Nicole Johnson looked at her reflection in a mirror, examining the ginger-colored bob cut framing her face. Her hair is normally brownish, but she was trying on a wig in a fresh color. She was expecting to lose her hair soon.
“It’s cute,” said Johnson, 44, who has breast cancer and started chemotherapy last week.
Johnson, who lives in Laurel, Md., was one of about a dozen women at a wig-fitting session at the Shady Grove Adventist Aquilino Cancer Center in Rockville, Md., on Tuesday. The program, run by D.C.-based EBeauty, provides free wigs and styling for women facing hair loss.
“If I’m going to lose it anyway, I may as well get a new color,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to find the positive.”
EBeauty helps support women across the country going through hair loss, often one of the more difficult aspects of dealing with cancer treatments. Wigs made from human hair are expensive, costing anywhere from $700 to $7,000. EBeauty collects used wigs from women who no longer need them, refurbishes them and then gives them to patients who can use them.
