I am 27 and was recently diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Tumour has now been removed and I am due to start preventative treatment for the future which will include chemotherapy. Like most young women in this situation, I am devastated at having to lose my hair. I have come across a company called Hair Solved who appeared on embarrassing bodies and specialise in hair replacment. I had a consultation with them and they explained that they could use surgical tape to secure a mesh like material on my scalp and sew on real hair extensions. This should cost around £1600 and would mean that I dont wear a wig.
I wondered if anybody had heard of them or had any advice/feedback before I spend that amount of money.
Jeepers Sharon, that’s a lot of money to spend!
Yes, the hairloss is nasty, but it is only for a few months and then follicles wake up and it grows back.
Some people manage to avoid losing their hair with the cold cap - are you going to try it?
Is the hair extensions that much better than a wig for a few months?
Hi Sharon1985…no experience of hair replacement and agree it’s a lot of money to spend. Although I mich older than you(!), hope my experience, and I’m sure lots who also reply will help you to make a decision, which at the end of the day is yours and yours alone to make. My hair fell out in April 2012 following first chemo (FEC-T) and started to grow back very thin and patchily until November 2012 when I felt I could go without a hat (couldn’t bear wigs as they felt hot, scratchy and unsafe!!!). My hair pre diagnosis was shoulder length, thick, dark and curly! Hair, which sort of looks like a short haircut of choice, is now grey, wavy and around 2-3 cm long. I have had it trimmed 3 times; however the growth is not even…still very thin and patchy on the crown, and definite bald spots in the nape. I am taking Anastrozole which I believe impacts on thick hair growth. I am tempted to dye it purple 
Several young women undergoing treatment at the same time as me wore an amazing array of scarves, turbans and hats and very often sported their ‘au naturel’ heads, looking beautiful often wearing pretty dangly earrings.
My friend’s daughter was 30 when diagnosed and it took 3 years for her hair to grow back to a chin length bob of reasonable thickness…4 years on she is very happy that her hair is almost back to pre bc.
Is it possible to speak to someone (perhaps at your local MacMillan Centre, a hairdresser with experience of hairloss, a counsellor or similar) to talk about how you are feeling and and your options? The reality of hair loss really can come as a shock, and the emotional impact often overlooked…
This website may be helpful? My New Hair
You take care, all the best for your treatment and whatever you decide about your hair… xx
Hi Sharon. Heck. That is a helluva lot of money to spend! I am now 5 months past the end of chemo and my hair is growing welL. No bald spots, thick and full. Now I guess one inch long. Haven’t had it cut yet. It has come back much darker and I guess some grey, which I cover by rubbing with a block of henna from Lush shop. So is now a lovely rich chestnut couloir.
I did try on some wigs, but they felt so uncomfy I never bothered getting one. I managed with hats scarves and bandanas.
Personally I would not spend £££ on tape and extensions. Sounds rather uncomfortable too!
It is devastating loosing your hair. But it will grow back.
if your hospital has it go ask about the cold cap. It does work for some ppl, and many ladies keep enough hair so it just looks thinner.
Best wishes
x Sue
Hi Sharon,
i am 29 and was diagnosed 6 months ago. I have had surgery and am just recovering from my last round of chemo so understand the worry you have about hair loss. I looked at everything to try and replace my hair before I started chemo but settled for the standard wig replacement in preparation for hair loss and thought I would have further consultations when I had actually lost my hair. My hair started falling out 2 weeks after my first chemo session and then I decided to shave it off (I used to have bra strap length hair but had it cut short in preparation for chemo). I thought I would be wearing wigs and had scarves all the time but after 14 weeks of being bald I can honestly say I have worn my wig once, for 4 hours! I’ve been out for meals, cinema, large events and even out in town on a busy Saturday night all without hair!
I know it’s not for everyone but I’d advise you just to wait and see how you feel once you have actually lost your hair. £1600 is a lot of money to spend! My wig was provided for me by my cancer hospital so I haven’t spent a penny and I’m glad I didn’t to be honest. I feel more uncomfortable in my wig than I do without it! Best of luck with everything, J
I was like J, in all respects except that I had to buy my wig! I did get reimbursed through my insurance, but really,the only time I wore it was at lunch with my two friends who had come with me to help me select it.
It looks ok, … I suppose, … but at home, anytime I’ve tried it on it has felt so false and uncomfortable I decided I’d rather wear a hat! This was Canada in winter - everybody wears a “toque”!
As the weather warmed up I got more and more comfortable with my baldness, eventually deciding that I couldn’t see it so it didn’t bother me, and if it bothered other people that was THEIR problem! I had a few, very few, times when I got upset about it, but there were normally other factors, and having no hair was the last straw!
Now my hair is growing, and its mainly white and grey, but that’s ok, it is hair! I regret buying the wig, and I never would have countenanced spending a sum such as you quote, for some false hair. A false boob is bad enough!!!
Hi Sharon
I finished chemo 12th March 2013 and I now have a chin length blonde bob, which is what I had before I was diagnosed. This is because I used the cold cap. It worked well for me. My hair thinned considerably but was always able to disguise the baldy patches with a creative comb over. Never wore my wigs. My hair continued to shed until 7 weeks post chemo but by 4 weeks post chemo I was already growing new hair. So now, 5 months since chemo finished you would never ever know that I’d ever lost hair. It’s not as thick as it was before yet because obviously all the new hair is coming in under the hair that I kept with the cold cap. The new hair is about 2 to 3 inches long. I definitely think that if you cold cap the hair follicles get less damaged and so the hair that is shed comes through much much faster. Also cold capping has helped me to avoid the chemo curls. New hair is straight and once again that is because the cold cap protects the hair follicles. You will shed some hair with the cold cap but I have to say it enabled me to feel normal all the way through treatment. I chose not to tell anyone I was having treatment other than my immediate family and keeping my hair help me to keep my secret. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I should point out that I had 6xFEC75. I think with FEC100 the cold c ap might not be so successful but still worth doing. With Tax I would definitely use the cold cap as with Tax there is something like a 6% chance that hair would not come back. A lady on another Forum wrote that she had had Tax chemo and had cold capped and now had a glorious head of hair BUT …she didn’t have a single hair on the rest of her body. None of it had returned. She said that she felt had she not cold capped her head hair would not have returned either.
B
Contrary to what I was led to expect, my hair actually started growing during my 12 weeks of Taxol! In fact the top never completely went, but I shaved it because the sides were smooth bald, and I didn’t want a “Mohawk”!!
We were not given the option of cold-capping anyway. I’m sure I could have had it but it would have cost ! I know its horses for courses, but in the grand scheme of things, hairloss came surprisingly low on my list of things to worry about.
If you can afford to spend that amount of money then I say , go for it Make sure beforehand its comfy and not like a wig effect as that can be hard to wear x