"Crying days I pick the wig": Teddi Mellencamp on choosing wigs during cancer treatment

Teddi Mellencamp is a former reality TV star who is now fighting stage 4 melanoma that has spread to her brain and lungs. On May 6, 2025, she posted on Instagram,

“The day to day decision of wig versus no wig. Crying days I tend to pick the wig,”

Showing a simple way she copes with tough moments. Since her first melanoma spot in 2022, she has had 17 spots removed and about 20 surgeries, including a craniotomy to take out four large brain tumors in February 2025.

She is undergoing radiation and immunotherapy and has shared that her tumors have shrunk, with hopes of remission after two final sessions. By talking about wigs and hair loss, she helps others understand small choices that bring comfort during cancer treatment.

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How Teddi Mellencamp links mood to wig choice

On that May Instagram post, Teddi Mellencamp explained her wig choice with honest words:

“Crying days I tend to pick the wig”.

She noted that the ups and downs of her treatment are “pretty extreme,” making it hard to know how she will feel each morning. By sharing her mood-based routine, she shows that simple decisions can help manage emotional stress. When she feels stronger, she sometimes goes without a wig to embrace her real self; on harder days, the wig offers privacy and a sense of control.

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How her cancer was found and treated

Teddi Mellencamp first discovered melanoma in 2022 after finally having a skin check, following years of avoiding them. Doctors removed multiple spots with wide-excision surgeries, and she recalls thinking she had beaten it, only to learn in February 2025 that severe headaches were from four large brain tumors.

Surgeons removed those tumors via craniotomy, but scans also found smaller tumors in her brain and lungs, moving her to stage 4 melanoma by April 2025. She then started radiation for the remaining brain tumors and immunotherapy for others, ringing the hospital bell on April 3 to mark the end of her radiation course.

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Why wigs help her feel better

As treatment caused hair thinning and bald spots, Teddi Mellencamp reached out for wig advice, writing,

“The other side of my head is completely bald. Please refer your fave non-itchy or hot wigs”.

Teddi Mellencamp even joked about “half-wig/half-baseball caps from Amazon,” saying, “You hurt my feelings” when they did not meet her needs.

Wigs give her a routine, choosing styles and trying them on, which can be a welcome distraction on hard days. They also help her maintain privacy and feel a bit more like herself when side effects leave her feeling vulnerable.

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How she keeps going with support

Teddi Mellencamp balances treatment with family time, drawing strength from her three children, Slate (12), Cruz (10), and Dove (5), and her estranged husband, Edwin Arroyave, who paused their divorce to help. She also leans on friends from her TV days, receiving messages from fellow cast members and fans after each update.

Despite admitting

“some days I feel really, really sad and alone,”

Teddi Mellencamp continues to document her journey, ring that bell, and share both good and hard days. Through her openness, she reminds everyone to get yearly skin checks, especially during Melanoma Awareness Month in May.

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