I’m 5’2”. The average woman in the United States is 5’4”. It’s taken me a while to find clothing that fits my petite frame well, and alterations are a given (with the exception of Talbots Petite pants, which I love because I can buy them off the rack).
When I was a kid, I wore plastic headbands, but they would crack occasionally because I couldn’t get them open enough to go behind my ears. When I was in college, I played in the marching band. I would get an XS uniform and an XL shako (fancy name for a hat). While we had to tuck our hair up into our shakos, my hair didn’t account for my shako size, it was my head. When I started to wear glasses, plastic frame lenses creaked when I tried them on, unless they were from Oakley or metal ones from Silhouette. Except for the occasional purchase of glasses, my head size isn’t something I really had to think about much. Until now.
Did you know that 95% of women have a head circumference of 21.5” to 22.5”? This means most women wear an average size wig. Petite wigs fit those with a head circumference of 18”-21”. Large wigs are meant for those with heads 23” in circumference.
When they tell you to get fitted for a wig sooner rather than later, go, get thee to the wig shop.
Wig shopping is kinda strange, because many people are on a time crunch. I was told that my hair would start falling out after the second chemo treatment, and they were right. Me, I am pretty sure I willed my hair to stay in until after my speech, but sure enough, the weekend I returned home it I actually wanted it to be gone because my scalp actually ached.
The hospital where I am getting treatment has a little boutique that sells wigs, headcoverings, and makeup. I went there to ask about their wig services, and my eyes just filled with tears. I took that as a sign I wasn’t ready just yet to be wig shopping, but I knew I had to start the process. The patient shopkeeper explained the various services they offer including wig consultations, head shaving, acupuncture, and massage.
Ask your nurse navigator, oncologist, friends, and friends of friends abut recommended resources. When I reached out to friends, I reached out to older friends, figuring they may have more friends who have experienced hair loss due to cancer than friends who were my age and younger.
People don’t always leave reviews for wig shops with before and after pictures, because it’s a pretty vulnerable experience. When I asked around, friends or their friends many had actually used the hospital boutique, but I honestly couldn’t get myself back there. After calling a few places and figuring out their appointment availability, I selected a place on the other side of the county.
When people ask “How can I help?”, wrangle a family member or friend who will really tell you how it is when you go wig shopping. You’re going to want someone who is sensitive, truthful, and supportive. I didn’t want to turn this into an entourage experience, but I did want someone with me. So I called a friend to join me. As the day drew closer, she was kicking a cold, so I ended up going solo.
I’ve never been to a wig shop, besides my brief moment at the hospital boutique, and it was like a regular hairdresser’s place but with wigs. As I sat my 5’2” self into the barber chair, I asked if Wig Lady if she had to measure my head. I’ve never shopped for a wig and wasn’t sure if it was like shoe shopping.
“Oh, don’t worry, most wigs are average size but there are petite wigs available,” she assured me.
“Actually, my head’s kinda big,” I told her.
She pulled out a few wigs and placed a wig cap on my hair. The wig cap reminded me of stocking caps that I’ve seen in movies when someone’s going to rob a bank. It kept sproinging up, and we kept pulling it down. I’m going to have to keep my day job because I cannot keep the stocking cap on my head long enough to rob a bank. Plus it doesn’t cover my entire face.
The purpose of the wig cap is to smush down your existing hair to create a smooth surface when wearing a wig. Since who knows how long it will be until I part with what hair I do have, the sproinginess is probably a moot issue.
Wig Lady explained the different parts of the wigs and placed it on my head from the back. The moment was full of suspense and reminded me of when Miss America’s crown is placed on her head minus the multiple layers of Spanx and holding hands with the other contestant.
“Whoa, this is tight,” I said.
To which she responded, “Don’t worry, it’s adjustable,” she answered.
“No, this is like headache tight,” I responded.
When we took the wig off my head, my head had a dent in it from where it was pressing into my head. She got the next wig, adjusted it, and placed it on my head.
“Hmmmm,” she said as she pulled the wig forward and looked at me.
“Hmmmm,” she said as she pulled the wig back and looked at me.
“Hmmmm,” she said as she moved it from side to side.
Off came the wig, and out came a measuring tape.
She measured from left ear to right ear, then took the measurement again.
“Hmmmm,” she said as she measured from right ear to left ear. Whether one measures from left to right or right to left, shouldn’t the measurement be the same? It seems like it should, so that means she measured me three times to confirm the number.
She measured the circumference of my head.
She shared that my head measures large in both circumference and the ear to measurement.
“Is this going to be a problem?” I wondered aloud.
Wig Lady said she didn’t have anything in stock that would fit my head, so she’d place an order, which would take about 10 days.
I asked if she had anything in stock, regardless of what it looked like, that might fit my head so I could get an idea of what it might feel like.
She pulled out what I am pretty sure was a toupee. We got a good laugh from it, but my big head here was not a good fit.
Maybe it was good my friend wasn’t able to join me. The afternoon felt like it was adding insult to injury, as I was already feeling not so great about going to get a wig and now my massive brain seems to prevent me from off the rack wig shopping.
So when they say to visit a wig shop sooner rather than later. Grab a spouse, partner, mom, sister, friend, but go. It can be sad, emotional, funny, empowering, frustrating, but go.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
