Oct 24, 2015 08:13AM - edited Oct 24, 2015 08:14AM by MissBee123
Hello Holly and welcome!
I had a head shaving party, too, and it was quite fun! I waited until mine began to fall out, however, I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both.
Most people lose their hair pretty consistently between days 14-16. By then, in general (if you're having treatment every 3 weeks), you are feeling pretty good. If that's not your regimen and you're on weekly treatments, you might feel differently. The drawback to waiting is that your hair will begin to fall out pretty quickly and it may be hard to plan a party last-minute. For me, day 14 my hair was intact and strong. Day 15 I woke up and when I ran a brush through my hair all of it came out. My parents were due to arrive in town for my next chemo and head shaving party two days later. I ended up pinning my hair in a little bun and then threw a scarf on. For the next two days I didn't touch my hair so that it would last, but it was ready to jump off my head by the time the party arrived.
The drawback to doing it beforehand is you may be one of the people who doesn't lose their hair. Some women only experience mild thinning and it might be sad to cut your hair off for no reason. If your hair doesn't fall out, then you will find the stubble growing back pretty quickly. The upside to doing it before chemo, of course, is that it allows you to be in control. For me, I was fine with losing my hair, but many women find it deeply upsetting. If you feel attached to your hair and know you might have this type of reaction, doing it earlier may help.
Either way, having a party is a blast. My mom even made t-shirts for everyone at the party, which was really fun. I had a friend video it for me. If you'd like to watch it, it's here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQwMLNn8k-k
(I never want to feel self-promoting on this site, please only watch if it would be helpful, no pressure!)
Good luck!