Coping and Battling the Disease: Hair Wigs for Cancer Patients

Battling cancer can be difficult and painful—and not only the pain caused by treatments such as chemotherapy. Battling the effects of the disease can be devastating and agonizing as well, emotionally and mentally. One of the effects of cancer (or, to be precise, the treatment for cancer, chemotherapy) is hair loss. When one undergoes chemotherapy, the radiation kills both the bad cells—and the good cells. With this, the ability of the body to grow hair is hampered, hence the hair loss. Those with no direct contact with a cancer patient might think worrying about one’s hair while battling cancer may seem shallow. But, as many would know, it isn’t. The effect of seeing your hair gone and going out bald and sick-looking can be difficult, as if you’re wearing a badge revealing to the world of your situation. This is something many do not and would not want to go through. This is why people would undergo chemotherapy wear hair wigs.

If you’re going to undergo chemotherapy and are planning to buy hair wigs, take the time to think about this first. Of course, deciding that you’re going to wear a wig is a big step in itself. After that, the rest will be easy—at least when choosing hair wigs is concerned.

Before anything else, consult your doctor. This will be useful later on (and you’ll see why). First, ask your doctor if you will need the hair pieces and wigs, especially if you haven’t done chemotherapy yet. Some drugs used in chemotherapy do not cause hair loss, although most do. Everything really depends on the drugs that will be used, and who will know better about this than your doctor. If the doctor thinks you’ll need the wig, make him give you a prescription.

The prescription will be used later on so you can make your insurance coverage pay for the hair wigs you will buy. Many policies actually cover hair wigs as a medical expense (called hair prosthesis in some plans) although many also limit their coverage to only synthetic hair wigs. In any case, if your plan covers any kind of hair pieces and wigs, make them pay for it. Obviously, this is why you need the prescription.

After this has been settled, talk to a stylist or someone familiar with hair wigs. Get his or her opinion regarding the hair wig style that will suit you according to your physical traits. You will want the wig you will use to look natural, that’s for sure. It may also help if you get other hair pieces. Alternate your hair pieces and wigs. Buy caps and other head covers; you will need this during the first few days and weeks of your wig wearing. Wearing hair wigs is something you should get used to. During days when you don’t feel like wearing hair wigs, use the hair covers.

Hair pieces and wigs will not make the pain of cancer treatment feel any less, but they can help patients cope with the other pain the condition can bring.
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