Wigs

Angie6769

I was just diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. I first had it in August of 2011, had a double mastectomy with reconstruction and have been on Tamoxifen for 4 years. I did not have to have chemo or radiation the last time but I do now. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to it. My question is for those that have been through it and are currently using or have used wigs what type do you suggest? I know absolutely nothing about them except one has a monofilament bass and one has a lace front lining. I want something comfortable. Do you recommend real hair?

Thank you!

Beatmon

I have been very pleased with the Raquel Welch brand

Angie6769

Thank you...she does have several that I like. Do you know the differences in the different wigs in how they're made?

Nancy2581

I had synthetic wigs that looked amazing. Synthetic wigs are cheaper and super easy to care for. You wash them then let them air dry. They go right back to their shape/style. Though I didn't have any wigs made with real hair I heard they are more expensive and you have to style them. I got two of my wigs locally (they were Rene of Paris) and one I got from voguewigs.com.

Angie6769

Thank you! Were they monofilament or lace front lining, etc?

raleighgirl

Angie,

I got a real hair wig and several synthetic wig. I'll be honest...I spent $2500 on the real hair wig and never wore it. It was hot, and because I have naturally medium brown hair I could not get used to the fact that the wig had a hint of red in it. Most brown hair natural wigs do. It was also such a pain to style it and straighten it after I washed it.

I got the Jamison wig by estetica and people are ALWAYS shocked when they find out it is a wig. One of my chemo nurses that has been working for twenty years asked me if I had cold capped. Another chemo nurse remarked five times how she had no idea it was a wig. It is a lace front and I pull it half way back so that some pieces fall around my face.

rainnyc

Just for another opinion, I splurged on a real hair wig and got a synthetic one as well. I find the real one much more comfortable (just for perspective it is 90 degrees today and SO humid!). My actual hair is brown with reddish overtones, so the real hair wig is closer to the right shade, whereas the synthetic wig seems more blonde. The synthetic also hits my neck in a way that somehow makes it itchy, whereas the real one is much more comfortable.

If I had it to do again, I'd buy the real one and a much cheaper synthetic to wear when I wash the real one, but only then.

I knew from the start that I'd be in for two cycles of chemo with surgery in between, so I'd be wearing the wig for several months. I started chemo in May and don't expect to see significant hair growth until (I hope!) early next year. So I felt comfortable spending the money. Not happy, but feeling it was a worthwhile splurge. People don't realize it's a wig, and that makes me happy.

Good luck to all and sorry you're having to make these decisions!

Nancy2581

They were monofilament.

Nadia260

If any one needs wigs this place is amazing I had from them really hair

Lolly's Locks

240-428-1984

They can do at any State

Beatmon

I have loved the Raquel Welch that I have. They were less than $150. Looked great, people always thought they were my own hair. I have 2. The more expensive one was 500$, and I don't like it as well. I don't remember the brand

Suze72

Hi Angie,

I'm very sorry to hear that you are on the BC journey again.

I'm a first timer, currently riding the TE/recon train and have just stopped wearing my wigs over the last eight weeks. I finished chemo in May and, fortunately have progressed from bald to fuzz and now very short but definitely there hair.

I stuck to synthetic wigs for the duration of my shiny head months.

I have a tiny little pin-head and so had trouble finding wigs to fit. My first wig was a children's one. LOL!

My favourite wigs were by Esthetica. The one I loved the most was called "Petite Charm". It's the one I'm wearing in my Avatar pic.

There are YouTube tutorials out there on how to measure yourself if you wish to order online. It's much easier to try on and buy if you can though.

I found it absolutely essential, once I had each of my wigs, to take them to my hairdresser so that he could trim the fringe (bangs) and shape any layers to suit. It made all the difference in achieving that natural look. You may find that your wig retailer provides this service for you.

Wearing a wig with a fringe made life simpler when I lost my eyebrows. I was concious of the fact that, no matter how I tried, they looked somewhat drawn on. I did try a product that consisted of little fibres but, as a blonde, I could never get the shade quite right. All was hidden under that fringe!

Also, I always wore a wig cap under my wig. The only one that I liked, and could tolerate with my sensitive pate, was made of bamboo. It was super soft and breathable and made wearing the wig much more tolerable, even in the middle of summer.

My good friend was diagnosed a month or so after me. She invested in a human hair wig and swore by that but she admitted that it was more difficult to maintain than a synthetic one. She managed to find one very similar to her natural hair colour and had it styled in a similar fashion. It was a beautiful fit on her with a lace front and looked completely natural.

I guess it doesn't really matter in the end as long as you find something comfortable to wear that you can feel confident in.

It can also be quite fun to buy a couple of less expensive wigs in a different colour or style than you are used to. I wore a waist-length wavy blonde number to my brother's fiancée's hen's night which turned a few heads then swapped to a chic, dark little number later on in the evening when I needed something less weighty and cooler! It felt good to have a laugh at the sight of a few puzzled looks from others at the club who weren't from our party!

I wish you the very best in your journey Angie and happy wig hunting,

Suzette 😄 xo

edwsmom

Hi ladies,

I'm researching wigs online and trying to decide where to jump in - there are so many to choose from that it's hard to decide what to try.

My hair is brunette and I wear my hair in a short bob style without bangs.

What's your favorite wig brand?

jcfree

I went through chemo from 12/15/2014 to 03/31/2015. I wore hats through all this time, even though I had bought a wig online that now I don't like and my cousin had bought me one that don't like either. My son's wedding was this past weekend and I knew I had to find a wig for it. At my last H & P infusion at the Cleveland Clinic my social worker told me to go to the wig salon in the same building I had my infusion and get a free wig there. After my infusion went there and found a cute synthetic wig, light brown with bangs and medium bob, same hairstyle I wore years ago. It looked really good on and felt good too. At the wedding I got so many compliments on my hair. Who would have thought that the free wig could turn out so good? Now I will wear it more often. My real hair is growing in slowly, and sticks straight up on top, I look like Albert Einstein with short hair!