The list of side effects from chemo are long: nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, changes to taste and smell, fatigue...and of course, hair loss. To avoid the trauma of losing my hair in clumps and to have a degree of control over the timing of losing it, I felt strongly about getting a “chemo cut” before my first treatment. I wanted to ease into the transition and make the process a bit more manageable if possible. I had also heard that as hair falls out, the scalp can become sensitive and uncomfortable . Cutting one's hair can help alleviate some of the discomfort. My first treatment was scheduled for 1pm and my hairdresser, Rachel, happened to have an opening at 11 am, so I decided to go for it. I have thick hair, and I’ve never had a super short hair cut before, so watching Rachel pull out the clippers and start shaving the underside of my hair was a bit startling at first but eventually it felt freeing. The nurses said I could lose my hair as soon as after the first treatme...
