Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/61344
SPECIAL FEATURE Whether 80 or 18, patients want to feel Expert Wig Tips from Pattie Cagney Sheehan pÐIf possible, try on wigs in person rath- er than take chances shopping online. Computer monitors don't always give you true color. pÐThink about a wig like you do your shoe wardrobe. You don't wear the same pair of shoes every day; if you did, think how beat-up they'd look. Even a good wig is going to show wear and tear afer a few months. Be real- istic about the fact that eventually you should probably get two wigs. pÐIf you have long hair, you may want to start with a wig that matches your current length, but I recommend go- ing to a shorter wig toward the end of chemo so that when you stop wearing a wig it's not such a big jump from the long length of your wig to your shorter natural hair. pÐBe aware of how long it really takes for hair to grow. Once chemotherapy treatments are complete, hair will still take a few months to grow to a length long enough to style. pÐNever expose synthetic wigs to heat, including blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons. pÐChemotherapy can make your skin pale, so I recommend wigs with high- lights or a lighter shade. pÐDon't try to re-create who you were because you'll get very frustrated. Go in with the mind-set that change is good—and you'll feel cute and fun. 38 cancer fighters thrive | summer 2012 good about their looks, and, for many, wigs can help. To help women find a wig that suits them, Cagney Sheehan spends a lot of time educating her customers about different types of wigs and getting to know which might be a good fit—in style, ease of care, and cost. Many different types and styles of wigs are available, ranging from custom human-hair wigs to less expensive syn- thetic varieties. Cagney Sheehan says that synthetic wigs are the best fit for most of her customers. "Synthetic hair is easier to handle, the quality is great, and it's much more reasonably priced," she says. Wig prices in Cagney Sheehan's shop range from $200 to $500, depending on whether the wig is hand-tied or machine made, but she says that human-hair wigs can cost more than $1,000. Although these pricier wigs can look more natural in some cases, they require much more styling— something cancer patients often don't have the time or energy to undertake. "Just think how you'd feel if you were going through chemo and you had to spend 30 minutes styling your hair," she says. Once a patient has decided between synthetic and human hair, the next step is to find a color and a style that suits her face shape and skin tone. At this stage, Cagney Sheehan says, it's helpful if patients can put aside their desire to maintain their current hairstyle and have fun experi- menting with different styles and colors. "Women often want the wig to look just like their hair, but I explain to them that it is a wig; though a wig is well colored and has highlights and lowlights, it is still a wig." Once that reality is accepted, she says, many women find themselves loving the fresh look of a different style. "I have women who say, 'Oh, this wig looks bet- ter than my hair did,'" she says. "If you're willing to experiment, it can actually be a fun experience." Even when patients have the best possi- ble experience, shopping for wigs can still be an emotional endeavor. For this reason, Cagney Sheehan suggests bringing along someone who can offer support. "I always recommend that patients bring a friend, a family member, a hair stylist, or someone who knows them well when they're shop- ping for a wig." That person can provide emotional support and can also offer in- sight into how the wig suits the patient's lifestyle. "I always give them my honest opinion," Cagney Sheehan says, "but it's important that they bring someone with them whose opinion they trust and who can make them feel better about what they're doing." Cagney Sheehan sees daily the depth of the emotional response that hair loss can inspire, but she also knows the positive impact that the right wig can have. The trick, she says, is being open to the pos- sibilities of change: "Go in with an open mind, knowing that you'll find something that will look good." Embrace the Possibility of Change Hair loss during cancer treatment can present an emotional challenge because, as Colley says, "hair loss is often viewed as a 'stamp of sickness' in our culture." She notes, however, that with adequate emo- tional support and other tools, including head-covering options, "patients can learn to reject the idea of being the 'face of can- cer.'" The fact is, she says, "while we cannot deny the reality of cancer, we can certainly deny the things it may try to tell us about who we are and who we are not." cfthrive.com