Helpful Wig-Shopping Tips for Cancer Patients
It is no secret that cancer treatments generally result in complete hair loss. While some rare individuals gamely sport a clean shaven hair for the duration of their treatment and recovery period, majority of cancer patients are not really comfortable strutting around public without any hair on their head. What most of them do is to wear something to cover their bare scalp, usually a hat, a bandanna, or a wig.
Of these options, the wig is preferred by most cancer patients because it obviously gives them a more natural look, which in turn makes them feel a lot better about themselves. Even if they wear a hat or a bandanna, their baldness will still be quite evident and this usually causes a drop in self-esteem. Besides, wearing one is a nice opportunity to don new hairstyles that one has never tried before with their real hair.
If you are a cancer patient who is about to go wig-shopping and have never worn a wig before in your life, you may easily be confused by all the different available choices out there. To make the task much easier for you, here are a few helpful tips that you can follow so that you can easily find the best hairpiece to match your needs.
Make sure it looks natural. The worst thing that you can do when buying a wig is to choose something that looks too obviously like one that you might as well be walking around with a bald head. The best ones are those that look and feel just like real human hair. As a matter of fact, there are many kinds of hairpieces that are indeed made from human hair, although these are considerably more expensive than the synthetic varieties. Human hair wigs are also easier to care for than synthetic ones, and they are more versatile because they can be styled using heating products, which is not allowed at all with synthetic products.
Find a wig cap that lets your scalp breathe. It doesn’t matter how gorgeous it looks or how affordable the cost is – if the cap does not let your scalp breathe, you will feel very hot and uncomfortable after wearing it even for just a few hours. If you don’t really leave the house a lot and only plan on using it on the occasional trip to the mall or for running errands outside the house, then you can definitely choose a cheaper one with a non-breathable cap. However, if you are expecting to use it more frequently and for longer periods, it would be a better move to invest in a slightly more expensive breathable cap, which would actually prove to be the more cost-efficient purchase in the long run.
Stick within your price range is surprisingly broad. There are some kinds that you can buy for just a hundred dollars or so, while there are also those that cost several thousands of dollars. The more expensive ones usually offer the higher quality but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to break the bank just to buy a nice one. The trick is to simply do your research before jumping on any purchase. Use the Internet to locate a wig that fits your requirements and fits within your budget as well. You may also want to consider renting one, which may save you a lot of money especially if you don’t plan on wearing it too often.
Get the right size. wigs come in different sizes so it is very important that you find out what your size is before you start shopping. Any store will be able to help you determine your size, so this should not be a problem. Also, wigs can sometimes look quite different on the mannequin or stand than they would on you, and this is also an important reason why you should try it on before buying it. You may love a particular style while it is on display but hate it when you put it on, so it’s really a good idea to try a few different pieces before making a final decision.
Going through chemotherapy is no walk in the park. For many people, it is a very trying time not only physically but emotionally as well. Buying a less-than-adequate wig to wear during this period will not do anything to lift your spirits and instead can even lower your self-esteem.
Fortunately, you don’t have to settle for an inferior wig because there are so many good ones available out there. Just make sure you take the time to make the right choice and you won’t have to feel self-conscious about your bald head for even a single moment.