A Hair prosthesis (or cranial prosthesis), is a custom-made wig specifically designed for patients who have lost their hair as a result of medical conditions or treatments, such as alopecia areata[1] , alopecia totalis, trichotillomania, chemotherapy, or any other clinical disease or treatment resulting in hair loss.[2] The terminology is used when applying for medical insurance or tax deduction status.
Doctors have been prescribing these prostheses since the 1950s. Cranial prostheses also help to protect disease-weakened immune systems from the sun, and to regulate body temperature.