Clea Shearer is opening about her hair and appearance following cancer treatment.
The star of the reality TV series "Get Organized with The Home Edit" shared a photo of herself with short black, gray and white hair and wrote in an Instagram post that her new look had become a recently trending subject.
"Let's talk about my hair, because lately, it's become a discussion point," Shearer began. "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. I was interviewed by several media outlets who all asked if I planned on keeping my hair this way. 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."
Shearer said the increased attention didn't bother her but said she found the timing of it and others' questions about her different style made her want to speak up.
"I don't mind my hair being a conversation topic, but it's interesting that the conversation just started happening now. 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," Shearer continued.
Shearer, who co-founded the organization and lifestyle company The Home Edit in 2015 with Joanna Teplin, is among the many celebrities who are publicly embracing their gray hair.
"But now people ARE asking questions. Asking whether I like it, if I'll change it, if I'll dye it…. The answer is I do, and I won't. I might let it grow into a bob, or add some silver highlights, but overall, I'm okay with the way I look," Shearer wrote. "Yes, it's still a reflection of having cancer… but that makes me proud, and I'll wear it like a badge of honor."
Shearer revealed back in April 2022 that she had found a lump in her breast area and had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would undergo a double mastectomy, a type of surgical treatment where some or all of the body's breast tissue and some lymph nodes are removed.
Last November, Shearer announced that after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, she was officially cancer-free but since then, she has also been open about having to continue with medications and infusion treatments and their mental and physical toll.
MORE: 'The Home Edit' star Clea Shearer announces she's cancer-freeDespite the outsized impact cancer has had on her life and appearance, the new co-host of the upcoming "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" reboot said she's not too concerned about her new look.
"I might not look like myself anymore, but I'm getting there, day by day," Shearer wrote in part in a June 3 Instagram post.
