Lifestyle

ROOT CAUSE

Actress Reveals Agonizing Hair Loss After Cancer Diagnosis at 19

Her treatment journey includes going through menopause decades earlier than she normally would.

Tamilore OshikanluContributor

PublishedJul 1, 2026, 2:09 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 1, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT

Updated Jul 1, 2026, 2:18 PM EDTPublished Jul 1, 2026, 2:09 PM EDT

Comments

Miranda McKeon is opening up about the shattering effect that hair loss had on her self-image after her breast cancer diagnosis, admitting that she feared losing her shimmery blonde waves even more than the disease itself.

The Anne With an E actress, 24, reflected on the emotional journey in an interview with People, recounting how she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at just 19.

Shortly after finishing her freshman year of college, she said, she found a lump in her right breast—a discovery that led to her devastating diagnosis.

McKeon underwent an aggressive treatment plan that included eight rounds of chemotherapy, 25 sessions of radiation, and three surgeries, including a double mastectomy, which she said gave her confidence that the cancer would be “gone for the rest of my life.”

But while the treatments ultimately saved her life, they also came with sudden hair loss, a side effect that she admitted became “a very painful, miserable process.”

The treatments stripped away the identity she had long associated with being a “long-haired blondie,” leaving her confronting a fear she never expected to eclipse everything else.

“I was literally more scared of losing my hair than dying,” she told the outlet.

The University of California student initially tried to avoid that outcome through cold cap treatments, which reduce blood flow to the scalp to limit the amount of chemotherapy drugs reaching hair follicles and reduce hair loss, according to the American Cancer Society.

Despite her efforts, the therapy ultimately failed.

McKeon then turned to wigs and hair extensions in hopes of preserving a sense of normalcy, but said the hair systems were uncomfortable and never truly felt like her.

Eventually, she made the difficult decision to shave her head altogether—a moment she described as both heartbreaking and unexpectedly freeing.

“I’ve had an attachment to my hair since I was very young. From when I was a little kid, I would freak out if anyone but me tried to brush it,” she said. “To even think about losing it, it put a nauseous pit in my stomach.”

But once the clippers came out, relief followed.

“I was like, okay, it’s time,” McKeon recalled. “I felt a little bit of relief and acceptance and [shaving my head] did feel empowering and liberating.”

Throughout treatment, McKeon documented the highs and lows on Instagram, offering followers an unfiltered look at life during chemotherapy.

Play Video

While she often maintained an upbeat attitude, she also admitted the emotional toll was impossible to hide.

“I feel like I have probably cried every day, which that’s just a little bit of life right now,” she said in one update.

GOOD NEWS

‘Baywatch’ Star Celebrates Major Win in Breast Cancer Battle

Georgina DiNardo

As difficult as the experience was, she also found herself celebrating unexpected victories.

After losing both her hair and eyelashes, McKeon said she was warned her eyebrows would likely disappear too—a prospect she remembered hoping, “Please exempt me from this one. No, no, no, no.”

Instead, they came back thicker and darker than before.

“I’m really happy. The eyebrows just came in hot and heavy,” she joked, adding that she no longer has to fill in her once-sparse blond brows.

The surprises didn’t stop there. McKeon said the long blond straight hair she lost during treatment eventually grew back darker and curlier—a phenomenon often referred to as “chemo curls.”

AT FACE VALUE

Actress Says Cancer Battle Made Her Rethink a Facelift

Roosa Rahkonen

Breast medical oncologist Dr. Adaeze Iheme explained that the temporary transformation is not unusual because “Chemo can linger in the hair follicles and alter the way hair grows.”

McKeon admitted she initially resisted the dramatic change, even trying to bleach her hair back to its signature golden blond. But after seeing the damage the coloring process caused, she decided to embrace her new texture instead, shifting her focus toward healthy hair and clean beauty rather than trying to recreate her pre-cancer look.

Now cancer-free since 2022, McKeon says she’s feeling “amazing,” even as she continues navigating long-term effects from treatment, including medically induced menopause decades earlier than she likely would have experienced it otherwise.

“At the time of active treatment, I did not think that my life could be as full and beautiful and confident and radiant,” she said. “I didn’t think life could be this good—and it is.”

Tamilore OshikanluContributor

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast.