This is the common train of reactions for the newly diagnosed female cancer patient who learns she’s going to need chemotherapy as part of her treatment plan:
“OH NO! I have cancer?!! What will my treatment plan be?”
“I’m going to need chemotherapy? What will that do to me?!”
“Oh no! I’m likely to lose my hair!!”
“[BLEEP]! I guess I’d better run out and buy some wigs right away!!”
This wasn’t just the case for me; from many women I spoke to after my own diagnosis and since, it’s how we think. The thing is, each woman undergoing hair loss and baldness – whether it’s from chemotherapy, alopecia, changing hormones, or other conditions – deals with her situation differently...and perhaps even differently mid-situation than at its outset.
Personally, though I initially ran out after learning of my imminent chemotherapy treatment and bought myself some wigs (and ended up with quite a story to tell about one of them), over the long haul, I really didn’t end up wearing any wigs on most days. A friend who is a survivor was the first to tell me about and gift me some chemo caps and other headwear, which I ended up wearing more often. On the other hand, a woman I mentored after I transitioned into survivorship bought a wig and that’s mainly all she wore. And then there’s the story of another survivor friend who learned about a completely different hair alternative before she began her treatment and made that her go-to: a hair halo.
What is a hair halo?
Simply put, hair halos are open-top/topless hairpieces that don’t cover the crown of the head and are designed to be worn interchangeably under different scarves, hats, and headwear. In my survivor friend’s case, she learned about hair halos early on enough and had long enough hair to begin with to be able to cut her natural hair short and have it made into a custom halo. Most hair halos that women wear, however, are made from the same kind of synthetic hair used to make other synthetic hair wigs. The main difference with the halo – versus a full wig – is the open top.
Advantage of hair halos over wigs
Hair halos have multiple advantages over full wigs:
Comfort.
Hair halos are lighter-weight and less bulky than a full wig. With the natural crown of the wearer’s head exposed, the hair halos can feel less hot and more comfortable overall. As one customer shared, “Love it! I found my full wig uncomfortable and couldn’t wear it for more than an hour. I love the halo wig! I can keep it on all day and have received many compliments!”
Easy to wear.
Much like a simple cap, the hair halo can be casually “thrown on” and then easily covered by an actual headcover. Some wigs, on the contrary, may require more fuss and tending to before and after being put on to look right. Ease and comfort are probably the two most popular advantages for wearers.
Versatility.
Since halos are less bulky but still provide the look of hair, they can still be worn under almost any hat or scarf – even under a beret! They can dress up or down an outfit and match your look.
A customer wearing the Bob Hair Halo with a beret hat.
A customer wearing the Bob Hair Halo with a beret hat.
Cost effective compared to wigs.
Perhaps another big attraction of hair halos is that they can be less pricey than some wigs. One reviewer shared that she purchased a halo for her friend undergoing chemo, calling it “a perfect match to her original hair color and felt extremely realistic and looked amazing."
"Thank you so much for having such a great product at a reasonable price,” said another reviewer.
Features hair halos share with wigs
The biggest common feature hair halos share with wigs is the compensation for hair loss a woman feels. Some women just do not want to go out in public – or even around their own home or family – with anything other than something that imitates hair. No scarf, bandana, cap, or au natural will do.
Without having to don a full wig, a hair halo allows the woman to confidently and comfortably present herself the way she prefers to be seen. As one halo wearer put it, “Feeling beautiful: I have been told that I look like myself and that is important to me.” Another customer wrote, “Comfortable and realistic: Very nice little hairpiece for under a cap or beanie. My daughter thought it was my real hair as she didn’t realize how much I had lost.”
Another shared feature is that both hair halos and wigs come in multiple colors, styles, and lengths. Though wigs come in far more styles than hair halos, from bobs to beachy long waves there is enough variety with hair halos to satisfy most of the common colors, cuts, and hair lengths a wearer might want. Create some fun: mix up your looks by having more than one halo!
Hair halos are a “hidden gem” solution to hair loss
Wigs have been popularized for a long time, but far fewer women know about hair halos. That’s likely because, while women with hair commonly wear wigs to change their looks, only women with partial or total hair loss are likely to wear a hair halo. And for women facing imminent hair loss due to chemotherapy, finding a suitable substitution is more of a scramble than a trial-and-error process. Hair halos are also not yet in the common vernacular for solutions to hair loss, and yet, once a woman discovers a hair halo, she falls in love with hers!
Hair halos aren’t just a little-known alternative to wearing wigs – thanks to their comfort, ease, and versatility, they are a hidden gem of a solution.