Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy and Finding the Right Wig

Where It All Began

My hair loss journey started just before Christmas 2024 when I had a huge seizure. I never experienced anything like it and thought it was a stroke. Investigation showed lots of fluid on my brain caused by a frontal lobe brain tumour. I subsequently had a biopsy of that and once its type & grade was identified . Sadly they weren’t able to remove it as it was sitting in the part of the brain that deals with speech & movement. Instead underwent 33 rounds of radiotherapy.

I had to wash my hair with Simple Shampoo every morning prior to treatment. The radiotherapy team said this was due to other shampoos containing ingredients which could affect the treatment i.e. metals & parabens. Who knew? I also had to apply steroid cream & moisturiser to my scalp after every treatment.

I Started To Lose My Hair

The clinical Oncology team advised to expect hair loss around week 3 of treatment. They were spot on. Right on cue a quite significant amount of hair loss happened at the radiotherapy exit site. Behind my right ear and It continued to fall out every morning while washing. I’m now undergoing 12 months of Chemotherapy and have been told to expect more hair loss perhaps even eyebrows & lashes too.

Searching For The Perfect Wig

The NHS gave me a voucher for a wig. Which is great as I was wearing beanies to hide my grey hair and bald spots. I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair, so it rapidly went grey on top but oddly it remained dark brown at the back of my head. It quickly got too warm for the beanie hats, so my search for new hair began. The first wig I got was at a salon near the hospital, but it just wasn’t right for me. It was too dark & a certainly too bushy. I went out in the wind and it resembled an afro when I got home! Have since bought two more wigs which are much better; straight bob type style and lighter brown with streaks of blond.

I did find that what was left of my own hair at the back kept getting stuck in the Velcro on the wig grip which was pretty sore, only slight issue now is that the wig grip also sits on the biopsy scar which is still healing and becomes itchy and sore if its warm, so I gave myself a buzz cut with my husband’s hair trimmer. A bit of an odd experience but definitely feels better under the wig grip, and much easier to moisturise the bald spots.

My Experience With Simply Wigs

I found Simply Wigs website via google search. It has a great selection, good prices & offers and great advice on wig caps construction which I knew absolutely nothing about. I’m thinking I may become a wig addict (It used to be rings, but I’ve run out of fingers to put them on!). I love that you can get different colours styles which I have never be able to achieve with my own hair, as it has always been poker thin straight!

Hopefully after all treatment is completed my tumour will have shrunk and my hair will grow back! No doubt it will be platinum grey, but I am happy to still use my wig if I want to change up my look.

Love, Andrea x