Hair raising tales--cold cap update.

Just a quick update on my cold cap and saving my remaining hair. 

It's not that pretty. I'm still losing a decent amount of hair each week. Here's another comparison shot to see what's happened so far.

Before chemo: 

Week 6:

Week 8: 
  

 




I finally gave my new wig a try. Take a look: 

I have to put on a special cap under the wig to keep it in place, then slide it over my head. It remains in place quite well, no adhesive needed! There are special care instructions to keep the wig in good condition. The wig looks fabulous. My boyfriend went wig shopping with me. We both agreed that the red hair looks best on me. I've always wanted to be a red head, so this is the perfect look. Short, sassy, and red.  Then again, I looked pretty good as a blond. THAT surprised me. But, my boyfriend  made the final decision on which one to go with. It turns out that he prefers brunettes and redheads too. Yay!

Before I could get the wig, I had to make sure that my insurance would cover the cost of the wig. It turns out that they will only up to a set dollar amount. If I go to a wig shop that is within network, then my insurance covers more. I could not believe that they have approved wig boutiques. I found a fabulous one in San Jose. It's called The Next Step. They have any sort of supply imaginable to stay sexy during cancer treatment: swim suits, falsies, wigs, skin care... the works! But they are not in network with my insurance. I would have to drive 30 miles to go to a shop that is in network. Screw that. I got a little lucky. Because my deductible and annual maximum dollar amounts were met, my insurance said they would cover my 

I haven't given up on trying to keep the hair that I have left. The ladies at The Next Step gave some great recommendations. First, they recommended Brian Joseph shampoo. It's gentler than baby shampoo and moisturizes as well as conditioner. My hair is super soft afterwards. I'm looking into supplements too. I'm going to try collagen, biotin, Omega 3, and extra iron vitamins. They were recommended on many of the websites I've read. I've also seen recommendations to use Nioxin hair products to help strengthen the hair follicles that are left. I'm going to try Avalon Organics instead. It seems to be not as harsh, and I need that since the little bit of hair remaining. 

I'll let you know how things go with this.  Check out the links to my other postings about cold caps if you want the history behind this. 

Cold caps during chemo and How cold caps work  and Cold cap supplies