From a very young age, each and every one of us has it instilled in us that our hair is part of our beauty, our regimen, our lives as women and even as men. No matter how we wear it, our hair is an expression of who we are, our health and our personalities. It is this ingrained sense of security in our hair that scares women off from Big Chopping and bring cancer patients to tears as chemotherapy treatments cause their locks to fall out.
In fact, chemotherapy so affects women’s self-esteem that over the past few years, companies have dished out loads of cash searching for a solution to chemo hair loss issues. From cold-therapy hair masks and new types of cancer treatments, women have a brigade on their side. But one new treatment breaks the mold and attempts to create self-esteem from the hair loss rather than stop the hair loss itself.
Henna Heals, a Toronto based charity service, offers free henna application and designs to the bald heads of women undergoing chemotherapy. The service promotes itself as empowering women to become walking works of art and to embrace this stage in their life, rather than loathe it.
The application of the “Henna Crown” takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes, lasts seven to 14 days and avoids the use of black henna, which reportedly has negative side effects for those experiencing hair loss.
Deanne Mayall, a recent chemotherapy patient who has lost her hair, said about the henna crowns in an interview with MSNBC, “I have cancer and I am not only okay with how I look, but I can take back some control and have some (temporary”> fun doing it. Having the henna crown seems to have made me approachable to others who’ve been exposed to cancer in one way or another, and they’ve been more willing to share their stories.”
Health care providers add in their two cents about the henna application stating that, as long as it’s not harmful for the patient, they believe that “it helps make getting through a tough time easier.”
Would you seek out, or encourage a friend of family member to seek out, a Henna Crown?
