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At your own pace

See what short hair, a buzz cut, a headscarf or a wig can look like

It can be easier to face a change once you have seen it. If you are expecting hair loss from treatment, alopecia or thinning, here are five people, each shown with their own hair and then with five gentle options.

The people shown are fictional and the photos are AI-generated illustrations. They are not a prediction of what your hair will do.

Five people, six looks each

  1. A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, before, with their current hair

    Before

  2. A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, with a soft short cut

    Soft short cut

  3. A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, with a buzz cut

    Buzz cut

  4. A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, with a fully shaved head

    Fully shaved

  5. A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, wearing a soft headscarf

    Headscarf

  6. A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, wearing a natural-looking wig

    Wig

A woman in her thirties with long, natural curly hair, before and with each option.
  1. A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, before, with their current hair

    Before

  2. A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, with a soft short cut

    Soft short cut

  3. A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, with a buzz cut

    Buzz cut

  4. A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, with a fully shaved head

    Fully shaved

  5. A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, wearing a soft headscarf

    Headscarf

  6. A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, wearing a natural-looking wig

    Wig

A woman in her sixties with shoulder-length silver-blonde hair, before and with each option.
  1. A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, before, with their current hair

    Before

  2. A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, with a soft short cut

    Soft short cut

  3. A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, with a buzz cut

    Buzz cut

  4. A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, with a fully shaved head

    Fully shaved

  5. A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, wearing a soft headscarf

    Headscarf

  6. A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, wearing a natural-looking wig

    Wig

A woman in her forties with long, straight black hair, before and with each option.
  1. A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, before, with their current hair

    Before

  2. A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, with a soft short cut

    Soft short cut

  3. A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, with a buzz cut

    Buzz cut

  4. A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, with a fully shaved head

    Fully shaved

  5. A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, wearing a soft headscarf

    Headscarf

  6. A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, wearing a natural-looking wig

    Wig

A man in his fifties with longish black and grey hair, before and with each option.
  1. A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, before, with their current hair

    Before

  2. A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, with a soft short cut

    Soft short cut

  3. A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, with a buzz cut

    Buzz cut

  4. A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, with a fully shaved head

    Fully shaved

  5. A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, wearing a soft headscarf

    Headscarf

  6. A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, wearing a natural-looking wig

    Wig

A man in his twenties with chin-length wavy hair, before and with each option.

Choosing a look

Some people go shorter in steps. Some prefer to shave first. Others choose a wig or a scarf, or switch between them depending on the day. All of these are fine, and so is taking more time to decide.

A few practical notes

Soft short cut

Going shorter first can make the later changes feel smaller, and shedding is easier to manage with less length. Ask for a cut that keeps some softness around the face and ears. Many salons will do it in a private room if you ask.

Buzz cut

A buzz keeps a little color and shadow on the head. The clipper grade sets the length: a grade two is about 6 mm. When hair grows back, a buzz grows out evenly and a tidy-up every few weeks keeps it neat. New growth can come back a different texture or color at first, which is common.

Fully shaved

Some people shave before shedding starts, so it happens on their own terms. An electric shaver is gentler than a blade on sensitive skin. Moisturize afterwards, and use sunscreen or a hat outdoors, because a bare scalp burns easily.

Headscarf

Cotton, bamboo and jersey stay in place better than silk. A simple tie: fold a large square into a triangle, put the long edge at your hairline, cross the ends at the nape, bring them back and knot them over the point, then tuck it in. A thin cotton cap underneath stops it slipping.

Wig

Synthetic wigs hold their style and are easy to care for; human-hair wigs can be heat-styled. Bring a photo of your current hair to a wig specialist to match color and fit. In some places part of the cost is covered with a prescription for a “cranial prosthesis”, so it is worth asking your insurer or care team.

It may help to talk to your care team

Your doctor, nurse or care team can tell you what to expect from your treatment. This page cannot. Many hospitals also have a wig service or can point you to one nearby.

Helpful organizations

We are not affiliated with these organizations.

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