going though Chemo and all of its side effects. Sweats and hot flashes are easier to deal with. less time to get ready to go somewhere, just put on a hat or a scarf. Have a neighbor who doesn't know how to talk to people, lol. He just looks at me and says, "I see you are wearing a lot of hats lately". Geez, told him have hats of many colors. It is very important to make yourself feel good about how you look. If going somewhere special put on a pair of ear rings to dress up myself and wear good makeup. Losing my eyelashes and eyebrows bother me more than losing the hair. It grows back in a few months though.