Ahead of Beauty is a charity, meaning we are not funded by the federal government. As a Section501(c)(3) non-profit serving individuals suffering from medical hair loss, we must have certain documentation to provide a patients with a hairpiece. Please help us by gathering these supportive documents for the application:

1. Complete the Recipient Application and Medical Verification Form signed by your medical professional
2. Prescription for ‘cranial prosthesis’ OR a referral letter stating diagnosis from your medical practitioner
3. Legal age document (copy of one of the following are acceptable: birth certificate, passport, state ID)
4. Current color picture of your hair.
5. Color picture of your hair prior to hair loss or picture of a hairstyle you’d ideally like to wear.

Once you’ve gathered the package of documents, please email to: submittals@aheadofbeauty.org

Attn: Recipient Department & [Recipient’s Name]

The base of any cranial prosthesis is called a cap. The hair that is attached to the wig cap is using a variety of techniques to achieve different looks. There is hand tied, monofilament, lace front, and basic cap options. If you like to wear your hair swept away from you face then lace front cranial prosthesis are a good option.

Full Lace and Lace Front Cranial Prosthesis Caps

A lace front cranial prosthesis is a unit that has hairs that are individually hand-tied into a thin, nearly invisible lace material at the front hairline. This feature results in a very natural-looking hairline because it gives the illusion that the hairs are growing right from the scalp. A full lace cranial prosthesis covers the entire head and must be installed slightly different than a lace front cranial prosthesis that is only securely attached at the front edges of your head. Both cranial prosthesis carry both benefits and disadvantages. Lace front cranial prosthesis are better for beginners as they are easier to apply and generally require less styling.

Lace Front Units

The main difference between a full lace cranial prosthesis and a lace front cranial prosthesis is the base. The difference is in the name, lace front cranial prosthesis contain lace in the front of the cranial prosthesis. A lace front cranial prosthesis is attached to the front edges of your head, along your hairline where there is often a lace panel. This cranial prosthesis has a sheer lace strictly in the front edges of the unit that are cut off just prior to be installed on your head. The rest of the cranial prosthesis is made with a stronger and thicker material and the hair strands are attached in wefts to this material. The thicker material is still comfortable and fits easily to the head. Lace front cranial prosthesis provide a natural looking hairline and give a good amount of volume while remaining extremely affordable.

Full Lace Units

Full lace cranial prosthesis have a base that is entirely made of lace. Unlike the lace front cranial prosthesis the back portions of the cranial prosthesis are also made from lace. The thicker material that is used in lace fronts cranial prosthesis is not used at all in full lace cranial prosthesis. This means full lace cranial prosthesis are a bit more versatile than a lace front cranial prosthesis, because they can be worn in different hair styles. Full lace cranial prosthesis also demand a higher price tag as they take longer to be made and are more intricately put together. A full lace cranial prosthesis covers the entire head and must be installed slightly different than a lace front cranial prosthesis that is only securely attached at the front edges of your head.

Both cranial prosthesis carry both benefits and disadvantages. Lace front cranial prosthesis are better for beginners as they are easier to apply and generally require less styling. They are also significantly cheaper and can have a larger volume due to how the hair is attached. Full lace cranial prosthesis can be more versatile, they can be styled into up-dos and ponytails unlike lace front cranial prosthesis, but require more time and effort to apply. They are also more costly for the same amount of hair.

Coming Soon…

Silicone-lined Medical Cranial Prosthesis

This cranial prosthesis will be for custom-made orders. It is made exactly to the requirements of each customer. The whole cranial prosthesis was made from lift injected skin all over. Lift injected is one of the most natural ventilation methods because there are no knots on the base. The roots of the hair are shorter than normal injected which means the hair has more lift and is more realistic than normal injected hair. For this cranial prosthesis, it was asked that anti-slip silicone be brushed round the sides of the base and across the top. With a good fit for the wearer’s head and the anti-slip silicone covering, the cranial prosthesis can be worn without any tape or glue.

Monofilament Cranial Prosthesis

The monofilament cranial prosthesis are ideal for those who have a super sensitive scalp. When clients come to you in search of a hairpiece that could provide head covering without irritating the scalp, suggest a monofilament cranial prosthesis. Monofilament units have a particular material in the center of the unit. This material is a gauze-like transparent and ultra-thin fabric to support lightweight and breathability. Hair strands in a monofilament piece are tied with the soft cloth, so this type of cranial prosthesis looks ultra-realistic.

Many cranial prosthesis come in petite, average, and large sizes. Average size cranial prosthesis, however, tend to fit about 95% of people. We have cranial prosthesis calculators and a measurement guide to help you measure you head to select the best size for you. Check out our Patient Head Measurement Guide.

You do not need a prescription in order to obtain an Ahead of Beauty cranial prosthesis. Ahead of Beauty is committed to providing no-cost cranial prosthesis to medical patients no matter their financial or insurance status. However, in order to keep our cost down we do ask that if you have cranial prosthesis coverage through your insurance company, that you allow us to help you use it. This allows us to focus our donation dollars on individuals who do not have health insurance.

 Insurance companies require to you provide them with a prescription for a “cranial prosthesis” by an authorized physician. If you do not have one, then we will work with you and your doctor to obtain a valid prescription for your Cranial Prosthesis. 

If you already have a prescription, please send it to us via email at submittals@aheadofbeauty.org. Once we receive your prescription, we will review it to verify if it meets the requirements outlined by your insurance.

Yes! Absolutely! If you have an HSA or FSA account with your health insurance plan, you can use that to purchase a cranial prosthesis from us. Please contact our patient care specialists at info@aheadofbeauty.org, and they’d be happy to help you!

Most insurance providers have provisions of covering a cranial prosthesis for patients experiencing temporary or permanent hair loss due to medical reasons or treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.

In order to qualify for a cranial prosthesis through your insurance, you will need to do the following:

1.) Contact the benefits department for your health insurance and ask:

• Does your policy cover a cranial prosthesis?
• If it does, what type of prosthesis is covered (I.e. human hair wigs, synthetic wigs, etc.)
• How much of the cost do they cover?
• What specific terminology for a wig should the prescription contain?
• Is there required documentation they need to submit your claim? What is it?

Note: When reviewing your insurance policy and you don’t see cranial prosthesis listed, it doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have coverage. We strongly recommend that you call your health insurance company and get pre-authorization.

2.) Call you insurance provider and get a pre-approval from them before you purchase a cranial prosthesis. They will verify if you are eligible to receive a cranial prosthesis through them under your plan and give you an allowed amount.

3.) Once you have the pre-approval, you will need a
written prescription from your oncologist for a “cranial prosthesis”.
The terminology is very important! Make sure you don’t use the words “wigs” or “wig” on the prescription.
Also, include procedure code “A9282”. Because a wig is considered a fashion item, it is not medically necessary. The procedure code/number on your cranial prosthesis prescription is used to submit your insurance claim.

4.) Add a personal touch. By having your doctor write a letter, you become more human, and not just a claimant. In the letter, your doctor can explain hair loss and its devastating effects on a recipient. Also, he/she can state that your prosthesis is not for cosmetic reasons, but for your emotional well-being.

Exchanges are not permitted on custom wig orders. Exchanges will only be allowed for in-stock, non-custom wig orders. In-stock wigs may be exchanged within 3 days, provided we have another in-stock replacement available. If no replacements are available, you may return your in-stock wig for a refund. If 3 days have passed since your order, we unfortunately will not be able provide you with an exchange or return.

We do not offer exchanges or returns on items that have been, used, altered, or damaged.

Do not cut, wear, or remove original tags or packaging.

Your item must be unused, and in the same condition that you received it. It must also include all its original packaging.

To complete your exchange, you will need to provide proof of purchase.

Once your request is received and the item is inspected, we will contact you via email to discuss your approval or rejection of your request. We reserve the right to reject all return/exchanges.

If approved, you will be contacted to facilitate your request. If shipping is required, you are responsible for covering the cost to initiate shipping. We reserve the right to choose the method of shipping.

If rejected, you item will be returned to you. If shipping is required, you will be held responsible for the full cost to ship the item back to you. Return time is subject to your location and the shipping company. When shipping items to us, we highly recommend using trackable shipping methods and purchasing shipping insurance. We do not guarantee that we will receive your shipped item.

Ahead of Beauty is not responsible for any lost items. If your tracking information shows that your item was delivered when you have not received it, you must address this issue with the shipping company. We are not responsible to items showing delivered or untraceable.

Once you have made a custom wig order with Ahead of Beauty, you are extended a 24-hour order grace period in which you may cancel your custom wig order. In the event that you desire any last minute changes or need a cancellation, please either call your order provider at 509-426-4101 or email Ahead of Beauty at Orders@AheadofBeauty.org.

If you cancel your custom wig order within the 24-hour grace period, you will be refunded the full cost of your order, minus a 20% restocking fee. For example, if you wig order totals $500, upon cancellation, you will be refunded $400.

Cancellations on custom wig orders are not permitted past 24 hours grace period.

We do not offer exchanges or returns on items that have been, used, altered, or damaged.

Do not cut, wear, or remove original tags or packaging.

Your item must be unused, and in the same condition that you received it. It must also include all its original packaging.

To complete your exchange, you will need to provide proof of purchase.

Once your request is received and the item is inspected, we will contact you via email to discuss your approval or rejection of your request. We reserve the right to reject all return/exchanges.

If approved, you will be contacted to facilitate your request. If shipping is required, you are responsible for covering the cost to initiate shipping. We reserve the right to choose the method of shipping.

If rejected, you item will be returned to you. If shipping is required, you will be held responsible for the full cost to ship the item back to you. Return time is subject to your location and the shipping company. When shipping items to us, we highly recommend using trackable shipping methods and purchasing shipping insurance. We do not guarantee that we will receive your shipped item.

Ahead of Beauty is not responsible for any lost items. If your tracking information shows that your item was delivered when you have not received it, you must address this issue with the shipping company. We are not responsible to items showing delivered or untraceable.

Not all hair is suitable for prosthetic-making. It is not uncommon for donated hair to fall short of our strict quality control standards. As a result, we have found that it is often not possible to consistently make high-quality prosthetics with locally donated hair. Often time, this type of hair has been treated with color(s) and treated with a care regime that is less conducive to the hair’s use in a prosthetic. Furthermore, many wig recipients prefer wigs that are 14 inches or longer. This would require Ahead of Beauty to receive consistent donations of hair that is at least 20-30 inches long, in order to ventilate the hair (aka latch it to the wig base). As you can imagine, such healthy, long hair is very difficult to consistently source. As such Ahead of Beauty prides itself on our relationships with several long-standing international hair factories, that have an extensive legacy of ethically sourced, high-quality human hair.