Buying Guide for Fabulous Women Going Through Hair Loss Due to Chemoth

Buying Guide for Fabulous Women Going Through Hair Loss Due to Chemotherapy from Cancer

When first diagnosed with cancer a whole flood of emotions comes over us including that of losing your hair. Most of us conjur up a million things in our heads like “How am I going to look?” “What do I do with no hair?” “My head is a weird shape and how will I suit a hat?” I know all these emotions as my mum was the same and when she got diagnosed with breast cancer, that was the first thought in her head about whats going to happen when she loses all her hair. My mother got a wig initially, but decided she wanted a different option, so we bought some hats online, but they were not nice looking hats to wear when you had lost your hair…. And that was how Kaus was born. We wanted to make great headwear that made you look good and feel great when you had no hair.

Losing your hair can be one of the most challenging aspects of facing a cancer diagnosis. Losing our hair can be scary as we feel we are losing our femininity, but thankfully at Kaus we have created amazing hat styles to fill you with confidence and to make you feel good.

If it is your first time shopping for a hat – let us take you on a journey to help you with your decision into what you should buy and what would be a great hat that suits you.

What To Look For In A Cancer Hat

Full Head Coverage

When shopping for a cancer hat you should look for something that is going to give you coverage. At Kaus we have thought about this with all of our hats, so this is easy, as most will cover the areas of your head where hair normally would grow. This will also disguise your hair loss and make you feel great.

Soft Material

When we lose our hair often our heads are very sensitive to anything that we put on our head. Comfort becomes the most important factor. We at Kaus factor this in to all of our hats. We check when the fabric is purchased that it will feel nice on your skin. If it is say a sequin fabric, we make sure it is lined so you will not feel the sequins on your skin – they will just be there to make you look fabulous.

Inside the Hat

We at Kaus have thought about you, so most of our hats are overlocked with soft cotton thread so they will not irritate your head. We also on most of our styles add the label in so this can either be cut off or unpicked without you altering the style or cutting the hat. We have also endeavoured to make our labels soft and non scratchy.

Volume

We at Kaus have created most of our hats to have volume. I felt when we bought our first hats online for my Mum that they were too small on her head and made her look like she had no hair, so we endeavour with all our styles to make it look nice on the head and specify whether it’s a cap style or more a beanie style so you can see which is going to give you more or less volume.

Things to Consider for your Cancer Hats

When deciding what type of hat you would like to wear there are a few things you should consider first:

Style

What type of clothing do you mainly wear – ie do you mainly need something a bit dressier to wear to work or do you need more casual to wear while out and about? Do you need a style that is not irritiating you around the neck area when you are going through treatment and are getting a hotflush? Think about how the style will best suit you and your needs.

Colours

Determine what colours you love to wear. Are you more a black and white wearing women or do you love a bit of colour in your outfits? What clothing colours do you wear most? This will help determine what colourings you should get for a hat so you get the most use out of your styles and not one you think is pretty but then never wear because the colours just don’t work on you. Chemotherapy can also change the colour of your skin and make you look washed out, so choosing a colour that makes your skin look vibrant can be a must. Some people also know which colours suit them best – are you an Autumn women or a Summer Women? This can also help with colour choice.

Seasons

Seasons is an important one. There are certain styles and fabrics which are more suited to Winter than Summer and we endeavour to make sure the cancer hat you have chosen has this specified so you can make the right choice. Also sometimes when women go through Chemotherapy for Cancer they can get hot flushes. This can mean you may want a hat for these times that is a lot lighter.

Wig versus Hat

Through my journey with starting Kaus and making lots of hats, Ive found that initially there was a stigma around having cancer, losing your hair and having to wear a hat. Women always sought straight away to get a wig to disguise what they are going through and to look “normal” to the outside world. But I have found things have dramatically changed over the years. Women are owning the fact that they are getting treatment and yes sometimes your hair does fall out and it may change your appearance but that doesn’t mean you have to wear uncomfortable wigs just for the sake of someone else. Try both first before you go straight to buying a wig as you may find you like hats better and vice versa – choose what suits you best and feels the best for you.

Our Styles of Cancer Hats

Choosing a type of hat style can be quite daunting, but different hats offer different types of options in which can be quite fun. You can change your daily look with your outfit and create a fashion statement with your hat. Below we describe our hats and you can decide what might suit you best. At Kaus we designed all of our hats to be easy and to slip on. Some other companies have created endless styles that to us could create more complication and fuss but here at Kaus we wanted easy no fuss hats that look great! Below are details on each style and how they are worn.

Scarf Hats

Scarf Hats are a feminine option for women who want to look elegant and to feel like they have hair. These versatile hats have been made so that they are very easy to wear. The scarf is threaded through the loops on the side of the cap to easily keep the scarf in place and so you don’t have to try and fiddle around with tying and trying to make the scarf stay on your head. You can also wear the cap without the scarf for another option. The scarfs can also be changed, and taken off the cap (as they are not attached) so you can switch up colour options if need be for more versatility. We designed them specifically so that they are less hassle and less fuss for you.

Wrap n Twist Hats

Wrap n Twist Hats are a great option for those that want something super comfortable and versatile. The hat can be worn easily just tied at the back with it hanging down either side of your face or you can then wrap it up and twist around your face, like a beanie, so that if you are hot or the ties are annoying you, you can have them off your face. Wearing a wrap hat is super easy to put on and wear out and about to your daily appointments.

Nightcaps

Nightcaps are the perfect option for at night or in the day for a more fitted look. They are also a perfect more snug option for going on walks or going to the gym. At night, when you have no hair, you can lose quite a bit of heat through your head and get a cold head whilst sleeping. Wearing a nightcap can keep you from getting the chills and keep your head warm and snug, or can just be an option so you feel less naked.

Beanies

Beanies are an easy day wear option and also night wear option – just pop on and go! They are designed to create a look of fullness like you have hair underneath. Most of these have been created with a band around the face for that extra hold and are all lined for comfort so that if they are in a fun fabric, with textured or sequins, that this does not scratch your face.

Turbans

Our new exclusive turbans are a fun edition to any wardrobe. We created these to give a little lift to your daily hats and for something a bit different. All of these have been created to slip on and wear similar to a beanie so they are no fuss and no tie – as we are all about easy to wear hats. These can also be worn over the top of your wig to create a completely different look and people will never know you have no hair underneath.

What Cancer Hats do I need in my Wardrobe?

For most women, knowing how many hats to purchase can be daunting. How many do I need in a week? What is an easy way to rotate them? We think having three hats to start off with is a great option. Most of our customers like to buy a night cap (for when its cold at night and sleeping) and also another few hats for day wear. Typically they purchase a Scarf Hat as they are versatile or a Wrap n Twist hat which can offer them two options in one. It also depends on what type of hat you are looking for as they are all great and are for different needs.

Choosing what hats will go with your wardrobe and how many you might need in a week is a good start. Are you going to wear your hat every day or are you going to wear your wig as well so you can rotate them easily? Is it summer, and are you going to get hot? So you might want a few so you can wash them.

Black goes with everything and can be worn multiple times and can match black, blue and every colour.

We are here to help – so contact us if you need any suggestions or know what you like and don’t like and we can help you from there.

Tips And Tricks For Your Cancer Hats

Because many women who experience hair loss are wearing hats and turbans for the first time, we've gathered some tips and tricks to help make the transition to wearing hats and other headwear as easy as possible!

Summer

A lot of women like to wear their sun hats in summer when they are at the beach or in the garden. A great option to protect your head can be to wear a nightcap underneath, or the cap from the Scarf Hats, as this will give you more protection from the sun and stop your straw hat scratching your head - such a common complaint.

On a Budget?

A great hat to purchase when you are on a budget is the Scarf Hat which has an interchangeable scarf. You can then purchase your own fabrics to create scarfs. Top tip - op shops are great for scarf shopping to find a unique design on a budget!

Trying at Home

Buying online means that you can purchase hats in a convenient manner in the privacy of your own home. Not happy? We have a great exchange policy and we are more than happy to change styles and help you find something you might like better.

Work the hat for your best angles

If a hat doesn’t look flattering when you first try it on, you may need to adjust it to sit on your head in a different way. Maybe it’s pushing down the fullness of the fabric in the back - try pulling the back part of the hat more towards the back of your head so it doesn’t stick up or pull it down the nape of your neck more. Think of the hat like doing your hair – you may need to work the angles to best create the look for you. Not everyone has a side part or a middle part and this is the same with a hat. It might look better slightly more angled or the scarf tied in a different position to that of what we have currently tied them. Experiment until you find something that ultimately achieves the best look for you.

Customise your Cancer Hat

Using accessories to enhance your headwear is a great way to customise your look. Some accessories that you may have at home can make your hat look even better.

Brooches

Brooches you can add to your hats and they can make your hat go from day to night. Often we have these lying around at home so get digging through your jewellery box and see what you can find.

Wearing a hat over your Wig

Wearing a hat over your wig can create an entirely different look and also look like you just decided to wear a hat over “your hair”. It will also create a sense of security knowing when its windy that your wig is not going to lift off. Try this for a night look for something a bit different.

Earrings

Earrings can balance out your look when wearing a hat. They can also dress up and help you accessorise when you have no hair hanging down either side of your neck.

Fabrics in our Cancer Hats

See our material section to look in depth at some of the fabrics we love using.

The Fits of our Cancer Hats

We at Kaus have had a lot of experience over the years in the fashion industry and we know that fit is impeccable to something looking great. When a hat is sewn it needs to be sewn properly so that not even a 1cm is taken off the hat otherwise this can create the fit to be too small or too big if too much is left on it. Variations are much more noticeable on a hat so we have perfected our patterns to ensure that these work and if the hat is a little smaller or bigger than average – we make sure we state this in our fit size for transparency.

We personally design and make 80% of the hats ourselves or with skilled people who we make sure have the art down to sew our beautiful hats. We ensure the quality is up to standard and we ensure that the threads are not going to pop and will stay stretchy.

Most of hats we have designed to have built in stretch or the ability to stretch if they are woven. This allows them to fit most sized heads. Most women have an average size head ranging from around 53cm-55cm. If it states that it will fit most, this means it will stretch and can fit most heads even outside the range above. But if we think the hat specifically will only fit a certain size head, we will state this to ensure you can choose a different purchase.

Caring for your Hats

We at Kaus have made sure that most of our hats are durable and going to last. Most of our headwear can be handwashed in cold water with a mild detergent. It is best to use a natural non irritating soap or detergent for this, as detergents or soaps with the nasties in them can be irritating to your skin as it becomes sensitive to the chemotherapy.

If the hat has sequins or is embellished, take extra care when hand-washing as sequins or beads could fall off easily if washed to vigorously.

You can lightly steam the hats if you need to get a wrinkle out of them but these are usually stretched out when put on the head.

Scarves can be ironed with a light to moderate heat ensuring not to burn these as this can happen easily if the iron gets too hot. If you have a few hairs or dust on your hat – this can easily be removed with a lint roller or some tape wrapped around your fingers to get this off.

Look after your hat and you will be able to wear this for a long time.

Our Designs

We at Kaus have designed what we think are the best hats for cancer patients who have lost their hair. We have seen a lot of hats in the market and have tried our best to make hats that can be worn on anyone – hair or no hair. We have culled our range down to a few simple designs that are easy to wear and not tricky and have no special tying needs that make them in the too-hard-basket to wear.

As I have been in the fashion industry for years, I take pride in making fashionable headwear for you and hope to keep creating amazing hats that you will love to wear that will bring a little happiness to your day and bring you all the confidence in the world.

We hope the above helps and wish you a fashionable road to recovery.

X Kerrin
Director & Design Guru at Kaus

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