Hair loss

Hi,

I am about to have my third EC on Friday and didn't cold cap. I cut my hair short before starting chemo and by my second session my hair had thinned alot as it was well and truly falling out. I got my husband to shave it off and it was the best thing I could have done. I felt so much better seeing a bald head rather than the sorry state of hair I had before! I have no purchased a wig and use head scarves when out and about. 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do xxxx

Hello AJW28617

I am sorry to hear that you have been undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer and that the EC has caused hair loss.

Hair loss is not a minor thing and I can remember how it effected me. I had chemo (carboplatin and paclitaxel) for endometrial cancer in 2022. I used the cooling cap but still lost some hair. I was told that with the paclitaxel I would have lost it all. I did indeed start shedding hair about 14 days after the first cycle. 

I think being prepared is good and knowing there are options. Having your hair cut a bit shorter might help and doing it in stages. My hairdresser was a personal friend and that can help. I was prepared with scarves and a wig (you should be able to get one on the NHS and it can help to feel a bit in control if it does come out. I also used some hair thickening fibres and had scrunchies that had hair on so could disguise it a bit. As it is just the top that has become thin then the fibres might help. I also used root cover spray and that can help. Some people find hats can help but personally they weren't for me. 

It is undoubtedly a hard thing to cope with as hair is such a part of our identity and only you can make the choice of what is right for you. But I would say that anything that gives a bit of the control back to you - in whatever you do- that will help. 

Jane

Hi Shazzal

Start my first EC session soon and was trying to decide whether to cold cap or not. I do quite like the idea of being in control and just getting it shaved off rather than waiting to see how much I end up with at the end of each session. But I do also like the idea of retaining my hair!

Hi AJW2617,

Yay, you’ve completed 4 ECs! That’s no mean feat & you should celebrate that milestone, even if you’ve only got the energy to mentally polish your own personal medal & stand tall & proud. 
I’m a year on from chemo but the hair loss bit is still clear in my mind. Nothing minor about it. I, like others have said, had a a complete blub meltdown piling up the handfuls in the shower over a couple of days then decided ENOUGH! Out came the boys lockdown clippers! I’d had it shortened before starting chemo because I knew I would find it hard, but it still looked like a lot of hair to me.

I read some brilliant advice online that said to clipper it to a 1 or 2 to avoid irritating follicles & to know that the hair that falls away (or got blown away each time it was windy ) was just hair that you were liberating from the follicles as they were going anyway. Why wording counts, I don’t know, but using language associated with freedom seemed to help. My teenage son straightened up my dodgy hairline so revenge for all my questionable efforts on his hair.

What did surprise me was that after the tears & sadness at the time it fell out, post clippering I seemed to just be able to accept it & move on to round 2 of EC (taking a little bonus that at least there was no need to try cold cap any more & at least I now knew if I’d lose my hair or not - a little bit of certainty was quite nice once it had happened). I think the relentless pace of treatment & appointments carries you through a bit. I did keep my eyebrows & lashes (admittedly a little thinly) for quite a while & never really noticed them deserting, although the def did. Also, I always knew a wig was not for me so I got some little cotton beanies in a variety of colours & just went with that. It was over Winter for me so that made it all less conspicuous. I saw some lovely crocheted triangular boho type headscarves in TK Maxx  that would have been a pretty & cooler option in the summer maybe.

I finished chemo last March & went hatless on hols in July! There were no flowing Rapunzel locks involved, but there was enough hair that people just thought I had a funky short cut rather than clearly being on a chemo journey. I had my first cut at the end of Sept only because my son said I looked a bit ‘regal’ with wispy chemo curls & as the Queen was 96 I decided at 55 that a younger look might be the way to go. I felt stupidly guilty cutting my new hair - so pleased to have it back & there was me having it cut! 

I think go with what feels right for you. I never had any definite ideas (apart from re. wigs) about anything but looking back, going with the flow & deciding as you go def worked for me.

Sending some huge hugs right back your way,

Jo xx

Hi Jane

Thank you for your reply. It’s funny that I’m bothered by hair now when I’ve never been bothered by it before. I didn’t think being bald would bother me too much, I think it’s just the gradual loss that’s the issue. I need to pull up my big girl pants and make a decision 

Take care x

Cancer takes away the feeling of being in control and hair loss is a visible reminder of that. Do not be too hard on yourself. Its a tough thing to cope with. I do get the gradual thing though. You'll make the right decision for you when you are ready. And that decision could be to just do nothing at the moment and see what happens. 

Daughter went to her regular hairdresser and was very glad she did. She decided it was time to take it all off when she'd lost at least 80% of her hair and was going to stop cold capping.

Her hairdresser clipped it all of and she felt much happier. She also started using the Jennifer Young scalp scrub and moisturiser which she loved. She went to the hairdresser every three or four weeks and had it clipped again as odd bits still grew.

Eight cycles of chemo and surgery later (radio and more chemo to come) her hair is now a couple of centimetres long and getting thicker all the time. Hairdresser gave her her first 'tiny trim' this weekend.

Lots of people manage their hair themselves but I know daughter would recommend using a hairdresser you trust.

Sending very best wishes to everyone on this thread. X

Thank you for all your kind replies and messages of support. Thanks for the suggestion of going down to a 1 or 2 level. I really thought that once it started to come out it would be only a matter of days before it all went obviously the 1 cycle of cold cap worked better than I thought as some is hanging in there some 9 weeks later!

hugs to you all 

Amanda

I didn’t cut it. It was shoulder length before the chemo. I looked like a plucked chicken, especially on the top of my head, but I didn’t cut it till after the treatment. Thing is… I was ok with it and if people didn’t like me looking like that it’s their problem. I got myself a beanie and a fedora.

The day of my last chemo I had my husband give me a short haircut, short on the sides bun on top thing. I’ve always had long hair so I changed to short. After chemo. Felt like my decision, not the chemo’s if that makes sense. Anyway, my short hair was a mess but it grew eventually, it’s been 9months since chemo. And I’m keeping it short now. 

Id say do whatever makes you feel good. The *** with the world. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable <3

Take care and wish you all the best with your chemo. You’re half way there!