The Big Wig Thread

NinaW · March 2014

Hi -

I'm Nina, and I'm a proud member of the March 2014 Chemo gang. Like pretty much everyone here, I never expected to need so much of the information I've had to gather following my diagnosis. When I found out that treatment would involve chemo, and that the chemo would likely involve hair loss, that meant I also had to think about how I'd address the change in my appearance. I know we all realize that hair loss is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but even the most relaxed among us still has to stop and think about what we're going to do when the hair is gone.

It's usually pretty easy to conceal a surgery, but nothing says "sick person" faster than a bald head. Some amazing women here just rock the bald head and look fantastic, but lots of equally amazing ladies prefer to cover up the hair loss with scarves or hats or wigs. My sister, who was diagnosed with Stage IV BC in January 2011, has generally bounced between hats and wigs depending on her mood and the occasion. We knew where to get hats, but were totally clueless about wigs, so we had to figure that out for ourselves.

Now that I'm here as well, I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread that could serve as a kind of "clearing house" of information on the mysterious subject of wigs. It's simple to find basic info about wigs - I'm sure you all know that you have a choice between human hair wigs or wigs made with synthetic hair, and that there are pros and cons for each (human hair is generally more expensive and requires more upkeep, but usually looks more natural and lasts longer, while synthetic wigs are more affordable and keep their style, but don't last as long and often don't look as natural). But which one is right for you? Where can you get one? What's the best way to make a wig look good on your head, and what do all these wigs look like in real life on real people?

I got tired of having to hunt around for pictures and videos of wigs that weren't posted by wig manufacturers. Those pictures are taken by professional photographers in studio conditions, and the models wearing those wigs are all about twenty years old. Sure, the wigs look great on them - heck, you could put Astroturf on their heads and it would look great.

So I officially invite anyone and everyone into this thread to share pictures and experiences with whatever wigs they've chosen. Let's see what you bought, where you bought it, how much you paid, and how it's worked for you. If you've got a specific question about anything wig-related, post it here and hopefully someone will chime in with an answer. Nothing in here is an official endorsement of any particular product - it's just a place to share what we have and how we feel about it. Your mileage may obviously vary.

Here's me:

My actual hair, which was very long and which I've been highlighting since I was in college (didn't bother to go to the salon for a touch-up before I took this, as I cut my hair short the same day):

My first wig is a Louis Ferre human hair wig, model NRC002. The color I chose is called "Sunkissed Blonde". The wig retails for about $1700, but I got a fabulous deal on this one from an eBay seller, and bought it for $500. I took the wig to my hairdresser and had her cut a small fringe/bang into the top, and she took a razor to the hair that was framing the side of my face so that it would look a bit more natural:

Sunkissed blonde is quite a bit more "red" than it looked in the color sample picture online, but I like it anyway. If I had to buy the wig all over again, I would definitely have gone with the golden blonde color. The wig is very well-made, and the hair is very soft and pretty. It's also extremely light, and weight can be a problem with the human hair wigs. The NRC in the model name stands for "natural root construction". The way the hair on the wig is tied makes it easy to part in any direction, and the hair really does move very naturally. It was a lot of money to spend on a wig, but I'd worked so hard to grow my hair long over so many years, and I figured I could splurge in this one area as a 50th birthday present to myself :-)

The second wig I bought is a synthetic wig by Tony of Beverly - the "Bennett". I bought it from wigs-us.com for $390, no tax and free shipping. Tony of Beverly offers this wig in colors that are "rooted", which means that the color at the root of the hair is darker than the rest of the hair, and is meant to mimic the way real hair looks if it's been highlighted or dyed. I chose the "rooted malibu blonde" color. The wig hasn't arrived yet, but here's what it looks like in the manufacturer picture in a different color. I will update with a picture of my own wig when it gets here in a few days. One of the coolest things about this particular wig is that it's also available in several different gray shades - it's almost impossible to find a longish wig in gray, so if that's something you're looking for, take a look at this one.

In addition to the wigs, I bought this really cool gripper made by a company called Milano Collection Wigs. I think it's nicer than the silicone wig gripper that you see in lots of places because this one is thin, very soft on your scalp, and it really does hold the wig in place extremely well. It's $20 on Amazon and at the manufacturer's website ( Milano Wig Collection ), and it comes in three colors (black, brown, and tan). I have the tan, which suits my extremely fair complexion.

So that's me. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is going with to get through this phase, and to sharing whatever information and tips I've got. And when we're done here, we can skip on over to the "Hair Hair Hair" thread to find out what it's like to get our own hair back!

Racy · March 2014

Hi Nina, thanks for starting this important thread. I, like you, paid for a human hair wig and had it styled to suit me with the objective that it would appear exactly like my real hair. I then 'graduated' to hair extensions as my real hair grew back.

Hair loss was the worst part of the cancer experience for me......

Lorbgoo · March 2014

looks great. Looking forward to seeing the picture of the new wig when it comes in.

KBeee · March 2014

Great idea for a thread.

The wig above (I am in the back of my 2 daughters) was my go-to wig. I loved, loved, loved it. When my hair grows back, I am going to straighten it to try and recreate that style. It is the Premium by Eva Gabor. I paid about $200 for it from Voguewigs.com. I had my hairdresser, who works on wigs a lot, trim the front so the bangs were shorter. This was comfortable, and I wore it 10-15 hours at a time some days...secret is a good wig cap, otherwise it would be itchy in the front...once I figured out how to get the front lace to sit on the wig cap, I was good to go for hours. I actually shaved my head a few days before chemo, and the chemo nurses were giving me the whole hair loss speech when I interrupted and told them I'd already shaved it and was wearing a wig. They peeked to see. I thought it was a pretty good wig if it could fool chemo nurses!!!! The picture above is after I'd had it for over 3 motnhs. I used it so much it was looking a little worn. I did order another one at the end, but my hairdresser didn't trim it quite as well, so I went back to the worn one...kind of like a worn pair of jeans...it was just the most comfortable! It is a synthetic wig with a monofilament part. I do like the monofilament part, so it can be styled a bit.

The ones below I rarely wore, but will show for others to see options. I ordered lots, not knowing what I'd like.

The one above is the Infatuation wig, by Raquel Welch. It was just under $300. It is blonder than it looks in the picture. I have a tiny head, and it always felt a little big on me, even when adjusted. That, and the blonder than it looks appearance are why I did not wear it as much. In retrospect, I should have worn it more! It was well made, and really comfortable though.

Hmm...trying to add a third photo, but iPad giving me trouble...will do it as a separate entry.

I love www.voguewigs.com. The reason is that their prices were reasonable and they often have good sales and free shipping, and they ship fast...very fast. Best of all though, is that if you go to this site, look at a wigs, and look at the reviews, people have pictures of themselves in the wigs. I was able to see how the wig looked on someone with a head shaped like mine...not just a model. This was key in ordering a wig for me, and helped me to make the best choice.

The key for me in wearing a wig all day...and I did...was a comfortable cap. I tried about 5. The one that was best was the one I almost didn't order, because I didn't think it would work!!! It was the "antibacterial wig cap" from www.headcovers.com. It was $5.50, and was the best $5.50 I have ever spent!

I know wigs are not for everyone, but I loved my wig(s) and loved how I looked in them. I got TONS of compliments from people on my new hairstyle...these were people who did not know I had cancer. They were shocked when I told them it was a wig.

KBeee · March 2014

Last picture...I ordered the above from TLC. I do not remember the cost, but it was about $50. It is a halo wig and hat. It is comfortable and probably most like my previous hair, but I got used to the look of the straight hair wig, so I didn't wear this that much. TlC had good prices, but my issue with them was that this was backordered, and they did not tell me that. It took over a month to arrive. Thankfully I had other wig options, or I would have been really, really upset.

Sorry my pictures are so HUGE. I am not tech-savvy enough to shrink them.

NinaW · March 2014

Hey, Karen! Awesome posts!

The Gabor wigs DO look really soft, and yours looks fab on you - it's a great medium brown and an easy mid-length. What did you wash it with? The Raquel Welch looks almost identical to the Gabor, except it's as though you spent a week in the tropics and came back with highlights from the sun :-) How many months were you wearing a wig? Did you wear one every day even when you were just hanging out at home, or did you only put the wig on when you ventured out?

I see you have two pretty girls - I don't know about you, but I was more concerned about my son's reaction to the hair loss than I was about my own reaction. My son loooooved my hair, particularly when I put it up in a ponytail for some reason. When we first told him that I had breast cancer and would have to have chemo to chase it away, his first question was whether or not I was going to lose my hair. And from then on, he'd bring it up every day, saying things like "Mom, I'm really going to miss your hair." It broke my heart, so I want to try to look as much like "me" as possible during this to show him that everything's okay. Were your girls upset about your hair loss?

I think TLC is a great idea in principle, but I found their selection pretty limited and there are plenty of great online wig stores that have a far larger selection at all price ranges, and yes, lots of their stuff seems to be back-ordered on a regular basis, or they're out of the color you want. Vogue is GREAT; they carry almost every brand! I also really, really try to avoid businesses that exist to make money from cancer patients. All of those "custom" wig places that advertise their services for people with medical hair loss, and then charge thousands of dollars for a wig. Really? No.

FYI for anyone who finds themselves in Karen's shoes with a wig that's just a little too large: You can take a needle and thread and put a small stitch or two into the wig cap right at the nape of the neck to tighten the wig a fraction without having it look strange. It doesn't work if you need more than about 1/4" tightened, but up to that point, it should be pretty undetectable.

What was the deal with the antibacterial liner? I need to hop over to headcovers and check it out. I was planning to use just a plain cotton wig cap in beige, but I'm guessing that when summer comes, I'm going to want to rethink that and get whatever keeps my dome as cool as possible!

Hey, Racy - did you go with a name-brand wig, or did you have one made for you? I'd love a pic!

CaliKiwi · March 2014

What a great thread. Pictures of real people in their wigs is something I've been looking for. I've got a wig on order now and I'll post one of my own once it arrives.

KBeee · March 2014

I wore a wig from late September through the end of February. We had a big party when I shaved my head, and 24 coworkers shaved theirs too (I work mostly with men). Since we had fun with it and my kids (I have a son too...just wasn't there when we took that picture) got to help with the shaving, they took it in stride and were not upset at all. they thought it was a whole lot of fun. My son even shaved his head...which i did not know he was planning to do. He came home beaming the next day saying he got an awesome response in school...his friends thought it was cool. He is 13. I wore the wig almost always when out and about, but I was bald at home. Once when my kids and their friends came plowing through the house when I was bald and none of them gave a second look. I told them later that if they warned me they were coming, I would have put my wig on ...thinking they would be embarrassed. They said, "Mom, our friends don't care if you have hair." I never gave it a thought again at home. I wore it when out mostly to avoid stares, questions, etc...basically, if I looked normal, I felt more normal, and I went about my normal business.

lalala · March 2014

Awesome that you've created this page Nina and I'm guessing most of us March chemo ladies will be on here soon too. I was given 2 really cheap, bad looking wigs from a co-worker so not sure how I"m going to handle that. I am going wig-shopping later this week in anticipation of hair loss starting next week. I have been dying my hair forever but once I got my diagnosis I decided to stop dying and let the grey grow out so your comments on the multi-grey wigs is something I will look into tonight or tomorrow ... waxing and waning energy levels now prohibit me from promissing anything at any specific time:) After wigs, we'll need a new page on hats! Love to all.

NinaW · March 2014

Hi there!

Okay, I said I'd update when I had the other wig in hand, and I do, so I am

Here's Bennett, by Tony of Beverly, in Rooted Malibu:

Okay, for a synthetic wig, this one is a definite winner. The rooted top of the wig looks incredibly natural, and this color is a great sort of medium blonde. It's not super bright, but somehow manages to be a reasonably warm tone all the same. It's got a great mix of highlights and lowlights. I'm pretty pale on a good day, and was scared that this might really clash with that, but it definitely doesn't. Another thing I really like about it is that the wig itself isn't too "full". It has just the right and realistic volume of hair, so you don't feel as though you're wearing more hair than most women can reasonably be expected to grow. It's also long enough to throw into a low ponytail, and I like the layers. It's fairly close to the length that my real hair was, so I'll leave that alone, but I also think this would be very easy to trim shorter if your hair was more of a mid-length.

It does have some of that synthetic "shine" right out of the box, but it's nowhere near as startling and artificial as some other wigs I've seen. It just looks as though you left the salon after having a glaze put on your hair or something. The fact that the wig is entirely hand-tied means that the hair moves VERY naturally. In short, I think it might even be a little more natural-looking than my human hair wig, because it's not as full.

The only thing I need to figure out is how to work with the lacefront. The hair at the lacefront seems to be a little too vertical, and to me it looks like I'm wearing a hairband of some kind. I have to see if I can flatten that out a little.

Would love to see pictures of others, along with your experiences. I swear, I've never posted so many pictures of myself in one place before - I think my Facebook picture is five or six years old, and I'm forever untagging myself from pictures others post because I hate them all (the pictures, not the people!). But to me, this thread isn't about vanity - it's about the very real dilemma of figuring out how to deal with wearing a wig if you choose to go that route during chemo!

Summerwheat · March 2014

Hello, thanks for the great thread, Nina. Here is mine, bought from a local wig shop, looks almost like my real hair prior to cutting it short. I need to get the top trimmed a bit though, it's too full. I am 17 days out from my first TCH and shedding like a cat ... I am afraid it's gonna be itchy, so I have some scarfes, too.

NinaW · March 2014

Oh my goodness, that is the cutest flip EVER! Who makes it? Do you know if it's synthetic or human hair? It looks awesome on you! I can see why you'd want it thinned a bit on the top a little bit, but I hope you don't take too much off because it's seriously adorable.

With regard to the itching, are you planning to use any kind of wig cap underneath it? Karen (KBee) mentioned those antibacterial liners, which I keep meaning to check out. I was just going to go with a plain cotton liner to keep the itchies at bay, but I saw that Paula Young also sells those liners that absorb sweat and keep the wig clean and dry (sounds like a plan since we're going to be wearing these during the summer). I know we've bumped into each other on different threads, so you know I'm also on the TCH train and even though I'm only six days out from my first treatment, I'm already thinning at the temples and my comb is pulling away hair no matter how gently I try to use it. Are you going to shave at some point, or just let whatever comes out, come out?

I also really love that blue scarf. Is it square, or oblong?

Summerwheat · March 2014

Nina (also my daughter's name): Glad you like it, the color is very natural. It's synthetic, but seems like decent quality, we'll see how it holds up. It does not have a brand name, cost was $325, a bit steep, but it hope my insurance pays at least part of it. I should get a wig cap, the lady at the store said it should be fine without though, and the store specializes in wigs for cancer patients. The scarf is square and very soft cotton - google Anoka USA, lago from the February chemo thread had the link.

Not sure if I will shave - I had my chin length wavy bob trimmed to 1 - 2 inches a few weeks ago, I will wait a few days. In the mean time, I am just standing in the backyard and literally pull my hair out ... I also went back to work after 7 weeks post UMX, it felt good to be productive, and I work with great and bright people - we will see how that chemo brain is developing though.

PamelaC47 · March 2014

Hi Nina I have a human hair wig.... I tried on a few synthetics but because I wanted hair that looked like mine (shoulder length) I wanted something that moved and felt natural which I wasn't getting from the synthetic, and since I work with the public ( I worked full time through my chemo) I wanted to look as much like myself as possible. I live near NYC and went to a few places there to try on wigs. I liked the lace front wigs but they didn't seem durable and I worried about that. I knew I'd be wearing it for a long time so durability was important to me. I finally went to a place that has a large orthodox Jewish clientele (Orthodox women wear wigs once they are married). The owner picked out a wig for me in five minutes and I loved it. It was just like my own hair style, and the best part of it is the hair is virgin hair, not dyed, so it looks amazingly natural. I've worn it daily since October and it's still in perfect condition. She sells a non slip band, like a headband, to wear under it rather than a cap. I've gotten so many compliments on it...people at work who knew I lost my hair loved it, and people who didn't all thought I got a great cut and said my hair looked so good lol!

I don't wear my wig at home. I was bald through the winter so I typically wore a knit skullcap to keep my head warm. My two sons adjusted very quickly to seeing me without hair. I feel like its important to give your head a rest. On weekends if I went to the store or something I wore a hair halo I got from TLC with a hat.

NinaW · March 2014

Summerwheat, tell my twin (your daughter) I said "howdy"! Definitely looking up Anoka because that scarf looks so soft and comfy and blue (the best color ever, really). And I have to believe that your wig is a brand name - at $325, it had better be! Did you buy it in a box, or did the salesperson put it into something different for you?

Hi Pamela! I'm well-acquainted with the sheitel-machers in Brooklyn - I bought my sister (also battling breast cancer) her human hair wig from a place down there, and it's the most gorgeous wig ever. I'm going to ask her if I can post a pic of her wearing hers so you can see. Hers is a Milano Collection wig - here's a pic from their website as a placeholder while I torture my sister into giving up a picture of herself:

The hair they use is incredible, but boy, are they expensive. Do you know which brand yours is? What sort of shampoo are you using on it? Did you have it cut/thinned by your hairstylist? And finally, which band are you using? I ask because I'm using the Milano Wigripper, which does look a lot like a headband with a velcro closure. I was super skeptical about it at first, but the ingenious way the nap of the fabric in the band grips onto the cap of the wig keeps it very stable on my head, and it's so soft and light.

I also absolutely agree about giving your head a rest and "airing it out" as often as you can. It's awesome that your boys just got used to it and are comfortable with you sans hair in your house :-) It would be a major drag to have to wear a wig all day, every day. I think that once you get over the shock of losing it, you just sort of shrug and do what you have to do to keep the general public from getting into your business, but at home, it's nice to just be comfortable!

PamelaC47 · March 2014

My wig was made by Design By Flora, and so is the headband. She sells them on her site

designbyflora.com. Flora has great instructional videos on YouTube on how to wear a wig, care for it, etc. When I bought it, she sat me in her chair with it on and flat ironed it for me, explaining how to do it myself. She instructed me not to wash it myself. She told me it only needs washing approximately every two months. I drop it off there and have it washed, dried and styled. Some places I shopped for human hair wigs do that service for free. This place does charge but no more than the cost of a blowout at the hairdresser. I'd be too nervous to do it myself anyway lol. It was definitely expensive, and believe me, I don't have extra money lying around. But to be able to go to work every single day through this and feel like I looked ok helped me so much you couldn't put a price on it. If I was a stay at home mom like I was in better days, I would have just worn hats. Or even if I just worked in a small office. But to have to face dozens of strangers day in and day out like I do at work...I needed it.

I didn't have it cut or thinned. It's thicker than my own hair was but not unnaturally so. I did try on a nice lace front wig elsewhere that was much thinner/less dense, but it looked patchy on the top (I could see my scalp) and when I asked the owner about the durability of that wig he couldn't guarantee how long it would last which turned me off. My hair is growing back but if I don't have enough by summer to feel ok without a wig I may get a cheaper synthetic in a short style. My friend with BC has a cute one, looks just like her real hair did.

NinaW · March 2014

Flora's wigs are FAMOUS - I think for most of the Orthodox women in the area, they either go with Flora or Yaffa. I'll bet it's a beauty - I'd love to see it! If you don't want to post a pic of you wearing it, maybe you'd consider posting a pic of it on a wig stand?

It's also fantastic that you can drop it off and have it washed and styled. While it's human hair and can obviously be shampooed and set at home, it's so nice to just bring it to a professional and have him/her really treat it properly. I'm sure most salons offer this service as well - I mean, stylists are trained on wigs before they cut or style hair on real people - but treating the wig cap gently and really being conservative with the amount of heat you subject it to goes a long way toward keeping the wig in great shape over the long run. And when you buy a wig like the ones Flora sells, that's a serious investment.

Yay to you for knowing your comfort and self-confidence is worth it!!

PamelaC47 · March 2014

Nina I will get my son to figure out how to post a picture for me tomorrow

The best advice I got when I bought my wig was - do NOT try to pass it off as your real hair. If people think it is, great. I was so afraid to wear it to work the first time, and that advice really took the pressure off. I was very open about everything at work so the people I was close to all knew. I was touched that the people that did know were so extremely supportive and complimentary. But it's always so nice when someone randomly says, your hair looks great, did you cut it?

I think you did a great job with the wigs you chose for yourself. Both extremely flattering and very close to your own style. I like the bangs in yours. My husband kept telling me to get something with bangs.....I always used to have them but haven't for a few years, and when I tried on wigs with them it didn't feel like me. But they make a wig look a lot more natural. Mine is a style very similar to the one you posted that your sister has (also brunette!)

NinaW · March 2014

Thank you so much for saying such nice things! Heh - you know, I haven't worn bangs since I was in elementary school, but when it came to the wigs, I thought it might be easier to mask the hairline if I had some bangs cut into the wig. Fortunately for me, that whole mantra "if you're turning 50, it's either bangs or botox" thing happened at just the right time, lol.

Can't wait to see a pic of your hair! I do think we're apt to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to pass the wig off as our biological hair. The smartest thing to do is to get a wig you like that suits your face and your style, and then just let go of any ideas about "shame". There's no shame at all in wearing a wig. If it's on your head, it's your hair. Unless of course you stole the wig, in which case yes, shame on you!

leggo · March 2014

Kbeee, the Premium is also my go to wig. You described it perfectly, like an old comfy pair of jeans. It's very versatile. The lace front on it is far better than any other wig I own, regardless of cost. Nobody knows it's a wig, which is my number 1 priority. Also, the amount of hair is perfect. Anything more and I look like I'm wearing a helmet. Just wish it lasted longer. Even though it's not the highest quality, I can honestly say I've paid a lot more for a lot less. I despise having anything on my head, but if it has to be something, this is the one that feels the best. It's one of the few that didn't make me feel like I had to rip the ear tabs off of. Those things make me nuts on every other wig.

Summerwheat, that wig is awesome. Was it specific to your wig shop? Is there any info inside?

megomendy · March 2014

Does anyone remember seeing a thread on bc.org about saving yr hair when you cut it (before it falls out) and laying it out a certain way to make bangs for yourself to use in scarves/hats/etc? Of course, now that I want to read it, I cant find it. I think the woman posted photos of how to lay the hair out and using velcro (?) to attach?

Leah_S · March 2014

Since I'm an Orthodox Jew I've been wearing wigs/scarves/hats since I'm married - 37 years! I've had human hair wigs sometimes and synthetic sometimes. I've also had blends. The human hair are better quality; the one I have now I've had for 5 years. Since they've gotten so expensive in the last few years I decided that I'm going to get synthetic this time. I've ordered 2 from Paula Young - I have friends who are very pleased with the ones they get from there. My son will be coming in a few weeks for a visit and will bring them since I live in Israel and overseas shipping rates are extremely high (my son lives in Baltimore).

There are pluses and minuses to both. The human hair wigs tend to be more comfortable, though a cotton wig cap underneath takes care of that problem. They're a lot harder to take care of, and I usually go to a wig stylist for care. The synthetic are very east to take care of - most of them you just wash, shake it out, and put on a wig stand to dry. When I've had blends I've usually washed and set them myself, depending on the style.

I'm not bald now (my tx right now is Faslodex, a hormonal) but I was in the past. I found that wigs tend to be more comfortable with a cap underneath if you're bald (even the human hair) since they're designed to go over hair.

I started a thread called "Wig Advice" a few years ago with tips on how to shop for wigs and how to care for wigs. It used to be pinned at the top of the chemo forum but I saw that there aren't any pinned threads right now, so if you want to read it you can put that in the search section. I'll also try to bump it to make it easier.

Best of luck to everyone with your chemo.

Leah

JoTro · March 2014

Ok, here are my befores - and the afters of the wig I have just purchased. It was the only one I tried on that I felt comfortable with. The wig lady suggested I go for a short one so it would lesson the blow when it starts regrowing. Meh! I will just go with each stage as it comes. The wig is Raquel Welch - Lancaster Mono in Sandyblonde rooted. I wanted it to look like it could move and not be solid or stuck down looking, also length was important to not show around ears or neck. I think I am actually looking forward to start wearing it!

Lovemysons · March 2014

Before

After cut

The wig I picked

JoTro · March 2014

Lovemysons, the colour is bang on..good choice! Good luck with your infusions.

PamelaC47 · March 2014

Jo, I really, really like that wig! The one I have been wearing since October is shoulder length. My own hair is growing back and I hope to ditch it by summer. I was thinking of getting a short wig to transition....I work in a huge department store and many many people never realized I was wearing a wig. I keep imagining the reaction when I take off this lovely wig and come in with a crew cut lol.... Can I ask, was that wig expensive? And does it have good movement?

Lovemysons, that wig looks beautiful on you, completely natural and the style is very pretty and flattering.

JoTro · March 2014

Hi Pamela, thanks for the lovely comment! It does move a little, mainly the long fringe (bang) and the side pieces at the front a little too. The rest is well woven in!! It has a lace front which looks just like my natural hairline, so that explained the extra cost. The $400 wigs looked dreadful on me. (sold that one excuse for overspending to the husband!)

It cost me about $700!! We get a $400 subsidy from the GOVT over here with our health system being kind of free for the basic stuff. Poor guy I work with has a rough DX stage IV cancer, and is having no luck with the standard so is shelling out 20K for private treatment (fingers and toes crossed for him and his family)

We also can get bra subsidys for Rads (silk bras) which I will definitely be getting in for, but we are a bit backward when it comes to tests, no genetic or oncotype without massive costs, so no one really does that and just relies on what is handed out!

Sorry if this is too much info about our little countries health politics!

You might find the same model/style cheaper closer to your home, i'm sure we pay premium for such luxuries imported into NZ.

Cheerio

Jo

yogafan · July 2014

Hi Ladies,

Today is my first day back at work without a wig! I finally got brave. I finished chemo in January 2013. I had long, straight, blonde hair, very similar to Nina's. Now, it's curly, brown, and short. It's taken me this long to get used to the way I look in the mirror, and I'm wearing scarves and headbands to hold the curls off of my face.

Let me tell you, I went through the wig journey! I ended up loving the Raquel Welch Showstopper wig in 13-88, Golden Pecan. I have pale skin that a lot of blondes don't work with, I need a cool ash tone, and this one finally worked. I ended up buying 3 of them over time, this after having first paid $1200 for a human hair wig that I didn't have the time or energy to style. I have a ton of tips for working with this type of synthetic hair, most importantly, that you can smooth out the frizz that develops on the ends of a long wig with a curling iron set to medium temp. Before I figured that out, I actually had a salesperson at a clothing shop approach me and tell me her boyfriend was a hair stylist and could cut my hair because it was so damaged! Crazy!

Anyway, I want to let you all know that I have a longer (Scene Stealer/13-88) Racquel Welch wig and a "Hats with Hair Ponysport" ponytail that you wear with any baseball cap available for sale at fair prices. Please send me a PM if interested in either of them, I would love for them to go to someone from the discussion.

This is a great thread - I'll check back to see if anyone wants any advice! Wish it had been here when I was losing my hair!

Jen

windgirl · August 2014

Hi Ladies,

I have a question regarding lace wigs. I've ordered one that is a full lace human hair which I will glue on using a waterproof adhesive, and keep it on for a few weeks (hoping I will feel comfortable enough to do this). They told me I would be able to shower with it. My question is, before I get it attached to my head, do I need to shave my head completely bald or trim to a very short length like 1/8"? The store I got it from has only a few customers who use wigs for medical reasons, so I am not sure if I can trust their opinion. Have any of you tried this sort of a wig and if so, did you shave completely? Thanks!

NinaW · August 2014

Hi there, windgirl - I'm so sorry you have to join us, but I hope you'll maybe try to look at the experience as your unexpected opportunity to have the hair you've always wanted :-)

With regard to lacefront wigs, women seem to have a variety of experiences with them as comfort goes. I can tell you that an almost universal comment on wigs in general is that if you've got any kind of stubble or short hairs on your head, the wig will make you VERY itchy unless you first cover your scalp with a cap (there are several different kinds of scalp caps out there, but you might have to try more than one before you find which works best for you - I personally prefer a cotton cap).

So if you're planning to wear your wig 24/7, I'd definitely be shaving my head first and seeing if I could forego the cap. Another thing I can tell you is that most of us seem to find wearing a wig all day pretty stifling. It sort of feels like wearing a mask on your head, and you want to take it off as soon as you can so your scalp can breathe a bit. That feeling eases a bit once you get used to the wig, but (for me, anyway), it never really went completely away.

What you might want to do is to shave your head on a Friday night, then glue the wig on and see how you feel about it on Saturday. If you need to put something under it, that gives you Sunday to play around with the thing before you have to head out to the big world on Monday.

I wear my wigs around my son (who doesn't like to see me bald), and while out in public, but the minute I get home I pull that sucker off and keep it off until circumstances require me to put it on again!

windgirl · August 2014

Hi Nina thank you so much, this was very helpful. I've heard that there are double sided tapes that can be used as well, so I think what I'll do is attach it with tape and spend a day or two (or more) in it to see how I feel like you suggested. Thanks again.

The Big Wig Thread

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