Wigs During Chemo: When to Buy, What to Choose, What Not to Wear

If you're reading this because treatment is about to start, or already has, we're sorry you're going through it. This guide is practical, not medical. Your care team knows your treatment and your skin, so check anything here with them.

We'll also be honest about where our shop fits and where it doesn't.

First: will you lose your hair?

Not every chemotherapy causes hair loss, and the amount varies a lot between drugs and doses. Ask your oncology team directly: Is this treatment likely to make my hair fall out, and when? When it does happen, it often begins within a few weeks of the first treatment. Your team can give you a timeline for your own plan.

It's also worth asking about scalp cooling (sometimes called a cold cap). For some treatments it can reduce hair loss. It isn't suitable for everyone, so it's a conversation for your team.

When to buy: before your hair goes

Buying early helps in three ways:

• You can match your colour and style while your own hair is still there to compare against. Take a photo of your hair in daylight now.
• You get time to practise putting it on and finishing it while you feel well, rather than on a hard day.
• Delivery takes time. Our wigs ship from our supplier and usually take two to four weeks to arrive. If you're ordering from us, order as soon as you know your treatment dates.

What to choose

Synthetic, short, and easy

During treatment, you want a wig that asks nothing of you. Synthetic fibre holds its style through washing, so there's no blow-drying or curling on days you're tired. Shorter styles are lighter, cooler, and more forgiving to put on. Our Synthetic vs Human Hair for Hair Loss guide covers the trade-offs in more depth.

No glue

A scalp going through chemo can be tender, dry and easily irritated. Adhesive and tape add one more thing to react to. Choose a wig that stays on with its own straps and a cap underneath. Headband wigs and wigs with bangs need no hairline blending at all. Our Start Here collection is five pull-on styles with no lace and no glue.

Something soft against your scalp

A bare scalp feels the inside of a wig far more than a scalp with hair. Wear a soft liner or cap underneath to cut down friction and itch, and take the wig off whenever you're at home and don't need it. Many people wear a wig out and a soft wrap or cap at home.

Plan for your head getting smaller

Once your hair is gone, your head measures smaller than it did. Choose a wig with adjustable straps at the nape so you can tighten it as you go. Our Fit Guide explains how to measure.

What not to wear

• Braiding hair and crochet locs. They need existing hair to be braided into, they pull on the scalp, and installation takes hours. They are the wrong product for anyone losing their hair, even though some shops list them as wigs.
• Adhesive on a sensitive scalp, unless your care team says it's fine.
• Heavy, very long wigs. They're hot and heavy on a tender scalp.
• Heat styling on synthetic fibre, unless the product page says it's heat-friendly. It can melt.

Where we fit, and where we don't

We sell affordable fashion wigs. Most are synthetic, about two thirds have a lace front, and none are medical wigs. We don't stock monofilament or fully hand-tied caps, which are the softest constructions and what many specialist shops recommend for wearing on a bare scalp all day, every day.

So, honestly:

• Our wigs suit occasional or part-time wear, a lower-cost first wig, a second wig for variety, or something to wear while you decide what you want long term.
• A specialist wig shop is the better choice if you'll wear a wig on a bare scalp all day, every day, or if your scalp is very sensitive. Many hospitals can point you to one, and some offer fittings.

Our Hair Loss and Treatment page says the same thing in more detail.

Paying for it

• Insurance. Some plans cover a wig when your doctor prescribes it as a cranial prosthesis. Read Will My Insurance Cover My Wig? before you buy.
• Free wigs. Many cancer centres and local cancer charities run free wig programmes. Ask your hospital's social worker or patient navigator.
• Tax. In some cases a prescribed wig counts as a medical expense. Check with a tax professional.

Covering your head at home and at night

Most people don't wear a wig all the time. A satin cap keeps your head warm at night and is gentle on regrowth; a soft wrap is easy for around the house. See our Wide-Brim Satin Sleep Cap and Modal Cotton Head Wrap. And remember sun protection: a bare scalp burns easily, so wear a hat or sunscreen outdoors.

When your hair grows back

Regrowth usually starts some time after treatment ends, and the new hair can come back a different texture or colour at first. A wig can bridge the in-between months. When you're ready, a shorter wig or a clip-in piece is a gentle step back to your own hair.

The short version

1. Ask your team if and when your treatment will cause hair loss.
2. Buy early, while you can match your colour, and allow two to four weeks for delivery from us.
3. Choose synthetic, short, glueless and adjustable, with a soft liner underneath.
4. Skip braiding hair, glue and heavy long styles.
5. For all-day, every-day wear on a bare scalp, see a specialist wig shop.

If you're not sure whether something of ours will work for you, ask us. If the honest answer is "buy elsewhere", we'll tell you.

---

This article is general information and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare team about what's right for your situation.