SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- One of the most traumatic parts of going through treatment for breast cancer, or any cancer, is losing your hair. It's such a part of our identity, and without it, people sometimes struggle with self esteem. There is a hairdresser in South Portland who understands this all too well. She lost her hair too and is still growing it back.
Debby Porter was devastated when her hair began falling out not long after she started chemotherapy for breast cancer. She immediately went in search of a wig.
"I remember going in to be fitted. I was very emotional, and there didn't seem to be anyone there who had been through it, who could speak to my feelings," she said.
Now that she's healthy again, she is running a new program for the Cancer Community Center in South Portland called Hair Matters. Debby will provide many salon services for free to cancer patients experiencing hair loss. The services include Scalp treatments, head massage, hair cuts, head shaving and wig fitting. The wigs have all been donated. She's also happy to help the patients explore other options for covering their heads with scarves or hats.