A couple of ladies that I know who have had chemo, have told me once there hair has returned it has beeen curly. They said this is common and called the “chemo curl”. All the ladies who have had their hair grow back is this correct, and does anyone know why?
Lots of love a curious Jules lol xxx
Ps sorry ladies I meant to put this in the Chemo section not sure how it ended up here as I did click that section lol Oh well!!
Edit managed to change the section to the right one yippeeee!!!
Hi Jules
Mine has started to grow at last and I definitely have chemo curl !!! Never had a curl in my life. It’s straight at the sides and curly on top ! and feels like a brillo pad. Also it’s grey and used to be brown ! I live in hope that it will change - apparently it does after about the second cut - but when will that be ? !!!
Liz xx
Yes it is true mine came back curly and quite wiry at first, but the longer it got the curl dropped out and now its straighter than it was before I had chemo.
lol I wonder why this happens, there must be a scientific reason! Do you mind having curls for a change, I mean look on the bright side, some women pay a fortune for perms!
Hope my humour is coming across as a way to cheer people up, not offend.
Hugs Jules xx
Yes still curly and now down to shoulders! It’s like it was when I was about 18 months old (young)!
Aww that sounds really cute Margaretw!
Mine is now 1 curly mop!
I just can’t do anything with it, so I usually don’t try.
My 47 year old brother in law who has downs syndrome took one look at me the other day and said your hair looks TERRIBLE!
We all fell about laughing and I’m now booked in to have my hair cut on friday.
I do believe though it’ll take alot more time before its anything like “normal”.
Cheers Linda
Ive always had naturaly curly hair all my life ,but since chemo mines come back poker straight lol I dont mind though as ive always wanted straight hair.
Lindiloo x
wow now I am totally confused Lindiloo. I mean if there is something in the drug that makes your hair curly that would make sense, but to reverse the opposite of what you have already, does not make sense!!
J x
Just before finding my lump I spent a fortune on a special pair of hair straighteners for short hair (mine was curly) I only have about a quarter of an inch new hair, but it looks straight - cant believe what yours did Lindiloo!!!
Anyone want to buy some top-of-the range narrow straighteners?
Zoe x
oh im really jealous i really really really wanted curly hair mine was totally straight before and is growing back totally straight now i will it to curl every night !!!
I agree, annamarie - I’m hoping for curly hair too but suspect mine will grow back straight - but I guess I have to lose it all first before it starts to regrow and I’ve only just shaved it off! I think I’d be happy, though, if it didn’t grow back grey - I could then save myself the expense and the bother of having to colour it every other month!
Naz, x
hI NAZ did i read somewhere that you live in rugby?
Yes indeed you did - I read your post too - you live just round the corner? Sorry for not replying - it was on the profiles thread now, I recall? Have you finished chemotherapy now - or is your hair re-growing midway through the treatment. What cocktail are you having/have you had?
i had epi cmf, your hair grows back when you stop the epi, mines just under a cm now how far down the line are you?
Hiya, annamarie, just re-read your profile - apologies, you did say - have you now been advised of the next course of treatment, i.e. the radiotherapy? You do have your hands full! Perhaps we should continue this conversation privately?
Naz
Hi I finished my chemo (FEC and taxotere) last September. My hair grew really quickly and had two cuts by Christmas. At the end of january I woke up one day and couldn’t do anything with it as I always have it very short. Chemo curl had arrived overnight it seemed! I now have a wonderful head of short curly hair which I’m quite pleased with, don’t know if it will last though - anyone any thoughts on this.
What has intrigued me is why does it take 4 months to become curly? why didn’t it go curly when it first regrew?
Sharon
There is still hope for me then hurray hurray
My hair was always poker straight and baby fine until all this, now when I wash it it’s like an Afro! I have to use hair straightening gel and I bought hair straighteners to get rid of the cow’s lick at the front. I had being dyeing my hair from the age of about 21 as I started going grey prematurely, I’m now 46 and it’s silver. However, it’s a gorgeous colour of silver and very striking, even the guys at my hairdressers have told me not to start colouring it. I use special shampoos for silver hair and also a Wella professional finishing product which gives it a pearlised shine before I put any hairspray on. I alternate between contact lenses and specs and am looking for a really funky pair of specs to go with my new hair!