Nurse praises wig charity for giving confidence to cancer patients

A palliative care nurse who has been through cancer treatment is raising awareness about the effect that hair loss has on patients’ self-esteem.

Nurse Helen McIntyre was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, aged 47, and received chemotherapy and radiotherapy which caused her to lose all her body hair.

Ms McIntyre said: ‘I have worked as a nurse in palliative care for 25 years and cared for adults and children suffering from cancer but I just never thought it would happen to me. 

‘You would’ve thought my background would have prepared me for what was to come, but it didn’t. 

Lost confidence

‘When I lost all my hair, as well as undergoing such tough treatment, it was a real setback and I totally lost my confidence.’

Ms McIntyre received help from a national charity called My New Hair, which offers a wig styling service for people suffering from cancer and medical hair loss.

‘Many people do not realise how much their hair means to them until they start losing it,’ she said.

Self-esteem

‘[The charity] didn’t just give me a makeover – they gave me back my self-esteem.

‘All of a sudden I was no longer Helen with cancer, I was back to being just Helen.’

The charity, which was founded and inspired by celebrity hairdresser Trevor Sorbie, offers a tailored wig styling service, training and even mobile hairdressers for patients.

Tailored and styled

Mr Sorbie said: ‘For many women like Helen, having a styled wig that is tailored just for them, can help overcome the missing link in their treatment, giving them the confidence to face the world during such a difficult time.’

You can donate to the charity by texting MYNH00, followed by the amount you wish to donate, to 70070.