Amy Dowden has released a terrible video of herself getting her head chopped as part of her cancer treatment.
The Strictly Come Dancing pro, 33, announced earlier this year that she had stage 3 breast cancer.
She’s subsequently had a single mastectomy and is currently undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered new cancers, forcing her out of Strictly 2023, but she’s teased visits on the show and the crew has told her the door is still open for her.
Amy has been updating her followers on her hospital visits and her severe hair loss while she gets therapy.
She earlier stated that she was not ready to shave her head, but she was ‘distraught’ about it.
She has, however, boldly posted a video of the momentous occasion, in which she is accompanied by loved ones and gets her hair shorn.
She wrote in the caption: ‘“This too shall pass”
‘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.
‘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 added that she can ‘now see the finish line’, after marking a milestone through her chemotherapy.
She went on: ‘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).’
Amy was inundated in support, with one person writing: ‘So strong and inspiring Amy! We love you.’
Another wrote: ‘Sending you all the love in the world, beautiful inside and out.’
‘Beautiful – you’ve got this,’ someone else echoed.
This comes after Amy expressed her ‘distraught’ at her hair loss shortly after attending the National Television Awards.
In a recent series of clips posted on Instagram, Amy said that her third round of chemo had been the ‘best one so far’, as she had to be rushed to hospital after her first round before it was discovered that she had developed sepsis.
After the second round, Amy suffered from three blood clots, but after the most recent third round, she explained that she ‘just had the usual side effects from chemo’, which included sickness, fatigue, sore mouth ulcers and hair loss.
She previously said: ‘I can’t now leave the house without something on the top of my head because unfortunately, [I’m] quite bald on top.’
Amy revealed that she had received ‘so many messages’ asking how she’s coping with her hair loss, as she acknowledged that it’s been ‘really, really hard’ for her.
She also revealed that she had sobbed on several occasions about losing her hair, including having’meltdowns’ when she washed her hair once a week.
However, having her husband Ben Jones brush her hair for her has helped Amy since she doesn’t have to physically see the hair that’s coming out, even if she is aware of it.
‘That for me is helping me big time because if I took my scarf off, you’ll see there’s hardly any left but it’s okay,’ she said, before referencing a video of Tom Hanks speaking during an actors’ roundtable as she continued: ‘Because I keep telling myself like Tom Hanks says this too shall pass.’
Amy went on to explain that since leaving hospital after suffering from blood clots, she’s stopped brushing her hair herself ‘because I was just getting distraught when I’d see how much was falling out’.
‘That has helped me. But this is definitely the hardest part for me personally,’ she stated.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.15pm on BBC One.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
