Hair for Hope is encouraging hair donation for cancer survivors

With diagnosis and treatment already taking a physical and mental toll on a patient’s body, alopecia as a side effect of chemotherapy can also be quite difficult to deal with.
Anu Kumari Arpit Dhupar; Geena Anjelus Samar; Shreya Dogra; Palak Garg
Anu Kumari Arpit Dhupar; Geena Anjelus Samar; Shreya Dogra; Palak Garg

“After my aunt lost her hair due to chemotherapy, she would always wear a scarf. Once her grandchild accidentally pulled the scarf, and I noticed how petrified she was,” shares Arpit Dhupar from Anand Vihar. Dhupar had been consciously growing his hair since 2015 to donate it for the production of human hair wigs for cancer patients. With the help of Hair for Hope, India—a campaign started by cancer survivor Premi Mathew to encourage hair donation that helps other cancer survivors—Dhupar sheared off 12 inches of hair for donation.

Hair loss often brings with it a sense of vulnerability and fear. With diagnosis and treatment already taking a physical and mental toll on a patient’s body, alopecia as a side effect of chemotherapy can also be quite difficult to deal with. Given the unnecessary taboo associated with hair loss in women, female patients often choose to wear a wig to help them boost their confidence. 

Restoring normalcy

Sherya Dogra from Noida—she donated her hair directly to a cancer patient named Upasana—mentions how the idea of hair donation struck her after she saw a few videos of Upasana talking about losing her hair. “I could see that she was upset. Although it is only a wig, it makes cancer patients feel a bit like their previous self,” she says. 

Hair loss in women—no matter whether it is naturally, due to medical treatments, or for donation—is unfortunately deemed unacceptable by many. “When I visited my grandfather in the hospital, I would see women, who had lost their hair due to chemotherapy, getting judged. After I donated my hair, many people laughed at me,” shares Palak Garg from Sonipat, Haryana, who donated her hair recently. Expanding on Garg’s thoughts, Dhupar points out that the transition to baldness in men is seldom looked down upon. “However, many determined women didn’t have the courage to face society after hair loss,” he says.

Donors also mention that there is a sense of solidarity associated with being part of the cause. The people we spoke to added that contributing their hair felt more like a personalised gift to a patient. East Delhi resident Anu Kumari, who was recently diagnosed with first-stage breast cancer, decided to donate her hair before she lost it all during treatment. “Earlier I never had the courage to donate. It had taken me a 
long time to grow my hair.  Afterwards, when I realised that I would lose my hair as well, I decided that instead of wasting it, I would make someone happy.”

The power of social media

People have been using social media effectively to raise awareness about the importance of hair donation for this cause. Most donors post videos and stories about their experiences to help inspire others. “Social media definitely helps. I remember, because of my posts, many friends asked me for information about hair donation,” says Geena Anjelus Samar from Noida. However, Dhupar concludes, “While it is true that people, especially boys, have started growing out their hair to donate, I believe it’s only scratching the surface. The cause still has not got the attention that it should.”

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