Hair loss advice - how to clip own hair.

FormerMember over 3 years ago

4 replies
22 subscribers
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Hello

A request for advice. After 3 cycles of chemo my hair loss is increasing and my scalp hurts (I am wearing beanies to keep warm and in online work meetings). Living alone in lockdown since January when I was diagnosed means I haven’t been able to get someone to clip it for me and a nurse advised me not to do it myself.

My hairdresser is reopening but didn’t think I should go to the saloon as I am shielding. I am going to look for a mobile hairdresser with the hope they will do it in the garden weather permitting. Not sure how sensible that is really, not just for COVID but for other bugs too.

I could have a go at doing it myself with clippers and a guard but am concerned about cutting myself. Any advice is welcome. I wondered if I cut it shorter this weekend, will it sting less (what is left is shoulder length)?

Thank you.

HayleyAY over 3 years ago

I would definitely recommend getting it cut one way or another. What I misunderstood at the time of my treatment was that it doesn’t fall out so much as break off because the growth during treatment is really feeble. I lost about a third of my hair in total but from all over so no patches. I’d had it cut really short immediately before my chemo started.

Obviously the ideal situation would be if someone could do this in your garden but failing that, if your hairdresser is in PPE and you’re wearing a face covering and sanitise before and after your visit and other customers are socially distanced then that’s a relatively low risk situation.

Hayley xxx

johnr over 3 years ago

You could ask your hairdresser if they would let you in when no other customers were there, at either the start or end of the day if you felt it was to much of a challenge. A buzz cut say a 2 or 3 should be ok with the guide on the end of the cutters

we all know this is a roller coaster ride, where we ride blind, never knowing where the highs and lows are

FormerMember over 3 years ago in reply to johnr

Thanks. I thought that too but they aren’t keen. It’s me they want to protect so I can’t hold it against them. They are happy to give me tips on how to do it.
I am still wondering about what’s safe for me to do too!

FormerMember over 3 years ago in reply to HayleyAY

Thanks. I started treatment very quickly after being diagnosed so just didn’t think about it. It was also lockdown at the time.

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