Kansas City Woman Shaved Head After Chemo Hair Loss, Now Cancer-Free

Lisa Steinhauser is now free of breast cancer after chemotherapy caused her hair to fall out in handfuls in the shower, a loss she said struck at her sense of self. Her grandchildren shaved her remaining hair off. She is currently described as NED, meaning no evidence of disease.

Steinhauser's trouble started in December 2021 with a routine mammogram. Doctors found a spot they were concerned about. Testing confirmed triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive and invasive form of the disease. Treatment followed every three weeks. "It was not fun," Steinhauser said.

Hair had been central to how Steinhauser viewed herself. "So when I knew I was going to lose my hair, that was pretty hard because I had a lot of it," she said. As strands came loose during washing, she decided to end the wait. "I decided that that was not going to define me," she said.

Her grandchildren handled the clippers. Steinhauser kept her demeanor. "I am going to still be that fun, spunky person that I've always been," she said. "I just rocked the bald."

Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, said she went through the same thing during her own cancer treatment and also shaved her head as her hair fell out. "I identify with her. You know, just depends on how people view their identity. And, you know, some people are just tied to their hair and all that, but really it's your heart," Rogers said.

Steinhauser said she wants people facing treatment to hold on. "No matter what's happening, you don't know. There is going to be hope and just keep fighting," she said. Rogers offered her own short version: "Just don't give up."

Steinhauser remains clear of the disease, reported as "NED, no evidence of disease." She has been treated and monitored since her December 2021 diagnosis.