Chemo: Hair Regrowth-Kerri Besse’s Photo Essay
Chemo and Hair. Ask any survivor and they will tell you that losing their hair was one of the most devastating side effects they faced from chemotherapy. While survivors often see pictures of women losing their hair, shaving their heads or completely bald, breast cancer survivor, Kerri Besse captured her progression from hair loss to regrowth in photos. Kerri is an artist, designer and the creator of The Cancer Calendar. Diagnosed with stage two breast cancer at age 39, Kerri has integrated her experiences during and after cancer treatment in her work. To learn more about Kerri, visit her website, the / cancer / calendar. Thanks Kerri!
1 – Taking a side angle shot of my hair for wig purposes
2 – Driving to my first chemo infusion wearing my “Keep F’ing Going” bracelet my friends gave me.
3 – A shot my husband took of me on 5.21.20, the day I started chemotherapy.
4 – And it was done! 6.5.20 my hair had started to come in clumps. I figured having a clean shave would look better. Had a great FaceTime with some family and friends while my husband grabbed the clippers!
5 – First wig option is just a set of bangs attached to a hair clip! Have to pair this one with my head wrap found on Etsy.
6 – 7.4.20 No makeup / new wig photo! My husbands co worker surprised me with this very kind gift and I loved it! Looked like my real hair!
7 – Getting ready for a zoom call with my freelance clients. This wig needed a cut so I styled it with my favorite bandana. I was going through cancer treatment during the Covid pandemic so there were no trips to the salon at that time.
8 – Every time I left the house I never left without my mask. Here I am going for a walk in my favorite park in Dallas.
9 – To say some days were hard is an understatement. Having been diagnosed at age 39 less than 2 months after my mom died AND during the Covid 19 pandemic, it was too much to bare some days. This was taken after a very hard yoga class where I pushed my body to my edge. At the end I just collapsed into fetal pose and cried.
10 – Round #4 chemo on this day. Wore my new favorite jungle mask, which was super comfy for the 4 hours of sitting there getting the infusions.
11 – Sans make up, rocking the dark red bang wig I have. My bald head was always freezing cold even in 95 degree heat!
12 – 8.10.20 after 5 rounds of chemo I had lost most of my hair and gained almost 20 pounds from the steriods. I think you can see it in my face in the this photo even though most of the weight gain was to my hips and thighs. I was so uncomfortable.
13 – Chemo round #6
14 – Out for a run on Halloween
15 – Rare moment out at a coffee shop
16 – 10.1.20 – Our 4 year wedding anniversary. The first time we ate at a restaurant 7 months. Went to a fancy sushi place in Dallas and ate out on the patio. I went without my wig which felt very liberating.
17 – 11.10.20 – Leaving the house more and more without my wig on. This time was for my first 10 mile bike ride around the lake.
18 – Birthday Selfie: Taken in Saint George, Utah on my 40th birthday. So very happy to be here to see 40 and I feel healthier than I have in a long time. Hair is growing back so nicely too!
19 – December 2020: Taken at the summit of a hike in Utah. I was completely alone on the hike and so I decided to put on some music and sing at the top of my lungs into the canyon. It was so liberating!
20 – While my hair was growing back my head was always very cold! I was never much of a hat person so when I discovered Scarves for Healing, I was SO excited. The founder is a survivor herself, so I love supporting her small business. The fabrics are gorgeous and they come pre wrapped so they always look flawless!
21 – 2.8.21 The last day that I had my chemo port in! Despite some doctors telling me to keep it in for a year just in case the cancer came back, I decided to have it removed after 5 months. Many reasons led me to this decision – Firstly, I BELIEVED my cancer was gone, you have to have it flushed every 6 weeks – so by removing it I removed those added trips to the doctors, and if you forget to have it flushed every 6 weeks or just in general – you could get a very serious infection in your blood stream if left in.
22 – Chemo Curls: My hair is unexpectedly growing back so curly! And mostly grey, which is not surprising after the year I had in 2020!
Recent update from Kerri!
Kerri asked us to share these additional pictures that show how much her style has changed. In her own words she has said, “I have learned to embrace the slight curls I have in my hair now. I asked my stylist to cut it in a way that would accentuate the curls. I also bought a curl-enhancing product that helps makes the curls more even. My hair was so gray when it was growing back. It was, however, really healthy. I have been using a more plant-based hair dye as well to hide the grays. I love my current haircut!” Thanks Kerri!
For more stories and information about hair loss and regrowth read our blogs in our series “Know & Tell“.
