Hair Loss Tips

When the pharmacist said I would be starting to lose my hair in 2 weeks, I knew I would want to buzz my hair at the first sign of hair loss.

Adjusting to my new look

The thought of seeing large clumps of hair go down the shower drain just freaked me out. I was thankful I had an idea of when it would start happening. And when it started happening (2 weeks was the time), my wife got out the clippers and used the #3 guard to clip my hair. At the time my hair was 3 to 4 inches in length all the way around my head. I always kept my hair shorter than other women because I have really thick hair. I also am very active and find that the shorter my hair, the better I can manage the thickness.

The #3 guard gets the hair down to 3/8" and was a good length to start with until my scalp got itchier. The itching is a common reaction from the chemotherapy while the hair is falling out. Within 1 week of clipping my hair with the #3 guard, I wanted my wife to use the #1 guard. The #1 guard gets the hair down to 1/4".

The night before my 2nd chemo infusion my scalp itching was driving me crazy.

Quick removal technique

I immediately did the next steps.

1. Went to the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel.
2. Knelt on the floor next to the bathtub and started to run the water until it got hot.
3. Put the hand towel through the water and got it really wet.
4. Stuck my head under the faucet to get my 1/4" hair wet.
5. As the water was running over my head I used the towel to pull against my hair (up and over starting from the back of my head).  The grip from the towel, the hot water (not so hot that it was scalding me), and the direction I pulled the towel really got a lot of hair removed from my scalp.

When I was finished, I had gotten almost all of my hair out. I felt so much better! The itching was gone and all that remained on my head were white hairs. I was a brunette with salt and pepper hair. The pepper was all gone and the salt remained! It was kind of cool.

Post-hair cut maintenance

I found enough info online that the best thing to do after most of your hair was removed was to make sure and keep your scalp moisturized. So I used coconut oil at first and then switched to jojoba oil. Those 2 oils worked great at keeping my scalp from drying out and itching.

Wigs or no wigs?

My cancer care was done at a cancer center and they had a wig center that offered free wigs. I did go get one and I did go to a hairdresser to have it styled. I was diagnosed during COVID so the stylist at the cancer center wasn't onsite at the time. The wig was never my 'style' so I never wore it. But it was nice to have if I ever needed it.

Remember, it is your choice

The way you decide to deal with hair loss is your decision. If you don't know how you will deal with it when the time comes, you will know what to do when you are ready.