How Long After Treatment Began Did You Lose Your Hair?
I believe it was about 25 days after my first chemo treatment.
Did You Lose It Gradually or Very Quickly?
Once the loss began, the majority fell out quickly.
What Was Your First Reaction When You Noticed the Loss?
I was in the shower when I noticed large clumps of hair sliding down my back. It was a horrible feeling and I was very depressed when it occurred. Because I hadn't noticed any hair loss prior to then it was shocking that it seemed to release all at once. I thought I had escaped the loss!
Were You Tempted to Shave Your Head? Did You Do It?
I went to the person who styled my wig to have my hair trimmed very close to my head. I didn't want to look at the stray long strands any longer and wanted my head to look neater. I think I also wanted to feel like I had some control over the situation.
Did You Choose to Wear a Head Covering or Not?
I elected to wear a wig for most of the times that I left the house and often wore it while at home also. In the wig, I felt like I didn't stand out as someone with cancer and also felt it made me look better and more like myself. Many people I knew were not aware of my diagnosis and I didn't really want my appearance to be the gateway to that conversation. In the evening and to bed I usually wore a knit cap to keep my head warm. Eventually, I lost most of my eyebrows and many of my eyelashes.
How Did Losing Your Hair Affect Your Everyday Life?
My hair loss didn't really change my everyday life and I didn't want it to, so I wore a wig or a wig and hat when out and a wig or knit cap when home most of the time. Because I have a fairly small head and I had hair loss through the winter months, I often wore a hat over my wig or a headband to ensure it didn't shift or raise in the wind...which almost happened several times. Because I opted for a synthetic wig, I also had to be careful around the oven and the fireplace. I forgot while reaching in the oven for the turkey at Christmas and caused a small "frizzle-melt" area on the side that I needed to trim. The loss of my eyebrows and lashes made me appear more pale and tired than I actually was, so I was happy that I had left the bangs of my wig a bit long so that they covered much of my eyebrow area. I bit of extra shadow helped the eyes.
Advice
- Relax about it and do what you can to help yourself look the best you can under the circumstances. It is certainly not the worst part of everything else that is going on in your life right now; just a visible sign of it all. My hair actually came back better than it had been before the loss, although I know that post-chemo hair can certainly have a sense of humor all its own!
