Shell Rowe, 23, from Essex, began losing her hair after undergoing chemotherapy following a diagnosis of stage four non-hodgkin lymphoma in 2019.
To make light of her hair loss, Shell began experimenting with sticking various items to her head, such as temporary tattoos, cereal, shaving foam and more in a bid to turn her hurt into something positive.
And millions are loving Shell’s story – she has documented her journey on TikTok and her hilarious videos are going viral – with her most popular clip racking up 27.1 million views and 5.5 million likes.
‘I try to always see things from a positive perspective and cancer is undeniably a horrible, cruel disease,’ Shell said.
‘It’s also opened a lot of doors for me and brought about some positive change, because I was determined to not let it ruin my life.
‘I have never actually felt so comfortable and confident in my own skin, because I’m finally brave enough to be the person who I wanted to be, rather than what was expected of me.
‘It’s been very freeing and had it not been because of my illness, I also would have never started doing TikTok.
‘I have the platform I do today with the opportunities that this brings and it’s also inspired my art, as I based my graduate film project around my experiences and it’s fostered so many friendships.
‘The key is to always be looking for the silver linings in any situation and actively seek to make the most with what you have.’
In the humorous clip, she begins with ‘crying’ as the text reads: ‘My parents devastated that their little girl has cancer’.
She then switches to a shot of her with a hair-do made from foam, with the text: ‘Me who can’t stop sticking s**t to my head’.
Shell showcases her many looks in her videos, with each more creative than the last, including a head full of Cheerios, stick-on gems, strawberry laces and more.
Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many praising the 23-year-old for her positive outlook.
‘I know you joke an awful lot but your parent must be so proud of your strength and character – you’re an inspiration! just thought I’d acknowledge it,’ one viewer wrote.
Shell said: ‘I’ve always been drawn to making videos and acting, so it felt like the most natural way for me to process what I was going through as opposed to a stereotypical journal.
‘I do see TikTok like my diary and I find it very cathartic to post and share what I’m going through on there.
‘It’s given me a place to channel all my anxiety into something positive and my memory is also shocking, so I love having it to remind me of how far I’ve come and what I’ve been through.
‘My favourite look was done with temporary tattoos that we just applied with water.
‘It took around seven hours to complete, but was well worth it as I think the results were amazing and people really enjoyed the creativity.’
Since her diagnosis, she’s relapsed a further three times and has undergone a range of chemotherapies, radiotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy, clinical trials and most recently, a stem cell transplant.
Shell said: ‘Earlier this year, I underwent a stem cell transplant and was fortunate enough to have my brother as a donor.
‘I spent 10 weeks in hospital recovering and I’m now roughly seven months in remission.
‘I now only go to the hospital for regular check ups and to monitor my recovery.’
Shell hopes she can encourage others who have lost their hair to have some fun.
She added: ‘It’s been phenomenal, as I have people from all over the world reach out to me every day and share their stories with me.
‘It reassures me that I’m doing the right thing and hopefully helping other people cope with their diagnosis.
‘All I want to do with my page is bring joy and laughter to people, as well as making the subject of cancer a little less taboo.
‘For those in particular struggling with hair loss, I really encourage you to try and have some fun with it.
‘I know how hard it is to feel as if your identity and worth is being stripped away due to the pressure we put on hair in society.
‘But just know, that your happiness and your character is worth far more.
‘There is still power and beauty in being bald.’
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