Earlier this month, Greenwichmums was contacted by the lovely Victoria Knowles, who wanted to know if we could help raise awareness of a new service she has launched WigBank London, to help women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy. It is a fantastic initiative, so of course we wanted to hear more and help spread the word as much as possible.
We asked Victoria to put into her own words why she set up a wig bank London. I think you’ll all agree that she is a wonderful human, and if you can, support her in any way, please do reach out.
As a mum, I thought I was invincible. Dashing here, there and everywhere and taking pride in being able to multi-task with the best of them.
Out of the blue in January last year, I had a sudden twinge in my left breast that prompted me to feel, and I discovered a tiny, gristly lump.
I was 45 at the time and felt like I was 25. Should I check it out, or is it a hormonal cyst that will resolve itself? I wondered. It never once crossed my mind that it might be anything sinister, so I happily booked an appointment to see a breast consultant at Blackheath Hospital.
I was seen within two hours of my telephone call to the hospital. I might have just booked a GP appointment. Still, I was lucky enough to have private health insurance through my job, so the hospital was my immediate port of call.
At 10.15 am on a cold Friday in late January, I was physically examined, sent off to have mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies and then told that what I did have (two small lumps, in fact) ‘looked suspicious’. Four days later, I found out that I had invasive ductal carcinoma. It was, frankly, a massive shock.
I am writing this from the privileged position one year later, having been through 16 rounds of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy and told that the chemotherapy alone had wiped out invasive cancer before my surgeon had even lifted the bonnet, so to speak. So, for now, I am ‘in remission’ – but as any cancer patient might tell you, you never feel as though you are cured as the fear it may return remains for a long time.
The above scenario is a common scene across not only our borough but the UK and further afield every single day. In the UK, about 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually.
Although cancer is probably the scariest thing any of us will have to face in our lifetime, perhaps one of the most devastating events that occur due to the subsequent treatment that follows is that of hair loss.
I recently spoke to a fellow breast cancer survivor who told me that despite everything she endured during treatment, the thing that absolutely floored her was losing her hair. It really does have a substantial psychological impact on many.
I knew I would lose my hair, and exactly 20 days following my first chemo session, it started to fall away in large amounts. I’d already decided to have a custom-made, human hair wig attached (with glue) to my bald scalp to see me through until my hair started to sprout again.
I visited a specialist hairdresser in central London, but my ‘hair system’ came with a hefty price tag. I will forever be grateful for how this hairpiece helped me look human when I felt anything but.
I was all too aware, though, at the time, that only some have the means to afford such a wig. I was also aware that vouchers from the NHS towards wigs are in the £75 region – not enough to buy anything that looks or feels secure enough for the wearer.
I stumbled across a service that started in Scotland where women who have been through cancer treatment can donate their pre-worn (often expensive) wigs, which are cleaned, conditioned and re-sold to others who might not be able to afford them otherwise.
They are sold for as little as £10 in some cases. I knew I wanted to set this service up for others, and with the blessing of the original founder, I set up Wig Bank London in 2022. I have had many donations from remarkable women and sold wigs to some women who are grateful to have such a service.
I love being able to facilitate this service. Still, I need more donations and more people to be aware of the wigs that are available to them.
If you can help in any way, please visit www.wigbanklondon.com.
Any profits that Wig Bank makes go to the South East London Breast Cancer Trust (SELBCT)
Wig Bank London
Wig Bank London
Wig Bank London
Wig Bank London