Wigs For Cancer Patients | Choosing A Wig Before Chemotherapy

Wigs For Cancer Patients | Choosing A Wig Before Chemotherapy


Are you about to be treated with chemotherapy? You might be considering buying a medical wig. Well, it’s actually better if you look for a wig before you undergo chemotherapy. Why is this? It will be much easier for you to already have a wig in hand, so you will have it when the time comes. It also helps to make sure you have the correct color, fiber and cap so that you don't have to worry about it while you're going through chemotherapy. 

Are Wigs Covered By Insurance?

If you want to know if insurance covers the cost of a medical wig, ask your doctor. Extra-cranial prosthesis, also known as a wig or alternative hair may actually be covered by insurance. Losing your hair is a side-effect of cancer treatment so most insurance companies will reimburse you for the cost of your wig.

If you are uninsured or your insurance does not cover the full cost, we highly recommend getting a synthetic wig, as they are normally a more affordable option.

Should I Get Human Hair Or Synthetic?

You might be wondering what type of wig is best for you. One positive aspect of choosing synthetic wigs is they are very low maintenance. It’s much easier to take care of synthetic wigs than human hair wigs. Human hair wigs require more care than natural hair, so synthetic is usually a better alternative. However, if you feel like human hair wigs are a great fit for you, then try it out. They might cost more, but they are more natural looking. Lace front wigs are another option to give you the most natural look and make sure your wig wearing undetectable.

If you decide synthetic wigs are for you, then there are some ways to make them look more natural. You can choose a shade lighter than your natural hair color. When you start chemotherapy, your face might turn more pale than usual. Having a lighter shade colored wig can make the hair more natural than choosing a color that matched your natural hair color.

Are There Wigs Made Specifically For Cancer Patients?

Those undergoing chemotherapy might be considering the option of wearing medical wigs. It all comes down to the type and size of the wig you choose. In order for the wig to fit correctly, you might consider getting a smaller size, as hair loss will cause the wig to sit closer to the head. The more hair you have, the bigger the wig size you’d need to cover up and hold your hair underneath the wig. We have a collection of wigs for cancer patients specifically designed to be comfortable on sensitive scalps, and are perfect for those in treatment.

You might be wondering if clip-in hair extensions or hairpieces is a good idea for when you start losing some parts of your hair. We don't recommend this, as thinning hair can be tugged and pulled by the clip in attachments. Instead, we recommend wigs with caps that are comfortable on a sensitive scalp, as well as headcovers for cancer patients that are soft and keep the head warm when experiencing hair loss from chemotherapy.

Headcover for Cancer
The Most Comfortable Wig Cap Construction

Are you browsing the right kind of cap? You want to figure out which kind is suitable for your scalp, especially if you have sensitive skin. There are a few different types of caps that you should learn about so you can choose the one right for you:

  • Monofilament
  • Double monofilament
  • Hand-tied
  • Basic Caps
  • Lace front

Monofilament caps are great for creating a natural look by being able to part the hair in different ways. Every piece of hair along the base is hand-tied along with the mesh material provides a realistic look of hair growth. Therefore, this enables you to comb and part the hair in various ways. Double monofilament caps are great for sensitive scalps due to the soft material.

If you are interested in the hand-tied caps, try looking for the 100% hand-tied caps. This means the whole cap is completely hand-tied. This creates a very natural look for this type of wig cap because each piece of hair can move like our natural hair. This also makes it easy to comb and part this artificial hair any way you like. However, while the monofilament caps alone are great for sensitive scalps, this type of cap makes it the best type for sensitive scalp and hair loss.

Basic caps might be the ones to browse if you are searching for some based on affordability. Although the crown has a closed lace layer, the rest has wefts of hair sewn into the cap. The crown also has added volume to hide any parts of the cap, creating a more natural look to the wig.

If you are looking for the most natural look, go with a lace front wig, as the lace blends amazingly with your natural hairline and allows you to style off the face.

Product shown is Play It Straight by Raquel Welch

Most lace front wigs are already styled and ready for use. Keep in mind that the lace is a delicate material, so you'll want to be extra careful with it, so it retains it's high quality look and feel. 

The Right Choice For You

Remember, most insurance companies cover at least some of the cost of a wig for cancer patients (or cranial prosthesis) because hair loss is a side effect of chemotherapy. Synthetic wigs might be for you as they are low maintenance, making it easier to handle when you are undergoing treatments. However, human hair wigs are the most natural looking so they could be better suited for your needs. If you are searching for the most comfortable wig cap, then the 100% hand-tied and monofilament are the best choice. 

Are you undergoing cancer treatments or have you done so in the past? Tell us what wigs are the best in the comments below.

12 comments

Hi Yulissa,

Thank you for contacting Beauty and Hair!

Per your request, we have emailed you with the insurance information. Please be on the look out for an email from Click To Send An <Emailcustomerservice@beautyandhair.com>

The Wig Experts

Dear Lori,

Thank you for contacting Beauty and Hair!

The only cap construction able to allow you to achieve these styles would be – 100% Hand-Tied wigs.

Though they can be expensive, the versatility ibn styling this cap will allow is worth every penny.

The reason clients lean towards hand-tied wig caps is that they wear extremely well, they are comfortable, and they provide a very natural feel and appearance in the way they style and move.

They move similarly to bio hair, since each hair hangs in the way bio hair does from the scalp. Additionally, hand-tied caps as stated earlier can also be styled more similarly to bio hair, since the hairs are not confined to wefts.

The Wig Experts

Hi Mary,

We are sorry to hear you are about to go through chemotherapy. Thank you for allowing us to help you! We have provided a link below for our most natural straight medium-length pieces:

<https://www.wigs.com/collections/straight-wigs?usf_sort=r&uff_s93nx_tags=Monofilament_usf_Hand%20Tied%20Top&uff_1i5zl8_tags=Medium&uff_1jlqi8_tags=Women>

We also offer free virtual consultations where our experts can meet you face to face and help you find the right piece for you! To schedule, a video consultation please click on the link below:

<https://www.wigs.com/pages/virtual-consultation>

We hope this is helpful!

The Wig Experts

Hi Dustin,

We are sorry to hear you are about to go through chemotherapy. Thank you for allowing us to help you! We don’t have a store location, but we would love the opportunity to assist you with finding a piece that is natural looking. Our experts are available via phone at 1-800-581-2001 Monday – Friday 8 am – 6:30 pm CT or we also offer virtual consultations! Our free consultations are great because our experts meet with you face to face and can make recommendations. If you would like to schedule to meet with one of our experts you can do so by clicking on the link below:

<https://www.wigs.com/pages/virtual-consultation>

The Wig Experts

Hi Margaret,

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Our experts would love the opportunity to assist you. We need more information to direct you to the right piece for you. Please call our experts at 1-800-581-2001 Monday – Friday 8 am – 6:30 pm CST, or you can schedule a virtual consultation via the link below:

<https://www.wigs.com/pages/virtual-consultation>

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Wig Experts

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