Amy Dowden broke down in tears as she shaved her hair off during her battle with breast cancer.
Amy Dowden has shaved off her hair after becoming distressed over it falling out
The 33-year-old Strictly Come Dancing' star was diagnosed with the disease in May and she has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment which has caused her hair to fall out in clumps - so she took the brave step of cutting the rest of it off and she brought in her friends and family to help her.
A video posted on her Instagram page shows her loved ones taking turned to snip of locks of her hair before the rest is shaved off, and Amy insisted it was time to go. She explained: "Taking control - the hardest step so far. I tried my best to save it. I know it’s only hair but these past few months I’ve had what feels like so much taken away from me that has made me not feel like Amy. I’m missing every possible aspect of dancing. I just wanted to keep my identity with my hair and I tried telling myself it wouldn’t go. But I would dread the pain of waking up to the shredding everyday."
She went on: "I’ve not been able to take control of this journey so far, but as you can see with some of my loved ones I took the courage and CONTROL. It’s going to take some time to get use to and learn to love and embrace but, I’m now focussing-not on the hair I’m losing but the hair I’m going to get back and the happy dancing, tea lover who talks way to fast whilst rolling every rrrrr who is still there inside with or without hair!"
Amy - who has now reached the half-way point in her chemotherapy treatment - added: "Since taking control, I feel I can now see the finish line. This for me was a hurdle I couldn’t even bring myself to think or speak about. I’ve done it and I’ve also crossed the half way chemo line!
I'm feeling empowered and positive! To everyone on their own journey, whatever that maybe, I’m sending love, power, strength and courage. I found my courage for this step and I’m proud ... (There are some fun before and after vids/reels coming, but I wanted to share the truth and hopefully help others, and bring normality to a beautiful bald head)."
It comes after Amy admitted she was having "meltdowns" over her hair loss. In a previous post on Instagram, she told her followers: "So many messages asking me how I'm coping with the hair loss and I'm not gonna lie, it is really hard “I think I cry less now. To begin with, it was every day, but now I have meltdowns when I wash my hair once a week. For the last two weeks now, I haven't brushed my hair, and that has definitely helped. "Since I came out of hospital with the blood clots, I stopped brushing it myself because I was just getting distraught seeing how much was falling out."