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Chemotherapy Hair Loss: To Shave or Not to Shave

Chemotherapy Hair Loss: To Shave or Not to Shave

 

Not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, but the ones that do are fairly predictable. If your doctor has told you to expect hair loss, this is what usually happens: 

One and a half weeks after your first treatment, your scalp may become tender. Some people don't feel this at all, and for others their scalp becomes quite sore. This is normal and goes away after the hair loss is complete.

Hair loss begins about two weeks to the day after your first treatment and takes 3-7 days. I promise you, you will not lose your hair before two weeks, and you will not wake up one morning bald without warning.

You can generally wear your hair normally for the first few days, but by the third or fourth day (after the two week mark) you'll be ready to comb out what's left and cut it short, if you haven't already.

Whether or not to cut your hair before you begin treatment is a matter of personal preference. For some women, having their hair cut into a shorter style helps them get used to it, and it's less traumatic when the hair begins to fall.

For others, particularly if you love your hair, cutting it any sooner than you have to is more traumatic. Either way, you'll definitely want to have it cut short once hair loss begins.

100 hairs that are two inches long are much easier to deal with than 100 hairs that are 6 or 10 inches long. Also keep in mind that even before your hair begins to fall out, it will probably look dull and lose body.

In my 25 years as a hairdresser helping cancer patients through this process, here are my best recommendations:

When your scalp becomes tender is a great time to cut your hair short, down to about 2 inches. Don't shave it yet. I'll explain more later. Cutting your hair short at this point will greatly relive the tenderness.

Three to five days after the two week mark, your hair loss will really pick up speed and you'll be tired of dealing with it. At this point you want to encourage the hair to come out.

Gently comb out your hair. Then shampoo and rinse. A lot more will come out. Apply your regular conditioner and comb through your hair with the conditioner in. This puts just enough tension on your hair to gently coax it from the follicle. This will probably remove about 80% of your hair and it will not hurt.

Rinse out the conditioner, dry your hair and now you are ready to clip it down. It's very important that you do not clip it all the way to the scalp. Please use a #2 attachment.

If you clip it all the way to the scalp, those little whiskers will get caught in the follicle. They will detach from the papilla, the bulb that feeds the hair, but be stuck in the follicle. This will be like a splinter or ingrown hair and you will get tiny red bumps or sores. This is not good and can be totally avoided if you use an attachment and leave a little bit of hair.

Okay, so you've clipped your hair with a #2 attachment. Now take one of those masking tape lint rollers and roll it over your head. You will be amazed at how much more hair comes out. Use the lint roller several times a day to get the rest of it out. Your head will feel so much better. When the hair follicle is inflamed even the weight of a couple inches of hair can be uncomfortable.

Continue to wash your scalp with a mild shampoo (not bar soap) every day, even after you've lost your hair. Your oil glands will put out the same amount of oil whether you have hair or not, and this will keep your wig, hats and scarves cleaner.

Oct 06, 2022

My onco dr warned me my hair would be lost 5-10 days after chemo2. I had already cut and donated 12 “at my diagnosis. My mammas hairdresser made a cute pixie which I continued to adorn with kiddie barrettes. My twinster gave me an 1/8” curling iron so I made curls before it start falling. It really fell after that everytime I bathed or brushed it. My son does rebar so he buzzes his and was all ready to do mine. I had a really scary dream and panic attack and realized the shaver was scarier than losing hair. I told him no but now the sides are gone and just some baby fuzz at the nape of my neck. I comb the remaining hairs forward to make “bangs” under my caps and hats. My daughter went online and showed me all the possibilities. She bought me a sleep cap but my head is so itchy, prickly, sore like when you wear your hair different and take it down. I use Alveeno body wash on it. I’m almost ready to call it quits but still don’t want a shaver. Can you use facial hair remover on your head? I also bought some tea tree at the 99. Is that allowed with chemo? Right now I spray it with the Benadryl spray my daughter got for chemo rash. It helps for about 30min. I also turned my sleep cap inside out bc the seems we’re driving me nuts. I can’t go without- the back of my head gets cold. Ok well ty for help. God bless💕🙏🥰

Donna
Oct 06, 2022

Almost 2 weeks to date and my hair started to fall out. That was Sunday and it is now Wednesday and my hair is nearly gone.

Brad
Oct 06, 2022

Almost 2 weeks to date and my hair started to fall out. That was Sunday and it is now Wednesday and my hair is nearly gone.

Brad
Oct 06, 2022

Hi – I wore an ice cap during chemo but it didn’t really work and I ended up shaving it all off a month ago. My hair has now grown half an inch and I have been told I need to shave it again in 4 weeks to make it stronger. Is this true? Because I don’t want to go through the trauma of shaving it again if I can avoid it! Is it really necessary to shave hair twice?
Many thanks!

Angela Buckland
Feb 07, 2023

Hi – I wore an ice cap during chemo but it didn’t really work and I ended up shaving it all off a month ago. My hair has now grown half an inch and I have been told I need to shave it again in 4 weeks to make it stronger. Is this true? Because I don’t want to go through the trauma of shaving it again if I can avoid it! Is it really necessary to shave hair twice?
Many thanks!

Angela Buckland
Oct 06, 2022

Woke up with a real tender scalp wondering what it was. It was 2 weeks after my first chemo session and found that my hair was starting to fall out. It felt like when i would get up each morning that my scalp felt worse. Went on your page to help me decide what i should do
It was great information that i am ringing my hairdresser today to get a #2. Thankyou for all your info on how to care for my hair after my #2. Michelle

Michelle
Feb 07, 2023

Thank you for your post.

It’s a full year later since the original post. I hope all who commented here are now all well.

It’s been 15 days since my 1st chemo, and my hair started falling off more than usual on the 12th day. I’ve been delaying having it cut because I’ll have my biometrics taken, I wanted my ID photo to look nice. I ended up wearing my hair in ponytail because mere touch would cause more hair fall. Seeing a lot of hair on the floor as if I’m in a hair salon depresses me. I don’t want to shave my off my hair. I hope my hair dresser has #2 attachment.

Good health to everyone.

Zara
Feb 07, 2023

Very great information. Thank you. I have my first treatment in 4 days and I’ve been stressing over what to do. I decided I’m too vain to wait for it to start dribbling out on the second week. I’m going for it & will do exactly as you recommended. Thanks again.

Barbara McKie
Feb 07, 2023

I balled my eyes out this morning after getting off the phone with my momma she just found out about 4.5 months ago she had breast cancer its the invasive kind and if it comes back generally not in the same place so she has had her 1st round of cancer and it’s been 2.5 weeks I am trying to find coverings and ran across this I live this site

Marquita Berry
Feb 07, 2023

I balled my eyes out this morning after getting off the phone with my momma she just found out about 4.5 months ago she had breast cancer its the invasive kind and if it comes back generally not in the same place so she has had her 1st round of cancer and it’s been 2.5 weeks I am trying to find coverings and ran across this I live this site

Marquita Berry

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