Cancer survivors living with chemo hair loss celebrate resilience

Rhiannon is one of 11 Welsh women who have been photographed for The Pink Ribbon Foundation's BOLD campaign

When Rhiannon Thomas lost her hair during chemotherapy just weeks after having a mastectomy, her confidence was at an all time low.

But being photographed for a campaign that celebrates the resilience of women living with breast cancer helped her find an inner strength she never knew she had.

"For the first time I feel I look pretty, I look confident and strong," said the 36-year-old mum.

"It's surprising the strength you find when you go through such a hard time."

Rhiannon, a mother to two daughters aged 14 and nine, was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump while in the shower in November 2025.

"Like, how do you tell your children? I was so scared to just tell them."

Since then she's had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and is currently having radiotherapy.

When her hair began falling out during chemotherapy she decided to shave her head, but wanted to make it as positive an experience as possible for her children.

She encouraged her youngest to play at being a hairdresser and do whatever she wanted with a scissors before getting the shaver out.

"I was like, 'just cut whatever you want because it's going anyway'," said Rhiannon.

"I wanted to make something hard joyful for my children and for myself because I didn't want them to see me upset, and my daughter loved it."