My mum is starting chemo on 25th October and although she has a wig, she is much more inclined towards wearing hearscarves/turbans etc if she loses her hair.
I’d really like to buy her a few as a present so that she’s got something nice to put on as and when she needs it.
Has anybody got any particular suggestions of good places to get them? My mum is 72 but doesn’t dress very old - she’d probably like some bright colours I guess, and patterns/something a bit ‘ethnic’ would probably be good too.
Thanks so much - would really welcome your advice.
I did a sponsored 10km race today and as of five minutes ago have raised £1000 for Breast Cancer Care! So pleased.
well done ani with the race.
annabandana is a good and reasonably priced site for scarves etc. there are lots more can’t think of them at themoment but it you type in chemo scarves they should all come up.
good luck and hugs val xx
As the weather turns colder she might also want to wear something under a scarf to help keep her head warm. Someone bought me some beanies from Bold Beanies - they were great!
Primark are absolutely great for scarves - I got loads from there but really I went bald most of the time and tended to wear a cap rather than a scarf when it was cold (I was totally bald and shiny from about mid-February to mid-June this year). Accessorize had some great baker boy type caps which were nice as they came down a bit further at the back and didn’t look too masculine.
I found that the thinner and longer the scarves were, the better as they’re easier to knot and twist and tuck in, but try to avoid satin ones as they tend to slip.
Wearing a beanie underneath is a good idea in cold weather. I had a Bold Beanie one that I wore on its own around the house when it was cold and I was feeling too grotty to care what I looked like. Those ones are lovely but quite dear. If you Google for Sleep Hat you should find some cheaper options - also have a look on ebay.
There’s loads of info here cancerhaircare.com/ about hair loss during chemo that’s worth a look as well.
Very well done on the run and good luck and hugs to your mum.
I got all my scarves from ‘normal’ shops, peacocks, new look and primark, try squares and long ones and just have fun with the way that they can be tied! I looked on one of the websites for hints on tying.
My number one piece of advice though is that if your mum has dangly bits (on the scarf) then to be carefull when cooking esp if she has gas!!! I talk from experiance!
I really love my Suburban Turban scarves and now that I don’t wear them on my head I use them to drape over my neckline when it’s too uncomfortable to wear bra and prosthesis.
Also, might be worth booking your mum on one of the Look Good Feel Better sessions which are run all over the country. I’m going to one tomorrow, they’re free sessions & they’ll show u how to do make up during chemo especially eyebrows & eyelashes. U get a free goodie bag to take home & there’s a scarf tying session beforehand. Apparantley these sessions are fab.
Well done on your race as well, that’s a fantastic amount x
I found this site late on in the whole process when I was wondering what to wear to a wedding, and I thought they looked nice, but I have no practical experience.
I did get turbans from Suburbanturbans and Chemochic, also used plain fleece winter hats. Plain fleece looked more normal with my usual jeans and gilet than the turbans which needed a more drapey look, which you can get with tunics and waterfall tops. Plus ear rings!
Well done on the fund raising, Ani and best wishes to your Mum, her best support is to have a lovely daughter
Wow, thanks so much for the brilliant tips! I’ve just splurged and bought my mum about five different things to experiment with - I can always send back what she doesn’t like but this way at least she has something to hand if and when her hair does fall out.
You’re all incredibly supportive and knowledgeable as ever. I promise to be back with more questions soon. Best wishes to everyone.
Oh yes Lavender Lassie, with the bald or headscarf/turban look and also with the pixie cut /Mia Farrow look (OK, so I can dream!) that I’ve got now, big dangly earrings are definitely the way to go.
And I agree - Ani, get your Mum booked onto a Look Good Feel Better session - Google it and phone whichever one is closest to her. It’s totally free, lots of fun and she’ll get the most fantastic goodie bag whilst learning some useful tips.
I’m not here much these days, but I saw this thread & wanted to comment.
I found some great scarves in charity shops during my six months of chemo. Many were silk and the vintage ones are especially nice.
For most of the six months I wore them with a faux fringe which I bought from my hospital. I used dress tape (bought from Boots or Superdrug) to attach the fringe to my head, and then just tied the scarf over it.
At home in wintertime, I wore scarf/caps bought from a local Asian shop.
Muslim women wear these under their hajibs and they are made from T-shirt material, so are thin, but still keep your head warm!
I wish your Mum all the best with her treatment. She’s lucky to have you looking out for her.
I’ve been bald since June & it’s been great to have bought & been given so many scarves to tie in different ways, especially now it’s getting colder & I can’t go commando all the time at home (I rarely wear my wig, just when I really need to blend in). I still find I really struggle with matching my scarf to my clothes - you don’t realise how well hair goes with everything, do you? The best scarves I’ve found are long ones that I could tie twice around my head & then still have short tails that I either tuck in underneath, or push the tails down through the knot to dangle at the nape of my neck - IYSWIM.
One thing I found was that “normal” size hats (I bought some caps & Baker boy hats) are way too big, & would blow off in the breeze - I managed to scare a bus load of people the first time that happened! I tried on some childrens hats but haven’t found any for age 5 in a style that’s suitable…
Good luck with supporting your Mum through all this - it sounds like she’s very lucky to have you there for her, & I’m sure it will make her whole experience easier.
x