Kate’s Story
Losing my hair was one of my biggest fears from the beginning of my 6 months of chemo and throughout all of my cancer treatment. Each time I had a treatment without losing hair felt like a success story. I used the cold cap throughout, somehow it didn’t ‘hurt’ me as I’ve heard it hurts others, so I never did lose all my hair but I did get to a point where hair coverings were necessary as handfuls of hair came out scarily with each hair wash. I know now that hair loss is resistant to some chemo drugs and absolutely inevitable
with others (eyelashes and eyebrows included ….and that’s another story).
This experience has shown me how important hair is to us all, how much it helps with confidence and fitting in. My usual hairdresser is lovely but she had reservations about cutting my fragile hair. I contacted Hair Reborn (having seen a leaflet at my chemo hospital) towards the end of my chemo when I was using head coverings all the time. Vicky phoned me back. I said to her at the time that even if I get an actual appointment with a hairdresser I would be forever grateful for her support. She was so understanding and gave me such a lift, the way she talked about hair and gave me hope that it would all come back in the end and she answered questions I didn’t know I’d had (I suppose you think you can’t ask people about hair when there are so many more desperate things going on).
In the end, I had 3 appointments with Ashley at Kerry-Anne’s in Morden (London), each 8 weeks apart with the last coming just before Christmas. Ashley was so lovely as I uncovered my head in public for the first time in months. She talked about what she could do and said she wanted to ‘suggest something radical’. The radical cut was a short pixie cut. I was amazed at the transformation. I had really thought Ashley would just be trimming the chemo straggle that first time. I went into central London with my head uncovered, looking like everyone else and not a cancer patient for the first time in months. Back home, friends said how lovely my hair looked – I’ve gone on having comments about my lovely hair ever since.
My hair has grown back thickly (it always was thick) and although parts are still ‘getting there’, I have decided to move back towards the bob I had pre-cancer. I cannot thank Hair Reborn enough. You are amazing. You provide such loving, understanding, care.