Making hair loss one less worry
“The possibility of hair loss can have a devastating effect on someone who has cancer but it doesn’t have to be that way. Our charity cuts through the noise to offer empowerment through gentle, expert advice that enables people to gain understanding, skills and insights so that making choices for their cancer journey can be better supported. I care deeply about every person’s experience of hair loss and hope that Cancer Hair Care is one small way of helping people through illness and into recovery.
I founded the free Cancer Hair Care service with a group of deeply inspiring women and the dedication of amazing friends, family and supporters. Our team includes those who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments as well as hair loss experts, such as myself. Let me share with you a little bit of background.
I’ve always been interested in hair loss. When I was 14 years-old, I worked as a Saturday girl at a local hairdressers where I met my first hair loss patient. This was before the internet enabled you to find all the answers. I had a deep interest in finding out solutions to hair and scalp issues and so I would read trichology books and engage in conversations with people about their experience to gain a deeper understanding of all aspects of hair loss.
I then went on to train with one of the world’s leading hairdressers Trevor Sorbie and rose up from sweeping the floors to being ‘Director of hairdressing globally’. I was at the top of the global hair fashion industry, working with lots of different hair care brands. Perhaps aged 30 I was a bit of a cliche as I found my inner compass pointing me in a more purposeful direction.
Back in 2005 I felt there was a great need for a charity such as Cancer Hair Care as I wanted to fill all the gaps and make sure hair loss information and support was accessible to everyone – it’s always been the fine details that make all the difference . I haven’t had cancer and I haven’t lost my hair but I’ve always been passionate about helping people with illness. I also had a really nerdy interest in the biology behind hair growth and more particularly, hair loss. For some reason, it deeply resonated with me.
In 2012 we became a registered charity. Now we are a small but national charity. Thanks to our dedicated team and supporters we can reach people all over the UK with our phone support, outreach packs, information website and clinics, workshops and educational sessions within NHS hospitals and cancer support organisations.
I can’t tell you how many women and some fantastic men have helped me and my team to build upon our knowledge. We are the only UK charity solely focused on offering guidance before, during and after hair loss due to cancer treatment. We span the entire hair loss journey and concentrate on all aspects of hair loss and hair loss prevention (scalp cooling) right through to new hair growth into recovery.
Together, we can make hair loss one less worry. Please get in touch with us. No question is too small to ask or to big that we can’t work through it and help you.”
By Jasmin Julia Gupta – UK’s leading oncology hair loss expert. NHS clinical advisor & founder of charity Cancer Hair Care