Where can I get a free wig?

 

Ask a Question

Q: Where do I go for financial help and free wigs? My hair is all gone and I can't afford to buy one. 

A: Several groups can help. Y-ME, a national organization that offers free counseling to those with breast cancer, gives wigs, prostheses, and mastectomy bras to women with limited financial resources. Contact their 24-hour hotline (English: 1-800-221-2141; Spanish: 1-800-986-9505) for information.

Many local chapters of the American Cancer Society have wig banks that provide free wigs to patients in need, regardless of the type of cancer. Find your local chapter here. In addition, check with hospitals near you. They often have similar programs.

If you buy a wig or hairpiece due to cancer treatment, you may be able to take a tax deduction for it as a medical expense. Read your health insurance policy—it may pay for all or part of the wig’s cost. Have your doctor write a prescription for it before you buy.

--Bernice Crook, RN, OCN

Discover other sources of financial support.

Latest Cancer News
Avastin® Linked with Increased Risk of Blood Clots

November 20, 2008 — According to a combined analysis of previously published studies, cancer patients who use Avastin® (bevacizumab) may have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (a blood clot in a vein). These results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Addition of Avastin® to Paraplatin®, Taxol®, and Erbitux® Promising for Advanced NSCLC

November 20, 2008 — Researchers affiliated with the Southwest Oncology Group have reported that the four-drug combination of chemotherapy agents Paraplatin® (carboplatin) and Taxol® (paclitaxel) plus targeted therapies Avastin® (bevacizumab) and Erbitux® (cetuximab) is safe and may improve survival in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The details of this study were presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology November 13-15.

Avastin® Increases Risk of Venous Thromboembolism

November 20, 2008 — Researchers from Stony Brook University have reported that the use of Avastin® (bevacizumab) increases the risk of thromboembolism. The details of this review were published in the November 19, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health