Clients with cancer?

[Ronnie123]

hello,
Does anyone have any experience of shaving a cancer patients hair?
A friend who has had a recent diagnosis of breast cancer has asked me to shave her hair...
I have clipper cut mens hair but never a ladies.

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Thankyou

 

[sassystylist25]

I have done it a few times for ladies, it is always a pivotal moment in a womans cancer journey when they decide to shave their hair. I am sure she has thought about it at length to want to take it all off instead of the slowly losing it all
Each time I have done it I offer to do it after work hours when no one is in salon so they're welcome to bring partners/family/friends for moral support and have their nearest around them for guidance.
As for technique it is virtually no different to doing a gents, except for hair longer than jaw length or very thick i would recommend cutting with scissors first to remove the weight/bulk so the clippers move smoothly.
Some ladies do not want to be faced in front of a mirror so give them that option to face another direction. Also if their hair is a long enough length encourage them to donate it to charities creating wigs for cancer patients.
Sending my love & strength to your friend xxxx

 

[Ronnie123]

I have done it a few times for ladies, it is always a pivotal moment in a womans cancer journey when they decide to shave their hair. I am sure she has thought about it at length to want to take it all off instead of the slowly losing it all
Each time I have done it I offer to do it after work hours when no one is in salon so they're welcome to bring partners/family/friends for moral support and have their nearest around them for guidance.
As for technique it is virtually no different to doing a gents, except for hair longer than jaw length or very thick i would recommend cutting with scissors first to remove the weight/bulk so the clippers move smoothly.
Some ladies do not want to be faced in front of a mirror so give them that option to face another direction. Also if their hair is a long enough length encourage them to donate it to charities creating wigs for cancer patients.
Sending my love & strength to your friend xxxx

Thankyou so much for your lovely reply and tips.
Which grade did you use? Having looked on the web I found grade 2 so as not to be too close (ie shaving the head and making it sore or risking a cut) but removing the hair.
I have offered to go to the ladies house and she will then be in the comfort of her own home..
She has just started Chemo and wants to have her hair cut/clipped before it starts falling out or has a reaction which would make her head sore.
I've also decided that I won't charge her at all.... It just doesn't seem right.... Do you think that's ok?

Kindest regards. Xxx

 

[Jade Patience]

I have done it a few times and I never charged I think it wouldn't be right for me. It always made me really sad to do tho. Great advice from the top person.
Are they using a cold cap I had a few clients that have whose hair was thinned after but didn't all fall out? Others didnt or couldn't get on with it x

 

[AcidPerm]

Do you know if she’s been told that it will fall out? Obviously, it’s the clients choice as to how short to go but sometimes it’s simply about wanting to take back some control from the cancer. However, depending on her current hair length/style, you could offer to give her a shorter cut to ease her in gradually.
I know a few cancer survivors whose hair thinned and changed texture but they didn’t lose big clumps of it and so I styled it into shorter bobs and pixie cuts.
I went to lunch with one of my ladies and her friends recently and as she’s also lost a lot of weight from the treatment, her friends kept commenting how amazing she looked and about twenty years younger. She had a very sleek short haircut and it really enhanced her pretty features.

 

[hennessy]

i am a hairdresser, i had breast cancer last year, my husband shaved mine off on number 1 i think and then the last bit it fell out naturally. just do it as you would a gent. the scalp becomes painful when its ready to fall out so its just a relief to get rid of it. you probably feel much more anxious than she does. it will be fine xx

 

[AcidPerm]

i am a hairdresser, i had breast cancer last year, my husband shaved mine off on number 1 i think and then the last bit it fell out naturally. just do it as you would a gent. the scalp becomes painful when its ready to fall out so its just a relief to get rid of it. you probably feel much more anxious than she does. it will be fine xx

Hope you’re recovering well. x

 

[Ronnie123]

I have done it a few times and I never charged I think it wouldn't be right for me. It always made me really sad to do tho. Great advice from the top person.
Are they using a cold cap I had a few clients that have whose hair was thinned after but didn't all fall out? Others didnt or couldn't get on with it x

I feel very sad at the thought of doing it, but I think that's nothing compared to what these ladies go
Through...
I'm not sure if she will be using a cold cap, but she is adamant that she wants her hair gone before
Her scalp gets too itchy or sore..

Thankyou so much for replying x

 

[Ronnie123]

i am a hairdresser, i had breast cancer last year, my husband shaved mine off on number 1 i think and then the last bit it fell out naturally. just do it as you would a gent. the scalp becomes painful when its ready to fall out so its just a relief to get rid of it. you probably feel much more anxious than she does. it will be fine xx

Firstly I hope you are recovering well, Thankyou for replying...
I do feel anxious, but hopefully it won't be as bad I think it will be.

Take care and very best wishes
X