Cancer Chemotherapy Headwear & Head Coverings Blog

Unfortunately, the side effects from chemotherapy are not limited to sudden hair loss, and patients often need to do more than buy an attractive cancer wig or headscarf in order to be prepared.  The more you learn about how chemo treatments may affect your body, the better prepared you will be to deal with them.

Deciding on a cancer wig to wear during chemotherapy can be a stressful experience.  Many women are uncomfortable with the idea of wearing a wig, and intend to get through chemotherapy with a headscarf or cancer hat.  Everyone’s experience with cancer hair loss is different, so it is hard to predict how long it will be before your hair grows back.  Some women feel relaxed about going “au naturel” in front of friends and family, but choose to wear a hairpiece or cancer wig when they go out in public.  So however uncomfortable you are with wigs, it is probably a good idea to have one on hand.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, chances are you are facing a flood of new emotions and fears about the outcome. Depending on the stage of your cancer and the treatment your oncologist recommends, you could become emotionally overwhelmed before treatment begins. The truth is, many people experience minimal discomfort during chemotherapy, and are even able to continue with work and family activities. Even if you are prone to “chemotherapy sickness” anxiety may still be your worst enemy.

Your doctor may have prescribed a series of treatments using chemotherapy drugs that are known to cause hair loss.  Women are especially vulnerable during this time because hair loss affects them so dramatically.  However, there are some ways to prepare yourself for cancer chemotherapy hairloss before treatment begins.  These steps will help you cope much better when your hair begins to fall out.

Women who face the inevitable side effect of chemotherapy-related hair loss often think a chemotherapy wig is their only option.  While cancer wigs can be a terrific option for some women, they require a lot of maintenance and can be very hot in the summer.  As a result, the latest trend in cancer chemotherapy headwear is a versatile headscarf called a babushka.  By definition, a babushka is a headscarf that is tied under the chin, but there are many other ways to wear them.

Younger women like to wear these cancer headscarves in a doo-rag style, with the ends tied into a knot on the back of the head. The point of the babushka can then be tucked underneath the knot.

Other than the word cancer, the word chemotherapy is perhaps one of the scariest words in the English language.  While chemotherapy is commonly associated with cancer hair loss and uncomfortable side effects, chemotherapy is still the most common forms of cancer treatment.  Hair loss, pain, loss of energy and nausea are just a few of the symptoms that chemotherapy patients complain about, but hair loss is one of the most noticeable signs of chemotherapy treatment, and it can be particularly devastating for women.

Is it possible to avoid the need for chemotherapy during cancer treatment?

When faced with the reality of chemotherapy, many cancer patients are drained and weary.  Activities need to be cut back considerably, and a comfortable bed is more welcome than ever at the end of each day.  Chemotherapy hair loss, fatigue and a general feeling of malaise replace a waning vitality, which can make many cancer patients wonder if life will ever return to normal.

As a patient dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy, it is now clear why so many cancer survivors recommend buying a cancer wig or cancer headscarf before treatment begins.  This is not a time to be taking on any new challenges but rest assured, it will end, and when it does, there are some steps one can take to promote hair growth.

If you are a woman who has been diagnosed with cancer, you are probably more concerned about getting well than you are about your career.  However, keeping your job and earning a living during cancer treatment remains a reality and like many Americans, you may not be able to stop working during treatment.

Ideally, if you can manage to take time off from full-time work during treatment, you should try to arrange it.  Most employers offer some level of flexibility for workers who are dealing with a serious illness.  In addition to the stress of going to work during treatment, women are also dealing with issues of hair loss and decisions about whether to wear a cancer wig or cancer headscarf to the workplace.

When faced with medical or chemotherapy cancer related hair loss, some women immediately think of buying a cancer wig, but this is not always necessary or practical.  In reality, women have three options: get a stylish wig to hide the baldness, find a beautiful head scarf, or boldly emerge as a temporarily bald woman.

Only a few very confident women will be able to pull off the “bald look” successfully, and wigs can be hot and uncomfortable, so why not go for the head scarf?

Wearing a cancer head scarf can have many benefits during chemotherapy:

As a woman facing hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment, finding the right cancer wig or headscarf is probably at the top of your “to do” list.  Cancer-related hair loss is probably more traumatic for women than all of the other chemo side effects combined.

Let’s face it; chemotherapy is designed to do one thing – kill cancer cells.  Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs cannot tell the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells, so it will also eliminate every other fast-growing cell in your body.  This includes hair and blood cells too.

Each chemotherapy drug works differently to target the growth patterns of cancer cells, so it is hard to say how long it will take to lose your hair.  Being prepared with a cancer wig that you love will help you get through this stressful time much more easily.