First of all, aurora, I hope your mom gets well soon.
I’ve never worn synthetic, but based on what I’ve been told about them by someone who does (who likes them) I do not recommend it for your mother.
Chemotherapy and the resulting hair loss is very traumatic and trying. I think it’s best to try to reduce any changes in not only appearance, but the feel of the hair, as much as possible.
Synthetics, I’ve been told, cannot be washed well. The look is less authentic than a human hair wig.
Many makers of human hair wigs are also very experienced working with people who have or will be experiencing hair loss due to medical conditions such as alopecia or chemotherapy.
They measure the size of a persons head, trace on paper the hairline edge, so that the cap of the wig fits well (not too tight or loose) and it will mimic a person’s own natural hair line.
They can also blend colors naturally (blonde and gray) whereas it might be more difficult to achieve an identical look to her own with a synthetic (meaning machine/ready made) wig. They can use hair that also has a similar texture to her own (straight).
Your mother would not need to sit for it to be washed and styled regularly. Once the wig salon knows how she likes it, she can have someone drop it off for her to be styled and picked up later that day.
Human hair wigs cost more, but there are different price ranges depending on who she goes to to have it made.
My sister wore a wig prior to marriage when she underwent chemo as well. It actually normalized how she felt when everything else was so upside down.