Kellie Finlayson shares her journey getting hair extensions post chemo

A good hair cut can help to make you look great and boost your confidence. But post chemotherapy, it’s meant so much more than that for Kellie Finlayson.

It’s true that a good hairstyle can change your life, and for Kellie Finlayson, opting for hair extensions post-cancer treatment gave her more confidence in herself.

The 27-year-old said she didn’t lose her hair during her first year of treatment, and that it started to fall out in July this year.

“I didn’t want to lose my hair, my hair was the one thing I didn’t want to lose,” she said.

Ms Finlayson was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer at age 25, three months after her daughter Sophia’s birth.

When asked about how her illness was going currently, Ms Finlayson said she had blood tests two weeks ago which were normal.

“My scan shows that I’ve still got cancer, which like obviously I do, but I was so hopeful, like my bloods are so perfect but I’ve still got cancer it’s just not active,” she said.

Although she didn’t lose all of her hair, she wore a wig and didn’t shave her head, opting to grow her hair out in favour of getting hair extensions woven into the hair she had left.

Kellie Finlayson (left) and owner of Coil Hair Studio Cole Tsakmakis. Picture: Emma Brasier

“It’s nice to be able to wake up and you have hair,” Ms Finlayson said.

“I still would prefer it not to even be extensions, but I’m also not naive, I understand that I have to and I just make it work.”

Taking pleasure in the little things in life, Ms Finlayson said that even something simple like putting a hat on and feeling hair on the back of her neck when showering gives her confidence.

“I can wake up in the morning, and every mum would know, that you don’t have time in the morning, I can just put a hat on and I have hair at the back, like what?” she said.

Ms Finlayson posted a video to her Instagram page of her getting the hair extensions, writing in the caption that her hairdresser and extensions have made her “feel confident again”.

Cole Tsakmakis, owner of Coil Hair Studio in Seaton and Ms Finlayson’s hairdresser, said she had received a number of inquiries since the post last week, but said people must have an in-person consultation to determine whether their hair is suitable.

“Everyone’s journey would be so different, it would depend on where they’re at, what treatment they’re having done,” Ms Tsakmakis said.

Jeremy and Kellie Finlayson ahead of the Port Adelaide best and fairest. Picture: Instagram/kelliefinlayson_

“Depending on their hair, because it is different for everyone, putting extensions in when the hair is probably already a bit fragile wouldn’t be what I would suggest.”

Coil Hair Studio source their own hair for hair extensions, which Ms Tsakmakis said costs around $1500.

Luckily, Ms Finlayson’s hair was strong after chemo, giving her the green light for the extensions.

She had two inch-long hair, something she described as a “mullet”, when she had them inserted and was able to have five rows of extensions, which will be adjusted as her hair grows.

“Even when you’re losing it (hair) people are like ‘it’s just hair’, I’m like, ‘it’s not f***ing just hair,” Ms Finlayson said.

“I’m lucky, my eyebrows look better now and I was scared I was going to lose them, I lost every bit of body hair, like it’s not just hair, it’s so much.”

Ms Finlayson, who is a fierce advocate for raising awareness for bowel cancer, will be a guest at the upcoming event In Conversation – The good the bad and the offensive with Kellie Finlayson on December 12 at The Precinct at Alberton.

The event, which also features Ms Finlayson’s husband and Port Adelaide AFL player Jeremy as well as her good friends Sophie Edwards and Jordy Lambropoulos, “promises to challenger your perspectives and spark meaningful conversations” and will raise funds for the Jodi Lee Foundation, of which Ms Finlayson is an ambassador.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite.