Advice on human hair wigs would be greatly appreciated.
A friend of a very good friend of mine (this is starting to read like a shaggy dog story) has offered to grow her hair over an 18 month period so it can be cut off and made into a wig for me. I am probably going to need a permanent wig due to the longterm effects of my medication so this offer is quite tempting. At present her hair is coloured so I’m not sure how viable this would be any way but apparently her hair grows very quickly and she has a lot of hair follicles so there would be plenty of hair to make a wig.
Has anybody had any experience of this? I presume if we decided to go ahead, I would need to get in touch with a wig manufacturer and then determine the viability and cost. The friend of the friend has generously suggested that she would have no problem in raising at least £5000 by doing sales etc to cover the costs.
Yet I feel apprehensive - almost I suppose a little bit like someone offered surrogacy and being unsure but please don’t feel I think my problem is as important as infertility.
You have raised a very that is an issue i would never have thought of. How kind of your friend to support you in this way. Although i lost my hair through chemo 6 x FEC, I have been using my NHS wig which i have worn since April this year. It is not human hair. i wash it every 1-2 weeks in cold water with shampoo/conditioner etc and leave to dry natrually. All i can say is that when i first wore my wig out , yes i felt concious, but now i feel odd if i dont have it on. I also brought a reall human hair wig from an small Indian shop for £60.00. it is also brilliant.
I think maybe you should try a wig first of all and se how you feel and get used to it. I found the whole hair thing quite emotional and If i were in you position I think knowing what a king gesture a friend had done for me could make me even more emotional. It could also be cheaper to invest in a few wigs.
The whole process of losing your hair is emotional and tough. I hope this helps as I can only talk from my experience. I wish you all the best for the rest of your treatment and have a lovely Xmas.
I currently have a synthetic wig and people have no idea it is a wig! I’m nearly finished chemo and my hair has started to grow back, but having had the convenience of my wig “Ronnie” as I have called her I am in no rush for my hair to come back (never thought i would say that!).
Your senario is slightly different though. Synthetic wigs can look very natural as long as you have a colour that doesn’t shine too much. Care of the wig is so easy. Just wash with baby shampoo every 14 wears and leave to drip dry. Once dry, just brush it through and the style re-emerges - it is so quick and saves me loads of time each day. Real hair wigs need more mantainence. You have to style them like you do your own hair but I think the experts say if a wig is for long-term use, real hair is better.
I have become very attached to my wig. When I first started wearing it, I also wore a headband so that I didn’t feel like I was wearing a wig - it worked and now 6 months later I am so use to it. In fact, it is when I take the wig off that I feel I have something on my head - very strange!
Am I rambling on???!!! My other thought Wendy, is that you may want a change of style. Of course you could have the wig cut but then it will be like that forever, whereas if you have a few less expensive synthetic wigs you can have a change when you fancy it!!
Thanks for your support, Nadia and Carly. On further reflection I think I may try a synthetic wig first as there is too much emotional involvement in taking up the friend of a friend’s offer straight away. Where did you get your synthetic wigs from?
It has just occurred to me why I have a fear of purchasing a wig. Amazing how the mind blocks out awful situations.
When I was due to have chemo in 2002, I purchased a blonde synthetic wig at a shop in Blackpool and arranged with my hairdresser whom I’d been with for 10 years to cut it as I only have a small head and there was just too much hair. When I went to my normal hairdresser the Friday before chemo and put on my wig for her to trim, she reacted with horror, saying that she couldn’t possibly layer it as it was synthetic and she had trimmed the human hair wig of a lady the previous week which was so much better than mine. I left the shop in tears and in a panic as I was due to start chemo on the Monday and wanted to get it sorted before. I phoned a friend from town, sobbing hysterically and she came to pick me up and took me to the wig shop in Blackpool. She had had to bring her little boy with her as it was the start of the school holidays and of course he started playing up in the wig shop. I was in no fit state to have it sorted properly and said it was ok after the wig lady had only trimmed a little off.
As it turned out, I did not need the wig as my hair only thinned a little due to use of the cold cap ( aargh unbelievably cold ) and then grew back after. I also found out subsequently that the mother of my usual hair dresser had developed thin hair as a result of breast cancer treatment and my hairdresser was hung up about it.
Fortunately a BCC Headstrong has just started in this area so I think I will book an appointment now I know I will have permanent hairloss. I will also pluck up courage to phone the friend of a friend and say thank you so much but not at this stage.
I had a real hair wig (still have it) -the only comment I would make is they are quite high maintenance in terms of shampooing and re-styling-not something you always look forward to doing if you feel unwell , or need to go out quickly. On the plus side , they dont go “fuzzy” at the ends with wear, and you don’t need to be so careful when standing close to heat (like the oven) because they can melt!
Cherry