Preparing to Wear a Wig

Once you decide that you are ready to wear a wig, there are some steps you can take to prepare. If you are suffering from hair loss associated with cancer treatment, the American Cancer Society says you will begin to see effects within two weeks and can expect the loss to get progressively worse over time.

However, many insurance companies will cover the costs associated with purchasing a wig to handle cancer-related hair loss, so ask your doctor for a prescription. We recommend you purchase your wig before you begin treatment or soon after in order to get acquainted with your new hairstyle and feel comfortable.

Before hair loss occurs entirely, we advise you to cut your hair short to reduce shedding. The hair should not be shaved or less than 1.5 inches long to reduce irritation when wearing the wig.

You should continue to care for your scalp as normal with shampoo and conditioner to help circulation and prevent drying the skin as body washes and soaps would. If your scalp is sensitive, you can apply a facial moisturizer to ease the irritation, however, regular body lotion is too oily for use on the scalp.