# Wigs, cranial prostheses and head coverings

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/wigs-cranial-prosthesis/  
OnCo record `wigs-cranial-prosthesis` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A wig, scarf or cap restores privacy and confidence during hair loss. In the UK wigs come on NHS prescription, free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and in England for children, students under 19 and people on qualifying benefits; in the US a prescription for a 'cranial prosthesis' lets some insurers reimburse one, and charities give wigs free.

## Summary

Hair loss is consistently rated among the most distressing effects of chemotherapy, and covering it is a supportive measure in its own right rather than a cosmetic afterthought. In England, synthetic and human-hair wigs are available on NHS prescription through hospital appliance departments with a charge per wig unless the patient is exempt (under 16, in full-time education under 19, on qualifying benefits, or holding an HC2 certificate), and are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; Macmillan and Cancer Hair Care offer fitting advice and grants. In the United States, Medicare does not cover wigs but many private insurers reimburse a 'cranial prosthesis' or 'hair prosthesis' when prescribed with the diagnosis code for drug-induced alopecia, so the prescription wording matters; the American Cancer Society, local wig banks and Look Good Feel Better workshops supply free wigs and teach scarf tying and make-up for lost brows. Synthetic wigs are lighter and cheaper; human-hair wigs cost more and need styling. Fitting before hair falls out allows colour matching, and a soft cap liner protects a tender scalp. Scalp cooling, minoxidil and bimatoprost address the hair itself; wigs and coverings address the interval.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:strong
- Principle: Restoring appearance reduces the social visibility of illness, which trials of appearance programmes link to lower distress and better body image during treatment.
- Strengths: Immediate and universally available; NHS provision in the UK, insurer reimbursement and charity wig banks in the US; Fitting before hair loss allows matching
- Limitations: Charges in England unless exempt; many US plans still exclude wigs; Heat and itch with synthetic wigs; Human-hair wigs are costly

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wig
- NHS: wigs and fabric supports on the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/wigs-and-fabric-supports-on-the-nhs/
- Macmillan Cancer Support: hair loss: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/hair-loss
- American Cancer Society: hair loss: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/hair-skin-nails/hair-loss.html
- Look Good Feel Better: https://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/

## Connected records

- ideas: [Fund scalp cooling and hair-preserving measures for every alopecia-inducing regimen](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-moon-hair-preservation-for-all/)
- collections: [American Cancer Society (ACS)](https://onco.cc/collections/american-cancer-society/), [Look Good Feel Better](https://onco.cc/collections/look-good-feel-better/), [The Little Princess Trust](https://onco.cc/collections/little-princess-trust/), [Wigs for Kids](https://onco.cc/collections/wigs-for-kids/)
- fronts: [Recovery & Rejuvenation](https://onco.cc/fronts/rejuvenation/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- technologies: [Bimatoprost for eyelash and eyebrow regrowth](https://onco.cc/technologies/bimatoprost-eyelash-regrowth/), [Body image after cancer treatment: how it is measured, what drives it, and what helps](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-mind-body-image-after-cancer/), [Camouflage and restoration: fibres, micropigmentation, transplantation](https://onco.cc/technologies/hair-camouflage-and-restoration/), [Facial reconstruction and facial prostheses: ears, orbits and noses](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-recon-facial-prosthetics/), [Minoxidil for persistent chemotherapy- and endocrine-therapy hair loss](https://onco.cc/technologies/minoxidil-chemotherapy-alopecia/), [Psycho-oncology and distress screening](https://onco.cc/technologies/psycho-oncology/), [Scalp care during and after cancer treatment](https://onco.cc/technologies/scalp-care-cancer-treatment/), [Scalp cooling (cold caps: DigniCap, Paxman)](https://onco.cc/technologies/scalp-cooling/), [The devices that do the restoring, and who pays for them](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-rehab-assistive-devices/), [What recovery costs in the UK, and what it does not](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-access-what-it-costs-uk/), [What recovery costs in the United States](https://onco.cc/technologies/rejuv-access-what-it-costs-us/)
- institutions: [Macmillan Cancer Support](https://onco.cc/institutions/macmillan-cancer-support/)
- bottlenecks: [Most of the world has almost no cancer care](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-global-access/), [Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-toxicity-qol/)
- terms: [Eyebrow and eyelash loss (madarosis)](https://onco.cc/terms/hair-brows-and-lashes/), [Regrowth after chemotherapy (chemo curls)](https://onco.cc/terms/hair-regrowth-after-chemotherapy/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/wigs-cranial-prosthesis.json