Hair loss - what to wear?

0363
0363 Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
My friend is struggling with the loss of her hair and finding hats has been awful. I shaved my head with her six weeks ago but I have already gotten enough growth back to be OK. Any suggestions what is the most comfortable, is style important? She really isn't in the mood to go looking herself.I wore a fleece cap when it was really cold, but I found my hat size was much smaller without hair.Anyone have a favorite I could suggest? Thanks

Comments

  • Snookums
    Snookums Member Posts: 148
    #2
    I went to Hobby Lobby, a huge crafts store, and spent 15.00 on 7 or so bandannas. One had doggie bones, another chili peppers, one pink, so with a few solid "normal" looking ones and a fewFUN ones I was set. I honestly wore those a lot and under hats and caps too. I went to the cancer services in Baton Rouge and got a couple of hats there. Mostly, at home NUTIN! I had a sweater hat like beret to wear when i was cold at night from the air. SO, hope that helpd. C
  • 0363
    0363 Member Posts: 5
    #3
    Snookums said:

    I went to Hobby Lobby, a huge crafts store, and spent 15.00 on 7 or so bandannas. One had doggie bones, another chili peppers, one pink, so with a few solid "normal" looking ones and a fewFUN ones I was set. I honestly wore those a lot and under hats and caps too. I went to the cancer services in Baton Rouge and got a couple of hats there. Mostly, at home NUTIN! I had a sweater hat like beret to wear when i was cold at night from the air. SO, hope that helpd. C

    Thank you so much. I'm hoping with warm weather coming it will get a bit easier.
  • Mosis50
    Mosis50 Member Posts: 59
    #4
    Hello!! I am finally getting my hair back after chemo. It has been 5 months since I finished my chemo, but while I was bald, I loved wearing the newsboy style hats. I ordered them through the CSN site. The ones I liked best were adjustable and were very light weight. Seemed like caps just didn't cover like I wanted them to cover. Good luck!! Susan
  • Mosis50
    Mosis50 Member Posts: 59
    #5
    Hard to work with
    I have really had a rough week and need to get some things off my chest. I am 6 months post chemo (ACT) after a mastectomy. My cancer was ER and PR negative. I thought I was doing so well - hiding all my fears about the cancer reoccurring and dealing with my own mortality and going about living. Well, boy was I ever wrong! Today a person who works in the office with me UNLOADED on me and let me know how HORRIBLE I was to work with and she is about ready to quit. I had NO idea I was like that and was hurting people's feelings. She told me that everyone was walking around on eggshells around me. How can I be so unaware that I am being like that to people. I feel so bad about it. I guess I am not handling this as well as I thought. I was told by a friend that I could probably use someone to talk to but I am not accustomed to asking for help. I don't want to be like this but I am SO down now and I don't want to show my face at work after being told that people steer clear of me. I just want to put all of this CANCER stuff behind me but it just keeps rearing its ugly head at me and will not leave me. Will there always be an ugly, scary cloud over me and make me feel like this? I don't want people to steer clear of me or walk on egg shells around me. At least I didn't think I did. Any advise or should I just quit now.
  • amelia
    amelia Member Posts: 56
    #6
    I did a lot of shopping on line at www.headcovers.com. One item in paticular that I liked was a half wig. I wore it under a scarf and it really looked natural. You can wear it with hats also. Good luck to your friend. It sounds to me like everyone could use a good friend like you. God Bless, Amelia
  • lynne40
    lynne40 Member Posts: 87
    #7
    I also got quite a few hats at headcovers .com. I found that the ones from this site fit down over my head and covered everything unlike hats I found at local stores. At headcovers there were also many soft fabrics which were comforting when my head was sore and they had some great sleep hats also. Good luck, your friend is lucky to have someone as unselfish as you in her corner!
    Hugs to you both!
    Lynne
  • 0363
    0363 Member Posts: 5
    #8
    lynne40 said:

    I also got quite a few hats at headcovers .com. I found that the ones from this site fit down over my head and covered everything unlike hats I found at local stores. At headcovers there were also many soft fabrics which were comforting when my head was sore and they had some great sleep hats also. Good luck, your friend is lucky to have someone as unselfish as you in her corner!
    Hugs to you both!
    Lynne

    Thanks so much for your help. Christine had surgery yesterday so we are holding our breath. One day at a time.
  • rob6
    rob6 Member Posts: 17
    #9
    hi just another suggestion. I am not a hat or wig or bandana person. So what i did was put temporary tattos on one side of my head and i had all the staff at the hosp looking to see what i was wearing at the time. it was fun. hope she finds something she likes.
  • ksfc
    ksfc Member Posts: 251
    #10
    I ordered hats and scarves through the American Cancer Society at
    http://www.tlccatalog.com
    They have quite a variety and since they're made specifically for chemo patients, they cover more than a regular hat. How nice that you shaved your head with your friend. My son did that for me at the time and he was 16 years old. Diane
  • boogirl
    boogirl Member Posts: 6
    #11
    I shaved my head too. I had a variety of wigs to wear around my children's friends and to spice up the chemo room with laughter. Otherwise my favorite thing to wear was a bandana. I had one in every color. My hairdresser also made me bandana's with real hair sewed in them. I had braids and straight hair. I received many complements with my bandanas. My hair is just about an inch long now. My last treatment was on December 10th. Good luck, boo girl
  • billandpatty
    billandpatty Member Posts: 86
    #12
    It's more difficult during the cold weather because you really need to be covered for comfort and warmth. I started losing my hair during a 115 degree heat wave and decided right then that a wig would never do -- my son always played baseball so I wore baseball caps. Several people got me caps to wear. I ended up having a favorite that my children got me -- a white Polo with a small American flag on the front -- it was the most comfortable and fit the best. I also went and had a facial the day I started losing my hair -- I hadn't planned on it, but when I didn't know what to do about a wig or hat I decided that I needed some support and a facial helped to make me feel pampered. (I think I felt sad, too, and I didn't want to make my family feel any sader than they were already feeling -- so the facial gave me something positive to do -- it was better than crying!) The hair loss from my head didn't bother me as much as losing my eyebrows and eyelashes -- I felt I lost my identity when those went. Thank goodness they came back first!
  • ramapou
    ramapou Member Posts: 6
    #13
    Has your friend gone to ACS's Look Good, Feel Good session? I found it to be great. They gave tips on how to apply makeup, including how to compensate for missing eyebrows. They also had great ideas about how to use scarves and hats. Personally, I've found the wigs in the TCL catalog to be excellent and inexpensive. Friends who knew I was losing my hair couldn't believe it when I showed up wearing a wig---it was so close to my own style and color. I've just ordered two more, a long one and a curly one, just to be different. I've found soft baseball caps to be comfortable as long as it's not too cold. I use a stretch terry "huggie" (from TLC) in the house (when I'm not having hot flashes!) I figure this is just a temporary part of what I'm going through and I can put up with it.
  • ramapou
    ramapou Member Posts: 6
    #14
    Hot flashes from chemo
    I've been on chemo for about 6 months now and for the most part it hasn't been too bad. EXCEPT for the hot flashes. I was having a few before chemo, but after I started I was having 20+ a day. My gynocologist put me on effexor (75mg daily) and it's helped during the day. The nights are still bad---I rarely sleep more than 30 or 40 minutes and they often last 10 minutes or more. Black cohosh no longer helps, I'm supposed to stay away from too much soy. I'm already taking 400 units of E as part of my multi-vitamin. I've cut out almost all caffine and spicy foods. Help!
  • pattyrg
    pattyrg Member Posts: 16
    #15
    Try the TLC catalog, which carries a lot more choices than the usual turbans, which I think are unattractive. They carry a cap called a 'lovie' which is soft and comfortable. I adorned mine with scarves and jewelry pins matching my clothes. Many styles available, and they change with the seasons. It's something www.tlccatalog. You cannot order on the Internet, but they are quick and efficient when you call to order.
  • calabogie
    calabogie Member Posts: 3
    #16
    Mosis50 said:

    Hard to work with
    I have really had a rough week and need to get some things off my chest. I am 6 months post chemo (ACT) after a mastectomy. My cancer was ER and PR negative. I thought I was doing so well - hiding all my fears about the cancer reoccurring and dealing with my own mortality and going about living. Well, boy was I ever wrong! Today a person who works in the office with me UNLOADED on me and let me know how HORRIBLE I was to work with and she is about ready to quit. I had NO idea I was like that and was hurting people's feelings. She told me that everyone was walking around on eggshells around me. How can I be so unaware that I am being like that to people. I feel so bad about it. I guess I am not handling this as well as I thought. I was told by a friend that I could probably use someone to talk to but I am not accustomed to asking for help. I don't want to be like this but I am SO down now and I don't want to show my face at work after being told that people steer clear of me. I just want to put all of this CANCER stuff behind me but it just keeps rearing its ugly head at me and will not leave me. Will there always be an ugly, scary cloud over me and make me feel like this? I don't want people to steer clear of me or walk on egg shells around me. At least I didn't think I did. Any advise or should I just quit now.

    Hi There
    The worst thing you can do is quit. I had surgery on Feb 4, 2004. I was diagnosed on Oct 10. I didn't take it well at all. I cried a lot at first then nothing much. I was going to be brave. I went through all the pre chemo's and the radiations then the surgery with my chin held high. (or so I thought) I was going to be brave for my family. I now am taking 2 more Heavy duty chemo's. Now my hair started falling out and the crying has begun and I'm having a hard time stopping it. Thank God I have such wonderful people around me who care and want to help. It sound to me that the person who sounded off on you really did you a favor. It's hard to face yourself when your mortality is in question. You look at everything in a new light. Try this one "Don't sweat the small stuff" I keep that in the back of my mind all the time. It helps me also praying for strenth helps also. Don't know If I helped buy I tried.
    Take Care Ronnie

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