Picking Out a Cranial Prosthesis

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It turns out that the insurance lingo for a wig is a cranial prosthesis.  Prior to submitting an insurance claim for a wig, I need to get a prescription from my oncologist for a �Cranial prosthesis due to chemotherapy induced alopecia.�  In other words, a wig because one goes bald from the chemotherapy. 

Brigid and I went to LuLu�s Wiggin� Out to look for a wig last week.  The name of the shop gave me pause��LuLu�s��that�s not far from my name, since some people call me �Lu.�  I was hoping that would be a good sign. But the �wiggin� out� part is what I should have paid more attention to. It�s a small shop in a far suburb that was a hybrid wig shop/costume shop.  The styling chair was spray painted hot pink and sat in the middle of the shop in front of a hot pink wicker mirror.  They have very nice, quality-looking wigs, but also have the rainbow colored clown wig and Orphan Annie wig.  The young woman who helped me was great�conservatively and neatly dressed.  She introduced me to the young woman in the shop who cuts and styles the wigs.  This woman was pierced and tattooed. I really hate to stereotype folks, but I had a hard time picturing her cutting my wig into anything but a Mohawk or with severe spikes.  So�I walked out without placing an order.

Next stop, Jerome Krause, a so-called �high-end wig shop� in a north shore suburb, with Brigid and my mom.  Walking in, it looked like a doctor�s office.  There were separate styling rooms that were neutrally decorated.  The staff was neatly and professionally dressed�and kind of looked like me. Their inventory was huge, so that I could pick out one on the spot, rather than having to order one in the color of my choice.  The cost of the wigs were ~$20-25 more, but this place will custom fit the wig to my head.  The way it works is that I put a deposit down on a wig, which they hold for me.  Then when my hair starts to fall out, I go back, they cut my hair close to my head, and fit the wig to my hairless head. 

I wondered why hair falls out with chemo.  I now understand that chemotherapeutic agents slow or stop the growth of rapidly growing cells, i.e. cancer cells.  Unfortunately, the agents don�t distinguish between �good� cells and �bad� cells.  Since hair bulb cells grow and divide quickly, they are particularly vulnerable.  What I didn�t think about is hair on other parts of my body besides what�s on my head�.eye brows, lashes, the fine hairs on my arms, etc.  I understand that some people find that their clothes feel funny on them after they lose their body hair.  

I�ve been told different things about when I should expect my hair to start falling out�.7-10 days after chemo�.2-3 weeks after chemo�I�ve even learned that a very small percent of chemotherapy patients don�t lose their hair.  I looked up that number and it�s 1%.  I have been told that my �hair will hurt� several days before it actually starts falling out. More specifically, the roots will tingle at first and then may ache.   My scalp started to tingle a day or two ago. 

I pick up my wig this coming Saturday.  Stay tuned for pictures....