Accepting hair loss. Can’t afford a decent wig, just want to shave what’s left.

[whymewhyyou]

I have extreme hair loss. Patches are bald. Hair so thin that nothing I do could ever hide it.
I have tried cheap wigs, too big for my my head, too much hair or too synergic and itchy.
I just want hair. I can’t pull off the short buzz cut look because of all the bald patches.

It’s awful to say but sometimes I think being diagnosed with cancer and getting treatment would allow me an excuse for it being so awful and people would understand. Also then I could get help with funding towards a wig.

Yes, I am a terrible person.

Is anyone else in the same position? Menopause is a bugger.

Just a little bump for you, @whymewhyyou
Its one of my nightmare symptoms (I have a few conditions) & I’m so sorry you’re going through it.
Have you spoken to your GP about HRT? Hair loss could also be a symptom of thyroid disorders so perhaps ask for blood tests there too
Best wishes 🌺

I've had really short hair before. Clippered, pixies, and all sorts right down to hair I could sit on. So I honestly thought I'd be fine when I had chemo and lost it. I wasn't, I didn't feel like me, and I hated it. And I felt daft not being ok with it, so then felt even worse. Hair can have a big impact on how you feel about yourself, and when you're not in control of that, it's so hard, so I really feel for you OP.

I don't know where the patches are for you, but might it be worth talking to a decent hair stylist, and seeing if there's any sort of cut you could have that would help?

I bought myself a couple of wigs from https://www.headscarvesbyciara.co.uk/ , most expensive one was about £80 and is a gym wig. It's like wearing a headband, very comfortable, can tie it up or wear it down, and it's very easy to care for. It also isn't scratchy like my cheaper ones, and doesn't have any clips or things to dig in.

You could also maybe look for hair toppers. They sit over your actual hair, just to help thicken it out. Doesn't cover your whole head, so might not be scratchy or uncomfortable like cheap wigs.

What's your budget?
You don't need to spend absolutely loads for a decent wig.
I have shaved my head and worn a wig for a long time now (not alopecia, but other hair loss condition).
So have lots of experience of what's out there.

Thanks @DoNoTakeNo I’m HRT. Thyroid is fine and bloods are in proper normal range (not the range the doc fobs you off with). Apparently I’ve just got really bad genes and menopause has made it worse.

@MangoBiscuit I’m really sorry you had to go through chemo. There’s me wanting an “excuse” to be bald but in reality I should be happy with my lot.

Hair too thin to style. I’m practically bald on half the area, the other half is thin. I’m definitely past hair toppers. I want to become a recluse and shave my head.

My budget is max £300 which is not the £1200 that most wig companies sell for.
where do you get yours?

If you can stretch to around £350, you can get a hand tied synthetic wig from Jon Renau.
If you don't like the feel on your head, I do recommend a hand tied one.

Ellen Wille ones also come up smaller than some other brands and have some nice pieces.

Different brands are sized differently. You just have to try a few until you figure out what works for you. Once you find a brand and cap construction that you like, you can try different style wigs from that same brand.

Simply Wigs is a good company to buy from as their prices are always very reasonable and you can return them, albeit at your own cost. You can also visit them in person.

If you wait for them to go on sale, you can often get 30% off. Which brand is on sale just cycles around. Also remember you don't have to pay any VAT on them as it is for medical reasons.

With synthetics, I love that I can just put it on and I don't need to spend hardly any time styling. I have had so many compliments on my hair over the years. No one has ever realised I'm wearing a wig either. Even several hairdresses have been shocked when I told them!

I do have a pricier human hair wig, but even that was only a little over £600 (Ellen Wille), but it is partially wefted.

Hello you can really get a decent wig for the amount you have ,try simply wigs great service and you should be vat excempt .

How about using scarves? A friend with alopecia always wore a scarf, she said it was more comfortable than a wig.

Lots of videos online about tying and styling a scarf.

@PinkCherryPie

I’ve been looking at wigs all night. Can’t seem to find one. What one do you you wear? Is it massively different to your original hair?

Over the past couple of years I noticed my hair getting a bit thinner, nothing extreme, just thinner and many hairs in the brush and shower etc, and on the Babyliss rotating brush! I was late 60s and been on HRT for years and thought that would help prevent hair loss but just had to accept it was probably due to age.

All my routine blood tests showed everything normal.

Anyway, a few times I tried the expensive supplements at £30/month with no change so I asked my pharmacist and he recommended taking an iron supplement - good for him for not recommending an expensive supplement!

So I tried iron and my goodness what a difference after three months - a difference I could notice merely by the minimal number of hairs that come out when washing. You know when you comb your wet hair over the basin after taking the towel off and there are hairs everywhere - not now! Been taking it for six months now and will just continue.

I buy it cheaply online, you can get 3 for the price of 2 for around £12. If it doesn't work at least you haven't spent a lot of money. I'd recommend it to anyone who is losing too much hair. I checked with my GP and she is fine with my taking it.

https://www.vitabiotics.com/collections/iron-supplements-tablets/products/feroglobin-capsules

@whymewhyyouwhats your ferritin levels? I had severe hair loss too and I paid to see a private derm. She immediately sent me for ferritin levels tested with GP. GO said they were in normal range but she immediately told me they should be atleast 70 but ideally closer to 109 to maintain hair. I started supplementing iron with vit c (vit c helps it absorb) and the shedding slowed and it’s taken four years for it to grow back. She also recommended foam mens 5% regaine minxoidil and I use once a day.

my hair was all but recovered and now I’m on a new medication and the side effect is hair loss and it’s coming out in droves. I’m hoping it will slow eventually as I can already see new hair coming through as I’m keeping up with my iron and regaine.

sending hugs OP, having gone through it (albeit not as bad) it’s so awful!

I mostly wear Jon Renau:
January hand tied and Cameron

I could never wear my hair down until I got wigs, due to the condition I have had since I was a child. So I didn't have a "style" to try and get back to.

The human hair piece I recently bought is Yara by Ellen Wille. This is wefted but the wefts are behind a mesh so unlike cheapy wefts, you don't feel them against your scalp. They are really delicate and the hair is so soft.
So I'm going to also get a Ellen Wille Drive, which is a synthetic version in a very similar style.

If you do get a synthetic, I recommend getting a hand steamer. So you can prolong the life of the piece.

Once you find ones you think you may like, there are thousands of videos on YouTube which demonstrate the wigs in different colours. So you can see what they look like.

They also give tips on how to make small adjustments to make them more realistic. For example, with Yara I plucked some hairs from the front and parting as it was quite thick. It made it look much more realistic. I haven't had to do this before, it was a bit scary but following the advice from YouTube it came out really well.