WE DON'T JUST TRANSFORM WOMEN'S HAIR LOSS WE CHANGE LIVES Esther's Story

Esther has been a Hair Solved client for almost ten years.

She was diagnosed with blood cancer at age 16 and endured six months of chemotherapy and three months of radiotherapy – losing her hair in the process.

Hair loss is a typical side effect of intensive cancer treatment. But untypically, Esther didn’t really care about losing her hair.

“When I lost my hair the first time my mum and sister cried, but I didn’t. I wasn’t one of those women who get incredibly sad about losing their hair. I didn’t really care. I’d rather live and survive cancer than care about my hair. And a year later, my hair did grow back.”

At the age of 19 Esther’s cancer returned. After a year of unsuccessful treatment, doctors told her that a bone marrow transplant was her only hope. Sadly, her brother and sister were incompatible as donors. What’s more, being mixed race added to the challenge of finding a suitable match.

“We had one chance in several million of finding a match, but eventually we did. I had my transplant and left hospital in 2012.”

While receiving treatment for a second time, Esther also lost her hair for a second time. But again, she was just very happy to be alive. Assuming her hair would grow back as it did before, Esther decided to buy a ‘bob cut’ wig as a short-term solution.

“So I got a ‘bob-cut’ wig, but my hair never grew back. You have to bear in mind that a normal person has 10 shots of chemo and I had about 70 shots. I was a very sick patient.”

At the age of 22, as Esther tried to get on with her life and embrace the experience of being a university student, her hair loss became a bigger issue.

“I wanted to meet new people and enjoy the experience as a young woman at university, but wearing a wig was starting to really bother me. I would put it on in the morning and take it off at night. If I took my wig off at night and a friend knocked on my door, I would quickly have to rush to put it back on. Apart from not being very practical, I was getting frustrated by the fact that my hair style never changed.”

Esther decided to try and find a more permanent solution for her hair loss.

“I looked everywhere on the internet for hair solutions, especially for women with Caucasian hair and then I came across Hair Solved. I met Sally at the Hair Solved salon in North London and she became a friend from that point on.”

Almost a decade later, Esther is still enjoying the difference her bespoke Hair Solved system has made to her life.

“Over the years I just keep coming back and getting my hair done. Every two years I get the system replaced and I have it tightened every five to six weeks. The problem with the wig was I had to take it off every day. I don’t have to take my Hair Solved system off. I can swim with it. I can sleep with it. I can shower with it. It is almost as if no one needs to know.”

What Hair Solved has done for me as a young woman has been completely life changing. I’m already thinking that if I get married one day, Sally must come to my wedding to help me with my hair.”

Cancer Treatment and Hair Loss