How to Wear and Adjust to Wearing a Wig During Cancer Treatment

In part two of CURE’s “Confidently You: Choosing and Styling Wigs that Look and Feel Right” webinar, Daniela Hernandez-Salas, a Look Good Feel Better volunteer, demonstrated how to put on and adjust a wig for patients who are undergoing treatment and experiencing hair loss as a result.

“When I first started wearing the wig, this was probably the most difficult for me to get thing to get used to,” Hernandez-Salas explained.

She overviewed the proper placement of a wig and how to adjust it. Further, she delved into getting comfortable wearing a wig, and if headaches arise, how to modify them for size and comfort.

Summary:

00:04 – Putting on a wig

• Daniela Hernandez-Salas demonstrated how to adjust a wig, using a wig liner and velcro to secure it in place.

01:17 – Proper placement of ear tabs in a hairstyle.

• She demonstrated how to properly position a wig, including putting it on front to back; placing the two tabs in front of the ears and below the temple; pulling ones’ ears out from the wig, not under it; and pulling the wig down in the back to secure its fit.

02:21 – Wearing wigs comfortably and addressing headaches.

• Hernandez-Salas provided tips for comfortable wig wear, including adjusting the fit and using bobby pins to secure the wig.
• Headaches while wearing a wig may be due to the wig being too tight, and hairstylists can help modify the size for comfort.
• In addition, she noted that it may take some time to get comfortable wearing a wig; and that all wigs’ fabric has flex to them, therefore, after a week when the body heats up and the wig contours to the patient, it will become more comfortable.

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