At a support group the other night, I mentioned that our bike trip prepared me for hair loss. After riding around Lake Ontario, I cut my hair really short. I lost all attachment to my hair – as it was under a bike helmet most days – and shorter hair meant it was really easy to manage. So, when chemo meant losing my hair, it didn’t have a huge mental effect on me … I went into the experience with curiosity rather than fear and sadness.
So now I am amused at my attachment to the regrowth of my hair. It is now becoming long enough to be unruly. At this stage, many people get a buzz cut, to cut off the peach fuzz ends and allow the growth of the new hair (which post-shower looks much darker than my hair did pre-chemo). At the moment, the white ends make it look grey. But I just cannot do it. I’m attached to my new hair (and my eyebrows are starting to come back too). So, I’m using the advice from one of the Facebook groups I’m a part of – coconut oil (like the stuff you use for cooking) is great to help calm the unruly hair. It turns to liquid in your fingers, and then re-solidifies as you shape your hair. Quite neat really.
I’ve started to go without a chemo hat/buff to some social occasions and support groups. I usually arrive with a head covering and then remove it, mostly because it is too cold outside not to have something cover my head when I first go out. Someone in my support group who also goes out with short hair commented, that you need to be prepared to have the cancer discussion. When she doesn’t want the topic to come up, she wears a wig. Otherwise, she is happy with her new do (which is really short but looks great). I never adopted a wig – I didn’t feel the need to – I also spent most of my time at home or around friends that know what is happening – so there is no need for me to hide the cancer – perhaps if I were in Ottawa I would feel differently. Who knows. For now, I’m just intrigued by how attached I am to my unruly peach fuzzy hair!
