Advice on wig and other head coverings - when to shop for one?

I bought my wig shortly after i knew i was possibly doing chemo. I was angry i had to do chemo. I had done it before an didnt want to do chemo again. But getting a knew wig was a possitive thing for me for the most part. It was the part that motivated me to go forward. I had my sister come. It was fun to pick out the one i liked and try theme on. There was a worker there that put it on for me and styled it. I had to put a few on before i decided what i wanted. I was glad i had it before i started chemo because i wasnt under the chemo drugs so i enjoyed my experience better. And it was just nice to have so i could make the transition to the wig. I would put my wig on here an there before i lost my hair. Infact i was wearing it permenatly before i lost all of my hair.  My har was mostly falling out before my second chemo.

losing your hair will necessarily be uncomfortable. I had absolutely no sensations at all. It just came out. Since I never liked wearing hats, I was surprised that I tolerated a wig well once I got used to it. Because it was summer, I also wore little scarves with padding in the front and jersey knit caps. Both were soft, comfortable and would be good inside during the winter.   Check out American Cancer Society "TLC" web site. 

See if your care center has free ones. I got a whole bunch of those, mainly donated by a local department store. They weren't the more-expensive ones you see out there, but they were comfy and washed really well. I even wear the light wool caps now that the weather has cooled. My hair is still pretty short!

I did not like wigs. My care center had free ones, but I have a large head size, and the wigs looked awful! Never got into scarves.

As for the nicer non-free caps, I bought a couple of Headcovers Unlimited caps on Amazon. Soft and comfy.

I also had a prescription for a wig - I laughed at it being called a "cranial prosthesis."  Maybe they thought I needed a whole new head!  Like Connie, I had no pain or sensitivity on my scalp when I lost my hair.  I did go for the wig before chemo, because I wanted to try and get everything done beforehand in case I was really sick.  I was surprised how very emotional I was when trying them on.  A friend was with me and that helped some, but it was not easy.  I wore my wig all the time when I left the house and for almost a year.  It was fraying and frizzy at the ends by the end!  At home, I wore soft cotton beanies from Headcovers.  I ordered several different styles and discovered that I had definite favorites.  Beanies are a must for sleeping - your ears will get cold!  I'm not artsy enough with my hands to do turbans or scarves, but I loved them on other people.  I still wear a beanie on cold nights - they feel comfy!

I shopped for a wig before my first chemo.  I was fortunate to have a salon close to home and it was easier to compare wigs while I still had hair. I also bought soft cotton caps to wear.  I used them when I was home.  On line I bought a couple more wigs to use as alternates.  About 5  days after lst chemo I cut my hair real short and used my wig at work.  It was similar in style to my hair.  I  remember my scalp burning and hurting real bad one night soon  after my lst chemo when I went to bed so I knew loss of hair would start soon.  I found the caps very soothing and comforting, especially when I went to bed.

EZLiving66 said:

My hair started to shed right

My hair started to shed right after my first chemo. I went to a local wig shop and bought one that matched my color and style. Then I put my long blonde hair in braids and had them cut off each one and I saved it. Then they gave me a short cut but as they were washing it, handfuls were coming out. By my second chemo it was all gone but I never had any pain, itching, bumps, etc. I wore the wig during the day and at night I bought some cotton beanies that I would put on to keep my head warm. I also bought a few fun (and much cheaper) wigs to change things up a bit but mostly wore the expensive one. A lot of people never knew I lost my hair. Believe it or not, I thought it was kind of cool to be bald - LOL! I also lost my eyebrows and eyelashes. When they came back, only my right eyebrow came back and my left eyelash continues to grow - I have to trim it so it doesn't hit my glasses. Some of my fingernails never really came back and are not attached to the nail bed. I wear acrylic nails and they look great - it's just hard to keep them attached on a few of my nails. My toenails grew in with rough ridges on them and it's been almost three years since my last chemo so I doubt they'll ever grow back right.

One of the weirdest things is my arm hair. I have none BUT every once in a while, a black hair will grow and grow and grow. It's in different places and it's only been one at a time. When I notice them I pull them out but just for the heck of it, I decided to let one grow and it was almost two inches before it fell out. 

My hair is long now and the ends are still very curly. The lady who does my hair (I get oil treatments because it's so dry) said there is a natural wave but not the curly, curly hair. My hair before chemo was "stick-straight" and is now pure white. I've been braiding it and winding it around my head - picture the stereotypical Scandinavian lady. 

I just cut an article out of the local Tampa paper about a new neuropathy treatment approved by Medicare and I'm going to check it out.

Good luck with your wig!!

Love,

Eldri

Eldri

I’ve searched and searched for your hysterical wig and powdered doughnut story and I can’t find it. It literally made me pee my pants.  with laughter. Perhaps we should revisit it here. 

Nope!  That was before I was diagnosed but I see our Eldri was entertaining with her wig stories way before I got here. I was referring to her story about when she was working in the office and a customer came in and she didn’t know until after he left that her wig was askew and her face was full of powder from a doughnut she had just eaten. 

FOUND IT!!!!

https://csn.cancer.org/node/301712

Ha!  Because you ladies all need to enjoy this.

You know i remember reading thes experiences Edri had when i was loosing my hair. I loved these stories and especially edri's additude about them it really helped me along. I remember when i first started wearing my wig and it was windy. It took me a little bit to beable to not hang onto my wig while walking out side. My kids and i had fun with it.  I dont know that it is still avalible but i remember. Finding a you tube video about going bald because of chemo. It was an upbeat song that helped me through. After my 10 daughter saw the video she would play the piano and sing her own verson of the song. It was fun and we would laugh.