Having experienced chemotherapy-related hair loss before, Gail Ramsay knew what was coming when treatment began again.
“I knew this was going to be another rough go,” she says.
While receiving treatment, she learned about Tracy Lacina and the Strands of Strength salon at the Nassif Community Cancer Center. Strands of Strength provides free wig-fitting services for patients across Iowa experiencing hair loss, helping them navigate one of the most visible changes that can come with cancer treatment.
For Ramsay, finding Lacina was about much more than finding a wig.
“As a new widow, finances were a concern,” she says. “Just going out and purchasing a wig because I knew how expensive they were was really stressful.”
After seeing information about Lacina, Ramsay reached out and scheduled an appointment.
“I remember walking in and being surprised because it looked like a salon,” she says. “There was a salon chair, a big mirror, and Tracy was just so open and warm right from the start.”
A Compassionate Guide
That first visit quickly became emotional.
Knowing she would lose her hair, Ramsay made the decision to shave her head rather than watching it gradually fall out.
“I was upset. I wasn’t crying, but I was almost there,” she says. “Tracy knew it, and she just handled me so delicately. She was amazing.”
After shaving her head, Lacina helped her begin the process of finding a wig. As they reviewed options together, Ramsay says Lacina never rushed the process.
“She was unbelievably patient,” she says. “I never felt like she was trying to hurry me along. She just took her time with me.”
Finding the Right Fit
When the first wigs they ordered arrived, however, Ramsay was disappointed.
“I burst into tears,” she says. “When I tried them on, I knew they weren’t the right fit for me.”
Remembering a wig she had admired during her first appointment, Ramsay asked if she could try it on again. The style closely matched her natural hair—straight, shiny and white.
“When I put it on, I thought, ‘This is the wig for me,'” she says. “It looked like my hair. It felt like my hair.”
Lacina customized the wig to fit her style and helped make it look as natural as possible.
“I got so many compliments on my hair, people thinking it was my real hair,” Ramsay recalls.
The first compliment she received helped change her perspective.
After leaving her appointment, a woman stopped Ramsay at the post office and complimented her. Until that moment, Ramsay says even though she knew it was the right wig for her, she still felt self-conscious wearing it. Hearing someone praise it helped shift her mindset and gave her confidence moving forward.
Support Beyond the Wig
While the wig fitting brought Ramsay to the Strands of Strength salon at the Community Cancer Center, it was only one part of the support she received.
In addition to wig services, Lacina offers complimentary massages and facials designed specifically for cancer patients. Those visits became something Ramsay looked forward to throughout treatment.
“I would walk in stressed from dealing with cancer and everything that comes with it,” she says. “Then I would get a massage, and my anxiety would just dissipate.”
She also credits Lacina with helping her manage skin issues related to treatment and recommending products that provided relief.
“She knew exactly what would help,” Ramsay says. “She just had all the experience.”
Beyond the services themselves, she says it was Lacina’s genuine compassion that left the biggest impression.
“She would reach out and text me just to check in,” Ramsay recalls. “She knew I was struggling with motivation and would encourage me to come in for a facial or massage. Who does that? She was just amazing.”
Feeling Taken Care Of
Today, Ramsay is grateful not only for the wig and wellness services she received, but for the relationship she built with someone who truly understood what she was going through.
“I can’t say enough good things about her,” she says.
For patients facing treatment-related hair loss, Ramsay encourages them to take advantage of the resource.
“If you’re going to lose your hair and don’t want to go through watching it fall out in the shower or on your clothes, just get it done,” she says. “Tracy is the person to go to.”
More than anything, Ramsay says Lacina helped her feel supported during one of the most challenging times of her life.
“She takes care of her people. You feel taken care of.”
Expert Cancer Care and Support
Lacina sees patients for wig fitting at the Strands of Strength Salon at the Nassif Community Cancer Center, or at her salon, Skin Deep Salon and Spa in Coralville. Strands of Strength wig fittings are by appointment only. Patients interested in scheduling with Lacina can call her directly at (319) 936-1319 to book an appointment. Patients are asked to bring their Strands of Strength voucher to the appointment.
