One of the most vivid memories I have is of combing out my mother’s hair when she was undergoing chemotherapy.

She had felt her hair begin to fall and had stopped brushing it for fear that baldness would make her look like a freak. But the mop of uncombed hair looked wretched and she finally asked me to brush it all off.

Her cousin sent her a wig from the USA but it never fit properly and lay in her wardrobe unused. She finally came to terms with her hair loss and braced herself to go about her daily routine with her head covered.

Things have changed in the last few years and now a woman can face cancer with the confidence of beautiful hair thanks to a growing variety of wigs available locally.

Roohana Iqbal of Bhabhis, who pioneered wig-making for cancer patients in Pakistan, says “We used to make wigs in the past but now quality hairpieces are being imported by several companies, so we simply order wigs from there or refer cancer patients directly to the company itself.”

Nighat Khursheed of Depilex fame discusses the three categories of wigs which are there to choose from: “Synthetic is the most affordable, starting at around Rs5,000 but with this type of hairpiece one is restricted to the style in which the wig is cut. The next type is a high-heat wig which comes to around Rs10,000. This can be blow-dried and styled with tongs so you get greater flexibility of styles. However, human-hair wigs go up to Rs16, 000 but these hairpieces can be styled, dyed, blow-dried and cut as per one’s whim and fancy.”

Both Bhabhis and Depilex set, adjust and resize the wigs for such clients but do not charge cancer patients extra for the hairpieces and provide it at cost price. They also provide tips for wig-care. Professionals also suggest the wearing of a cotton skull cap under the wig to reduce itching.