Helping You Through Your Journey

Embracing your diagnosis introduces change. We are here to help guide you through your hair loss. In a private confidential setting we will educate you on the many options available. We will assess your desired hairstyle, color, density and lifestyle and decide together which option would be the best fit for you. We will provide your replacement hair, cut and style to you as if it was your biological hair. We will help guide you through the entire process as much or as little as you need providing you with all the tools and resources you may need.

Hair loss occurs when chemotherapy damages dividing follicle cells. Whether a woman loses her hair during treatment depends on the type and dosage of the drugs her oncologist has prescribed. Some may not affect hair at all, some may cause partial hair loss/thinning and some will temporarily cause complete hair loss.

If an oncology doctor or nurse predicts hair loss, the best approach is to prepare for the inevitable in phases before you even start treatment. Schedule an initial consultation with the experienced and professionally trained stylists at Complete Image in Cleveland, Ohio, to avail yourself of their knowledge. By beginning the process before the hair is completely lost the relationship building that occurs with your personal stylist will lessen your anxieties. Simply voicing your feelings and concerns to another person who has extensive experience with such a difficult situation can be very comforting.

On a more practical side, color can be better matched, frontal hairlines can be documented, possible styles discussed and the selection process can be initiated. Making decisions earlier means the craftsmen at Complete Image will be ready to proceed when that moment comes where you are no longer comfortable. We fully understand when that sense of urgency sets in and will schedule your fitting promptly.

Cranial Prosthetic

Hearing the words “Cancer” and “Chemotherapy” can be startling. Thankfully, mass media exposure of the disease and its treatment options has resulted in a more informed public. Having access to accurate, current, comprehensive and most importantly, comprehensible information, has helped to dispel many old cancer myths.

Chemotherapy is a course of treatment in which specific chemical agents or drugs are used to selectively destroy malignant cells and tissues. The combination of chemicals is customized to each patient and each type of cancer based on the efficacy established in extensive testing, trials, and the experience of the oncology specialist. Chemotherapy, usually in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation, has proven to be a highly effective treatment option.

In the minds of most patients, chemotherapy is synonymous with baldness and nausea. Tremendous advances in pharmaceutical research have produced medications to combat, or even prevent nausea, and your medical professional can offer a variety of options.

Hair replacement technology has made significant advances as well. The highly skilled staff at Complete Image in Cleveland can offer you a variety of solutions to keep up your appearance and your confidence once hair thinning and/or hair loss occur. We have an attachment to the image we see in the mirror and when it suddenly – due to circumstances beyond our control – changes drastically, it can easily affect our identity. The stylists at Complete Image have years of experience to draw on to assist you in taking back control of your appearance at a time when you may be in the midst of chaos. The key to weathering the transition may lie in rewriting our internal dialog in a less critical tone and ignoring society’s attitude.

The damage to the very delicate hair follicles that are susceptible to the chemicals in chemotherapy drugs (or radiation therapy) does not occur instantly and can take up to 2 – 3 weeks from the time of the first dosage. It also crosses gender lines and affects both women and men equally. The best time to schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced, emphatic hair replacement expert at Cleveland’s Complete Image is before treatment starts. If after your consultation you decide a hair replacement system is right for you, the stylists at Complete Image will help you to navigate the process to achieve the look you feel is right for you. Being able to assess a client’s hair growth pattern, usual hair style, texture, color, etc. will enable the stylist to work with the client to achieve the most natural-looking, best fitting hair replacement option.

Should changes in the fit occur during the course of the treatment, adjustments to fit and style can easily be made on site. At Complete Image, the partnership forged between stylist and client during that initial visit often outlasts the course of the treatment.

The good news is that after treatment is completed, hair will grow back and usually even fuller than before!

Helpful Links

Cleaning For a Reason, the foundation that cleans homes for women with cancer.

The Gathering Place is a caring community that offers services beyond support to those who are touched by cancer. Visit their beautiful East or West locations for a priceless experience.

Visit the American Cancer Society for important information on resources concerning the care for your body, support systems and facilities in your area to meet all of your needs.