Chemo Cut

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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 treatment, but most often it tends to fall out 2-4 weeks after starting treatment. My scalp was really tender after my first treatment, and it has itched a bit after the second treatment, but at four weeks out from my first treatment, it’s all still there!  

In fact, instead of losing my hair, it’s been growing! I actually had to go back in for a trim because I was starting to give off a hedgehog or maybe an electrocuted squirrel vibe! Maybe I won’t lose my hair after all. Who knows. Regardless, it's been fun to experiment with a cut that I would have never considered before my diagnosis.  

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 4, 2025 at 6:21 PM

    You look like you have a lot of hair I hope it keeps growing šŸ’•šŸ™šŸ™

    ReplyDelete

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