[Tori]

Re: Should I buy a wig?

by Tori on Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:39 pm

Thank you to all that replied to my post.

Joy your thoughts about your oncologist remarks made me smile, and I could really relate to what you were saying, thank you so much! Today I went and bought a wig, short black bob, trying to Chanel my cleopatra vibe, hope it works! I know we must talk about the medical side of our treatment but I think especially if you are female not enough is discussed about how we feel about our own self esteem.

I understand we should be focused on getting better medically but if one more person says don't worry how you look, think positive, it's all for the best, I will tie them to a chair , shave there head, and starve them for a week and see how they feel!

I live on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia, if there is anyone else who lives close by and would like to make contact maybe for a catch up coffee etc, pleases feel free to get in touch.

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Should I buy a wig?

by Nancy Shamanna on Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:32 am

Hi again, did those of you who felt a wig to be 'scratchy' wear one of those little mesh caps underneath it? I couldn't have worn the wig without one (I bought it at the wig shop along with the wig). Also, I found that the wigs made of real hair felt scratchy, whereas the ones made of synthetic material were better, and easier to care for also! It's true, up here in the north, they did help to keep my head warm that winter.

[Joy]

Re: Should I buy a wig?

by Joy on Wed Jan 29, 2014 11:27 am

Hi Tori,
Your wig sounds fun! Wish I lived in Australia so I could meet you for coffee and see it! I wish you all the best!

Hi Nancy,
I'm doing okay without the cap. I bought it with the wig and then misplaced it. Thanks for the reminder. I think it will help with some of the itching. My experience hasn't been too bad with that though. It normally only itches after a few hours of wear. That's interesting about natural vs. synthetic hair. My wigs are high quality synthetics. I was told that you just can't style them or get too close to a heat source such as opening the oven real fast with your head looking in or sitting right next to a bonfire. They can warp or melt Natural hair can be styled and acts like real hair because that's what it is. However, it's also subject to frizzies and all the problems of real hair. Since I'm a terrible hair stylist and the naturals were generally more expensive, I went synthetic.

[carolynfallis]

Re: Should I buy a wig?

by carolynfallis on Wed Jan 29, 2014 1:08 pm

A hard decision, but I decided to have fun with it. After all, what are the alternatives? So, I went to a Caribbean wig outlet (wigs were $20-$50 range), and bought 6 completely different styles and colors. I also bought a couple of funky hats and scarves. Everyone, including myself, looked forward to a new look every day! Relax, and make lemonade!

[Allison]

Re: Should I buy a wig?

by Allison on Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:34 pm

The American Cancer Society in my area offered a free wig and hat. That's the route I took for a wig. I would suggest you have a wig on hand. I wore scarves. I succeeded in twisting and turning them into an attractive look. I would treat myself to a trip to TJ Maxx for scarves. My daughter would pick some up for me. The bigger the scarf the better. Several times strangers gave me compliments on my look. Maybe they were just really nice people! I called it the gypsy/LaBoheme look. I felt a like Little Stevie Van Zandt, too. My hair growth took 4 months to be mildly acceptable in public, but that is an individual decision.

I feel like people in general discount hair loss as no big deal. For some it is minor. It bothered me way more than I anticipated.

Try all the different angles-wigs, scarves, hats. I have a friend that combines a scarf with a hat for an adorable look. You'll find your groove and go with it.

[dianaiad]

Re: Should I buy a wig?

by dianaiad on Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:08 pm

It's odd ... the thing that bothered me most before I lost my hair was that I would lose my hair. As I wrote before, I obsessed over it.

But after I lost it .... meh. What bothered me most then was the looks I got when I went out in public in scarves and hats when nobody else was wearing any, or actually, when the only women who did were cancer patients.

Mostly, what I would get was questions on which breast I lost, or whether I had 'beaten' the breast cancer. It annoyed me no end. They really didn't want to know about multiple myeloma, and I didn't have time to educate everybody who asked.

So I went bare headed, and got way fewer 'looks.' 'Course, it helps that my head isn't shaped funny. Now that I have enough hair (barely) to cover the scalp, I don't get any 'looks' at all. Everybody thinks I"m a Senaed O'Connor wannabee. I do realize that I'm in the minority in this. When I went to Utah last week, though, you can bet I wore hats! Everybody else did too, and it's COOOOLD up there.

So I think it all depends on what we feel, how we want to look, how comfortable (or weird) we are ... and just perhaps I would feel a lot differently about this if I had found a wig I actually looked good in!