Shaving head to bald - do I go to a barber?
KerrieC
Member Posts: 2 ✭
Hi ladies, Just diagnosed with BC early May and have done 3 out of 4 chemo sessions. I have a tiny bit of grey hair left all over but wanted to maybe shave it all off completely by going to a barber (so having a shiny completely bald head). Anyone else done this?
Would love to hear from you. Thanks Kerrie x
Would love to hear from you. Thanks Kerrie x
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I had my hairdresser do mine. I waited until it started to shed though. About day 19 after 1st AC chemo.2
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I went to a cool hipster barber who shaved it all off for me and wrapped my head in a hot towel which was most pleasant. They gave me a huge, stiff G&T which was perfect for that moment, and when I went to pay they wouldn't let me! So, so kind. I took a friend and she took lots of photos. As these things go, it wasn't too bad. An interesting experience for sure! K xox3
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You are doing well to have any left at all to worry about.
My first chemo I went from waist length locks to a pixie before chemo then a mate gave me me a thorough shortening with her horse clippers when it felt like what was left was being pulled out by the roots. Then I shaved it.
Last time was similar--long, shorter, shaved.
It's weird but somehow empowering to learn the contours of your skull. To take a razor to it. Men do it all the time . Give it a go if you have the inclination, or get someone to do it for you if you don't.
Totally shaved bald feels amazing in the shower. Mxx
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I went to the hair dresser to get mine shaved before it started falling out in earnest. My family couldn't bare to do it for me.2
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I went went to my hairdresser who take her time, would not let me pay, and seemed sadder than me. Then we had a go at home with the dog clippers to get it totally off. Turned out I did not mind being bald. So easy when you are tired. It’s grown back now.2
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Fortunately this was not an issue for me but when I was diagnosed my hairdresser said he would do the shave for me after hours so I was not sitting in the salon with a heap of ladies with beautiful locks. What more could one ask ?4
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Yes, I went to my husband's barber when I started losing my hair, and had it all shaved off. Two years later I am still going to the same lovely barber about every six weeks and have it shaved - number 6 on the sides and number 5 over the top. I'm very happy with short hair now after having long hair all my life. I don't even have hair brush! Best wishes from jennyss in Western NSW4
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Thanks ladies x0
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Yes thank you everyone. I start chemo tomorrow and was wondering if I should go bald now or wait. I'll ponder on it after the chemo, my local hairdresser is ready to shave my locks for me - ah the secret will be out, I have been colouring my hair forever! I rather think I will be quite fetching looking when it is done.2
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I’d been colouring my hair for yonks and had just managed to grow the colour out, revealing all the grey, when I lost my hair after 2 weeks of chemo. But although it grew back white at first, it finally settled a lot less grey than before, a ridiculous process to get a natural colour hit! But as @kmakm says, take it when you can!2
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Just a couple of questions about shaving. I found some advice online from a hairdresser who suggested only shaving to a no 2 and using a lint roller a few times a day to stop it hurting and prevent inflammation because the whole hair hadn’t fallen out. So I did that and have been left with a very sparse, patchy no 2 that won’t fall out or be pulled out after 3 FEC cycles! I don’t think it is growing but I am not a big fan of the current convict look and am considering either going even shorter or the whole hog. Will be starting weekly Taxol soon which may make the decision for me. Have any of you had any problems with follicles after a really close or complete shave? Also did your hair stubble stick around but not get longer? Oh the joys of chemo! 🤪
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Some people find that the hair starts to grow again on taxol!1
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@kamada. My hair started to thin after about nine weeks of chemo, it is usually thick. It is not so much that the hair is thick but as my hairdesser says, I have oodles of hair!
Another positive, there is a lot less hair on the floor around the house
Might have to shave the cats 
My hair broke off around the hairline to about a cm in length and I still had some longer hair!
It was a huge shock as my fringe came off in my hand as I went to tuck it in my beanie. My scalp was also very sore around that time, especially on top of my head.
It looked really bizarre so my hubby gave me a number 1 with his beard clippers, it actually relieved the tenderness on my scalp, I do not know why.
Later I went bald but the hair around the front stayed in place but broken off, so I had it shaved off after a while.
I remember I was very shocked at first but later I thought it looked good and I loved the shower on my scalp as others have said.
These days the texture is so bizarre even seven months after chemo finished that I get a number 2 all over, hopefully the texture will get better, until then I will just love the shower experience. If I have a bad day when I wish I had my pre chemo hair, I wear a hat or beanie. Next day, I am okay. It's definitely challenging!
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