How to Cope with Hair Loss During Cancer Journey
- “News Nation Now” anchor Nichole Berlie, 46, is embracing her new bald look after bravely shared her shocking breast cancer diagnosis last month.
- It’s great to see the confidence Berlie exudes as she continues to work amid her chemotherapy treatments and battle the disease with optimism.
- Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. Most people can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment.
- If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things, to maintain your self-esteem.
- Scalp cooling devices limit the amount of circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
- Patients are encouraged to seek a support group and talk to a mental health professional if they are experiencing anxiety surrounding hair loss, according to psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik.
The Emmy award-winning veteran news anchor, who bravely shared her shocking cancer diagnosis last month and was prepared for hair loss during treatment, took to social media this week to reveal her new bald look.
Read MoreIn an Instagram post shared earlier this week, Berlie offered some insight into why she’s decided to go bald as she continues with chemotherapy treatments and how she’s feeling great doing so.View this post on Instagram
She explained, “Here’s the update. I am bald. I’m still getting used to it and I actually really really like it. Friday when I came home from work I lost a lot of hair that night and it was really emotional. It was actually harder to see the hair coming out, even though it was probably less than an inch.
“When I actually cut my hair, I wasn’t as emotional but seeing it come out and there were patches, it was just very traumatic so I decided to shave it.”
Berlie, who has chosen to continue working through cancer treatment, revealed she had her head shaved a few days prior to sharing the video clip, noting how her hair looks “a little platinum blonde,” but she insisted it’s just the color of her scalp.
She continued, “My scalp is very pale as you can see, but I’m loving it. So this is the new bald Nichole. It’s what I look like. I kinda wanted to give you a heads up because this is what I plan to wear on air. I don’t want to wear a wig. …This is me! This is going to be me for the next few months. So thanks again for all your support.”
Berlie said she’s not yet gone shopping for a wig, and she may choose to wear a head covering or a scarf in the future.
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In a followup post, Berlie shared a clip of herself on set at work with her new bald look, telling her coworker, “I’m trying to embrace [being bald] as I continue on this cancer journey.”
She captioned the post, “I was off Monday, but back at work yesterday and today … rocking my new BALD head. I won’t lie – I definitely had some anxiety as I was walking into the studio before showtime … but I pushed through and did it!
“Chemo #3 is tomorrow … so I’ll see you for #NewsNationNow on Friday at 12p..”
View this post on Instagram
Berlie underwent round three of chemotherapy on Thursday morning, and took to Instagram to commemorate the occasion. She even did five miles on a treadmill after he chemo session.
She captioned the post, “Hey Warriors! (You may not be fighting cancer, but we’re all battling something) Chemo #3 is in the books — AND I did 5 miles!
“Even though it seems counterproductive … exercise is supposed to help lessen the chemo-fatigue. I had it pretty bad last time, so we’ll see if it works. The last two times I came home and laid down, so this is a first for me. Now it’s time to REST and RELAX… :)”
When Berlie, who has Nebraska roots and joined the News Nation team in 2020, shared her diagnosis in a newscast last month she explained how her diagnosis came about, saying, “I didn’t have any signs, I didn’t have any symptoms, I still don’t. And I still feel great. But, as I now know firsthand, you can have cancer, and you can feel and look fine.”
View this post on Instagram
Amid her on-air announcement, she also admitted she’s gone through “every single emotion” while learning to cope with her diagnosis and that she was admittedly “scared.”
She began treatment shortly after learning she had breast cancer and knew the “odds” were that she would ultimately lose her hair amid treatment.”
Berlie said at the time, “It will be an adjustment for you as a viewer but also for me. So, I wanted to give you some warning because it is going to be a big change.”
We’re delighted to see Berlie embracing her hair loss and maintaining a positive outlook throughout her cancer journey, but it’s important to know there are various ways to help you cope with hair loss during treatment.
Coping With Hair Loss from Cancer Treatment
Hair loss can be an emotional stage of anyone’s cancer journey. SurvivorNet has tips and resources for anyone facing this side effect and struggling to manage it.
“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.
WATCH: Hair Loss During Chemo
It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. For example, radiation for a brain tumor may cause hair loss on the head.
“If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment,” radiation oncologist at GensisCare Dr. James Taylor previously told SurvivorNet.
“Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.”
Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.
Dr. Boardman suggests connecting with others experiencing cancer treatment like yours and asking them for first-hand advice.
“Talk to people who have been through it, get their advice, voice your concerns to your caregiver, and see what they can do,” Dr. Boardman added.
If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and more.
Understanding Scalp Cooling Devices
Some people choose to wear a cold cap during infusion to help protect their hair follicles. Scalp-cooling devices have been approved by the FDA recently, first for breast cancer and then several other cancers.
That means wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment.
The caps, which are tightly fitting and strap-on helmet-style, are filled with a gel coolant that’s chilled to between -15 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Essentially, the caps “cause vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels bringing blood to the scalp,” Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington, explains.
By constricting the blood flow to the scalp, the caps limit the circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
The cold also decreases the activity of the hair follicles, which slows down cell division and makes the follicles less affected by the chemotherapy medicine.
WATCH: What is a scalp-cooling device?
Dr. Julie Nangia, a medical oncologist at Baylor College of Medicine and a lead author on one of the major studies of the device, says 50% of women were able to keep their hair after four rounds of chemotherapy, and added: “Without the devices, 100% of patients lost their hair.”
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There have been some safety questions when it comes to scalp-cooling, but Dr. Nangia says that when given to people with solid tumors (like breast, ovarian, colon, and lung cancer), the devices are safe.
Choose a Wig or Other Head Covering
Some women choose to cut their hair very short or even shave their head before their hair starts falling out, and then buy a wig or other type of head covering.
If you’re thinking about buying a wig, consider buying it before your treatment starts, or soon after. Cancer.org suggests asking if the wig can be adjusted as you might need a smaller size as you lose hair. To match your hair color, they recommend cutting a swatch from the top front of your head, where your hair is lightest or try a completely new hairstyle or color.
Dr. Manojkumar Bupathi Says Coping With Hair Loss Really Comes Down To Personal Preference
Wigs and other scalp coverings may be partially or fully covered by your health insurance. If so, make sure the prescription says “cranial prosthesis.” (Don’t use the word wig.) Someone on your cancer care team can likely recommend wig shops in your area.
Hair Loss Is Temporary
Losing your hair can feel overwhelming in the moment. Experts tell SurvivorNet that being aware of the timing can help you better cope. Hair loss typically begins about three to four weeks after you begin chemotherapy for ovarian cancer and will continue throughout treatment. Most women can expect regrowth around four to six weeks after they complete treatment, though you may see some changes to color and texture.
But it’s important to remember that your hair will grow back after chemotherapy ends.
Coping With Chemo-Related Hair Loss
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor:
- Are there any treatments to help manage or minimize my hair loss?
- What are scalp-cooling devices, and how do they work?
- Do you recommend scalp-cooling devices?
- What other options are available to help me cope with hair loss?
- Can you recommend a wig maker?
- I’m struggling mentally with my hair loss; can you recommend a therapist to talk to?
- How can I find a local support group with people going through similar things?
How Ovarian Cancer Survivor Teri Chow’s Wig (& Humor) Helped Her Cope With Hair Loss
Body Image and Cancer
Appreciating your body and all that it has accomplished is a beautiful thing, just Nichole Berlie shows. Why not try to love the skin you’re in? After all, we only get one body, and we’re partners with it for life.
That being said, body positivity is easier said than done. And cancer survivors may struggle more than others during or after their cancer journeys.
Celebrity Stylist Ann Caruso on Beauty and Femininity After Cancer
Take Ann Caruso, for example. She had 12 surgeries to treat her breast cancer and told SurvivorNet about how all of the changes really impacted the way she saw her body.
“You’re not the same carefree person that you once were, and it was very hard for me to look at myself every day,” Caruso said. “It was like I was a totally different person and didn’t fit into any of my clothes for so long.”
But time is a powerful healer. Looking back on her breast cancer experience has helped her redefine femininity and body image.
“Femininity is a state of mind,” Caruso said. “And I think that’s something that we have to remind ourselves.”
Another breast cancer survivor, Jaclyn Kaczynski, had a similar experience after her diagnosis at 37. She told SurvivorNet. “My confidence was gone. My confidence was destroyed. I was always vain about my appearance and my weight, let alone losing a breast, or both.”
Some people find empowerment in going “flat” after losing their breasts to the disease, but Kaczynski found confidence in reconstruction. There’s no right or wrong answer for breast cancer survivors, but it’s important to consider all your options and go forward with whatever path is best for you.
“I just had my reconstructive surgery,” she explained. “My favorite doctor was able to make it happen for me. It’s amazing how much more confidence I have within the past three weeks.”
My Confidence Was Destroyed: Dealing With Body Image During Cancer Treatment
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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