Hi
Starting chemo Friday, and was intending to shave my head before finding hair all over the place… when I went for my wig fitting yesterday, I mentioned this and they looked horrified (it is a specialist place for chemo/alopecia patients), and said that I would damage the follicles.
I see a lot decide to shave their heads at various stages, and wondered if anyone had heard the same.
I have a HeadStrong appointment on Thursday, so will pick their brains too!!
I don’t know if shave is the right word? I had my cut off with clippers so there was only about half a centimetre of hair left. The first hair grew back okay but was a bit dull and coarse so after about 10 months I decided to have a very short hair cut. So pleased I did as now 7 weeks later my hair is very thick and shiny. My hair is now back to how it was before I had chemo.
Elinda x
When I started my chemo the guy doing the treatment said that in 14 days it would start falling out, bang on the 14th day it did, my daughter and I were putting our hands through it and was just coming out, it was also very sore, so I cut it short and then shaved it on a number 2 after a couple of days, the soreness went and it has been fine since, good luck whatever you decide
Clipping won’t hurt - you can take it very close with clippers.
Shaving (not from prev. experience of my own, but because my OH shaved his head for years to pretend that male pattern baldness didn’t run in the family) - you can get a problem with the odd ingrowing hair from shaving - but as for damaging the follicles, well, aren’t the hairs going to fall out entirely anyhow? I can’t really see how you’ll permanently damage the follicles, when they are replaced anyhow? Biology not my strongest point, so do correct me if I’m wrong!
OH’s hair, now he’s given up shaving it, has grown back perfectly thick and abundant where he hadn’t gone bald anyhow - the only difference being that neither of us realised just how grey he’d gone…
Speaking of which, I’m a little anxious how much of my hair is actually grey, as it’s been a long time since I saw its natural colour - a friend of mine suggested a sweepstake so they could take bets on what colour it would grow back… How long does hair have to be before we can dye it?!!
Sophie I think the usual recommendation on dyeing is to wait 6 months then use a vegetable dye. I kept most of my hair with the cold cap, but it was cut very short - I dyed it after about 3 months with Vegatint and it was fine, but didn’t hold the colour for very long. Have redone it since with no problems.
Funny one this hair thing! I have had 2 FEC, third due next week. Started shedding my very short hair just before FEC 2 so did a no 1 with the dog clippers!!! Stubble not sore and now nice and softish BUT still have it all except for a bit at the temples!!!
Its now growing and i look like Bill the Burglar…All other hair present and attached firmly too…My incredibly hairy legs if left unshaven are now what I would call ordinary hairy legs… and odd granny chin hairs not stopped either…am i unusual? Do you all look like a thug too or do you all have nice shiny heads? I get Tax after next FEC…will that see it off or should I resign myself to a life of crime!
Hi SJ,
I have wondered about this too. I had my hair cut from a short bob to very short a couple of weeks before the chemo started, to reduce the pain of the process of loss. At the beginning of FEC2 it duly fell out in handfuls and I considered getting it shaved. However having been severely neutropenic in cycle 1, I was nervous about getting scalp nicks and infection, and also read that shaving could make hair regrowth “random” and chickened out. Now due FEC4 tomorrow, the scalp loss has stopped and I am still going with a very light but even covering of hair, and wearing hats/turbans at home and wig when out and about. It doesn’t look good but it’s winter and no one has to see it. I still think of shaving it/ clipping it if it gets patchy but am still bothered about “random regrowth”. Eyelashes sadly depleted, eyebrows still there but thinning.
Thank you for asking about this, will watch everyone’s replies with interest.
for me, the hair loss was the worse thought even more than the cancer, so i decided i would choose when i lost my hair and how.
i thought i would get sad when i did it, but no, if anythink i felt proud of what i had done.
I had 4 FEC and 5 TAX (docetaxol then abraxane).
Exactly 14 days after 1st FEC my hair started to fall out, that evening we used clippers and cut it all off…
It didnt fall out completely and actually grew a little on FEC, also kept eyebrows and eyelashes.
TAX was another story, hair went completely, as did eyebrows and eyelashes.
I am now 9 weeks since last chemo and have hair everywhere!! Eyebrows and eyelashes are thicker than ever before, hair is still little more than stubble, but looks to be thicker.
Marguerite
we’ve been discussing this on another thread but I thought I’d share it with a wider audience.
I had my very long hair cut short a few weeks before chemo, it was emotional but everyone said it looked great, I had time to get used to it which for me was essential. I cannot imagine going through the process of having long hair fall out. Once it started to come out I had a no1 with the clippers but this left lots of bits that were really spiky and sore.
At this point I decided to WAX my head. Lost my nerve after doing a largish patch as I thought it might damage the follicles etc. Anyway, 8 weeks post chemo the waxed patch is growing back noticeably thicker and faster than all the rest. Do with that information what you will!!
(I ended up shaving the rest and its growing fine)
So much love and thoughts to all of you going through this process now. It will come back.
xxxn
I also took the plunge a week ago and had my hair shaved. It was not falling out (just gone through FEC2 but I could not watch it fall out and wanted to take control.
I am now getting used to my wig when I go out and wear hats indoors.
To me losing my hair was really traumatic. I confess I cried my eyes out when it started falling out just before EC number 2 (dead on schedule!) despite the cold cap. It was thick and curly and really a distinguishing feature of mine. HOWEVER, once I decided I couldn’t stand watching it fall any longer and that I’d rather have it all shaved off I felt weirdly relieved. I had done my grieving. So I bravely took myself to the hairdresser, asked them to give me a number one - they turned me away from the mirror while doing it…bless!-and proceeded to pick myself a LOVELY wig. I haven’t looked back since. I confess I really like my wig and people compliment me all the time on how good it looks. My real hair could not compete and I could never achieve that chic/sleek look. And the colour is gorgeous (kind of auberginy). I can even flick my fringe now which I could never do before.
My son reckons I’m getting too attached to it. He is not wrong!
Mind you: I look indeed like Bill the burgler with my shaved/prickly head. But nobody bar my OH can see me playing my Wormwood Scrubs inmate part. ha ha. He calls me Butch when I remove the wig. The evil so and so.
It will grow back ladies!! Let’s take heart
I have spent the last two hours researching chemo headwear online… once I’d scrubbed off all the American sites (!) I did find a couple of reasonably priced ones, after long trawling, and if it’s any help they were as follows: Bohemia fashions (great easy tie bandanas in cheerful patterns, I got smiley faces!), Scarf Hut (cheap easytie jersey skull caps… nice and soft and ideal under an ordinary baseball cap, or to hold a scarf in place) and hats4heads - cheap big silk scarf plus other bits and bobs.
I never quite got he shave it off before it falls out way of thinking…
I did use the cold cap for the first two chemos and only had a bit of thinning. Luckily with it being winter, I could just wear little beret type caps, with the hair coming out the sides and no one would know any difference.
I cut my bob into a pixie cut after chemo 6 when it was getting very thin and then clippered it all off after my last chemo. I probably held on a bit long as the very thin wispy hair looks more ill then a shaved head, but definitley it was worth it for the first 5 chemos, I like not having to wear a wig all the time which can be uncomfortable or wearing a turban type hat as I did not want to scream cancer everywhere I went.
No everyone loses their hair, and you can have an awful lot of hair fall out before it is noticeably thinner to other people. Also by the time I came to shaving it off it was no big deal, secretly I think I was dying to know what I would look like with no hair. I laughed out loud - not pretty was the answer, but at least now I know!
6 months post chemo I have fab thick but very curly 4 inch hair.
Hi,
I got a similar response when I said I was going to shave mine off.
It was the best thing I ever did though. I waited until my hair started going and then clippered it off. It was great as it was a nightmare just sitting there waiting for it to go.
I’ve never worn a wig or headscarf. I did wear ahat in the summer to stop the sun burn and I wear a wooly hat now it’s cold but only outside.
I haven’t gotten a single funny look or unpleasant comment.
Good luck and I hope you find a way that works for you.
Hi SJ
I had my hair cut from shoulder length to short bob, just in case. ( photo is pre diagnosis- smiley healthy looking )
I posted elsewhere re cold cap which has worked so far. My 4 year old said he didn’t want me to go bald so I thought I’d give it a go.
It wasn’t too bad; after about 20 mins I forgot I had it on. I looked in the mirror when I went to the loo and staring back at me was an extra from Dr Who! Rather scary. But so far so good; Day 19 and I haven’t lost much from the head but body hair clogging up the shower plug good and proper. Not being able to wash my hair very often, or use products means that after 3 days my chic bob looks like it is covered in chippy grease. But I can’t complain as it is still there for now at least.
Headstrong ladies were great and I bought a couple of sleep caps from Bohemia fashions and my mam got me some hair nets to catch any fall out. I have a wig appt tomorrow, don’t think I can do a wig- Forever taking them off at fancy dress parties- would be so embarrassing if I forgot at a work meeting or something.
I think if it does start to go I’d get it clipped on a number 1. My white cells are too low for FEC#2 according to Onc today so shaving would definitely be out- nicks etc.
Do what feels right for you SJ.
Sue x
I didn’t have the cold cap option as they didn’t have that at our hospital. I had my hair cut short and then cut close to the head once hair started falling out. My head felt quite sore with the hair falling out and it was a great relief to have it all clippered off.
I opted for a wig for going out on bigger occasions and then scarves the rest of the time. At home I wore a jersey cap which is very soft and I found more comfortable - they were quite cheap.
take care Elinda
Hi everyone
Thanks for the input, I have decided that a week after FEC 1, I’m going to go to a number 1, because I’d rather be in control over happens and take it from there.
Will have a chat with them at HeadStrong tomorrow and see what they say there.
I have my wig and already an assortment of wacky hats (thanks to my 19 year old son and his non-subtle sense of humour!!)
Thanks again for the information.
Will let you know how I go!
hi ladies, just came on this thread to help me decide wot to do about the shave or not to shave question…have my 1st chemo this friday gona give it a week and think i will go with clippers…bout week later shave it…well thats the plan so far…im also worn out with trawling the internet fot headwear…bufffs look good get some real fancy designs and their seamless and ment to keep u warm winter cool summer…dont know about a wig went to get the form for one before…wat i do like is the fringes u can get, seen them on a couple of web sites but can i find the sites again…so if anyone comes across them can u let me know…i have short hair so wen i wear a hat the only thing u can see is my fringe…so with winter here wearing a hat with my fringe showing should fool most people …with out wearing a full wig…avril xx
Avril, Bohemian Fashions and Scarf Hut both do fringes, and those sites both seem very good prices. I haven’t ordered a fringe, but I have ordered bandanas/beanie type things, and the prices are excellent - and there’s a good choice too.
