A lot of women going through cancer want to do something about their hair loss. Some want to look and feel more like they did before cancer. Others take the opportunity to create their new look. Either way, finding ways to look beautiful and express yourself after chemotherapy can be really important to the healing process. A lot of people post about their experience with this part of cancer treatment on Instagram — #chemohair has 24,000 posts. If you’re trying to figure out what’s right for you, you aren’t alone.
Probably the most common approach to cancer-related hair loss is to find a wig that helps you feel more like yourself. #cancerwigs has over 23,000 posts on Instagram, and people around the country are getting wigs to look more like they did before chemo, or to find a new start during and after cancer. Whether you want a blond bob, long brown curls, or a cheap, fun, bright blue wig, there’s a large community of people talking about the best ways to feel more like yourself after chemo. You can also look for tutorials on how to eliminate any “lace,” or the mesh that can sometimes be visible at the top of the forehead, and make your wig as natural looking as possible.
Read MoreView this post on InstagramDr. Elizabeth Comen, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told us about her early experience with this part of healing after chemotherapy. “When I was a freshman in high school, I actually worked in a boutique helping women who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer, or living with breast cancer at any stage. I didn’t know, I was in high school. But, I helped them with wigs. And, that was really my first intro to just how important it was for these women, regardless of the biology of their disease, how they looked, how they felt about themselves, what it meant to be living with their diagnosis, and going through treatment.”
Another approach a lot of people are sharing about is using head coverings. In a recent Instagram post, Cancer Council Victoria, a cancer organization in Australia, highlighted author and feminist Dr. Susan Carland, and her tips for wearing head scarfs during cancer. “If you’re experiencing cancer related hair-loss, here are useful tips from Dr. Susan Carland who shares how to wear a headscarf, starting with wearing a cap,” the post reads. “The first thing that I would always suggest is that you wear a cap under your scarf,” says Dr. Carland. “The reason I suggest wearing a cap. this is a nice cotton stretchy one. the first one is functional, if you have a cap on like this, it gives your scarf something to grip onto so it doesn’t keep sliding off. The second one is aesthetic, so if you have a cap like this you could wear a different color scarf and then have a two tone going.”
For some people, cancer provides that opportunity to get really creative with a new look. If you’re looking for a way to do detailed and expressive with your scalp after chemo, then a henna crown might be right for you. A lot of people are posting on Instragram about getting intricate henna tattoo designs on the scalp instead of place of hair. One henna artist, @Sarahenna, loves doing henna crowns specifically for cancer patients. “I’m so happy to spread the word about this beautiful alternative to hats and wigs, following hair loss during chemo,” she wrote in one of her Instagram posts. “I have an amazing network of henna artists all over the world that I’m happy to recommend to anyone seeking a henna crown for themselves or a loved one.” One of her clients talks about why henna was right for her. “For a little bit, people don’t see that it’s because I’m sick. They see art. And it doesn’t look like just a bald head, or any of that. It’s pretty,” she says in the post.
Other henna crown artists for cancer patients can be found: 1) @Gopihenna, who has also posted Instagramed about her work for cancer patients. “Henna for my beautiful client who has gotten a henna crown after ever [sic] round of chemo and this was after the last one! She’s doing great and the henna crown is a fun and natural way to celebrate for her!” she writes in a post. And 2) @Mehndikajoeyhenna’s henna creations for cancer patients.
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