‘Home and Away’ Star Alea O’Shea, 25, Reveals Her ‘Big Brush Day’ Hair Loss as She Undergoes Radiation for Brain Cancer
“Home and Away” actress Alea O’Shea, 25, is giving fans an intimate look at what brain cancer treatment really feels like. In a recent social media update, she shared that she’s now undergoing radiotherapy—and one of the toughest side effects she’s facing is hair loss. Brushing her hair on camera, she admitted, “Honestly, I’m so tired, and this is so relaxing,” even as she watched strands fall away.
She also pointed out the markings on her hand used to guide her radiation sessions, calling the process “really cool” despite its intensity.
“Radiation is a very effective treatment for glioma,” explains Dr. Nicolas Gonzalez Castro, a neuro‑oncologist at Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute. “But it’s also associated with neurotoxicity, affecting healthy brain cells that receive high doses of radiation.”
O’Shea has been open about her diagnosis since late 2025, when she revealed she had undergone a biopsy on her birthday and spent weeks waiting for clarity. “I want to live my life as normally as possible while I’m fighting this,” she told followers, promising honesty as she navigated treatment.
So far, she’s undergone brain surgery, chemotherapy, and now radiotherapy.
Gliomas can also extend into areas of the brain where complete removal is not possible without risking serious neurological side effects. Although surgery aims to remove as much tumor as possible, microscopic cells often persist. These remaining cells can later grow and cause the tumor to return.
To help reduce this risk, radiation therapy (and sometimes chemotherapy) is recommended
Dr. Jacob Young, a Neurosurgeon focused on glioma surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, explains to SurvivorNet what goes into brain surgery.
“Believe it or not, it’s very safe to do awake surgery. That doesn’t mean that the patient is wide awake the entire time. We are talking about many hours for these operations. We have to go slow to be safe, but what we do is we get patients very comfortable,” says Dr. Young.
“We use a combination of intravenous medications and local medicine, just like you would get at the dentist. To numb the skin and the area around the incision. [This] allows us to awaken a patient when we need them, to participate in either language or cognitive testing.”
Dr. Young continues, “We can have patients awake and participating in tasks to help guide us. To let us know if they’re starting to develop any indications that we’re getting close to critical areas.”
Early symptoms—an uneven smile and persistent migraines—were what first pushed her to seek medical help. “I noticed my smile was a little uneven, and it felt harder to talk,” she recalled.
Despite the physical and emotional strain, O’Shea has held onto moments of joy. “My first day being disabled and in pain, and I couldn’t stay awake, but frick me—I laughed to tears four times,” she wrote. “I still did things I loved in between. I also had the world’s best nap.”
She credits her support system for helping her stay grounded. “Surround yourself with the right people and work to your limits,” she said.
