"I never looked ill": Living through breast cancer and chemotherapy – and keeping my own hair

Mrs Schneeberger (54) from Oberstammheim shares how she kept her hair throughout twelve chemotherapy sessions and what the weekly Oncohaircare scalp treatments with hair-growth specialist Karin El Benna meant to her.

Patient story · recorded by Gianni Coria, YELASAI GmbH

The diagnosis – and a sentence that gave me courage

How did you feel when you learnt you'd need chemotherapy?

'It was a shock, of course. But I had a very good doctor. In the same conversation, he told me that with this type of chemotherapy I probably wouldn't lose my hair – though naturally he couldn't give me a guarantee. That reassured me enormously.'

Mrs Schneeberger received what's known as a 'cold chemo': during the infusion she wore a cold cap, which is put on beforehand and stays on for about half an hour afterwards. In total there were twelve chemotherapy sessions, in blocks: one long session of three to four hours, the following week a shorter one of just under three hours, then a week's break. 'I tolerated them well. For me the cold chemo wasn't unpleasant.'

Two days after the conversation with her doctor, she was already sitting through her first chemotherapy session. 'I just wanted to get started.' She was treated at the Tumor- und Brustzentrum Ostschweiz in St. Gallen. 'I really was in very good hands there. The doctors work closely together, and I often had results within an hour.'

How she came to Karin El Benna

How did you hear about Karin El Benna?

'At the Tumor- und Brustzentrum in St. Gallen, another patient told me she was also going to a hairdresser who does something for the hair. So I thought: we've got someone like that too, right in the next village. I rang Karin, and she said I could come.'

After the first or second chemotherapy session, around November 2025, Mrs Schneeberger began the Oncohaircare treatments. 'During the chemo I really did go every week, usually on a Monday. Towards the end, a little less often.'

'I really do believe it helped me, that I always had a hairstyle.'Mrs Schneeberger

What happens at an Oncohaircare appointment

What happens at an appointment with Karin?

'First you get a scalp massage for about 20 minutes. You're allowed to choose the scent – there are about 15 different oils. After that, Karin applies a dark herbal mask, and you sit for another 25 minutes under the light. You can read a magazine while you're there. Altogether an appointment lasts about 50 minutes.'

The light is the Hair Active Light, a scalp-care device that YELASAI hair-growth specialists work with. Karin El Benna used the chemo programme on the device for Mrs Schneeberger. Mrs Schneeberger often left the herbal mask on even longer and only washed it out at home.

Care at home

What did you do yourself at home?

'I bought the shampoo, conditioner and gel from Karin and used them at home. I hardly brushed at all. I only combed my hair with a wide-toothed comb, and after washing I never stressed it. I didn't wash my hair often, either.'

How it went: hair fell out – but never so you could see it

What did you notice about your hair?

'It's not that I didn't lose any hair at all. After every wash there were certainly about 30 hairs, right up until about April. At first I found that awful; sometimes I thought: this is never going to stop. But no one could ever see that I'd lost any hair.'

One experience particularly convinced her: in March 2026, after the last chemotherapy session, she went on a week's skiing holiday, followed by the operation. For a good three weeks she didn't go for treatments. 'During that time I had the feeling I was losing more hair again. That's why I'm glad I did the massage and the care on top of everything else.'

What having my own hair meant during this time

What did it mean to you to keep your hair?

'A very, very great deal. I work in retail, and I wouldn't have wanted to work wearing a headscarf. I never looked ill when I looked in the mirror. It just looks different, whether you see yourself with your own hair or with a bald head.'

How did people around you react?

'I talked openly about doing the Oncohaircare programme. Lots of people wanted to know what it was and how it worked. And everyone said: you don't look ill at all. My colleagues were really astonished by my hair.'

'I never looked ill when I looked in the mirror.'Mrs Schneeberger

What Karin El Benna does differently

What does Karin do differently from an ordinary hairdresser?

'She's very warm and does it from the heart. She really believes in the care she gives, and takes enormous trouble. The massage always felt very good; you felt looked after there, and you got a coffee. For me it was a lovely hour every week. I took it positively and told myself: this is helping me.'

Her advice to others

What would you say to a woman who's just received the diagnosis?

'Keep your chin up. For me it was a plan, and I wanted to get well again. I always looked on the positive side, and I really did feel well during that time. And go for screening – I hadn't felt anything myself.'

Would you recommend Karin to others?

'Absolutely. To everyone who has cancer and has the opportunity for this kind of Oncohaircare treatment. For your state of mind, for how you feel, for everything. It really did me good.'

Frequently asked questions

Patient story from Mrs Schneeberger, recorded in October 2026 by Gianni Coria, YELASAI GmbH, Heiden. The statements reflect the personal experience of Mrs Schneeberger. Oncohaircare is a cosmetic scalp and hair care.