A hair prosthesis (or cranial prosthesis) is a custom-made
wig
A wig is a head or hair accessory made from human hair, animal hair, or synthetic fiber. The word wig is short for periwig, which makes its earliest known appearance in the English language in William Shakespeare's ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona' ...
specifically designed for patients who have lost their hair as a result of medical conditions or treatments, such as
alopecia areata
Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. Often, it results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are pos ...
,
alopecia totalis,
trichotillomania
Trichotillomania (TTM), also known as hair-pulling disorder or compulsive hair pulling, is a mental disorder characterized by a long-term urge that results in the pulling out of one's own hair. A brief positive feeling may occur as hair is remov ...
,
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
, or any other clinical disease or treatment resulting in
hair loss
Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scarri ...
.
The terminology is used when applying for medical insurance or tax deduction status.
Doctors have been prescribing these prostheses since the 1950s. Cranial prostheses also help to protect disease-weakened immune systems from the sun, and to regulate body temperature.
Cranial hair prostheses have advanced due to technology. A cranial hair prosthesis is different from a regular wig. Cranial hair prosthesis is done in several steps that include the taking of the cranial perimeter mold to achieve a perfect fit. The mold is done at the base where the hair is attached. The base is made using a hypoallergenic fabric because people having chemotherapy are usually very sensitive to any material, and their scalp is prone to allergies. The same is done when applying the hair to the base. The technique used to attach the hair is focused on avoiding that the knotting touches the scalp.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hair Prosthesis
Wigs