Healthcare Disparities Highlighted by Challenges in Accessing Afro-Textured Wigs Post-Chemotherapy

From the age of seven, Anastasia Cameron encountered hairdressers who refused her service, stating they “don’t do Afro hair.” As an adult, when she required a wig after chemotherapy, the 39-year-old, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, observed that little had changed. “It was awful, they basically said that I couldn’t have Afro hair,” she said. “You’re in a traumatic position after the diagnosis and dealing with the physical changes – but I was back to being isolated and had to manage the situation myself.” This experience brought her back to her childhood, when she was turned away from salons or subjected to mockery by her peers following haircuts by inexperienced stylists. “I just felt there was something wrong with me at that point,” she said. “The stigma that I faced over a long period – it does traumatise you.” A suitable selection of appropriately textured wigs was not available to Ms. Cameron following her cancer treatment. However, recent amendments to the NHS Wales contract now require wig suppliers to offer a broader range catering to different ethnic communities. This development motivated Ms. Cameron, a hairdresser and wig maker from Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan, to submit a bid for one of the NHS Wales contracts herself. Consequently, she now ensures that cancer patients have the choices she previously lacked. She also noted a significant skills gap among hairdressers who lack training in cutting her specific type of curl or Afro-textured hair. “I recently went to have my first haircut after chemotherapy and had to talk the person through it because they didn’t know how to. I’ve got the experience to be able to do that, but I shouldn’t have to.” Denise Mayhew, an ambassador for the cancer charity Black Women Rising, recognizes this deficiency in appropriate aftercare as a recurring issue. Nevertheless, disparities are also evident within healthcare itself. She described her own treatment as outstanding but emphasized that this is not the norm. “We may all be one human race, but we’re definitely not treated the same,” said the 42-year-old, who was diagnosed with the blood cancer multiple myeloma in 2018. “You have people walking into their medical team saying ‘please treat me like a white woman so I can live’. That’s heartbreaking.” She elaborated that “myths and taboos” frequently create barriers to diagnosis, including the stereotyping of women as “black and strong,” which can lead to their pain being dismissed. Cultural attitudes and religious beliefs within communities might also cause hesitation regarding chemotherapy, although efforts are being made to “try and change the narrative.” Breast cancer surgeon Zoe Barber acknowledged “a very rightful fear of being dismissed by a doctor.” She stated that women from these groups are generally diagnosed at a later stage, leading to more invasive treatment and less favorable prognoses. Ms. Barber added that post-treatment support has not always been adequate. A prosthetic offered after mastectomy “until very recently came in either a white colour or a pale peach colour and if you’re a woman who isn’t fair skinned, then that is so ‘othering’ for you.” She concluded, “We as clinicians should be advocating for those women as well. I think it’s still really important we recognise that we are still letting those women down and there’s far more work to be done.” Judi Rhys from Tenovus Cancer Care indicated that a lack of data on patient ethnicity remains a “significant barrier to equitable healthcare.” She said, “We have called for the collection of patient ethnicity data since our research revealed it is not routinely gathered, despite a mandate to do so.” “We understand activity is on the horizon, but progress is far too slow.” This data could not only inform tailored treatment pathways but also highlight underrepresented groups in research and clinical trials, disparities in screening uptake, and the need for essential services like hair replacement during treatment. The Welsh government affirmed its commitment to taking health inequality “very seriously” and reported that “a number of improvements to data collection and analysis” have been implemented. It further stated its ongoing collaboration with NHS Wales to “determine how we can further capture data on ethnicity” to ensure data availability for individuals accessing healthcare. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.