It was difficult for Vivian Campbell to say goodbye to his long hair when he underwent treatment for cancer, but the experience proved to be one of many powerful lessons he learned from the disease.

Campbell discussed the experience during an interview with the Calgary Herald, admitting that at first, he thought about wearing a wig — even going so far as to order a "very expensive ... and very convincing" one that only ended up sitting on his head for the duration of a short car ride home.

"When you have long hair your whole life and you’re a rock guitar player it becomes so much a part of your identity, and then you’re afraid to let go of it," he explained. "I would have genuinely not cut my hair because I would have been afraid to let go of it. And then all of a sudden that power’s taken away from you, your hair’s going anyway, and you learn that it’s not important."

For Campbell, the loss of his signature flowing mane was just one more thing he learned he was able to let go of — and emerge stronger than before. "There’s many things you learn from cancer, you learn so many other things in life just aren’t as important as you thought they were. It really rearranges your priorities and gives you a lot of focus on life," he noted. "So I have a grown-up haircut and I’m enjoying it. And I’m kind of thankful I have it, to be honest."

Saying his treatment "appears to have been successful" and adding he's "certainly feeling healthy," Campbell is ready to get back on the road with Def Leppard — whose new album he again describes as "the best record the band has made during my tenure" — and prepping a studio LP from his side project Last in Line, which has taken on a whole new life after starting out as a live tribute to the records he made with his surviving Dio bandmates.

Things seem to be progressing smoothly on that front, too — as Campbell recently told Facebook followers, "The mixes for the new album have been coming in and we've decided on a running order, etc. This record's amazing; I'm so, so pleased with how it turned out. Plans are being made for an early 2016 release and subsequent tour. Can't wait to let everyone hear it!"

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