Not long into my cancer journey my mom asked me if I had thought about getting a wig for when I were to begin to lose my hair.

I had chatted to a few friends about it and I watch a few beauty YouTubers that wear them/make them (like this badass babe) so it certainly wasn’t out of question. I don’t particularly like my natural hair anyway so it’s actually something I had thought about investing in even before this whole #cancer ordeal.

My mom showed me a website to a local wig shop called “Maxine’s Wigs & Toupees” and we decided to stop by mid-December (just after Matt had left from visiting).

This is the wig I opted for! Hope you like it.

This shop sells (for the most part) synthetic wigs. And as I had learned at the Look Good, Feel Better workshop, these were far more popular these days compared to human hair for a number of reasons:

Price
Colour choices
Ease of upkeep

I had tried on a few wigs at the cancer hospital I do treatment at in their free wig room and even took one home in my early days of treatment (before I had even started to lose any hair). The one I took was super dark brunette but the only style I felt that was somewhat suitable for me (note: it was not, haha. I also SO wish I had taken a picture of me in the one wig that made me look like Garth from Wayne’s World!)

The trying on of wigs at Maxine’s was kind of fun. The owners of the shop were lovely and chatty and very kind in making sure I was comfortable. Their shop is run out of their home so we got to meet her toddler and Yorkshire Terrier named ‘Strawberry’ who was the sweetest little greeter. I tried on a few styles but only really liked this one in particular (probably because it was the closest to my natural hair in terms of length, style, and thickness— (or, let’s be real, in my case… thinness, ha). The only problem was it was in a platinum blonde colour.

And I’m all for funky hair colours (and I think a lot of the times people opt for wigs that are so not similar to their natural colour and style simply due to the fact you can have a bit of fun with it), but I felt compelled to get something that made me feel me. Like the me I was before being diagnosed with cancer. (That and I’m pretty lazy these days and knew I’d have to wear quite a bit of makeup for certain styles and colours to look alright, so that was out of question).

They ordered me in two colour options from their supplier but was told I would have to wait a week or so for it to come in.

Unfortunately they called me to tell me the wigs were in while I was sitting in the cancer clinic getting chemotherapy so I knew I would have to wait until after Christmas to get my wig (they were closing until the 6th of January and I had another round of chemo that week). I didn’t want to go in during my energy-less weeks. I wanted to be enthused and happy about this purchase and experience!

I finally went in on the 16th of January with my mom and friend Jen. I picked the lighter blonde of the two options she had ordered in (shown here). The other one was more two-tone. A darker root with obvious highlights. The owner put pins in the wig while I wore it in order to take my measurements as they would have to sew it to fit my skull (yay for tiny heads— I’m always a challenge to buy for in that department, ha).

It definitely looks natural with a toque on. I have to “tame” the top still!

Mom and I went back just yesterday, Friday January 17th on her lunch hour to pick it up finally! We made sure it fit, they told me how to care for it (they will clean and restyle it as needed), and told me the do’s and dont’s of wearing a synthetic wig:

Avoid heat (like opening the oven, BBQ’ing, no hot styling tools, etc.)
Avoid thick collars and hats (I’m breaking that rule already #rebel) as it will kind of ‘rough’ up the texture over time
Wash it with baby shampoo or special wig shampoo/conditioner (or just bring it in to them every 6-8 weeks depending on how often you wear it, if you sweat a lot, have oily scalp, etc.)
Brush it using a brush with those plastic beaded teeth
The more you wear/brush it, the more it will fall into place the way you like it (and in my case I want it to flatten a bit more since my natural hair is so fine)
If I want it trimmed or thinned out, I can take it back to her

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what the price of these wigs are…

For a custom-fit wig with ongoing cleaning/care, and one like mine that is a lace-front (so that I can skip the bangs and show the hairline and have it look pretty natural), is about $600.

I was a little shocked at the price tag and hesitant to go for it but I figure it’s something I can keep forever. And use even once I have my own hair back because it’s fun to change things up a little time to time! (Plus, I’m spoiled as it was a Christmas gift from my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad!) Another thing I had learned at the Look Good, Feel Better workshop was that this is about average for a synthetic wig. Natural hair, of course, can go for much more…

Although, if you’re a wizard with hair and sewing, you can make your own for a fraction of the price. And even though I took hairstyling, wigs are its own niche entirely and I have zero knowledge on them, really.

So now I have some pretty hair to play around with! I can put it in a ponytail or off to the side, add clips or accessories, and wear it with or without bangs simply by pushing them around differently. I think it’ll be nice for when I want to dress up and go out and not just wear a head wrap (don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely fine in doing that, but it’s nice to now have options!)

Did you invest in a wig when you lost your hair? (From cancer, alopecia, or other). Let me know what you opted for! (Synthetic or natural, what style, colour, did you buy more than one?) I’d love to see! You can email me at shestaysstrongblog@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @shestaysstrongblog