Karen’s first bout with cancer wasn’t so bad. A week in hospital following surgery, then six months of radiation treatments. After that, she was cancer-free for seven years.
When the cancer returned, it came back with a vengeance. More surgery. Now came the chemotherapy, and all that went with it.
The chemotherapy treatments every two weeks weren’t so bad when actually administered. The fun started about three days later, when the chemo punched Karen in the gut. But she took it in stride, as was her style.
She knew the nausea was coming, so she planned on having nothing but liquids on the third day post-treatment. Trial and error told her which liquids she could tolerate. She would smile her mischievous grin and say, “I’m so lucky. I get to spend an entire day, or even two maybe, just lounging around and drinking.”
It was no different when her hair fell out. She said her bathroom looked like a poodle parlor after she showered because there was so much hair caught in the drain guard.
As her hair thinned, she first got it cut into a short style. As the hair loss continued, she tried wearing wigs and turbans. But the tufts of remaining hair itched beneath them.
She solved the problem with what she called her “Britney Spears” look: a pair of clippers, a few passes over her head, and she sported her buzz style. Now the turbans, scarves and wigs didn’t itch.
Is My Hair on Straight?
Like any woman, Karen wanted a full head of luxurious hair. She had that before cancer came along. But she knew, once her hair began to fall out, that it would never be that way again. She managed it with her usual flair; she was, after all, a self-described “bling-baby” at heart.
She had wigs in every color she found interesting. Today she may be blonde, tomorrow could see black-haired Karen or even bedazzled, silver pompom head Karen. Her philosophy: “I paid for it; it’s my hair. I wear what I want.”
She continued to wear turbans or caps at times, to protect her scalp more than make a fashion statement. Whatever the occasion, she had a wig or another head covering to match. She would always ask, before stepping out, “Is my hair on straight?”
Karen didn’t see her hair loss as a negative; she saw it as permission to let her inner bling-baby shine. And shine she did.
Some people who experience hair loss as a result of cancer treatments choose to simply wear a scarf, turban or hat. Other women find that chemotherapy related hair loss is not that big of a deal compared to the cancer they are fighting. Whatever your feelings, we trust that you will thoughtfully do what you feel is best for you.
Hair Replacement During Chemotherapy
But there are other options available to help you keep your medical condition and treatments as private as you may wish. Transitions member hair loss centers use the latest state-of-the-art hair replacement technology to craft beautiful human hair and synthetic wigs that precisely match your own hair in terms of color, texture, fulness, and style. They are literally indistinguishable from your natural hair and are designed to help you look and feel your healthy, wonderful self.
Whether you live on Long Island or Cleveland, Ohio, Las Vegas, or anywhere in between, we invite you to contact a Transitions member hair replacement specialist near you to schedule a private, one-on-one consultation before you start chemotherapy treatments so the hair loss solution you choose will match your own natural hair and help you look and feel yourself.
Additional Reading:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/in-depth/hair-loss/ART-20046920
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/chemo-hair-loss