I just had done PET/CT scans that showed some progression. I wanted to prepare myself for chemotherapy and hair loss…. Looking for decent wigs that are not outrageously expensive. I’m a bit overwhelmed with the search while trying not to be too sad and depressed. Do you ladies have any recommendations for good wigs? Where did you get your wigs?
I’m also overwhelmed in terms of new treatment costs. It’s been working well between my insurance and drug co pay assistance program but now that changes, I would need to figure that out…. I’m sure a lot of you guys had been through this and I really admire all of you ladies’ strength and will to go on.
Thank you!
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I got a lovely wig at a place near me (in Arizona) - they styled it and also gave me a receipt for insurance reimbursement. My sister used the American Cancer Society "wig bank" and they had an entire room full of free wigs, she then had that wig styled. She had a "prescription" from her doc for the ACS but I assume they will let you in with proper info.
My wig is a Raquel Welch brand synthetic lace front - lots of terms there but I have worn it in public for 2 years and there are still people who never knew it was a wig. I also recently bought a "hat with hair" ball cap with hair attached and I really like it. I bought it and several other products from headcovers.com and have had great service.
I've not had any real hair of any note for 2 years now and I actually am quite liking it. I do finally have eyelashes again which I love.
Hi, thank you so much for replying! You are so kind and I’m encouraged. A hat with hair is a great idea! Will be sure to check the website you mentioned and look for RW’s wigs!
I've never worn a wig so have no suggestions. I do wonder though why so many women on this site simply go along with whatever their doctor recommends even when it is going to be a difficult path. Are you sure that you must follow his expensive treatment advice?
Depending on your age, your cancer may grow slowly. I'm fortunate to live in Canada where we have Medicare. I've had metastatic cancer since 2019 (likely long before since I was first diagnosed in 2006).
I'm now 79 years old so I assume that my cancer grows slowly. In any case, it is throughout my body, and medication is needed to stop further growth. However, letrozole and ribociclib taken regularly by pill do that. I don't know the cost of those drugs but they may be no more costly than chemotherapy (at least initially?).
I wish you well, my dear, and I hope you find the strength to take charge of your situation. A good life is worth fighting for!
I lost all my hair to chemo. I too searched around for wigs I could afford. It was depressing not to find much until I came across a website for wigs. I have some great wigs from Paula Young and I love my "Becky", the wigs are named which is so cute. And people think it's my real hair. I have about 5 of Paula Young wigs. I am a true natural blonde and I even got a short red hair wig, her name is Nora. You can order them online and the prices are very reasonable from $39 and up depending on the wig. There's even real human hair wigs but those are expensive. Human hair wigs are not easy to maintain from what I researched. I have a shoulder length favorite in a color that looks good on me. I have not yet had to send a wig back but you can return and exchange but no taking off the tags. paulayoung.com I wear hats around the house but when I go anywhere I wear my wig. Hope this helps.
Monkeygirl62 the wigs you purchased from paula young how shiny would you say they are?? I thought some of the wigs i looked at where too shinny for a natural look at my age. Younger womens hair are more shiny then older womens. I think mine has gotten duller over the years Im 67.
I got a Paula Young wig and it did not work at all. It was way too thick, just too much hair. It did cost $39 but that was a waste and I was not able to return it. I ended up going to a wig shop my hairdresser recommended and spending much more, but I put it on and voila, looked great, looked like my hair. Then I had my hairdresser style it and she kind of messed it up and I don't wear it anymore. My hair was just thin. I took to wearing hats. I now have a great hat collection and a new style. I get many compliments on my hats. I don't really bother with my hair anymore.
What country are you in? I am in the US and on Medicare and a supplemental and a Part D plan. When I was on AIs and a targeted medication, I got the targeted free under the patient assistance programs, and for most of the AI's, the copay was manageable after Part D picked it up. When I went on an oral chemo, it was switched to Medicare as treatment, not medication, even though it was still a pill. My copay is $16/month.
I am in the US. I had my daughter who is a professional hairdresser style my wig and it made them look natural and not just like a "wig". Yes I find the wigs depending on the ones that they have lots of hair which I like. But my daughter will thin them if I ask her too. I am not on Medicare yet, still a bit too young. I am on chemo or was anyhow for a second primary cancer along with my stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. I got small cell lung cancer too. So chemo which I just finished and radiation which I completed too. Now I hope my hair will grow back.
I bought one from Godiva secrets wigs. I love it its lace front . I would say they are mid range price from all the different sights i looked at . Mine cost 180.00. I was afraid to go to low price thinking they might look wiggy! And i didnt want to pay 3-4 hundred either. But i will deffinitly check out paula youngs site now that i have someone who has actually bought one and is happy with it. I did not lose my hair it just thinned a lot and got really brittle and broke off so much that it looked like crap. This was on an oral medication not chemo. Best of luck to you !
I'm so sorry that you are experiencing progression and may have to do chemotherapy. I have bought two cute wigs on Wigs.com. They are synthetic but they also have some hybrid and human hair ones. The synthetic ones are reasonably priced and I have received so many compliments on them. I like the quality. They have many color options. I have very short hair and so I bought the Raquel Welch style which matched the length that I normally have but they have many mid to longer lengths too. Best wishes to you. Sending you hugs and prayers.
My mom also had trouble finding wigs that she liked - she did buy a human hair wig which was very expensive but, as another person said, it was very hard to maintain. She had to wash it a certain way, dry it, and have it styled. The cancer center she goes to has a resource center with synthetic wigs, and she was able to find one she liked, and it was so much easier to maintain! Best of luck in your journey 💕
I am not aware of your location, but I was able to get free wigs from my local Cancer Services. I am located in NC. I was able to receive several that I was able to rotate dependent to my mood. Good luck!
Your insurance company should have a list of places where you can get wigs that are covered. The American cancer society also offers free wigs for you to choose from. Additionally, the infusion center where I receive my treatments has a selection of free wigs and cancer caps, which I have come to love. Over the years, I've collected a variety of scarfs to match my outfits , along with different colors and styles of wigs. I treat them as accessories and enjoy mixing and matching.
I lost my hair four times over the past 14 years , So I understand what you're going through. There are many options available, and I encourage you to explore all of them. Try to turn this experience into something positive. Wishing you the best of luck
Just sharing my find. The first time I was on iv chemo I lost a lot of hair. Like you, I was very upset and ran out and bought a $500 wig(which I no longer use). I have always had very thick hair and couldn’t imagine losing it. I was not comfortable in the wig at all, so I switched to baseball caps. I decided to do some research on shampoos. so glad I did. I found this shampoo and conditioner called PURADOR. It was recommended for thinning hair. To say it’s amazing is an understatement! It took about 3 weeks before I noticed that I no longer was seeing my hair in the shower. That was a year ago. It’s the only shampoo I will use. Fast forward, I started another iv chemo 3 weeks ago and was told I will lose my hair. My hair is back to my original thickness. I have to go to the hairdresser every 4 weeks for a cut. My hairdresser can’t believe the growth or thickness. I don’t even have any hair in my brush! I also take 5000mcg of biotin everyday. I also believe that helps. You can buy PURADOR from Amazon. I hope this helps. My Onc is also totally amazed. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do🙏🏻
I recommend you also check out a UK site called Wig Envy- also on Facebook, run by a lovely lady-Laura- who wears wigs herself. She will post to the US. There are lots of styles and colours and they can be customised. They are very natural looking, light and soft. I have two.
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