When my hair started falling out during chemo for breast cancer my scalp became so dry and itchy. It was super sensitive and as much as I tried to leave it alone I couldn’t stop fiddling with it. I was lucky that the Cold Cap worked well for me but I did have a few cheeky little bald patches and my hair thinned a lot. Whether you’ve lost it all or thinned out it’s really important to give your scalp some loving. I really believe that the more you care for your head the better your regrowth (i've honestly never had such healthy hair as I have now!) Check out this pic of me of my hair a year apart
I do also take hair supplements but you should wait until chemotherapy finishes before you go down that route (unless your oncologist gives you the thumbs up). Anyway, here are The C Lister top scalp tips…
Here breast cancer arse kicker Steff shows us how she ties her beautiful headscarves. The beauty I found when wearing a scarf is that it stopped me from touching and scratching my head. Also, it’s vital to keep your head covered as you’ll be more susceptible to sunburn. Here Steff shows us how to style it up with and without a wig.
Now I couldn’t wait to take my wig / head scarf off at the end of the day. I really felt that the fresh air just let my head and scalp breath a bit. I only washed my hair once a week with a very mild shampoo and conditioner. I would then treat it with a gorgeous oil to help retain the moisture (See tip 4 below). It's recommended to wash your scalp (if you've lost all your hair) more regularly with luke warm water. A little head massage wouldn't go amiss either!
The Manta Brush is a super soft and flexible brush which won’t snag your delicate hair. Founded by a guy whose wife went through treatment for breast cancer and he used his 25 years hairdressing experience to design this cancer kinder brush. I found it was almost a bit massaging on my head too. Love it.
Go that extra mile and indulge your scalp with a special oil or treatment like:
MooGoo Scalp Cream £12.00 - Cancer treatment can cause dry, flaky scalps and irritation. This scalp cream provides relief using all natural ingredients. Vegan friendly.
Philip Kingsley Soothing Scalp Mask £19.00 - A calming formula enriched with cooling Aloe Vera and Menthol, and moisturising Olive Oil to provide immediate and long-lasting comfort and hydration for dry and irritated scalps.
Marie Reynolds Anoint Oil £25.00 - Created to aid skin healing as well as softening and smoothing the skin. Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory & rejuvenating. Abundant in Vitamins, Anti-oxidants & Omegas
As well as wearing a head scarf it’s so important to protect your scalp from the suns rays. Especially when your head is so sensitive.
Pai British Summer Time Zinc & Cotton Extract Spf 30 Sensitive Sunscreen £29.00 - A non-greasy, non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen that protects against UVA + UVB. Ideal for sensitive skin.
MooGoo Natural Sunscreen SPF30 £15.00 This sunscreen suits people that have sensitive skin. A natural broad-spectrum protection from harmful rays, the Zinc based SPF acts like a reflective umbrella on the skin, reflecting UV rays away. Moisturising and gentle enough to reapply throughout the day as required. Suitable for all ages, from babies to adults, and even newborns.
.jpg)
This Works In Transit Skin Defence £39.50 A fab hydrating lotion that contains calming Vitamin E, hydrating hyaluronic acid and SPF30. This lotion helps to keep your skin looking fresh and glowy.
Silk is incredible for helping your face and scalp retain moisture. It’s also super gentle on your delicate hair and helps against snagging (it’s also good for wrinkles!! Massive tick for menopausal me!). There are lots on the market but The C List hot pick is this one by Gingerlily because it's super high quality and just delicious to sleep on. It's a treat but SO worth it.
Ta Daaa, that's our top tips for a tip top scalp. Sending you lots of love. This is a tough part of the cancer schmancer journey but please know you're not alone. Do share any new tips with me if you discover anything which worked for you. After all, sharing is caring xx
By shopping with us you'll be supporting other cancer patients. Each month we will use profits to treat one of the randomly selected C-List community members (aka YOU!) to something special. It might be a beauty gift or a fancy afternoon tea. So watch this space to see what we pull out of The-C-List goody bag. Oh and spread the word x