Hi. I’m 5 months post chemo now and I am grateful (truly I am) that my hair is growing back and is thick. I am not happy though with the short, tight, grey curls. Actually it’s salt and pepper and the grey is more “pigeon colour” than white. The texture is soft but a bit dryish like cotton wool. I used to have a fair, highlighted, collar length bob before this, although my natural colour is mid brown. Now I feel like a very old lady who’s had a perm! It’s difficult to wear wigs now as the grey shows at the sides. Wig cap worn underneath didn’t work as you can just see the cap at the side instead. I am persevering with wigs though!
My hairdresser won’t colour it until at least 6 months post chemo and because she’s on holiday I can’t get an appointment until mid September. She suggests a permanent light brown and can’t put any highlights through until it’s much longer. Probably about an inch long at the moment on average, but patchy and is longer at the sides. Did trim a bit off the sides myself to avoid “wings” above my ears.
My question is this. How long did it take for your hair to start growing straightish again from the roots. Wavy is fine but the poodly look isn’t great. And did the texture improve? Thanks x
I’ll try to attach photos here so you can see. Three years after finishing chemo and my hair is where I want it but it was already looking ok this time last year. This is now:
Hi fellow November starter, nice to hear from you. I am also trying so very hard to rock the old lady perm look
I tried a scarf/headband yesterday and just fell about laughing- it looked ridiculous on me!. Im not sure what to do Im hopeful it will move towards more of a meg ryan than 90yr old perm but there is going to be quite a transition to get through! Have you seen Amy Dowden? She looks great, I suspect lots of product, I have not managed to create a parting. I will reach out to my hair dresser and see what they say, suspect its a grin and bear stage!. xx
Hi @sallychloe. Nice to hear from you too. Yes, I’ve tried everything too including hair bands. Just not me! Also tried a couple of hair products which haven’t helped, and I can’t make a parting yet It just springs back! I see Amy Dowden had her hair bleached quite early on which my hairdresser is definitely against. She thinks highlights are ok once it’s long enough to get the foils in as the dye won’t actually touch the scalp. That’s a long way off yet! Take care. x
Hi there my hair post chemo came back grey & curly & I hated it & felt old. I was trying to do everything natural. My own hairdresser wanted to wait a while before colouring it. Then I spoke to a friends hairdresser who said why don’t you colour it yourself? She said “What’s the worst that can happen? “ if you think about it that’s already happened! So i coloured it myself felt so much better & after that my hairdresser was happy to colour it. Best of luck it does take a long time to grow in properly but you’ll get there.
Hello
So I was a brunette before surgery and treatment with shoulder length straight hair
After chemotherapy and radiotherapy my hair went to a mix of grey, white, brunette and brown and despite cold capping got very thin but I thankfully had no bald patches
I asked my hairdresser to cut it to a short bob but as my hair continued to fall out I went even shorter 2 months after oncology discharge
Since then (past 8 months) I’ve bern using Waterman products and had it highlighted blonde at the 6 months period
Its lovely condition and thick and
Its now wavy but still isn’t where i want it to be ( hairdresser thinks a year or so to get there) so i occasionally wear a wired hairband ( leopard print) or use a messy false hair piece to give it extra length
If I knew how to add my last 18 months of photos I would
Hi countrygirl1
Does take a while, it is frustrating, i know, but, as i kept getting told, you have to look at “the bigger picture” you’re still here. It does seem to grow all of a sudden though. Started chemo in May 2023 finished Sept 2023.
This is me : July 2023 short bob, it then started to thin out, January 2023 just started to grow back, May 2024 short style but all grown back.
Be patient, you’ll get there. Wishing you well. x
@kar3n. Lovely to see you looking so happy with a full head of hair. @Curlywurly1. The band with a hair piece sounds like great alternative to a full wig.
Thanks everyone who’s replied. It is encouraging to know that I won’t be like this forever and just have to go through this stage before it returns to some sort of normal. x
My first chemo was August 2019 and the last in December 2019. My hair had always been stick straight and i have it coloured because I’d gone grey anyway. Grew back iron grey and curly, i looked like my 93 year old mother!! By march 2020 I’d got a good head of hair, still curly, by June it was straighter, and I had it coloured I think when we came out of lockdown. Felt better with a colour.
By April 2021 it was back to the chin length bob and straight again and looking more like me. The only problem is, my passport was due for renewal in the grey curly stage hope i manage to get out of the country, and back in, later this year!!!
Hope ghe upload of photos has worked!
When my hair started growing back it was like a wispy crazy wig. My hairdresser cut off the wisps and I was left with a skin head. I walked out of the hairdressers with my head held high and never went back to the wig. Loved it! It set me free. I wear my hair short now, not that short tho and not flat. I like it stuck up with surf paste and I use natural colour by Revolution London. Its a wash out so if you dont like it just keep washing. So many different colours to choose from and don’t worry about the for blonds or brunettes thing they all work, my favourites are blue and lilac. Have some fun xxxxx
I had the grey curly hair come through,just got it trimmed regularly.
And it started to straighten out .
Dyed my hair within the year .
I now get told by everyone who cuts my hair how thick it is.
Have to have it thinned out .
Hi. Thanks for replying to my message a few months ago. My hair is now exactly as yours was in those first two photos. I’m due to have it coloured the week after next.
Can I ask you please, did you just continue to let it grow, and use straighteners, or did you keep having the curly hair cut off every few weeks until the straighter hair came through before starting to let it grow longer. Short hair doesn’t suit me and I’m desperate for it to be longer but I think if I just carry on letting it grow as it is I’ll end up with a long frizzy mess. A bit like Brian May (sorry Brian).
I’m thinking that I may have to be resigned to having short hair for another year? Thanks
