Dealing with Hair Loss or the Art of Wig Buying

When confronted with the diagnosis of cancer, more often than not, the initial gut reaction is a gripping fear. The word is vague but still carries a lot of stigma despite all the progress made by medical research and increasing recovery rates.   When the initial panic wave starts receding, and one is able to think clearly and get ready for the fight, the first thing to think about is treatment options and their side effects.  Depending of each individual case, the most common treatments can involve any combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.   Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals (medication) to treat disease and more specifically in this case, it refers to the destruction of cancer cells.

The goal is to control the multiplication of cancer cells and drugs are administered either orally or directly in the blood stream to prevent cancer cells from dividing and growing.  Despite the progress of medicine at better targeting only cancer cells, it also affects the growth of healthy cells, however, side-effect management has improved considerably over the last twenty years. Many side effects that were once inevitable can be either prevented or well controlled today.   But one that remains is alopecia or hair loss, however this is one you can prepare for.

Depending on the type of cancer, the type of chemo drugs, and to some extent on each person, hair loss will vary from hair thinning to total hair loss, sometimes including body hair.  So once you have talked about it with your doctor to understand what to expect and that a treatment protocol has been established, you can take steps to accompany this temporary side effect. 
Hair loss is specially traumatizing for women, as men naturally tend to lose their air so it is less of a stigma for them.  Either way, hair loss is often very hard for the patient because it symbolizes the reality of cancer.  That’s why it is so important to understand what is going to happen, look at it as a proof that you are fighting the disease and take steps to get through this temporary stage.
Hair loss usually starts about 10 days after the start of the chemo and it will start growing back 5 to 6 weeks after the end of the treatment.   To keep your spirits up, you need to feel good about yourself and look good.  You need to feel like a winner and looking the part is the first step in the right direction. 
There a few options you can choose from.  The most common choices for head covers are "hair prosthesis" aka wigs, scarves, turbans or hat or deciding to stay bald.  As often, this is a personal decision and there is no right or wrong choice.  The only thing that matters is that you feel good about yourself.  However, here are some pointers and advice to help you be prepared to look and feel your best during chemo.

Even if a first reaction can be to dare the disease and decide to go for a distinctive look like staying bald or wearing a pink wig to show your determination to fight, keep in mind that you will need to live with this situation for a couple of months so you might want to stay away from a look that will attract attention to you and inevitably lead to questions and conversations.
The best approach to keep your usual look is the wig.  Be it a real hair or a synthetic one.  Today, most hair stylists recommend synthetic hair, as new materials look really natural (think hair extensions quality) and they are much easier to take care of.  No need for washing and brushings etc.

You should make an appointment in a salon before starting your treatment so that the hairdresser can see your natural hair colour and hair volume to replicate it.   This is when you’ll choose what type of wig you want.  If you have long hair, you might want to consider getting a shorter hair cut before starting your treatment as it will be less traumatizing to lose your hair and it will be easier to fit the wig.   
Here are some tips to choose your wig:  select a colour slightly lighter than your natural colour as your skin will probably be paler during the treatment, don’t forget to check the colour in a natural light setting, don’t hesitate to go for a shorter hair cut as it will make your face look healthier if you lose a lot of weight and lastly, don’t forget to take pictures to have a model to put the wig on by yourself!
You will go back to the salon when your treatment starts to adjust the wig to your head and get a final cut to adjust it perfectly before taking it home.  This is when some people decide to shave their head to avoid the trauma of the hair loss.   If you decide to let your hair fall naturally, you should consider wearing a hair net at night to avoid the trauma to find hair all over your pillow in the morning.
You will probably want to alternate wearing your wig and some scarves or turbans, as wigs can get uncomfortable when it’s hot and the skin is particularly sensitive with the medications.  Change is fun anyway, so if you can afford a few different wigs, you want to look your best, and perhaps you will choose another one of the same colour but in a different style.  Don’t forget to go back to the salon every other week to get your wig styled and refreshed.  It will make you feel at your best and it is a minimal investment that’s well worth it. 
In conclusion, don’t forget that hair loss associated to chemo is a temporary situation and make sure that you are prepared before you start your treatment.

For more resources about cancer treatments and patients’ wellbeing, visit our blog: http://www.lazarex.org/resources.html
By Fabienne Der Hagopian
Lazarex Senior Writer
Paris, France