Hi happy Friday!
Looking for some advice. I’ve had 2 rounds of chemo now. My first round i cold capped. I found it quite painful and uncomfortable. My hair still began to fall / thin out quite significantly. So for my second round I decided it wasn’t worth the extra time & discomfort.
My hairdresser was very accommodating and shaved my head for me. To save me the shock of being completely bald he left my hair at a number 2/3, which was a lot easier to take in and saved a lot of tears! So basically now I’m looking like GI Jane, but a lot less pretty!!!
my problem is my scalp is so itchy! Is this just a sign that the shorter hairs are about to fall out or is it because it’s been shaved? We are now a week post shaving. Is this normal? Does anyone have any ideas on how to control / stop this? I’m currently using a baby shampoo when washing my hair. Any tips or advice would be great. Thank you!
Itchy scalp can really be a stressful situation after chemotherapy. While i think washing it with a gentle baby shampoo is really helpful. Using a gentle lotion or oil really work , while you can get good quality lotion and shampoo from Sports Inside. Keep your scalp clean but too much washing can also cause itching.
Hi Mousey
I was advised not to use baby shampoo as it’s actually quite strong. I had a no.6 and held onto a respectable amount of my hair right to the very end (despite the paclitaxel, guaranteed hair loss by 2nd week!). Initially I noticed itching and tried Simple shampoo. But in the end, I used no shampoo at all. I gently massaged my scalp with my hands under the shower (fingers tend to push hair out) and applied a tiny amount of Simple conditioner, just smoothing it on the tips with my palms and rinsing it out. I never used the hair dryer and always wore a sleeping cap at night to reduce friction on the pillow. For the first few treatments, I did experience mild hair pain, like when you’ve had it tied back for too long, and found no solution to that.
We’re all different but I promise you the regrowth is wonderful - as soft as a puppy’s coat.