If you need to get or renew a passport and your hair hasn’t regrown to your liking after chemotherapy, you may be wondering, “Can I wear a wig in my passport photo?”

Wearing a wig can be a great option for feeling more confident and more like yourself if you’ve experienced hair loss from chemo. But when it comes to official photo documents like passports and driver’s licenses, you may be unsure whether wearing a wig is acceptable. Learn more about U.S. passport photo rules so you can go into a passport photo shoot with more confidence.

U.S. Passport Photos and Hair: What Are the Rules?

Hair usually grows back around six months after chemo ends, but what if you need to get a new picture before your hair goes back to normal?

U.S. passport photo rules are generally pretty straightforward, but they don’t specify considerations for people who may have changes in appearance, such as hair loss. However, there are official rules about head coverings and the need to be able to see and recognize your full face.

What To Know About Hair and Passport Photos

While there appear to be no specifications about wigs in official U.S. passport photo rules, they do state that head coverings for medical purposes are acceptable with a signed statement from your doctor. The important thing is to make sure that your entire face is clearly visible in the passport photo, whether you have your natural hair or a wig. The photo should represent how you typically appear for identification purposes, say, on your travel day. Here are examples of unacceptable passport photos, such as when hair covers too much of your face or eyes.

Some MyBCTeam members have gotten their passport or driver’s license photos shortly after chemo. One MyBCTeam member shared that wearing a wig didn’t pose any problems when they got their passport photo taken: “I wore a wig, and they didn’t say a thing.” Others have shared that they went into the photo with less than their usual head of hair. “I got my passport a few months after chemo with 1 inch of hair over my head. Love the shock on people’s faces,” another member wrote.

The important point to keep in mind is that you should be able to be identified from your passport photo. It’s not expected that your hair looks exactly the same in your passport photo as the day you end up needing to use the document at customs, the airport, or other locations.

Choosing a Wig for Your Photo

Wearing a wig for an important photo like a passport may help you feel better about the picture because you’ll have your passport for a long time. You may want to pick a wig that is close to how your hair looks normally, such as when it’s grown to your preferred style or length. This approach will help ensure that the passport authorities can easily recognize you. “I’d try to have a short wig as close to the color of your natural hair. They may not be able to tell it’s a wig in the picture,” one MyBCTeam member shared.

In addition, choosing a wig that resembles your natural hair or your hairstyle of choice may be helpful, as hair growth after chemo can come out looking different from your natural hair. For example, you may find that your once-straight hair grows back curly, or vice versa. Your hair may also be finer or thicker than before chemo and may even grow back a different color or with patches of a different color among new hair growth.

“I did have a new patch of dark hair amongst my otherwise gray hair, which I didn’t have prior to the chemo. In addition, I had curly hair before chemo, now it’s completely straight,” one MyBCTeam member shared. These changes are usually temporary, and your hair will likely go back to normal with time.

The best option for ensuring your photo looks like you is to wait until your hair is back to the way you like it before getting your passport photo taken. This way, it will closely resemble how you normally prefer to wear it. Though it’s normal for hairstyles to change over time. Getting a passport photo with post-chemo hair is likely fine too, as it’s really your face that needs to be easily recognized.

If you do opt for wearing a wig in your photo, be sure you can style it as needed to make sure it doesn’t cover too much of your face or eyes. For example, make sure bangs don’t cover your eyes or the hair doesn’t fall too far forward on your face.

Head Coverings

Head coverings like scarves may be acceptable for U.S. passport photos if a doctor can verify that the head covering is used daily for medical purposes. As with wigs, the head covering or scarf must still leave your full face visible — it can’t cover part of your face or cast shadows.

Because head coverings and scarves might only be used temporarily during or after chemo, choosing a wig that looks close to your usual hairstyle or rocking a short hairstyle post-chemo may be the better option in terms of consistent looks. However, if you prefer, a head covering may still be an option. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting a head covering approved for your photo.

What If Your Hair Looks Different After You Get Your Photo Taken?

If your hair looks different after your photo is taken, you shouldn’t need to get a new passport photo. For example, if your current passport photo is with your natural hair and your hair looks different after chemo, or if you’re wearing a wig while it grows back, your current passport photo should still be good to use.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs notes that a change to your appearance does not require you to get a new passport photo, so long as the change isn’t significant. While the department does not specifically mention wigs, dyed hair is noted as one of the changes that is not considered significant.

If you’re wearing a wig, minor changes like hair length or color are likely not of concern. As one MyBCTeam member put it, “They can’t expect people to keep the same hairstyle and color for as long as the passport is valid. Don’t worry about it.”

The Bottom Line

When it comes to hair and an acceptable U.S. passport photo, the key is to ensure that your full face is clearly visible and that your appearance in the photo closely resembles how you look in your day-to-day life, including when your hair grows back.

Many other countries have similar guidelines for passport photos. For example, the United Kingdom’s rules note that hair must not cover your eyes, and head coverings are not allowed unless for religious or medical reasons. The Netherlands’ rules specifically mention that a wig is acceptable in passport photos.

If you’re still unsure whether your passport photo will be acceptable with a wig, check your country’s guidelines for passport photos before getting your picture taken. If you live in the U.S., you can also check the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ photo tool. They have examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos for passport purposes, including guidance on hair-related issues. You’ll want to make sure your face is still recognizable even if your hair changes a little over time.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyBCTeam is the social network for people with breast cancer and their loved ones. On MyBCTeam, more than 64,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with breast cancer.

Have you gotten a passport photo taken shortly after chemo? Did you wear a wig? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.