<p>My beautiful 82-year-old mother will soon start once-a-month chemo for six months for Primary Peritoneal Cancer (similar to ovarian, but not). She continues to be concerned about her appearance and would like to get a wig before the chemo starts, and have it styled to match her own hair. She was told she’ll definitely lose all of her hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, etc. She doesn’t want to pay a fortune in case she hates the wig, and hopefully after the six months or so, she won’t need it. She is very proud that there is still some brown in her gray hair. She has just had surgery and doesn’t think she can go out to wig shopping, so I’m trying to find some for her. I’ll be going to Buffalo to go through the first course of chemo with her and can bring a wig or two with me. I’ve been told to get knit caps for cold nights and a few turban styles in case she’d prefer those, or at least to wear when she’s home. I would think a wig would be uncomfortable. I need advice! What to look for, where to look, what else she may need. It’s strange, but I worked in a cancer institute for 15 years, my husband works with cancer patients, but this is the first time I’m on the other side with a patient. There is so much I don’t know! I was considering asking Orthodox Jewish women in my community, but I think those wigs would be more than she wants to spend. Any advice is welcome!</p>
<p>When I had chemo my insurance covered some cost of the wig. Not sure if Medicare does or if she has supplemental insurance. I found a salon where one of the stylists specialized in wigs for women undergoing chemo. Prior to my hair falling out I went for a consultation. He looked at my hair and we picked a wig that was similar. He even highlighted it to match my hair color. I chose synthetic hair because it was much easier to care for. Real hair has to be styled. He shaved my head as my hair started falling out in clumps. The wig was all ready and I walked out with my new hair. I had friends who just went to wig stores and they had terrible experiences. I found this stylist through my oncologists office so check with them.
I would definitely suggest warm caps, scarves and turbans to wear at home or even out when she doesn’t want to wear a wig. There are some great ones through the American Cancer society. Again her oncologist should have a catalog.
There are also support groups called something like Look Good Feel Good or something like that where they teach you to do makeup to minimize the effects of no lashes or eyebrows.
Prayers to you and your mom</p>
<p>I bought my mom very reasonably priced, natural looking wigs from Paula Young for the same reason. And you are right about short term use, mom’s second type of chemo preserves her hair so the wigs are stored!
Add . com to get the website. They’ll send a catalog promptly; do follow the measuring instructions for a good fit.
Best wishes for minimal side effects.
Mom got the care kit (~$15) and the wire wig stands (for drying); really that was all she needed.
My DDs sent their bandana collection for before the wigs arrived.</p>
<p>Thank you both! Mom does have supplemental insurance and that should cover some of the cost. Also, synthetic does sound easier.</p>
<p>I looked at the Paula Young website. Can I trust that the wig will be ok if I send the measurements? I found a couple which look similar to her hair style. What about comfort? Should I buy her something to wear between her scalp and the wig? I saw something offered on the website. Thanks so much for your help.</p>
<p>I bought wigs from Paula Young for a friend who underwent chemo. The sizing was perfect. My understanding is that they are not terribly comfortable but wearable nonetheless. I think my friend used a tight fitting cotton cap under the wig to make it more comfortable on the rare occasions that she wore a wig; I don’t remember if we ordered it through Paula Young or bought at a local store for breast cancer patients. Cotton caps and turbans were her mainstay, particularly at night when she said that anything other than soft cotton hurt her head. Best wishes for your mother’s recovery.</p>
<p>I think I recollect that mom did order the thin liner; I remember she didn’t want the falling out hair to get embedded in the wig.
And, yes, the measurements will dictate the fit so follow them closely. My mom needed the petite size, not all wigs are available in petite. Also, mom had her stylist adjust the cut a bit to fit her face.</p>
<p>I didn’t use this company, but in general: Didn’t ever use a liner. Wigs are hot and sweaty enough but I don’t remember any other discomfort (itchy, scratchy problems). Don’t bother to wear the wig before your hair falls out - just cut/shave the hair on the day it’s no longer presentable and start wearing the wig.<br>
It will help to have some kind of stand to dry the wig - they are much heavier than normal hair and you CAN NOT dry them with heat. (they frizz up… like the bangs of my first one when I opened the oven on the pizza…dead and frizzled up forever…)</p>
<p>I would reinforce the idea that you may want to consider taking your mom to her hairdresser to have her hair clipped completely off (or very short) once it starts falling out in earnest. You could also do this yourself.</p>
<p>For some people, when the hair starts coming out in clumps, it is really kind of horrifying, like your body is decaying. Also, it is extremely annoying to have hair all over your pillow every morning, and falling out in big chunks into the shower drain.</p>
<p>The hair coming out is another part of the whole feeling-out-of-control thing. Anything you can do to help her feel, even in very small ways, that she is controlling the process, will help her a lot.</p>
<p>In an unusually generous gesture, the hair accessories line France Luxe will send a free head scarf or wrap to any woman undergoing chemo. These are lovely, high quality wraps; and you get to choose your fabric. Here’s a link:</p>
<p>[L</a>. Erickson USA Free Good Wishes Scarves and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation](<a href=“http://www.franceluxe.com/i/goodwishesscarves/Good+Wishes+Scarves.html]L”>Good Wishes | A Hug for Your Head) </p>
<p>Franceluxe’s website states – Our mission is simple: to provide, free of charge, one beautiful It’s a Wrap or Good Wishes Scarf to women and children experiencing the thinning or loss of hair as a result of illness or treatment, to in some small way, to ease their journey. Our goal is to provide a small bit of comfort and share the power of positive thinking and good wishes with these individuals on their path to healing and recovery.</p>
<p>When I went through chemo I did get my hair cut quite short first. I also put vaseline on my lashes and eyebrows. I kept my lashes and eyebrows longer than my hair. (Was it an old wives’ tale? Maybe, but when my hair fell out after the second treatment I have some lashes through the 4th or 5th treatment).</p>
<p>I did buy my wigs at an Orthodox store. My hairdresser gave me a VERY expensive human hair wig. It looked awful. At the store I found synthetic wigs that looked excellent. Get the wig before treatment btw. And keep it short. The longer the wig, the more fake it looks. She will need two because after a few weeks you’ll want to get the wig cleaned. And you don’t want your mother housebound more than she will need to be. I believe I paid $75 per wig. Even my salespeople at Neiman’s didn’t know it was a wig until I told them. </p>
<p>I wish her good health.</p>
<p>American Cancer Society will give (not sell) 1 wig to a cancer patient. I got one through there. It was a synthetic cut in a pixiecut style. I also bought a human hair wig. The cost was covered about 75% by my insurance. So I had 2 wigs and a lot of scarves. I ended up liking the scarves a lot better because they didn’t itch. If it had been the summer, I may have ended up going bald as I preferred that over any headcovering. My eyebrows and eyelashes thinned but stayed in place. My hair started falling out on Day 13 of my first chemo round.</p>
<p>My favorite scarf was the BeauBeau.</p>
<p>My sister is doing chemo right now. Her hairdresser went with her to pick out her wig, shaved her head, and trimmed the wig to match her natural style. It is synthetic, but looks like her real hair. I don’t know if your mom has a hairdresser who would be willing to help with this. </p>
<p>My sister doesn’t wear the wig all the time (hot, itchy) but she has designed some headscarves that are cute–she wears them to chemo treatments and has made them for other patients who asked her about them.</p>
<p>Second what dragonmom said about the oven. My D’s dance teacher wrote a hilarious post on her Caringbridge site about parts of her wig melting when she was baking cookies and the wig got too much heat from the oven.</p>
<p>My mom wore Paula Young wigs for year and they looked great. She continued to wear them when she went on chemo for Ovarian cancer. A lot of people couldn’t believe she was actually on chemo because she looked the same… an advantage of having worn wigs for years! Her big secret - she’d buy the wig, then put it on and go to the hairdresser and have her trim it the way she wanted it. </p>
<p>Threekids, best of wishes and hugs to you and your mom. My mom’s chemo was tough, but not as bad as she had feared. The drugs today are better than just a few years ago, and there are so many new meds to help patients deal with side effects. </p>
<p>Sending warm wishes your way.</p>
<p>And now the “secret” to getting your hair to grow back faster: If you are not of childbearing age and can keep meds away from those who are: Propecia. That’s right, the men’s hair growth perscription. My hair does grow fast. But I was able to toss the wig 4 months after the end of chemo. (Remember the first month after treatment you still have the medicine there.) So, in THREE months of hair growth I was wigless. Ask your doctor.</p>
<p>My mom picked out her wig at a store in our area that caters to cancer patients. Her oncologist recommended the store. She had the wig styled just like her own hair before it fell out. She was NEVER seen without her wig … people who didn’t know the details of her life would never have known that she was going trhough chemo.</p>
<p>Hugs to you and your mom, Threekids.</p>
<p>Sorry I haven’t been back to check in…lots of good advice here. Propecia, huh? I may try it for me!!! Unfortunately, my hair seems to be thinning somewhat with age. Right now my mom is not moving forward as she should be. She’s mad that she actually got cancer, and very afraid of the chemo. Just kind of angry about all of it. I know each patient reacts differently but she’ll be getting Taxol and Carboplatin, along with Emend to counter the effects. Other people I’ve talked to with this combination have done okay, just extremely tired. My sister is with my mom now, and she’s a nurse so she’ll be able to get more of an idea of if she can’t move forward, or won’t. She’s very dependent on aids right now. I’ll be there Tuesday for a week. Anyway, thanks for all of your advice and warm wishes.</p>
<p>Your Mom’s reactions are normal. I was terrified of chemo. Taxol, which I took the second half of treatment is very (evidently) effective, but very nasty with sideeffects. Make sure that if your Mom has bone pain you have painkillers (I used extra strenght ibuprofin which worked better for me that the script). And, sometimes you have to be the mother, a firm mother. Too bad your scared mom…better than missing…(weddings, baptisms, Bar Mitzvahs, summer in Europe…whatever makes her happy)</p>
<p>FWIW, my friends who had chemo found wigs too uncomfortable and opted for turbans, usually made from soft cotton t-shirts. Apparently there are instructions online somewhere.</p>
<p>Threekids - just saw this thread. Went through this 11 years ago with my mom. Someone recommended a local wig shop that specialized in wigs for chemo patients. We went before she started chemo and they were able to match her hair really well. The woman who helped her was incredibly kind. As I recall, Medicare and/or her supplemental insurance paid for the wig. Wig buying turned out to be one of the better parts of a difficult process. My thoughts are with you and your mom.</p>