Does anyone wear their wig all the time?

I bought a wig and wore it once, it was hot and itchy.  Since I started chemo in January it was cold so I wore hats most of the time, however my hair didn't start growing until July, so it got  too hot to wear a hat and I went without most of the time, it did have to be careful of getting sunburn and wore a baseball cap most of the time. 

The anticipation of losing my hair for me, was much worse than actually being bald.  I think I cried daily until it started to fall out and then my now husband, boyfriend at the time shaved my head and I shaved his.  Good Luck & congratulations on getting married!!!

Congratulations on your marriage.  I started this journey just as you, even though I have been married for 30 years,  (We spent our 30th anniversary at the hospital for my lumpectomy instead of a romantic weekend in a cabin) I felt the same about my hair.  I told my husband he would never see me without hair.  He always told me it did not matter to him, but it did matter to me.   A few weeks after  losing my hair, he told me to take off the scarves and the wig.  I tried it and guess what it did not matter to me or him .I found it helpful to take pictures of me at the different stages of hair loss, there are some pretty funny ones, I have been known to have a sick sense of humor. I had all my children try my wig on and took pictures of them, it is a beautiful collage that reminds me of their support.  I had a beautiful wig that I have been complimented on so many times, I wore it in public but would not wear anything at home. I even had a hairdresser stop me in the grocery store and ask me where I got my hair done, he just loved the color and the style, I could not stop laughing.  My last chemo was in January and I am sporting a very short do that I skrunch on top, I like it, but would have never considered it before.  As you can see we all deal with this differently.  I guess my advice is to do what is comfortable for you, you will know what is right for you.  Good luck.     

I wear my wig virtually all the time.  I wear it whenever I go outside.  Its enough that we are reminded about our cancer everytime we look in a mirror.  There is nothing vain about not wanting to wonder if people are looking at you.  Get the best wig you can afford.  Human hair costs more but will last several years.  The synthetic ones have to be replaced.  I wash and and style moy own wig with good quality salon products and my curling iron.

I also put womens rogaine on my eyebrows.  Seemed to help.

I finished my chemo 2 months ago and my closest friend at work....we share a desk, said "at least you didn't loose your hair!"

Congrats on your wedding!!! and it's OK to feel vain.   I bought a wig the same color as my hair had been, had it cut just like my hair was and I have never worn it.  My advantage is I don't work so don't have to look professional every day.  I wear scarves and hats (from Headcovers.com - a great website) with scarves tied around them.  I thought I would wear the wig but I have found out that the wig just seems to make being bald worse.  Every time I have put it on it just makes me realize that the hair is fake and not mine and would rather have none than the "faux" hair.  Everyone is different and you just have to roll with it to make it as bearable as possible.  I was always the girl with her hair done and make-up done so the hair has been the worse part for me.  I think that if I could have kept my hair this all would've so much more bearable.  Your husband will think you are beautiful no matter what as mine tells me that each and every day.  Funny thing I never realized what a perfect head I had until there was no hair on it.  I'm on the down slide now as finishing up chemo in a few weeks and looking for new growth any day as some have seen growth during their last 4 tx.  Looking back on these last months it has gone fast as it will for you too - sometimes during it, seems like it would never end but it does.  My thoughts are with you and you'll make it to the end too.  Just keep fighting through and keeping your eye on the prize!  HUGS, Dawn

HI ladies

I wore my wig all the time except at home, hated losing hair more than breasts. I know that seems odd but it made me feel like a cancer victem with no hair. Anyway hair grows much slower while on Herceptin so once I had about an inch or so of growth I went and got some extensions just around the face so I didn't have such short bangs and it made all the difference. When I was done with a year of Herceptin I wanted to be DONE and not be reminde by my short masculine hair. Now it is short but longer pieces in front and I use a lot of cute headbands makes me feel like I am actually having a style.

I bought a wig and only wore it twice. People would say "your wig looks good, and natural" if it looked "natural" then you wouldn't know it was a wig!! It felt like a hairy hat! I used scarves and hats. At home I got used to going without. I'd even forget I was bald and answer the door! boy would the person be shocked! I would get so hot with scarves and hats too (hormone deprivation) and in the end I would even take them off as I drove around town. While it was growing back, about 1/4 inch long, my husband and I were shopping and a clerk asked "how can I help you gentlemen, today" I turned around and she was mortified to see that I was a woman. I laughed and tried to convince her that I wasn't offended - that if I was worried, I would have worn a scarf. Mostly, you just have to have fun with it and not take things so seriously! Good Luck!

I bought a very expensive ($400) 'hair prosthesis' - WIG (!) and wore it exactly two times....once for about half of my son's high school graduation...it was too hot and once on my first day back at work.  I hated it.  I went 'commando' - no wigs, no hats or scarves and felt fine, proud and strong.  Every one should do whatever is right for her...and then forget about everyone else...

love and hugs to you...

I wore my wig for 8 months; in public and around the house.  Then I wore a sleep cap to bed at night.  I got a good wig that could breath and it never itched.  My husband loved it cause I could get ready quicker.  Everybody loved my wig and most people didn't think it looked like one.  You should do whatever you feel comfortable with and for me it was to wear a wig.

 Although it didn't bother me having it, I sure love having my hair back!!!  Good luck and God Bless, Mary

I have two synthetic wigs and a wide array of scarves and bandannas.  I wore the wigs mostly to work and for evenings out, and have received compliments on my "hair" from people who didn't know they were wigs.  I have pretty much given up the wigs now, as it is getting hot here in SC.  As for the people who stare when I'm out in my scarves, it doesn't bother me at all.  I figure that it's good for everyone to see a strong, functioning woman who happens to be fighting cancer.

Just my two cents... I lost my hair twice (had three rounds of chemo - 2 made me lose my hair). Before I lost my hair, I went out to a wig shop and bought 5 wigs. I decided that I was going to have some fun with at least part of my tx. I ended up with 14 wigs. I did not buy really expensive ones; in fact, some were very cheap. They were for fun. No one realized that they were wigs. I had blonde ones, brown ones, red ones, black ones, long ones, short ones, medium length ones, and orange ones (think 5th Element girl). Of course, the orange ones were obvious wigs.

I also had hats, scarves, and went out bald a few times. Wigs with bangs look more natural but a billed or brim hat with a bang-less wig looks good.I had a great long wig that was close to my pre-chemo hair. It had no bangs and I wore it with a straw narrow cowboy hat and it looked great! I had tons of compliments on that look. 

I live in a small town. I did not feel comfortable with people giving me the cancer patient? look. Besides it was fun to be able to take on a different personna. I didn't work much through first tx because of depression, multiple appts, and se's. But even though a lot of people at work knew that I was going through tx, I did not feel comfortable being bald around them. Instead, it was fun to see them try to figure out what color hair I would have next. After my second round, my rad techs were taking bets on what color hair I would have each day.

Even after my hair started to grow back, I wore the wigs. I waited until my hair was about 3/4"-1" long before I went out regularly without a wig. It may have been even longer.

Once, I went in for a chemo tx and my nurse said she thought she saw my brother driving my car one day. I said, "oh, that's impossible; my brothers live hundreds of miles from here". So she proceeds to tell me that she saw a guy that looked like me driving a car like mine. Remember this is a small town.  I thought for a minute and asked if the guy was bald. She said yeah come to think of it he was. I said "Pat, that was me without my wig!" LOL

So they can be lots of fun, too.

C