To Buzz or Not to Buzz…

Despite my initial thought prior to chemotherapy that I would want to shave my hair off the minute it started to fall out, and then the surprising pendulum swing the other way when I felt that it was not as upsetting as I had imagined, I finally gave in on Wednesday night and went for the big buzz.

I was growing a little weary of shedding hair like a Labrador retriever. They, like deciduous evergreen trees, seem to shed small amounts of fur (or leaves) constantly, and that is what my hair was doing earlier in the week.  It wasn’t coming out in clumps, thank heavens, but I was tired of running a comb lightly through my hair and seeing the fallout in the sink. 

After laying newspaper on the bathroom floor and setting up a kitchen stool, Lydia kindly took scissors to my already fairly short hair and cut it down to about an inch.  I always wondered what I would look like with a spike cut, but never had the guts to try it.  Now I know.  Are you ready?

Then she got out the borrowed clippers and started to shave away.  I was a bit nervous about the process, even though I knew cutting my skin was not apt to happen.  What I didn’t anticipate was that I would be left with a head full of stubble – and lots of it.  My hair really must be strong, because I thought that once I was shaved it would all finish falling out quickly.  Not so, but I’m not about to let anyone take a real razor to my head.

Here are a few things I have learned during this process:

1. Hair grows in different directions over different areas of your head, sometimes in swirls like a fingerprint, and each section has a grain.
2. It does NOT feel good to have someone swipe her hand over your buzz cut against the grain.  This actually sent what felt like little electric shocks all over my scalp. 
3. Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase with stubble is tricky.  The stubble catches in the cloth. Flannel is much easier. 
4. Lay your head gently on the pillow, or it will feel like the stubble is being pressed into the scalp, which is actually rather uncomfortable!
5. Much to my surprise, I have a pretty decently shaped head, which makes wearing scarves and hats so much nicer.  I also have a wig for special occasions, but still have some sorting out to do with it. (Sorry, no pictures to share of the total bare head – I don’t think I’m that brave, nor do I want to freak anyone out!)

Otherwise, things are going pretty well.  I am once again at the seven-day point after chemo, and, as before, I have found that the weekend after chemo is when I’m not feeling my best – but it certainly could be a lot worse.  I am so lucky to be having this treatment in the time of medications that help counteract the nastiest of side effects. There are even some treatments out there to prevent hair loss, but I’m just happy not to have to grapple with nausea!  So hair, finish falling out if you will, and we’ll see what the new spring growth brings and whether I adopt some very short cut for the long term.