By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
A pioneering new project means Black and Asian women with cancer will be able to get wigs to suit their hair types through the NHS for the first time in Nottingham.
Nottingham University Hospitals has joined forces with city salon Elite Nine to provide the wigs to patients who are having chemotherapy.
In the past, only straight hair wigs were available for cancer patients – and since the project launched last month, there are now a range of wigs available including natural afro hair wigs.
It comes after some patients told hospital staff they had been offered blue, pink or green wigs after a chemotherapy session because there were no afro-style options, which left them feeling undignified.
Alexie Hilton, the owner of Elite Nine Hair Clinic, offers conventional wigs as well as non-surgical hair replacement systems for men and women, which the client can wear at all times.
A patient having chemotherapy is entitled to a voucher for £72 – and the wigs at Elite Nine in Union Road range from £30 to £150.
And there are now plans for the project to be rolled out for all patients with alopecia within NUH.
Alexie, who is also a trichologist – an expert of the scalp – told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the project has taken two and a half years to get off the ground.
She said: “Losing your hair is soul-destroying, your hair is your identity.
“It was important that these women had a supplier that could identify with them.
“The project means a lot to me because I am passionate about hair loss.
“To know there has been a massive gap in the market that has never been identified or dealt with, it is a big thing to be part of.
“The time has come for change.
“Like the nurses in this project who are predominately afro-Caribbean themselves – when they come together and start voicing their opinions, only then are we heard.”
Aquiline Chivinge MBE, Assistant Director of Nursing at Nottingham University Hospitals, said the idea came about when she visited a group meeting of Sistas Against Cancer, which supports BAME (Black Asian Minority and Ethnic) women.
She said the patients told her how they felt about their experiences specifically with cancer.
She said: “The women were clear that the treatment for cancer was excellent but when they started losing their hair, we didn’t have enough choice in hair products.
“When I went to see them, I saw them as my sisters and mothers and aunties. I thought it could be me next and I need to make this right.
“Now we are getting requests from other hospitals wanting to know how we have done this.
“I am really excited that something which started so small on a cold evening in Radford has led to a whole change.”
Dr Rose Thompson, Chief Executive of the charity B’Me Against Cancer and part of the Sistas Against Cancer group, has visited the Elite Nine salon for a wig after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said: “I did not know what an emotional impact losing my hair would have on me as a Black woman.
“We needed different wigs for Black and Asian women with different hair textures.
“One woman who had a wig didn’t want to go out and take the children to school because of it. It keeps people indoors.
“I got an NHS voucher and the first time I went to Alexie she found me a real afro hair wig.
“I felt that the wig helped me to look a bit more normal.
“Everybody has complimented me when I have worn that wig, I felt so much more confident.
“It will make a massive difference to people.
“I can’t thank Aquiline enough, she came out of her comfort zone to make this happen.”
Onyinye Enwezor, Development Lead for Clinical Leadership and Chair of the BAME council, applied to Nottingham Hospitals Charity which granted the project £3,200 for a trial with patients.
She said: “With the afro-Caribbean and the Asian community, a woman’s hair is her pride, it is her husband’s pride and her children’s pride.
“For the men, it is their dignity. We wanted to make sure our patients could maintain their dignity and pride because our hair is our crown.
“We made sure the vouchers were sent out to patients before they suffered hair loss.”
The project was listed as a finalist in the Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) awards.
Onyinye added: “We feel we are the biggest winners because our patients have now maintained their dignity.”
