Clea Shearer is speaking out after receiving multiple questions about her hair since undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
The 41-year-old author, who currently has short, gray hair, opened up about the reactions to her new look in a candid Instagram post on June 27.
“Let’s talk about my hair, because lately, it’s become a discussion point,” she began in the caption beside a selfie showing off her hairdo. “I’ve been in 4 airports this week, and 2 TSA agents almost didn’t let me through because my hair didn’t match my photo ID.”
She revealed that she has been repeatedly asked if she plans to change her hair during recent interviews.
“I ran into people who I’ve known for over 15 years — and when I said hello — they had to ask who I was because they didn’t recognize me,” she continued.
Although the star of Netflix’s “Get Organized With the Home Edit” said she doesn’t object to being asked about her hairstyle, she questions why it has become a popular topic of conversation.
Shearer wrote, “I suppose when I was going through chemo and had NO hair, I was recognizable in a different way. And no one asked questions because it was obvious I didn’t have a choice. But now people ARE asking questions.”
She said she likes her current look and does not have plans to change it or dye it.
“I might let it grow into a bob, or add some silver highlights, but overall, I’m okay with the way I look,” she said. “Yes, it’s still a reflection of having cancer… but that makes me proud, and I’ll wear it like a badge of honor.”
Husband and photographer John Shearer supported his wife in the comments.
“You’re beautiful!” he gushed.
“The Home Edit” co-founder publicly announced in April 2022 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I have breast cancer,” she wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “It’s a hard thing to say, but it’s easier than keeping it to myself. I’m having a double mastectomy tomorrow (prayers are welcome!), and I wanted to say a few words before I do.”
She explained in the post that she had two “aggressive and fast moving” tumors.
Shearer spoke more about her breast cancer and recalled feeling a lump on her body during an interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie in June 2022.
“When I felt that lump, I just was like, I can’t put this off just because life is too good,” Shearer said.
She pointed out she could have been “in a really different place” if she didn’t get it checked out in time.
After learning about her diagnosis, Shearer had a double mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. She frequently shared health updates on social media.
“I think that one thing that I have realized about breast cancer is it really attacks your femininity in such ways that we don’t even know that we’re attached to,” she told Savannah. “But, you know, there are other things that are really beautiful about it, too. All my scars feel like strength. They feel like battle wounds.”
In November 2022, she shared she was cancer-free.
“I’m done! Today marks my journey from cancer patient, to cancer SURVIVOR,” she said in an emotional post. “I haven’t stopped crying since I was able to ring the bell.”
Earlier this month, Shearer — who was recently announced as the host of the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” reboot alongside “The Home Edit” co-founder Joanna Teplin — reflected on her recovery over the past year.
Beside a slideshow of her enjoying a vacation to the Amalfi Coast in Italy with her husband, she wrote, “June 3, 2022 was my second chemo infusion and I was about to lose all of my hair. I might not look like myself anymore, but I’m getting there, day by day. And this trip is a celebration of that memory.”
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