Should I Shave My Head During Breast Cancer Treatment?

I shaved mine 3 weeks into chemo, they begin to shed badly and I don’t want to see a semi bald head and keep wondering when they will all fall off or be scared to comb or shower. It is actually liberating and gave me acceptance into my situation

Hi My name is Tina and I also have Her2 positive After the 2nd treatment my hair started to fall out . I was very upset but…. I had my daughter shave my head and I just rocked it

Hair begins to fall out about 3 weeks into chemo, and it keeps falling out.Yes, your scalp will hurt but it stops once hair is gone. My husband shaved my head bald, an emotional moment for me, but also liberating. Once chemo is completed, hair does grow back.

I am trying cold capping. I am not afraid of being bald. I was bald at 12 due to negligence by a hairstylist. And again at 16, due to my experimentation gone wrong. I know it will grow back but I also want to avoid as much pain as possible. How painful is the scalp soreness?

@Rebecca put a piece of ice directly on the back on your hand and see how long you can keep it there. That’s what cold capping feels like in my opinion it’s dry ice touching your bare skin. I tried an Amazon brand it was rough but my locs were in brick formation which means my full scalp wasn’t exposed because my hair laid down over it so cold capping didn’t work for me.

My scalp never hurt. However, when my hair started to fall out in clumps I decided to have it all shaved off. We didn’t have the cooling cap options back in 2013. They had them in Europe well before us. I wore wigs, scarfs or went bald. Loosing hair was the least of my problems with having Stage IV, denovo-metastatic breast cancer and Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Google to see if you have local organizations that provide free wigs. Have fun with it😇

I am using the cooling cap, I know will still lose 40% of my hair the Dr says but he say it will grow in fast using the cap. It’s the first 10 minutes of it getting cold is the worst, but don’t even feel it after that.

This decision is very personal and many people in similar situations wonder about the same thing. Some find that shaving early gives them more control over the process, while others prefer to wait and see how their treatment affects them. Speaking with your care team about what to expect during your specific treatment plan can help you make the choice that feels right for you, and remember that there's no wrong decision here.