Earthquake could be cause of ‘shock hair loss’ Jo McKenzie-McLean [email protected] Red-tape Girls as young as eight are losing their hair to stress after the Canterbury earthquakes. Janine Antram, a government- approved wig provider, said about 100 girls and women from Canter- bury had contacted her since last October wanting wigs because holdups they were suffering from alopecia. ‘‘I have an inquiry from a Christchurch resident experienc- ing hair loss almost every day,’’ she said. Ministry of Health figures show 218 people in Canterbury had claimed grants for wig and stymie hairpiece services for temporary hair loss since September 4. Only 83 people had applied for the grant for the year between September 2009 and September 2010. Antram, of Cambridge, has alopecia and said she did not have any Christchurch clients until builders after the September 4 quake, and now they made up about 50 per Martin van Beynen cent of her business. [email protected] ‘‘There is huge hair loss going on in Christchurch,’’ she said. ‘‘I Christchurch builders say they are don’t know if it is related to the running out of work as insurance earthquake, but I do know alopecia difficulties halt urgent projects is related to stress, and clients and slow the Christchurch rebuild have said [alopecia] has come on to a crawl. since the earthquakes.’’ Clarkville builder Gideon Her youngest client was an Couper said he and his two-man eight-year-old, and most of her crew had about a week of work on clients were aged between 10 and the books before he ran out of jobs. 30. Concerned: Gendi Roberts, nearly 15, is suffering from hair loss possibly triggered by stresses from the Christchurch earthquakes. Photo: KIRK HARGREAVES He had clients who were ready Antram said she got into the to go ahead with new houses or wig business after struggling to renovations, but were stalled find decent wigs in New Zealand. because they could not get Difficult times: Builder Gideon Couper Finally she ordered a wig from Life’s not always such a ‘fun place’ for Gendi insurance for the project and the is not getting enough work on the the United States that looked finished home. books. Photo: IAIN McGREGOR natural and was 100 per cent ‘‘We need to get on to it before human hair, she said. A bald head is not new to Gendi She believed the stress of the However, some comments don’t think before they say we find we are all unemployed,’’ he complete replacement is for Antram said she would be Roberts, but this time it is not by earthquakes was to blame. could make it hard. things.’’ said. ‘‘Nobody is doing any rebuild on the Kaiapoi land’’. showing her wigs at the Women’s choice. Gendi had shaved her hair off ‘‘People have called me an Girls were worse than guys, renovations any more, and lots of ‘‘They don’t know if they can Lifestyle Expo in Christchurch on Gendi, 14, has alopecia. In twice to raise money for young attention-seeker because they who thought it was awesome. people are building without insure the house while it is built. September 17 and 18. April, while holidaying on the people’s cancer foundation Can- think I cut it this way. I go to ‘‘I think girls have an image of insurance.’’ Nobody is going anywhere the way Christchurch dermatologist West Coast, she woke up and a Teen. Last August she raised more swimming and some adults there what a girl should be and when He had registered with this is going,’’ she said. David Hepburn said that while perfect square of hair had gone. than $4000. were calling me an attention- you don’t fit in, it’s not the most Fletchers, which allocates earth- Rachel and Geoff Foster moved there were various causes of Four days later, she was bald. Gendi said she tried to keep a seeking little brat and people ask fun place. quake repair work in Canterbury in with his parents in Kaiapoi last alopecia, it could be linked to ‘‘It happened so fast. It was sense of humour and stay positive. me why I shave my eyebrows off. ‘‘The part that hurts me the worth between $10,000 and year before the September quake. stress, and the earthquake could really surprising. I didn’t have Her classmates were ‘‘lovely’’ ‘‘I have been really gutted most is that I haven’t done it by $100,000, but had received no work. When the Kaiapoi house was explain instances of ‘‘shock hair time to think about it before it was and wearing a wig helped her feel because it’s not a choice to be bald choice and it isn’t going to grow The Government needed to badly damaged, they moved into loss’’. gone,’’ she said. more confident. again. People just comment and back like it has the last two times.’’ provide an insurance scheme for a rental accommodation and decided year so the city could move ahead, to advance plans to build on their Couper said. four-hectare block at Fernside His predicament reflected a near Rangiora. ■ RUGBY WORLD CUP city-wide problem for builders and ‘‘We were just about ready to contractors, said a major Christ- put plans in to the council in June, church building supplier, who and after the June 13 earthquakes asked not to be named. double-checked with AMI and they England, Wallabies Canty volunteers head off to RWC ‘‘If you can get insurance, the wouldn’t say no and wouldn’t say excess is 5 to 10 per cent, which for yes,’’ Geoff Foster said. most builders is all the profit,’’ he ‘‘We weren’t going to build a David Williams Among Christchurch’s 136 said. house and then have them turn to visit Christchurch [email protected] remaining volunteers who picked ‘‘There are massive impli- around and say we are not going to up their uniforms yesterday, was cations for the city and the insure. You come up against one She is not a rugby fan and quake- semi-retired registered nurse country. There will be no recovery wall after another. England and Australia will visit The Wallabies will tour the new hit Christchurch has no games, Sheila Fricker, 64, another without a rebuild and no rebuild ‘‘The insurance thing broke the Christchurch to ‘‘raise the spirits Fanzone at Hagley Park, attend a but that has not stopped Alexandra Cantabrian also born in England without insurance.’’ camel’s back. We have to start of the city’’ during the Rugby fundraising lunch and make Gilbert from volunteering for two who is heading out of the city to Community support worker building by February next year, World Cup. school and hospital visits. Rugby World Cup matches in volunteer. She will be flown to Jeanie Robertson, whose Kaiapoi when our accommodation allow- Both teams had been among ‘‘We are grateful that the team Dunedin. Wellington for the France-Tonga property was red-zoned last week, ance runs out. We want to stay, but those scheduled to play matches in are able to do their bit to raise the Gilbert, 54, is one of 12 volun- and New Zealand-Canada games in said she had bought a section the nobody is making it very easy.’’ Christchurch, but the deadly spirits of the city,’’ Rugby New teers from the city travelling to Cantabrians: Alexandra Gilbert, left, October. same day and wanted to start Placemakers chief executive magnitude-6.3 earthquake on Zealand 2011 chief executive other centres to be the face of the and Sheila Fricker are volunteers for the Fricker, who has lived in New drawing up plans for her new John Beveridge said repair work February 22 put an end to the city’s Martin Snedden said. tournament, which is expected to World Cup. Photo: DON SCOTT Zealand for almost 40 years and house straight away. was ‘‘reasonable’’ but ‘‘new-build’’ involvement in the tournament. ‘‘I thank Martin Johnson and attract up to 80,000 overseas fans. admits supporting the All Blacks, ‘‘We are ready to go. They [her activity was slow. England manager Martin John- Australian coach Robbie Deans for ‘‘I think rugby is terribly in the guts for Cantabrians. said she was thrilled to get the insurance company] have assessed ‘‘That is due to a host of issues, son and several team members making team members available important to the heart of Kiwis . That has not deterred Gilbert, volunteer offer. everything, but they said they with insurance at the top of the will be in Christchurch on for these visits during what is an and Cantabrians as well,’’ the ex- who said her temporary office ‘‘I didn’t really want to miss would have to assess the property heap,’’ he said. September 7 before their opening intense time for any RWC team.’’ pat Englishwoman said. ‘‘It’s kept administrator work would not out,’’ she said. again,’’ she said. ‘‘We are going through an match against Argentina in Dune- The All Blacks will be based in us together.’’ interfere with her volunteering in Christchurch will not miss out ‘‘What are they going to assess? extended period of indecisiveness. din on September 10. Christchurch from September 17 Until February’s earthquake, Dunedin and at Christchurch’s entirely during more than six The house is going to be It’s hard to make decisions. The Australian team will travel to 20 before their pool match the city was to host seven cup pool ‘‘fanzone’’ in North Hagley Park.