Check before you shave

Liana_anna

Hi all,  i just wanted to share my experience about what happened after I shaved my head.

After my bc diagnose I joined this forum and really wanted to know  how to cope with hair loss etc. After reading everyones comments and advise, I made up my mind to just shave it short (no.2) day 5 after my 1st cycle. So i did  and I didn't feel upset considering I always had long hair. Strangely I was really looking forward to do that. Of course now I wish I still had my long hair...it's been a hassle having to put headscarf on everyday and having to adjust it all the time. I even had a dream that I was out somewhere and forgot to put the scarf on and everyone was staring at me...you know...like one of those dream where you walking around naked at the shops....

So 4 days after I shaved my head a letter from RTA arrived saying that my license will be expired in about 1 month time and it is recommended to renew it within 2 weeks as it will take about 2 weeks to post the new one out.... oh no....I literally screamed and yelled at the letter as there was no one at home at the time. Luckily one lovely lady from this forum told me about wig library so I made an appointment right away and had my photo taken for my license a week later...
can't wait for the next renewal so I can replace the photo hahaha

So for the new members, before you cut your hair please remember to check the expiry date of your license or passport or anything that needs your photo.  

Fyi, the only time I wore my wig was for my license photo and haven't worn it since....it made me itchy and hot.

Hugs, Liana xx

dmcook

Hi Liana,Ive had no hair for about a month now and shed a few tears when i first lost my hair as now its a constant reminder of what ive got ( BC) cos sometimes when im feeling so good i forget I have it then look in a mirror oh yeah thats right.Anyway at first I wouldnt wear my wig which weve named Gloria for that reason it is hot and itchy and i mainly wear a beanie or scarves when i go out and just natural when im home.So natural and comfrotable without it at home many of times people rock up at the door and i forget Im natural then i have to apologise til i find my beanie lol why i apologise i do not know as it doesnt offend anyone but me.Anyway somedays when i go out I just want to look normal you know blend in with the crowd and want to wear Gloria but remmber shes hot and itchy. So i came up with an idea,old pair of stockings cut the legs off and put that on my head first then my wig and wow actually cooler then my beanie.Try it you might have to name your wig too hahaha.Hope this helps

primek

They actually  sell wig liners ...I had one that was a stocking  one and 1 bamboo. Whilst  I hated my wig...I wore the  liner under wooly hats in winter.

Liana_anna

good idea... I wonder why the wig library didn't tell me that or didn't even sell them. Thanks ladies... I'm gonna give it a try. Hugs, Liana xx

melclarity

Liana,

I bought wigs at Shinywaywigs in Melbourne, they were only synthetic, but the one I found my hairdresser trimmed it uncanningly into the style I actually had previously. It was so hard to tell it was a wig eventhough it was synthetic, WOW what a blessing!!! Yes it was tough as I wore it out all the time, never managed headscarves etc., never wanted unnecessary attention as am very private. Uuugh! but am thankful for my own hair now and it comes back YAY!!! This is
my Wig...and this is ME NOW LOL

Deanne

Hi Liana,
Your post brought back memories for me. I received a letter about renewing my licence just after my first chemo too. Fortunately I was able to get the photo done just before (the day before) my hair started to fall out. I had had my hair cut short but not shaved thank goodness! 

Everytime I have to use my licence for ID I remember how "lucky" I was with the timing. My hair felt "dead" (itchy and like straw) at that stage but I still looked like "me". Ahhh .... the added complications of everyday life with this process! 

Tracey62

Hi Liana,  great job with sorting out the I'd photo for your license.  Just to let others know, in QLD if you renew your license online they will use your last photo, WITH LONG HAIR and then mail the license to you. I get a 5year license and can use the same photo for up to 9 years & 6 months. So my license now looks a lot younger than I do and I've become used to the double-take when they look from my long silky locks on my license to the short curly look I am trying to tame post chemo. Now if only I could figure out how to make the outside me look like the inside me 

Afraser

Ah the dead itchy hair - I never thought I would be happy to lose my hair but I hated the way it felt the week or so before it started to fall out. I got my wigs at Head Complements in Ringwood  - light, no one who didn't know I had cancer knew I was wearing a wig and easy to look after (except as they are synthetic don't open a hot oven with one!!). Looked HUGELY better than my greyish frizz afterwards - had to explain to people why I had chosen a bizarre perm! It was even funny at the time. 

primek

@melcarity  If my wig looked like that I'd have worn it. No cutting would have made it the right size for  my head. I recently at a LGFB night tried on 5 and they all looked as bad. 

wendy_h67

Hi girls, l have lost my hair twice now through chemo. It was very upsetting the first time 19 years ago and still very upsetting the second time 4 years ago. Wigs have improved over time. I hated the first wig I had and rarely wore it. Head scalves have improved a bit too. I hated going out ,thinking people were staring at me which they probable weren't. If you can get a wig that looks similar to you own hair,it makes life a bit easier. I tried on many wigs last time and was nearly in tears as non of them looked like me. Then the patient assistant brought out a wig that was the same style and colour as my hair had been. My husband said that just looks like you before you lost your hair so I was happy. I still wore head scalfs at times and at home with only family around I didn't worry. They were use to Mum with a bald head. There is a chance that I may have to go back onto chemo loosing hair treatment. At least l have my blond wig although my hair now is naturally gray. I could look 10 years younger 

melclarity

Kath, 
I didnt do the LGFB, I was just lucky I think that this wig was long and it was similar colour to my natural at the time, so it was easy for my hairdresser to trim it into shape. Much harder with a wig that is already short I guess. Were you blonde before? and short? It actually doesnt look as bad as you think! xx Melinda

melclarity

@Wendy, youre exactly right and I think thats the key, if you can go similar there isnt too much of a drastic change, it helps! I only wore it to work and out and nobody could tell at all, it was hot and itchy and hard to put up with but you just get through it. I rocked it bald at home all the time LOL, amazing what you get used to!  

Liana_anna

Primek,
your wig is very similar to mine but mine is light brown. Like you I didn't really like what they showed me at the wig library but I was running out of time so I just chose one that I thought OK. MY husband and sister said I look alright but I feel like the wig is a bit too big for my face. I think you don't look bad...it doesn't look like you're wearing a wig and I think the style suits your face.

Melclarity,
You look gorgeous...I'd wear my wig all the time too if I had wig like yours. I think I'll do some searching and hopefully can find a good one before Christmas.

I dont cover my head either at home. I've been bald for about 3 months now but strangely I'm still not used to it....I don't feel like I'm looking at myself when I'm looking in the mirror...if that makes sense. I just look so different.

Hugs, Liana xx

primek

It was similar to my hair colour and cut...but just too big. i just wore scarves and hats and now have a short spikey regrowth  that it completely silver. If I ever have to  go through  this  again I will look again though as  I have seen many that  look great  (as well as many that  look like  wigs ...like mine  did). If I had attended a special function or something I woukd have definitely have gone back and tried again.