Does anyone else dislike the Macmillan Brave the Shave campaign?

I hate it too. I lost my hair 9 years ago and seeing this advert still upsets me. I don't think they are 'brave' at all. It denigrates all of us who have been through the hair loss chemo, and just seeing these shaved heads brings it all back. How horrible it was when my lovely husband shaved my head when the remaining wisps made me look like a witch.

 Totally insensitive and crass!

The ads I dislike the most are the ones that imply that after completion of cancer treatment one is then cured and then life goes on as normal or better than before. I'm sure this is what most people think anyway but it doesn't need reinforcement as it's completely inaccurate.

Very true, NotHalf, as daughter had so much treatment in over 8 years that she lost her hair three times! Fortunately she is cancer free at present but has the after effects of so much treatment still.

Hugs xxx

Thank you so much for your honesty and I hope McMillan listen to our objections. However, I won’t hold my breath. This campaign was carried out in 2016 also. We should ask those who are so keen to go bald to shave off their eyebrows & pluck out every eyelash!! 

I agree 100%. Those people have made the choice to shave their hair off. We didn’t have that luxury!  Not only that, but it’s the loss of eyelashes & eyebrows too. My hair grew back very fine and lifeless. My eyebrows & eyelashes are patchy. I have to rely on heavy make up so that I don’t look like a ‘burn victim’), which is how my ex partner described me. Where does all this hair end up?  Is it used for wigs for patients? I received no help from McMillan during or after my cancer journey. My elderly parents bore the brunt of caring for me and dealing with my finances and helping out with my teenage daughter. Some days I feel so angry & let down. Brave the shave should be scrapped. It’s insensitive and insulting. 

It's such a shame that so many people find this campaign insensitive, fake, disgusting to name a few words.

I am going to be braving the shave this year, not because I'm brave, not for fake publicity but to raise money for what I feel is a very worthy organisation. I see it completely differently. Many of those doing this are affected or have very close family members with cancer and do it to simply pay back the charity that has been there.

Shaving a head does not amount to an understanding of how it feels to have cancer nor does it make someone brave. It does however raise awareness of a very small part of cancer and just how awful it is to lose your hair when you have no choice. Agreed it doesn't involve eyebrows/eyelashes etc but for some having their head shaved is enough of a shock to help them understand a terrible side effect of having cancer treatment. 

I absolutely agree with you Geloof and I’m so sorry you were so let down I hope you’re recovering well xx..

Please don't do itI

I believe all those braving the shave are doing so for the right reasons, to raise awareness and funds but there are many other ways of doing this, jump out of plane, climb a mountain, whatever floats your boat, by electing to shave your head your actually trying to say I did for them not me, but we are saying we do not want anyone who doesn't have to  lose their hair, 

The points we cancer sufferers who have lost their hair are trying to make is

1.not all with cancer do, exactly what are you highlighting for them,

2.losing your hair, that's all you body hair everywhere, arms, legs, face, head, everywhere, is horrendous, I'm not alone in wishing to put the experience behind me, certainly I don't want reminding of the worst thing to happened to me.

I'm sorry but I don't thank you for doing this all I can feel is pity, it's awful re-growing your hair, for cancer victims it returns different, course, curly, and our scalps hurt, even the colour alters so the final bit of the old pre cancer us disappears with our hair.

Yours will be similar to always but growing it back will be tough.

I'm sorry to say it but such an obvious statement is less about cancer and more about the individual, your 15 minutes of fame that I think you'll regret a few months down the line,so please reconsider and find a different route to raise awareness and funds, this one truly is the wrong one.

Tebs I think you make some really good points. Not sure if the marketing people really thought Shave for a Cure through properly.

Yep, losing all your body hair is crap. Must say I don't miss my leg and underarm hair but surprisingly I do not like the rather sad state of my ladygarden!

There must be better ways to raise the money, I agree.

Yes, there are many better ways to raise money. And the worst bit for me was losing my nasal hair! Bet no one would volunteer for that. People who haven't been through chemotherapy never seem able to understand why Brave the Shave is so offensive to those who have, and I have given up trying to explain it to them.