Coping With Hair Loss as a Result of Cancer Treatment

When a woman starts to lose her hair as a result of cancer treatment, it can be an enormous blow to her self-confidence and self-esteem. Not only is she worried about losing her femininity, but she’s also concerned as to what reactions she’ll receive from others: being a bald woman, in a culture where female baldness isn’t as socially acceptable as it is in males, usually says to the world that you have cancer, and people can feel a little uncomfortable around someone with cancer. And if that wasn’t enough, this all happens at a time when a woman’s main objective is to stay as healthy as she possibly can. It can be a very trying time.

Very few women choose to hang on to their hair once it starts to fall out: as soon as they’re greeted by strands of hair strewn across their pillowcase on waking, most have their hair cut short. This usually helps a woman make the transition from having a full head of hair (albeit one that’s thinning rapidly) to a head covered with soft stubble, which is what most women opt for. Shaving one’s head at this stage is also a practical move -- you won’t have to keep removing strands of hair from your clothes or food. And while it might not be socially acceptable in our western society for women to be bald, there are very few women who don’t look good with a buzz-cut! We might have been brought up to believe that the beautiful girls are the ones with long hair (think Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty), but very short hair on a woman can accentuate her features wonderfully -- you get to see her cheekbones and her eyes, those features that can so easily be hidden by hair. Admittedly, while the shorn look highlights most women’s features, it does take a certain woman to feel confident enough to carry it off; and if a woman is feeling particularly vulnerable -- and it’s understandable given the cause of her baldness -- she might not feel up to it. In addition, some women are left with patches of baldness once their hair falls out which they might want to cover or disguise.

While some women are comfortable enough with the shorn-locks look and do little else other than wear a hat when they venture outdoors, others may choose to cover their head almost all the time -- outdoors and indoors. If you decide that this look is for you then you’ll find a huge variety of head coverings to choose from, which can be bought in almost any department store: glamorous 50s-style turbans, funky beanie caps, and pretty patterned scarves. These relatively inexpensive items mean a woman can have a selection of head wear for all occasions, outfits, and seasons.

While a woman can create a great look with a striking head covering, some women won’t feel comfortable wearing just a scarf or a turban: again, wearing a head covering can be a signal that a woman has cancer, and some women don’t want to let others know that. For this reason, or perhaps because she wants to retain some aspect of her femininity during her illness, a woman may choose to wear a wig. And whatever a woman’s reason, or reasons, for choosing to wear a wig, finding a suitable one can restore a woman’s confidence hugely and make the difference between her not wanting to meet with people to receiving more compliments on her appearance than she has received in the past five years!

Wigs can be made from synthetic hair, natural hair, or a combination of the two. Synthetic wigs hold their style very well; they don’t need a lot of maintenance -- just a wash and a brush and then they’re ready to be worn. The color won’t fade in the sun; however, it’s important not to get a synthetic wig too close to any heat source (hair dryer, tongs, the oven!) as the fibers will melt. The fibers in natural wigs are affected in the same as natural hair so if there’s any humidity about then the hair may go flat or frizzy. Over time, natural wigs can lose their sheen and luster; this is because they lack the natural oils that usually sustain human hair when it’s growing naturally.

Most wigs, whatever the type, have Velcro tabs with which to adjust the fitting. Wigs should be washed whenever you feel the need; while there are special shampoos for wigs, ordinary shampoo works just as well -- leave your wig to dry naturally over the top of a bottle or shower head.

When deciding on a color and style, bear in mind that your treatment may affect your skin tone, so don’t be surprised if the hair color you’ve always worn doesn’t suit you as well as you remember it did. Some women see losing their hair and wearing a wig as an opportunity to experiment with style and color; if you’ve always wanted to be a redhead then this could be your chance! When choosing a wig, remember that you can always take it to a stylist so that he or she can trim it for you to get it exactly the way you want it. However, while a stylist will be able to cut the hair, there’s little that can be done with the actual style of the wig as the hair will have been sewn in such a way as to create that particular look; for example, if the bangs fall to the left, there’s little that can be done to make them fall to the right.

Regardless of which type of wig you choose, you’ll probably sweat under it, so unless you desperately want a long style, you’ll be more comfortable wearing a shorter one. Some women find that their scalp is extremely sensitive during treatment and choose to wear a thin cotton cap under their wig for comfort.

When your hair starts growing back, don’t be surprised if it grows back a different color or texture. If you do decide to color it, be gentle; use a semi-permanent color that will wash out after multiple shampoos. And if you’re a little nervous that your hair’s still too short to wear without a wig, you can always get your wig cut a little shorter to help others, and you, get used to the new, sassy, sexy style you’ll be wearing soon, once the wig is taken off and your new hair gets to shine!

While it can be devastating for a woman to lose her hair, especially at a time when she has to cope with cancer, there are options that can help a woman retain her femininity and feel good about herself. This in turn can affect how she projects herself to others, and can be the difference between presenting herself as a victim and a strong, confident, successful woman -- the woman she’s always been, and continues to be.