Wigs for cancer treatment

Many people choose to wear a wig or hairpiece. There are many different styles and colours to choose from. Wigs can be natural-looking and comfortable to wear.

Wearing a wig can help you look and feel more like yourself. This can make you feel more confident and more in control of how you look.

In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can get a wig free on the NHS. Some people can get a wig free on the NHS in England, but others may need to pay.

Your specialist nurse can tell you how to get a wig on the NHS. The process is different in different hospitals. Some may have a wig specialist who visits the hospital. Others will have a wig supplier that you can visit. There may also be a limited choice of wigs available on the NHS.

You may be able to have more than 1 wig on the NHS. However, some hospitals set limits on the number of wigs a person can have.

Human hair wigs cannot be prescribed on the NHS, unless:

• you are allergic to synthetic wigs
• you have a skin condition that may be made worse by a synthetic wig.

We have a video with more information on choosing and styling a wig.

Choosing a wig before your hair falls out means you can match the style and colour to your own hair. It also means you can get used to wearing a wig before you really need it. You will also be prepared in case your hair falls out sooner than expected.

It may be a good idea to take a family member or friend with you when you are choosing a wig. They can give an honest opinion about what suits you. You may want to try a different colour or style.

There is no pressure on you to choose a wig straight away. You can wait until you feel ready.

Short hair wigs

There is less choice in short hair wigs. This is because it is difficult to make a short hair wig look natural around the hairline. Slightly longer hair styles can work better.

Wigs for people who are Black or from a minority ethnic group

Most NHS wig suppliers should have styles for people from any ethnic group. There are companies that work with the NHS to do this. But you may need to contact a specialist wig supplier or look online. Your specialist nurse can give you more information.

Cancer Hair Care has more information. You can also contact Cancer Black Care for support and advice.

Matching your current style

• Choose a wig which has the same volume of hair as you, or slightly less. This will make it less obvious that you are wearing a wig. Remember a wig can be cut and styled by a hairdresser or wig consultant.
• Choose your own colour or a shade lighter. Changing to a lighter colour is usually less noticeable.
• If your hair has not fallen out yet, the wig may feel quite tight. Try to get a wig that adjusts to any head size. As your hair falls out, you will need a smaller size.
• It can help to have a family member or friend with you to give an honest opinion on the wig.
• You could also ask your hairdresser to help you choose your wig or hairpiece. Some hairdressers are specially trained to supply, cut and style wigs. You can find salons in your area on the My New Hair website. Some wig providers may also be able to cut and style a wig when you have it fitted.

Wigs can be expensive, but there are several ways to reduce the cost.

NHS wigs

Synthetic wigs are free on prescription for people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you live in England, you may need to pay a surgical appliance prescription charge. There are special arrangements for patients who are registered with GPs in Wales but have treatment in England.

You can get a free NHS wig in England if:

• you are under 16
• you are under 19 and in full-time education
• you are a hospital inpatient
• your weekly income is below a certain level
• you claim certain benefits
• you have a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• you are named on a valid Help with Health Costs (HC2) certificate.

If you are entitled to a free wig, you will need to tell the person who fits your wig. You will need to show proof that you qualify. This might include the letter showing which benefits you receive.

Help with wig costs

You can apply to get a free wig or help towards the cost of a wig by completing an HC1 form. Your income will be assessed. If you are entitled to help, you will be sent either:

• an HC2 full-help certificate
• a HC3 partial-help certificate.

You may be able to apply for grants and benefits from other organisations or charities to help pay for a wig. A Macmillan Grant can be used towards the cost of a wig.

You may want to consider buying a wig from a wig bank. Wig banks in different parts of the UK collect wigs that people no longer need. You can find a wig bank online, or ask your wig provider.

Children and young people

The Little Princess Trust offers free human hair wigs to children and young people up to the age of 24.

Buying a wig or hairpiece privately

Some people choose to buy a wig privately. There are specialist wig suppliers, or you may be able to buy a wig in a department store or wig shop.

If your hair loss is caused by cancer treatment, you should not have to pay VAT on wigs or hairpieces. Not all wig suppliers offer this service, so check before you buy from them. The tax cannot be claimed back at a later date. You will need to fill in a VAT exemption form when you buy the wig. The wig provider can provide this.

Your wig provider can give you tips and advice about caring for the wig and your scalp.

The lining of the wig can irritate the scalp, so it can help to wear a thin, cotton wig liner underneath. These are usually available from wig suppliers. They can sometimes make a wig move around more, so you may need to experiment to find out what works best for you.

Your scalp may sweat more when you wear a wig, so you will need to wash the wig and liner as advised by the wig specialist. Both synthetic and human hair wigs need to be washed carefully, using slightly warm or cold water. You can also use special shampoos.

Remember not to expose your wig to a flame, or heat from an oven or hairdryer. Real hair will frizz and synthetic hair can melt.

The charity Cancer Hair Care has more information.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.