Hi everyone.
I had my first FEC on 31st AUG.I am to have 4 x FEC followed by 2 x TC.
I want to donate my healthy cut hair to a wig charity before it deteriorates and starts to fall.
It’s only shoulder length, so to cut it within the minimum length accepted for the wigs, I will need to cut the ponytails quite close to my scalp.
I am happy to do that when I am ready to shave my head due to the hair loss… but so far, I still have my hair and it isn’t thinning!
When, in your experience, is the usual time for it to start falling, so that I can anticipate when to do the drastic cut?
Is it after first chemo or second chemo? About how many days in?..
Thanks for any advice… though I know our experiences will vary, a guideline of when to cut would help me.
Hi my hair started to fall out about day 17 i noticed my scalp became really tingly and tender to touch and felt so much better when i shaved my hair off. I wish i’d known what to do with my hair, good luck. X
Mine came out about the same time, just before No. 2 chemo. I had mine cut very short before chemo, and as soon as it started coming out, I had it all shaved off. Hated all those bits of hair in the bath,on the pillow etc. So shaving it - my hairdresser did this in the private beauty room - was a godsend.
Thanks for the links. I’ve kept my hair banded in ponytails. It’s not dyed or grey so guess I could donate - although it is fine like a toddlers! I was thinking of making myself a DIY fringe with it though, so will have to see how selfless I feel!
Thank you all so much for your replies. So it seems I should anticipate it happening somewhere between day 14 and day 20. My wig fitting is on day 18 so I might just cut it off for that, in the knowledge that there was little chance of hanging onto it much longer anyway
In case anyone else is interested in donating their hair when it is cut before the ‘big fall’, there are a few charities that will accept it.
They all seem to have different requirements, so you need to check them out to see if your hair type and length is of use.
The length needs to be around 8 inches or longer. (Longer is better of course.) And you have to supply it banded together in a ponytail, or perhaps plaited. No use sending floor sweepings, so you need to plan how to cut it appropriately in advance if it is to be of use.
Some charities do not claim to use the donated hair in their own wigs; instead it goes to a factory, and they are supplied wigs in return as a kind of trade off.
Many sites say that grey hair isn’t of use… I have a sprinkle of grey hairs amongst mine and I am hoping it will still be of some use somewhere! Some will accept dyed hair - others will not! Read the requirements before you send your hair.
Below are some links that might be of use if you have long hair you wish to donate before it falls! Some are UK sites, others are USA sites. Check which will accept your type of hair. I don’t think it matters where in the world it goes to be used, as long as it makes a small difference.
Little Princess Trust. - No grey hair. (EDIT. Just heard from them that a sprinkle of grey is acceptable, but not totally grey hair.) Accepts dyed or bleached hair. Needs min 7inches.
Pantene Beautiful Lengths - Needs 8inches min.
Hair may be coloured with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes. No bleached, permanently coloured or chemically treated. Accepts 5% grey within hair ponytail.
Children With Hair Loss - All kinds of hair - grey or treated hair accepted. 8inches min length.
Wigs for Kids. - Grey accepted, no chemical treatments, needs 12inches.
Hi,
For me it was about day 14. It is a really incredibly selfless thing to do (even if the hair was going to fall out anyway) I really admire you making something posative out of such a horrible situation.
cheers
Caroline
Day 14 for me too and I too found my scalp felt very uncomfortable so knew it was going to happen. I slept 3 nights resting on my forehead as couldn’t stand my head on the pillow. So much better after I had shaved it off.
Well done you for doing something so positive.
Just to let you all know… bang on day 14 after chemo 1, my hair started to shed. It helped to know to expect it.
As planned, it was cut close to my head and gathered into a ponytail for donation to the Little Princess Trust charity before too much was shed. Then I had the rest clipped off.
Thanks for your help everyone,
Fabulous. I did the same, as my way to stick a middle finger up at cancer, and I know several others who have done the same.
BCC, would it be possible to gather this kind of info into a “what to do when I lose my hair” FAQ? I found that giving my hair to those who could make use of it (minus a little bit that I kept for myself) made the whole “going bald” thing so much less painful.
Well done, what a good idea, I had my first FEC on a friday and nine days later had lost the lot, was a bit surprised as didn’t expect it to happen so fast. On the plus side had my last one in the August and by October had a full head of hair again, it has grown back exceptionaly thick and I have to have it thinned out every six weeks.
Thanks everyone. ChoccieMuffin - I’ve passed this thread to our publishing team, who were really interested. They said they’d keep this info for next time they update our hair loss publication (it’s only just been updated) but will also look at what they can put online before then.
If anyone who has donated their hair would be interested in talking about their experience for our Vita magazine, the editor, Laura, would be keen to hear from you, so email her on vita@breastcancercare.org.uk.
Leah BCC - I’m really happy if the links I shared help others to feel better about losing their hair by passing it on to help others, rather than putting it into a bin.
I posted my hair off to the Little Princess Trust yesterday, standing in the Post Office queue with a little tube hat over my bald head and feeling rather self concious as it was my first time in public since losing my hair.
The Post Office lady asked me if the packet contents were valuable… I automatically replied, “no, it’s just my hair”.
Maybe I should have said “YES - It’s my hair”!
But the funny thing was, every other customer in the queue was getting asked if they would like a quote for life insurance - the way the Post Office now has to push such cover… but no one offered to sell me any Life Insurance!
Maybe the bald chemo-look doesn’t go down well with Life Insurance? LOL
Now, if only I can find a way to dodge double-glazing salesmen as easily…
