Hi I am starting chemo AGAIN in nov. last year I went for scarves but this time I’m cosidering a wig. Question tho is will I get one free on the nhs as we dont get any tax credit etc but really cant justify paying for one esp at this time of year… would rather spend the money on my children… Will call my bcn but just wondered x
I got mine free on Nhs refered from chemo unit at pre asessment, infact my health authority let you have 2 six months appart,
Good Luck xx
Hi
obviously I don’t know where you live but I am in the North West and got referred by my chemo unit as well as megsmum…only offered the one wig but it was enough…best of luck with your chemo…
Hi , i too have been diagnosed again with bc. I had a wig last time and was given a voucher for a shop in my county so did not have to pay for it. I don’t know if i will need chemo this time. If you want any support please message me. I am seeing the consultant fri for treatment plan and results of ct and bone scans
Sarah66 x
cheers… just want to get the ball rolling asp live in weymouth currently going to poole daily for rads and i think thats where i think i would have to go to poole for wig so would like to try and combine…
Whether you get one free will depend on your hospital. Mine doesn’t offer this, and we have to pay the NHS cost of £63.50ish. I decided not to get a wig, but wear a hairy hat. It cost around £20 including postage, and comes with a baseball hat. I’ve removed the cap and wear mine with a turban. it’s on my profile pic. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
I was offeerd same as sdmeg got a presecription and with this I paid £60 odd and youre entitiled to two. I have had just the one and alternate with scarves / beanies etc indoors especially xx
It really seems to depend on your PCT. At some hospitals you get nothing, at others a prescription that you can take to any wig supplier and put it towards a wig of your choice, or like my hospital they bring a supplier in-house and you can only choose from a very limited range of wigs. We were only allowed one, but it sounds like some people get two.
My NHS wig was the best of a bad selection… even the wig advisor said that none of them suited me - so I ended up buying a better one elsewhere. I only wore the NHS one a couple of times. Scarves and hats don’t suit me, so for me it was essential to get a wig that I liked.
Sara x
If your trust doesn’t help don’t forget that you can get 20% off wigs as you don’t have to pay vat if you have chemo. I’ve also found that you can usually get 20% off if you buy on line anyway and then the extra 20% off as well. It’s cheaper to buy a new wig than to go to the hairdresser for highlights, a cut & blow dry and a lot quicker! I’ve tried loads on over the last year and the price doesn’t always mean you get better quality - it’s really finding one that has the right sort of texture to match your own.
I know most people on here seem to hate wigs but my hair was the bane of my life and I love them! No hairdryers, hot brushes etc etc etc!!!
Jackiex
i was diagnosed just 2 weeks ago and start chemo tomorrow. The hospital made an appointment for me at the wig shop, I went yesterday.
NHS wig will cost £63 as I am not eligible for a free one (working and not claiming any benefits) which seems unfair as I am now only on SSP of £85 per week.
i tried a few on, they looked awful on me. Even the private wigs (cost @ £100) you don’t pay VAT on wigs so take off 20%.
For me. I left the place in tears. They all look to “groomed” and false for me. I got my hair cut really short last week so I guess the wig lady didn’t know my normal style.
Is it possible to find a wig in a shoulder length scruffy dirty blonde biker look? My usual grooming is to wash then hang head upside down, gel and scrunch dry.
I really need a wig for when I’m back at work. Don’t mind wearing bandanas or a turban at other times. But I work in an office with a strict dress code.
That sounds awful catzoo do you live in England? In Scotland or at least in Highland where I live we get a perscription and can take it to a list of different suppliers. I chose one from Ellen Wille comfort range which would have cost £295.oo but was free cause we dont pay perscription charges up here and after 6 months I can get a new one if needed. I think its shocking that the NHS make things this difficult for you and clearly dont understand the psychological impact of losing our hair. I hope you find a different supplier and a wig you can live with. Your work place cannot discriminate against you because you need to where a bandana or headscarf. I have a spare wig that I bought its from Judy Plum Wigs its called Bel Air MF Bernstein Mix. cost £220 Google it and you will hopefully get a pic of it .I will gladly send you it for free if you like it
Rhona
Hi Rhona. WOw, thank you for your lovely offer! Is your wig the Raquel Welch one? It does look lovely and thick. But still too posh for me i’m afraid. But thank you so much for your kind offer.
I live in Yorkshire. The wig shop the hospital booked for me was in a garden shed in the back garden! I was looking for a shop front, had to call for directions in the end as it was just a house with no sign outside. The lady there was lovely, trying her best to help. But there was very little stock to try on. And they all looked very similar to me on the wig mannequin stands.
A friends aunt has alopecia and has recommended a wig shop in York called Betty Brown wigs. So I am hoping to be well enough to drive over there next week.
NHS wig availability does seem to differ, dependent on where you live. Even different across english counties. I can pay £63 to the hospital, they give me a form I can take to any shop which sells the NHS range. But if I want a private wig I must pay the full price (less VAT).
AT the moment I think I will be happy with a comfy soft lined bandana. The wigs felt so uncomfortable, some were too tight, some felt like they were sliding up off my head. Maybe better to wait until my hair has thinned out.
Got my 1st chemo in 11 hours eek. Can’t sleep. Wanting to get treatment started, but worried about being ill cos I feel fine right now. Scary.
Hi Catzoo (recognise you from the pumpkins!).
I live in Yorkshire and had a WONDERFUL lady come to house, brought wigs for me to try & catalogues with loads of styles. I felt so much more comfortable trying things on in my home - it was actually fun! I bought a non-NHS one in end, but she did have NHS ones too. She’s not at all pushy and doesn’t charge for coming out.
Her name is Debbie and she has a website www.hairsolutionsbydebbie.co.uk
Good Luck with 1st chemo!
Little Bear (Sue) x
Hi Catzooo
Sorry I tried to resist but I had to butt in here. Do you really need a wig for work because of their strict dress code? My first day back at work I wore my wig so that I looked as ‘normal’ as possible. I explained, though, that from now on I’d be wearing a scarf or bandana as I got hot and bothered if I had to wear my wig for any length of time. My manager looked a bit perturbed as she said my wig looked so natural and lovely and you couldn’t tell I was wearing one. She told me a little tale about a senior male colleague who tried wearing a hairpiece and it was a different colour from the rest of his hair, but mine was nothing like that she said. Oh dear, I said, I don’t want to choose between coming in bald and ‘au naturel’ or wearing a posh scarf, as I know I’ll ending up whipping my wig off in the middle of a phone call. After that my wig retired gracefully from work.
All the best with your chemo. xx
Hi LIttle BEar. Thanks for that info. I checked her website, doesn’t say exactly where she’s based - but the comments there from CHesterfield, Doncaster, Sheffield suggest south yorks? I’m near to Hull so may be out of her travel area. I will drop her an email though, thanks.
Hi Like LIlac I love your name! I think you may be right and i could be ok wearing a scarf or bandana. Thing is I don’t really want to stand out as the “cancer patient”. The wigs were so uncomfy and would get hot I’m sure after a days wearing.
I have now ordered from annabandana.co.uk/. a sleep cap and a black bandanna cap with a soft lining. Just waiting for them to arrive.
You may all already know this, but in England cancer patients get five years (or as long as their treatment continues) worth of free prescriptions using what is called a “Medical Exemption Certificate”. You have to fill in a little form that I think you can get at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This not only helps with your costs, but, because the wig is a prescription-deal, also helps pay for that.
Although I wore a Buff all the other times, I did not want to be the “cancer patient” at work, and wore my wig “Audrey” while I was there. Although I did not much like Audrey–I’m not a “hairdo” kind of gal, and all the wigs are quite styled–she certainly served the purpose, and nobody much commented on her except for a few folks who said what a cute new haircut I’d got. Boy are they shocked now I’m “wearing” my two-inch post-chemo buzz cut!
PS. I loved my merino buff, it was the easiest and also the cutest of the hats/scarves that I got, and also the easiest to wear.
I was signposted to My New Hair in Long Melford, Suffolk who are a ‘Look Good Feel Better’ salon. No financial help with wig though but a fantastic service by a really compassionate team. I would thoroughly recommend them if you have to foot the bill yourself - not all NHS providers are as good as they are!!!