Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content
Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

How to Find a Free or Low-Cost Wig for a Loved One

These organizations offer affordable options for those affected by medical-related hair loss


spinner image a woman with a scarf on her head smiles next to four wigs on a blue and pink background
Elena Lacey

If you’ve ever cared for someone experiencing medical hair loss, you know how soul-crushing that loss can be. It may be caused by chemotherapy, surgery, a burn or alopecia. Whatever the circumstances, losing hair can take a toll on a loved one’s self-esteem and identity, when they’re already feeling exceedingly vulnerable.  

Wig construction, design and availability have come a long way over the past several decades, but tasteful, attractive wigs can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, often leaving people to settle for uncomfortable, ill-fitting wigs, or no wig at all.

“Research has told us that wigs play a crucial role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for cancer patients,” says Brooke Street, director of online support programs at the American Cancer Society. “And we know that providing wigs to those who are financially disadvantaged empowers them. It reduces distress. And it allows them to navigate through their cancer journey with increased confidence and self-esteem.” No one wants to be defined by cancer, Street adds. “They want to continue to look like mom or grandma, aunt or sister — they just want to look like themselves. And through wigs or headwear, you can continue to have that self-identity and that confidence while you’re dealing with your cancer treatment and everything else going on.”

Recognizing the need for free and low-cost hairpieces, these organizations, listed alphabetically, have stepped in to help.

CancerCare.org

Tonya Potts, CancerCare’s senior programs operations manager and wig-fitting specialist, remembers when she started wearing a wig during her treatment for breast cancer. “I was very reluctant,” she says. “I wasn’t comfortable. However, I learned to let wigs be my best friend. And that journey has given me the opportunity to not be tied down to one style.”

Channeling her experience to help others, she works for CancerCare.org, a national nonprofit that serves clients in Connecticut, New Jersey and all five boroughs of New York City. The organization encourages patients with hair loss to call its Hopeline, at 800-813-4673. An oncology social worker will answer and help patients schedule an in-person or online appointment to find a free wig that works for them. CancerCare.org prides itself on offering a diverse range of looks, including hair for African American women and beyond. “No matter how you look,” Potts insists to clients, “remember that real beauty comes from self-love and from inside yourself.”

EverYou by the American Cancer Society

This summer, the American Cancer Society relaunched its wig program with a new name, EverYou. Wigs start at $30 and go up to $650. “We provide products that are chosen by experts and people living with cancer,” Street says. “We want to make sure that individuals have a meaningful shopping experience, so we help guide them through their questions.” Free wigs are available for those with financial barriers; to find out if your loved one qualifies for a free product, talk to a social worker at the hospital where they’re being treated, or contact EverYou at 800-850-9445. 

Pay it Forward by EBeauty Community

Two-time cancer survivor Carolyn Keller started the Pay it Forward program as part of her nonprofit, EBeauty Community, in 2011. Keller says it’s a “circle of giving” that empowers women concluding their cancer journey to help women who are beginning theirs. Women who no longer need their wigs donate them to EBeauty; then, students at Paul Mitchell beauty schools nationwide wash and refurbish them, in the process learning more about the empathy required to care for women with hair loss. Stylists are often the “first line of defense” when a woman loses her hair, Keller points out. Once the wigs are ready for a new owner, EBeauty Community distributes them to individuals who request one online, as well as through partnerships with nearly 100 hospitals nationwide.

Over the past 13 years, the organization has distributed more than 100,000 wigs to women facing cancer treatment, alopecia or other medical hair loss. (In addition to donated wigs, it distributes new wigs through its partnerships.) The group asks women to send in a doctor’s note as well as photos of them with their natural hair, so a network of volunteers can find the best match for everyone.

spinner image AARP Membership Card

Join AARP today for $16 per year. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine. 

TRS Care

The nonprofit TRS Care provides free wigs for individuals who meet U.S. poverty guidelines. “We want to reach women [in need] who feel like they don’t have any choices, and give them the opportunity to get something that maybe they wouldn’t otherwise have access to,” says Tabassum Mithani, director of operations at TRS Health Inc.

Verma Foundation

Cancer survivor Natasha Verma, a news anchor in New York, lost her hair during chemotherapy. She created the Verma Foundation, she says, “as a way to give women hope, confidence and a real hair cap wig.” Since launching the program in 2017, the foundation has distributed more than 3,000 cap wigs — baseball caps with real human hair attached — around the world to women with financial limitations who are experiencing hair loss.

Wigs & Wishes

Hair stylist and salon owner Martino Cartier created the nonprofit Wigs & Wishes to bring together salon owners around the country to provide free wigs and services to those experiencing cancer-related hair loss. Patients can enter their ZIP code online to find the closest participating salon, schedule a consultation and order a wig that suits them best. “And if there is not a location near you, simply contact the Wigs & Wishes headquarters, and we will be sure to make you look cancer-free for free,” Cartier says. His motto: “If you don’t know how to give, you don’t know how to live.”

Unlock Access to AARP Members Edition

Join AARP to Continue

Already a Member?