Hair loss

Before your hair starts to fall out, there are things you can do to prepare yourself practically and emotionally.

Talk to people

You may worry about how other people will react when you lose your hair.

Some people may feel uncomfortable and be unsure what to say. It can help to talk to people about it before you lose your hair. This can help them know how you feel and how they can help support you. For example, they may be able to help you choose a wig or hairpiece that suits you.

You may find it helpful to talk to your hairdresser or barber. They may have clients who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment. They may be able to offer advice and support. And they will know what to expect next time you come in.

Talking to children

If you have children, you may worry that they will be scared if they see you without hair. When children are told about changes to your appearance before they happen, they usually cope well.

Cancer Hair Care has dolls in a variety of skin tones to help explain hair loss to children. We have more information about talking about cancer and talking to children and teenagers.

Join a support group

You may find it helpful to talk to other people who have, or have had, hair loss. Ask your doctor or nurse about cancer support groups in your local area.

The charities Look Good Feel Better and Cancer Hair Care run a monthly workshop about hair loss and scalp care.

You can also contact Macmillan for free on 0808 808 00 00 and talk to a cancer support specialist. Or you can find support from people in the same situation on our Online Community.

Get a wig before treatment starts

If you think you would like to wear a wig, it is a good idea to get one before you start treatment. This means:

• it is easier to match the wig to your own hair colour and style
• you can get used to wearing it before your hair starts to fall out
• it will be ready in case you lose your hair earlier or more quickly than expected.

You may feel that everyone will notice that you are wearing a wig. But wigs are often very good and can be cut and styled so people may not realise. Some salons have specially trained hairdressers who can style your wig ready for you to use.

You can contact the charity My New Hair to find out more.

Buy a hat or other headwear

You will probably not want to wear a wig all the time. For example, you might not want to wear a wig at home, or when you are on your own.

However, your scalp will be more sensitive to cold, windy or sunny weather. If you are used to having a full head of hair, your head may feel cold even when you are at home.

There are different options for keeping your head warm or protected. For example, you can wear a:

• hat
• turban
• baseball cap
• bandana
• headscarf.

You may want to wear a head covering while your hair is falling out. We have more information about different head coverings.

Consider cutting your hair short

Many people decide to prepare themselves for losing their hair by cutting it short. Losing smaller clumps of hair can be easier to cope with than losing longer clumps. Hair often comes out in uneven patches, and this is usually less distressing with shorter hair.

It can also give your family and friends the chance to get used to seeing you with less hair. Cutting your hair in stages will give you time to get used to a new length.

If you do not want to cut your hair for cultural or religious reasons, you may find other headwear helpful, such as hats, scarves or bandanas.

If you want a hairdresser or barber to cut your hair, you can ask your own. There are also places that specialise in styling hair for people affected by cancer. You can find these through the charity My New Hair which supports people with medical hair loss.

Removing all of your hair

Some people choose to shave their heads completely before they start losing their hair. This can give a sense of control over what is going to happen.

If your hair is long enough, you may wish to donate it to the Little Princess Trust. This is a charity that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair.

If you do want to remove all your hair, use clippers. Avoid using a blade or razor as this can lead to cuts and infections.

Tips for using clippers

• If you have never used clippers before, talk to a hairdresser or barber first. They should be understanding and can give you advice.
• Remove most of your hair with scissors first. Then use a set of clippers with a cutting guard or attachment to prevent cuts. You might find it easier to get someone to help you.
• Some clippers have a power cord, and some are cordless. The head of the clippers may swivel or be fixed in place. If you can, ask someone who uses clippers what they would recommend.
• It is easier to use clippers on clean, dry hair with no products in it. Make sure you feel comfortable using the clippers before you start. The charity Cancer Hair Care has a guide on using clippers.
• Leave a very short layer of hair. Do not use a ‘0’ setting, as you cannot use a guard with this setting.

Think about your eyebrows and eyelashes

You might be worried about losing your eyebrows and eyelashes. Before you lose your hair, you could buy any products you might need, and learn how to use them.

You could check whether your local Boots store has a Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisor. They offer free, face-to-face advice about caring for your skin, hair and nails during and after cancer treatment.

Many people find that their family or friends are very supportive. You may find it helpful to talk with them about how losing your hair makes you feel.

But you may not want to talk with people you know. Or they may not feel comfortable talking about cancer and treatment side effects.

Whatever your situation, it can take time to come to terms with hair loss and be able to talk about it with other people.

Some people find it easier to talk to people they do not know. At the hospital you will probably meet other people who have lost their hair. They may be able to give you advice and tips on how they have coped.

Getting support

You can also meet people at cancer support groups, or online. Our Online Community is a place to chat with other people, make friends and join support groups. You can also read posts or blogs that other people have written about hair loss, or write about your experiences.

If you are finding it hard to cope with hair loss, cancer or your treatment, you can also call our cancer support specialists for free on 0808 808 00 00. They can listen to you, provide emotional support and tell you about other sources of help.

The charity Cancer Hair Care also offers a free phone advice service.

If you are a teenager or young adult, changes in how you look can be very upsetting. There are lots of natural-looking wigs and other ways to cover hair loss. The Little Princess Trust provides free real-hair wigs to young people up to age 24 who have hair loss as a result of cancer treatment.

You can also get support from Teenage Cancer Trust and Cancer Hair Care.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.