Losing hair can be quite hard for kids… especially for girls whose favorite princesses have long hair like Rapunzel… Few things that helped our 6 year old cope with hair loss:

– Seeing pics of kids (and adults) whose hair grows back after treatment was very helpful in assuring our kid that the hair loss was temporary, and that her hair would grow back nice and long after treatment…

– Make it memorable. We visited an upscale hair salon. I cut my hair by 15” and donated it to Wigs for kids, and said, “Mommy looks very different now, but I still love you the same.” Our kid felt more comfortable and agreed to get her hair cut. The rest of the week, she kept talking about how we donated our hair to help other kids get wigs. Made her feel like a lil’ hero!

– Watch movies and read books. We watched movies like Beauty and the Beast which reinforced the message that “Looks don’t matter, it’s the heart that matters”. Kids relate much better to princesses and superheroes and hearing from them is very reassuring…

– Time for fancy caps and wigs. We had many funny caps including a puppy, monkey, pig… Our favorite was the one we made with medical gloves and emoji during a hospital stay. We didn’t try wigs, but I’ve heard a lot of folks having fun with it too…

– It’s only natural for kids to miss their hair. Our lil’ one loved combing my hair. We bought her a couple of dolls with long hair and she loved combing them over and over again!

– Find ways to laugh! We discussed and drew various crazy hairdos that our kid would like to try when her hair starts growing again. Her favorite is waterfall and spaghetti. What’s yours? (Needless to say, we all unanimously *hate cancer*)

While it’s very hard initially, you will be amazed by how quickly kids accept their new look. They may be bald, yet they are beautiful, brave and kind…