ADS
A leukaemia patient who was denied ‘life-changing’ hair replacement therapy on the NHS has spoken of her delight after a MailOnline reader gave her the treatment for free.Samantha Green, 29, developed alopecia after twice battling leukaemia.
She applied to the NHS for £2,000 treatment to improve the appearance of her patchy hair three times but was denied it each time.
Samantha Green, 29, had hair replacement therapy after it was offered to her free of charge by Lucinda Ellery, a hair loss expert, who read about Ms Green on MailOnline
Ms Green (pictured left before her hair loss) developed alopecia (right) after two battles with leukaemia. She applied to have hair replacement therapy on the NHS but was refused the treatment three times on the basis her case was not 'exceptional'
But when MailOnline covered her story in December, hair loss expert Lucinda Ellery offered to give Ms Green the treatment free of charge.
After having the therapy last week, Ms Green, who has an eight-year-old daughter, is now delighted with her thick head of hair.
She told MailOnline: ‘I'm really pleased with it – it feels like part of me already. It’s amazing.
‘When I got the call to say Lucinda Ellery had offered to do it I was speechless. I got quite emotional. I didn’t know what to do – I was shocked.’
Ms Green (pictured during her hair replacement therapy) said: 'I was gobsmacked watching them do it. I was really nervous and excited and they were so lovely and friendly - they made me feel really comfortable'
WHAT IS HAIR REPLACEMENT THERAPY?
Designed for women with moderate to severe hair loss or thinning, this is a hair replacement prosthesis.
It is constructed from a breathable mesh and integrated into the existing hair, without the need to cut or shave off any natural hair.
It can be an effective way of managing both the later stages of hair loss and the short hair re-growth when treatment has finished.
To begin with, the mesh is gently placed between the existing hair and the scalp.
Panels, made of ultra-fine mesh containing additional human hair, are then added to it to completely disguise any hair loss.
To complete the look a parting is also added to the crown section.
It allows the person to take part in sports, including swimming, without worrying about their hair.
The hair can also be washed, brushed and styled as normal.
The hair needs to be maintained every six to eight weeks.
An initial consultation costs £55 and the treatment starts from £895.
For more information, visit www.lucindaellery-hairloss.co.uk
It is constructed from a breathable mesh and integrated into the existing hair, without the need to cut or shave off any natural hair.
It can be an effective way of managing both the later stages of hair loss and the short hair re-growth when treatment has finished.
To begin with, the mesh is gently placed between the existing hair and the scalp.
Panels, made of ultra-fine mesh containing additional human hair, are then added to it to completely disguise any hair loss.
To complete the look a parting is also added to the crown section.
It allows the person to take part in sports, including swimming, without worrying about their hair.
The hair can also be washed, brushed and styled as normal.
The hair needs to be maintained every six to eight weeks.
An initial consultation costs £55 and the treatment starts from £895.
For more information, visit www.lucindaellery-hairloss.co.uk
‘I just want to say thank you to you for publishing it and to Lucinda Ellery – it wouldn’t have happened otherwise.’
Ms Green, an administration worker who was training to be a nurse until she was taken ill, was first diagnosed with leukaemia in August 2005.
She underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and had a bone marrow transplant. After this, her hair grew back fine.
However, she relapsed in 2010 and had another two bouts of chemotherapy and another bone marrow transplant.
This time she was treated with Busulfan which she thinks caused the alopecia, but it was the only treatment available to her at the time.
As a result, she has applied repeatedly for hair replacement therapy on the NHS but The Central Midlands Commissioning Support Unit, which advises on NHS spending, decided her case was not exceptional.
Ms Green says the verdict crushed her remaining confidence.'Hair makes a woman feel feminine,' she said. 'A lady who had a double mastectomy would not be refused a breast reconstruction.
'Yet someone who suffered alopecia due to intense chemotherapy is classed differently.’
When MailOnline ran Ms Green’s story in December, it was greeted with outrage from readers who felt the mother had been treated unfairly.
The day after the story was published, we were contacted by Lucinda Ellery, a hair loss expert who runs hair extension studios across the country.
She offered to give Ms Green the treatment for free.
The hair replacement therapy, called the Intralace system, lasts two years.
It works by fitting a mesh over any area with little or no hair, pulling the existing hair through the mesh and plaiting tiny wefts of fine real hair to it.
Unlike normal hair extensions, it doesn't place stress on the remaining strands.
Ms Green, from Wolverhampton, travelled to London for the treatment which took a whole day.
She said: ‘I was gobsmacked watching them do it. I was really nervous and excited but they were so lovely and friendly. They made me feel really comfortable.’
Ms Green (pictured before the hair replacement therapy) hated wearing a wig as she found it hot and itchy and she worried that people were staring at her and wondering if she was wearing a wig
Ms Green (pictured with her daughter, Madison, before her hair loss) said: 'My daughter loves it - the first thing she did was start plaiting it'
Ms Green says she is delighted to be able to leave behind the wig she has been wearing for three years.
She said: ‘I won’t have to think about the hot, itchy wig any more. The hair will make me much more confident as I won’t worry that people are looking at me and wondering if I am wearing a wig.’
Ms Green says she is now looking forward to celebrating her 30th birthday next month with her new hairdo.
Dr Dan De Rosa, chairman of Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group, which spends almost £1m a day on the city’s healthcare, said at the time Ms Green was refused NHS help: 'The decision in this case was made following detailed assessment by a panel of clinicians who took into account a wide range of factors.
'In general, we need to prioritise limited funding based on the needs of the local population and we do this as fairly and equitably as possible.'
How MailOnline reported Sam's story
When MailOnline ran Ms Green’s story in December, it was greeted with outrage from readers who felt the mother had been treated unfairly.When MailOnline ran Ms Green's story in December (pictured), it was greeted with outrage from readers who felt the mother had been treated unfairly
Nice57, from Glasgow, commented: 'Wasn't there a story a few months back about a woman getting a breast enlargement on the NHS to become a topless model??! Costing say £5000 and now she wants a reduction. But this poor woman can't have a procedure for £2000 to help her feel more confident about herself after battling a serious disease??! Something wrong with this country!!'
MailOnline readers were shocked that Ms Green was not offered hair replacement therapy on the NHS when other women had previously been given breast enlargement surgery
ADS
No comments:
Post a Comment