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Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has spoken about her “heartbreak” as her hair starts shedding after her second round of chemotherapy treatment.
The 33-year-old, who joined the entertainment series in 2017, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May and underwent a mastectomy.
In July, the dancer from Caerphilly, South Wales, told fans she had received a second diagnosis of “another type of cancer” and has since been documenting her experiences to raise awareness.
She said she wanted to be “open and honest” about her chemotherapy.
“What I’ve found harder this time round and the last few days is the hair shredding,” she said in an update to her Instagram followers.
“Even though I’m cold capping you hope to keep 50 per cent of your hair and there are also so many benefits to the hair growing back quicker too.
“But as much as I prepared myself waking up every day gently combing my hair with a wide comb and seeing what comes out, it is just heart-breaking personally for me.”
Chemotherapy is a type of treatment where medicine is used to kill off cancer cells.
According to the NHS website, hair loss is one of several side effects which people can have during chemotherapy.
Others include feeling tired or sick, a sore mouth and dry, sore or itchy skin.
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Starting chemotherapy ‘wasn’t easy’
Amy Dowden and McFly’s Tom Fletcher on Strictly Come Dancing. Pic: BBC/Guy Levy
Dowden, whose former Strictly partners include Tom Fletcher from McFly, actor Danny John-Jules and comedian Brian Conley, said she didn’t “feel like me”.
“I’m only washing my hair once, max twice a week, not using any heat on my hair or styling it so I just don’t feel like me,” she added.
“So it’s time to bring out the wig I say and get used to this and help me feel like me.
“I know this won’t last forever, but during this time and knowing normally these few months are my favourite time of the year and I feel myself wishing these months away just hurts so much.”
She thanked fans for “all the lovely messages” she had received since her diagnosis.
Dowden, who married fellow professional dancer Ben Jones in July last year, previously said she had found a lump in her breast the day before she planned to go on her belated honeymoon this year.
