Medical Hair Loss and Wigs by Paul Nelson

Women who participate in chemotherapy because of cancer face many challenges. One of the biggest of these is the hair loss that frequently results from chemotherapy. Freelance writer Karen Lynch noted in her blog: “Facing hair loss as a chemotherapy side effect is frightening and emotionally charged” (Breast Blog).

Accounts abound of the fear, loathing and deep worry about hair loss faced by female chemotherapy patients. This is especially true when one considers that most of these women know in advance that they will lose most if not all of their hair in the chemotherapy process. One such online blogger noted: “I fully expected this would be the case, but I didn’t want to go out and get my head shaved, only to find out that hair loss would not be an issue in my case. Wouldn’t that have been a cute joke for the universe to pull on me?” (Breast Cancer Victory).

The women who have best dealt with this are the ones who have viewed it as a challenge and not a defeat. Many pre-chemo patients shave their heads and donate the hair to a charity like Locks of Love.

One woman about to do so sold “pixel real estate” on her head via the Internet as a fundraiser for cancer charities (Breast Cancer Victory). Women frequently turn to wigs as a result. Emotions at this stage run in a very wide range. One ex-breast cancer patient recalled: “I was very tearful to think I had to have a wig in the first place” (BBC).

Another breast cancer patient enjoyed a visit to she termed “The Wig Shack:” It was fun, trying on the wigs, and also all the turbans, wraps, special scarves, etc. and then being instructed in my wig ‘care and feeding’” (there was no lump blog). One notable group are the women who take a light-hearted, determined attitude to this very tough situation. For example, some women bestow names upon their wigs almost as a term of endearment.

One woman in Great Britain was inspired to start her own wig store after fighting breast cancer, and her experience with hair loss was similar. She said: “It is devastating when you lose your hair – and eyebrows and eyelashes – and as a woman, you feel like an alien” (BBC)

As with many particular life moments, every woman has a different experience with medical-related hair loss and every woman handles them with a different outlook and a different attitude. Wigs can be a very important tool in helping women deal with this very serious issue. For better, or for worse, it is a decision that too many women have to make.