I hate wearing my wig. No head covering seems to make me look acceptable. I think that I look worse trying to cover than I would if I showed the whole truth.
My lovely daughter so supportive in everything shudders at the thought of my bald head being allowed out.
Has anyone taken that plunge to bare all?
Margaret
I think quite a few people have. I always wear a buff or turban outside but take them off in the house and sometimes with friends, I do think that when the weather gets hot I will be more daring"
Hi there Margaret
Wish I had had the courage but think if I were facing a summer I might. But I did not. How come men can do this and we can’t? Between a wig and nothing comes turbans and a false fringe. I have to admit I am still at it though have about a third of an inch of hair.
Love and strength
Dilys
xxxx
I bought 2 wigs, never wore either of them. My style was caps either on there own if they were deep enough or with one of those fabric hair bands around the “hair” line. Never took them off to start with but eventually i did and no one really batted an eyelid. My daughter wasn’t to keen to start with but when she realised I was really uncomfortable sometimes she was fine.
At least when you’ve got no hair people think oh dear hope she’s Ok, now my hair is growing back in all directions I think they look at me and think OMG what has she done to her hair!!!
My advice, go for it girls its actually quite liberating, a bit like skinny dipping
AJxxx
Hi Margaret
I have added the link to a Breast Cancer Care publication called ‘Breast cancer and hair loss’ which you may find helpful to read:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/hairloss_2004_v2_0.pdf
The booklet also contains information about our free ‘HeadStrong’ workshops which explore the many issues faced by people experiencing hair loss which may be available in an area near you, for more details and further support please contact our confidential helpline on 0808 800 6000, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-2pm.
Best wishes
Katie
If you do a search Margaret you’ll find loads of interesting comments on this subject. I had a beautiful wig but never wore it! I soon got used to the no hair feeling, and it made a big difference to people who felt they could talk to me about my cancer and not skirt round the subject…it helps other women who are frightened too, maybe your daughter would understand that?
Its also great fun with make-up, you can draw on different eyebrows and go mad with colours and earrings. Now mine’s growing back everybody keeps stroking it!
Good luck, Zoe x
Hi Margaret
I didnt buy a wig in the end as I thought that I might feel odd in it.
I wear a buff & have recently gone to the local Headstrong. But i never where anything at home & my other half has a tendancy to forget this & lets people in to the house where they are confronted with baldy me !. I dont think that I am brave enough to go commando with the head.
I would recommend headstrong though, they will show you lots of different headgear ( as well as scarves) and ways to wear the scarf. I found it very liberating and didnt feel quite so odd once I knew what to do with a scarf.
Most important - do what you feel comfy with & to hell with everyone else
Hope this help
Love
Tips x
hi Margaret
I’m one of the brigade that never wore headcoverings - I’m really not a hat person, and the wig I got, whilst very nice, was just not comfortable. I lost my hair the first time in December 07 - and admittedly had to resort to wearing baker boy hats mainly because it was so cold. But I only ever wore them outside - anywhere else, at home, in pubs etc I just went bald. My hair grew back to about 1/2 inch while I had radiotherapy in Feb/march - but I’ve just finished my second of 4 x chemo and am now completely bald again - and I’m loving teh fact that its warm and sunny and I don’t have to cover up!
My 10 year old was a bit ‘off’ about my bald head originally - now she can;t remember what I looked like with hair - i have to show her photo’s! My eldest daughter, who’s 21 has never had a problem with it. She gets married in 10 wks time and is pretty certain I will just have fluff for the wedding lol - I asked her if she wanted me to wear my wig for the wedding and look ‘respectable’ (there are tons of rellies going from all over the country who don’t know I have no hair!) - she just said she didn;t mind one way or the other - she’s happy for me to go commando!
I have to say that in my experience - I got far more stares wearing the hats than I did going bald - I think people were trying to figure out whether I had hair under the hat or not!!
Good luck with whatever you do - there’s no right answer - just what feels right for you
Margaret x
I decided to go for a blonde wig and absolutely everyone I meet loves it. It is in the same short style I had when I had hair, although my hair was light brown (dyed, as it was going grey) I Know I look good in it and I don’t get stares from strangers but it just doesn’t feel “like me” I feel such a fraud. Admittedly it is much nicer than my own rather thin and curly hair was but still theres something about it. It makes me look “normal” but I don’t enjoy wearing it at all.
I am quite happy to wear a buff or a scarf if I have visitors but feel happier “going comando”. When I go out I miss the wind in my hair and just can’t wait to get it all back - Sods Law I still have hairy legs!!
Last week I went to London and saw a very brave woman take off her cowboy hat in an rIndian Restaurant and she had no hair. I felt stupid in my wig and really wanted to approach her but thought it might be inappropriate, so brave woman if you recognise yourself I take my hat off to you.
love to “baldies” I am determine once I get a bit of hair back that will wear it proudly
Hi girls,
I Done It. Yesterday I threw the wig, hats and scarves to the back of the wardrobe and went out with nothing on!!! my head I mean.
I felt soooooo good, at last a bit of me returned. I know that I walked taller.With the head attire I tended to bend over I felt so uncomfortable with myself.
Peoples response to me seemed better or perhaps I felt more confident.
Thank you a million times for replying and sharing. I wouldn’t have had the confidence if I hadn’t read and reread your replies.
margaret
Margaret - well done!!!
me too - I lost my hair in March and did wig - it’s v good but is hot/itchy, scarf ok but slipped - i couldn’t do wig now it’s warmer except for some older family members… my boys who are at uni are ok with it.
So I’d done baldy at home and when I got to the office …in April i went bare most of time and it’s been fine. my chap has been with me the last few weeks so we have tended to be out together - he went home today and in the supermarket I had enquiries after my health from shop people who said nothing when he was with me - lol I have a hi-vis jacket on now??
I don’t mind people asking me nor do I worry about the odd weird look… i too am walking tall and proud. And i now have baby fluff growing which feels odd after a few months but is exciting too in it’s own way - is it going to be curly?? etc
Best wishes to all of us
Jennifer x
Inspiring thread!
Have done the cold cap thing, which kind of worked, but hair is thinning and it’s only a matter of time. A variety of caps, scarves and buffs keep the cool spring breezes off at the moment. Reckon I’ll get my mate Dave (who trained as a hairdresser) to take the remnants down to a #1 and then shave head, maybe leaving a bit of a punky tuft at the front. Hooray for being a middle-aged delinquent.
But I’ll get thru chemo #4 first (Tuesday) and see what’s what after that.
G’nite all.
L.
Margaret
Well done you
AJxxx