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Costume Design & Construction

Chemotherapy Patient Hats (8C)

My mom had to go through chemotherapy during mid summer in California a couple of years ago, and was annoyed, as many patients are, that not only did all her hair come out, but that wigs itched and were too hot.  So, I came up with a simple solution (based on quick-change costume hats) that worked for head coverings till her hair grew back.  What I did was this; I bought a single cheap wig that had hair similar to her natural hair, and cut it up into strips.  I then went to a thrift store, (and also rooted around in my closet) for lots of soft comfortable hats of various types. I then sewed the strips of hair to the inside of each hat, like this:

 I had some in open weave straw for hot days.

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 As you can see they all look like normal hair, but one doesn't have all that itchy wig cap and hot hair to deal with.

What To Do:

Step 1:  Get a wig that matches the hairstyle and hair color of the patient.  Disassemble the wig into strips.  If the original style is long in back, make sure to separate the long bits from the short bits.

Step 2:  Find a group of hats with soft crowns with no scratchy bits inside.  Remove any tags or anything that might poke the scalp.  

Step 3:  Whipstitch strips of hair to the inside of the hat like this:

If you are working with a long style, sew a substantial amount of the long strips to the back part of the hat that sits at the base of the head.  If the patient's scalp is especially sensitive, you can also sew a soft fabric strip over the top of the hair strips to cushion the scalp more.

When they are finished, photograph the hats as jpeg files and post them to your File folder at the class eGroup.  Post a message to the group letting everyone know you have posted these pictures so you can get feedback.

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Related links: 

• Titbits.ca a website for women living with breast cancer (Knitted wearable art breast prosthetics)
• knitty.com (Free downloadable pattern for above breasts)
• adult-cancercaps