Do I cut my regrowing hair ?
Do I cut my regrowing hair ? Girls, dont know what to do !!
I finished chemo at end feb and my hair never completely went, had few hairs left in places. Hair started to grow back just before chemo finished and I now have a covering all over. It is quite thick but doesnt seem to be growing in length at all. Dont know whether to have it trimmed a tiny bit with the clippers to make it grow - perhaps I need to get rid of the first bits of hair which came through which are making the ends look at bit dry. Have a family wedding in 5 x weeks and thought I would have a bit more hair so that I could ‘style’ it a bit.
Any experiences or ideas ??
Karen xx
Hi there Karen
I stopped chemo in January and in the last two months my hair seems to of stopped growing but i think what it is doing is filling and growing where i may of had bald patches, i suppose the hair has a big area to cover, mine is about an inch and a half and is very slowly just getting thicker, maybe thats normal.
Im still wearing a wig and when i went to the hairdresser to have my wig trimmed she trimmed my own hair and said it would help, she had been the same thing and had lost her hair and her’s has grown back now so i know she knows what she’s talking about, so maybe a little trim will help you, she also mentioned that massaging the head would help as it stimulates the roots.
She also tried to persuade me to keep the wig off, she said when her hair was really short like mine apparently the men loved it and kept approaching her with compliments but im 36 and very vein so not ready for the wig to come off but you may be more confident than me.
If you think about it it really is like watching grass grow as were checking it every night, ha ha.
take care
Tracey
Hi Karen
I would suggest you have a trim, perhaps using scissors rather than clippers. I finished chemo in October 04 and, like you, never lost all my hair but when it started to grow, I had new hair mixed with the old and it looked a bit odd. My hairdresser thought that trimming it would encourage it to grow and that’s exactly what happened. I had the first trim in January 05 and after that, my hair grew fairly quickly and soon became my “crowning glory” once again!
Good luck and I hope you manage to get sorted before the wedding!
Jo
Hi Karen
I’m afraid it is a myth that cutting your hair encourages it to grow (a hairdresser friend confirmed this.)
If I were you I would follow Jo’s advice and have it trimmed with scissors. I bought some good hairdressing scissors and tidied up the hairs that were a little longer than the rest.
I’ve just had my second haircut and having it trimmed round the sides and back has helped give the illusion of more length on top. My hair is thick and has that chemo frizziness so my hairdresser took some weight out of the crown without losing any length.
She reckons by my next cut in 6 weeks time she might even be able to grab it with the straigheners!
I remember hitting that stage you are at now. You should start to see a growth spurt and will definitley have more hair to play with by the time the wedding comes up.
Lola x
I finished chemo at the end of Dec 06 and have had one haircut since, I can now manage to straigten the top with GHD slim mini straigteners, they were a little expensive at £100 but have been worth every penny. It came back quite curly and thick (everything I didnt want) I promised my OH I would never moan about a bad hair day - but I do!!! The straighteners allow me to get it poker straight and I get loads of compliments about my new style, most people say I should keep it this short. My daughter graduates next week and I feel quite confident about the new hair. Be patient it is growing but you just cant see it, I expect everyone else notices the growth when they dont see you for a few weeks.
I justified spending the money on straighteners by telling my OH that I had saved loads of moeny when I was a baldie!!!
Take Care
Clare
Hi Clare Hi Clare
I finished chemo about the same time as you, how many inches would you say your hair was? I can honestly say that i think my hair is growing about 1/2 CM a month and not the half inch its supposed to.
mine is about an inch and a half at the moment, still to short to take the wig off, and mine is a different colour, i was blonde now im brown, god dont we get a break after all weve been through, ha ha.
thanks
Tracey
Hi Tracey
I too finished my chemo in December 2006 and I ditched my wigs and scarves at the weekend. My hair is only about an inch long and grey. My hairdresser tidied it up a bit and coloured it. I thought it was too short but my family, friends and colleagues love it. It is also great to feel the fresh air about my head.
My hair stared to grow back in aroung December and seemed to come to a standstill for a couple of months. The hair, which was very curly started to break off and straighter, stronger hair followed.
I am 52 yrs old and feel great without the wig even though I have never worn my hair this short before. I say, discard the wig and be a little adventurous. You will be amazes at how liberating it is.
Let me know what you decide to do.
Love
Margaret
Same here Hi Karen, I too finished my chemo in Feb, and now I have thick hair all over, about 3/4 of an inch long, brown, was auburn before. I went completely bald on the chemo.
It seem to have stopped, or is growing very slowly. Everyone says it suits me, and it does, but I had long hair for over 20 years and don’t feel very faminine without it, so I am growing it again, and definitely not getting it cut yet.
Its great not to have to wear hats or scarves, and I guess we will just have to be patient!! Easier said than done I know.
Keep us posted how it gets on.
Love Deborah.
Hi there
I wish i was brave but im not, im far to vein, im just embarrassed, ive always had long blonde fine hair now i have this horrible pubic hair on my head which isnt my colour. I have set a goal of christmas to take the wig off and have some kind short style, the way its growing at the moment i doubt there will be any style but thats the goal i have set to take my wig off, mind you i might need the warmth of the wig by then.
thank you both for replying.
Tracey
xxx
Hi Tracey Mine is about 2" on top, but had the sides and back cut shorter as it was as you so finely put it “pubic hair like” its now growing fast and not as curly as before the cut, several post chemo patients who I have spoken to say that theirs came back curly then as it grew slowly straightened out, so fingers crossed that will happen to us. I took my wig off when mine was just a covering as I felt just as embarassed with the wig on as I did with the fluffy hair, the latter was far more comfortable so I just went with the flow. I like you am very vain and my hair and how I look is very important to me. I now feel for the first time since last Nov I can hold my head up and walk tall and that the whole world is not looking at my head!!!
Clare