Hope no one thinks this question is trivial or,worse, frivolous!
I’m asking on behalf of my sister who is due to start chemo in the next couple of weeks. Does anyone know if it’s okay to have hair highlights done this close to starting chemo? Might seem trivial in the situation, but If she does manage to keep her hair, this will help her feel better in herself. Thanks in anticipation, Dx
Hi, I had my hair coloured a couple of days before I started chemo. I checked with the oncologist he said it was ok especially if it made me feel better. xx
Debbie, please don’t worry that your question was trivial or frivolous! Anything that makes your sister feel better in herself is worth asking about 
I don’t know the answer, just wish I’d had mine done closer to chemo as my grey roots are really showing now!
Loads of good luck to your sister and to you in your support for her xxx
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your sister. I’m two sessions into FEC cemotherapy. I wouldn’t advise your sister to bother with her hair much unless she just wants to treat herself for a short time. Even after my first chemo my hair started to fall out and I had extentions. Luckily I was due to get them redone and saved myself the expense by just leaving them. When my hair started to fall I shaved my head because I couldn’t stand finding lengths of my hair about my house and on my pillow in the morning. I doubt very much that having highlights is a problem or would affect your sister in an adverse way, it’s just expensive and seems a waste of time and mone unless she’s happy with that and prepared to lose her hair shortly afterwards. Please give her my kind regards and let me know what she decides. Hugs to you and her.
It’ not trivial to ask anthing. It’s important to discuss everything causes that concern. I sincerely hope your sister keeps her hair but i’m sure it depends on which chemicals are used. I know in my case FEC treatment has a very high probability of causing hair loss. It’s not a nice experience but the hair grows back after the chemo finishes. I’m still not used to seeing myself in the mirror! I wear a beany most of the time and a wig for going out to eat etc.
If your sister wants to feel good for now I say go for it, and enjoy it! Please let me know which treatment she is having. If shes having FEC maybe someone else could let you know if the cold cap helps to retain hair. I opted not to have it because I was told it’s uncomfortable and hair falls out anyway. I’d love to know if it preserved anyones hair.
Hi Debbie in answer to your question I asked my B/nurse this pre chemo and she said she wouldn’t advise it but didn’t explain why. I took advice and put the cost of highlights towards a nice human hair wig. If the hair is gonna go might just as well look towards that. It is a very emotional time to lose hair but along with everything else you get used to it because you have to. Will your sister be trying the cold cap?xxx
Thanks for the advice Butterfly, I’ll look into that - mind you, the hair might have fallen out by then!!
Xxx
I have been on Capecitabine for 16months but sadly it is not working any longer. I continued to colur my hair all the way thro the treatment. I use a vegetable only die that has no Parabens and is vegan friendly. They also do a Hair Multiplier and it does exactly what it says. On feb 11th i am starting on GEM/CARB and awaiting reply from Macmillan Nurse to see if it still suitable. Hey ho onwards and upwards.
Hugs to eveyone xx: