For people whove undergone treatments for cancer, hair loss is a common but nevertheless stressful side effect.
And, contrary to popular belief, the hard part isnt over when your hair starts to return.
Here, survivor Laila Roudsari opens up about the hair changes she experienced.
Courtesy of Laila Roudsari
This story is part of our series onwomen’s experiences with cancer & hair loss.
The second one was a trim at the back to even out the shorter top.
I hadwavy hairbefore that came back extremely curly.
Courtesy of Laila Roudsari
My hair was very soft as it grew back many people said it felt like baby hair.
It’s more coarse now as it continues to grow.
How I handled the awkward phase:I just dealt with it, really.
Courtesy of Laila Roudsari
I didn’t put anything in my hair.
My goal was to live as naturally as possible, limiting my exposure to toxins that may be carcinogenic.
Favorite hair milestone:Being able to pin it back was a huge milestone for me.
Courtesy of Laila Roudsari
Putting it ina ponytailis still a milestone I look forward to achieving.
It is not vain to care about losing your hair from chemo.
For many people, our hair is part of our identity.
Pet peeve:[When people would say], “The short hair suits you.”
That was frustrating because it was not my choice to have short hair.
That was frustrating because, again, it was not my choice.
It was a very uncomfortable situation to have my identity questioned.
Funniest moment:I always laughed at the “baby bird” photos that my hair looked like.
It definitely was helpful to laugh at times.
Biggest lesson:I learned the lesson of patience.
It was hard to be patient and enjoy each length while I had it.
I would say in general about curls,embrace them.
It won’t last, so enjoy it while you have it.
For many people, our hair is part of our identity.
I felt like I couldn’t recognize who I saw in the mirror and that was really tough.
Know that you are not alone if you feel this way.
As told toJennifer Garam.
Survivor interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Watch a woman’s hair loss journey:
