Chemo Head Scarves

Cotton Pre-tied with Height – Great for Chemo!

By B. Levi

Many women purchase headcoverings to help them deal with hair loss following chemotherepy treatments.

Why does Chemo cause hair loss?

Chemotherapy is currently the main tool used to battle cancer. It is usually a drug which destroys the cancerous cells in the body. Unfortunately it also destroys “good” cells, thereby damaging the hair follicles making hair loss an inevitable side effect of this treatment. There are a great many options available for women in this situation and each women is encouraged to make sure she finds the one that is best for her and makes her feel most comfortable. If a woman chooses to use head scarves or headwraps during chemo there are some important things to keep in mind.

There are two major problems with scarves, one is “slickness” the other is itch. Let’s tackle slickness. Scarves made from satin or silk or any material with a slick texture will usually have a difficult time staying in place on one’s head. Either avoid them completely or use a “wigrip” or cotton undercover – 2 different products that eliminate “slippage”.

The next thing to bear in ming is comfort. Many wool fabrics will itch and unnatural polyesters in in many cases are not “breathable” and will cause excessive uncomfort. In light of these facts, it is usually best for women undergoing chemo to purchase headscarves made from natural fibers such as linen or cotton that will allow the scalp to breathe. If the place you are buying your headscarf from does not list the fabric type, don’t hesitate to call them up and inquire before buying.

In closing, we hope all who purchase headscarves due to hair loss from chemo only have to use them very temporarily and get their hair and healthy bodies back as quick as possible!

(Sources include articlesnatch, american cancer society, and others)

Babushka Headscarves

Babushkas Head Scarves

Headscarves have tons of different names and one of the most interesting ones is the term Babushka.

What is a babushka? Typically, a Babushka is a 3 foot long head scarf that is folded into a triangle and then tied under the chin.

How did Babushka’s get their name?

Well the term Babushka is really the Russian word used for Grandmother and it is still quite typical for elderly women in Russia to cover ther hair with a headscarf in this manner.

However don’t think for a minute that giving head scarves the name Babushka means that headscarves can’t be cool ‘cause not cool “Babushka’s are sooo yesterday.

In June of 2011 NPR ran a story of some very very cool Babushkas. A group of elderly Russian women all widowed from the village of Buranovo in the Udmurt Republic formed a band that was pretty good. They became somewhat of a sensation in Russia started giving concerts around the country. Eventually they scored an invite to the Eurovision contest and they showed up on the flashy Eurovision set clad in their taditional Urdmurt clothing, Long dresses, and yup, Babushka headscarves.

No they didn’t win that year’s Eurovision contest but they did prove that headscarves - especially Babushka Headscarves – are really cool!

Very Multi-Functional Head Scarves!

Head Scarves

My headscarf doubled as a pot holder today. No, not the one on my head… The one my toddler pulled out of the headscarves drawer!

Did you know that head scarves are multi functional? I didn’t either - that is till I had kids. Kids find the most unique uses for the most ordinary objects. Apparently my pot holder ended up serving some more IMPORTANT use in the playroom, (where I found it  later in the evening) so the head scarf that was doubling as a doll blanket served the purpose of pot holder as well.

All kidding aside, headscarves and Tichels can be used for a variety of uses for adults as well. A Tichel can accessorize an outfit when tied as a neck scarf, shawl or belt. Take it along on an outing where it can serve as a makeshift table cloth. Or even around the house it can serve the purpose of temporary curtains, or an accent table runner for a party.

So next time you see a head scarf in a pattern that catches your fancy, think of all the wonderful ways you can use it, and if all else fails…give it to the kids!

How To Tie A Tichel – Butterfly Style

The “butterfly” tie a great and original way to tie a headscarf. It’s light weight and very comfortable to wear. It gives a great spring or summery look and brings tying headscarves to a different level. It’s a style using two head scarves to create one custom head covering giving it a more fashionable look.

1.    When tying our headscarf butterfly style we experimented using a fringed headscarf over a simple, not fringed head scarf. Our model is wearing the Israeli Tichel with Flower Design in peach as the head scarf on the bottom.  Take your square headscarf and fold it into a triangle. Gently put it over your head. You should have a tail hanging on either side of your head and a tail hanging down by your neck.

2.    Our model is wearing the Basic Israeli Tichel with Lurex and Fringes in white as the second head scarf. Take your square headscarf and fold it into a triangle. Gently put it over your head the same way as the first one however, place it about one inch further back than the first scarf.

3.    Now, take the one inch part from the first headscarf that is sticking out and slowly and carefully fold it over the second head scarf forming a band with height.

4.    Finally, take all four tails (two from each side) and tie them tightly in the back of your neck to ensure your head scarf is strong and secure.

Accessorize for Spring with Spring Colors

Try pastel head scarves and head coverings this spring

Finally!!! Winter is now over – or should be, and Spring has sprung!! For some reason the word Spring somehow makes me smile. Just thinking of the sun shining and flowers sprouting, birds chirping and the sound of children playing gives me the warmth I’ve been waiting for a whole Winter long. Just imagining the soft light Spring colors relaxes me. The word spring just makes me want to dance and sing! It makes me want to Spring into the new season we’ve been waiting for so long – or at least I’ve been waiting for so long! So no time to lose – let’s spring into Spring before this season is gone with the wind.

Of course the BIG question is “what color to wear in Spring?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!”

Well, don’t jump ahead of yourself  – Spring IS NOT  summer! Spring is Spring and Summer is Summer. So of course in the Spring, it might still be a little chilly or breezy; you might not want to dump that jacket just yet , however you night decide to wear a lighter weight jacket. Now there’s no need to start wearing summer clothes or summer colors yet – we’ll save that for summer time, but you can definitely start wearing spring colors!

Now, we all know that Spring colors are those light and soft looking pastel colors. For example: light pink, light green, light blue or light orange. Light yellow or peach or even white. Now if you’re not the “light” kind of person – don’t fret! We’ve got the perfect idea for you! You can still wear those dark color clothing that you love and just dress it up with some lovely, light, pastel colored hair accessories, women’s berets or head coverings. It gives the perfect look, makes the perfect outfit and of course the most perfect you!!

So let’s try to imagine this to ourselves. All black with a light green and gold necklace with a light green head wrap. Or how about a soft pink necklace with a soft pink beret?! It’s all in your hands – the sky is the limit when it comes to hair accessories!

Now, If your just edging to wear those colors already, your just sick and tired of all the dark colors; the best hair accessories will probably be the darker ones since you don’t want  to look too summery either. You can try a light weight beret in a darker shade, a banana clip, head band or head wrap.

It’s up to you! There’s so much to do with hair accessories, head wraps and headscarves- it’s a world of its own. So spring into it and dive right in before it’s too late!!