Hello All,
Just wondered if anyone has had experience of extremely slow hair regrowth following chemo, ( I totally lost all my hair, it has now grown less than a centimeter in six months ) a lady in the breast care unit on Tuesday said she had been advised by her hair dresser to shave the growth and this would stimulate faster regrowth, it apparently worked for her, has anyone been advised to do this and did it help?
Hello H,
I will say at the start that I am no expert. However, my understanding is that shaving your hair does not encourage regrowth and that it is a myth. If it worked then I am surprised it is not a well known piece of advice given to all people who lose their hair after treatment. Perhaps do your own web research to determine if there is any basis for this before making up your mind.
Less than a centimetre growth in 6 months does seem relatively slow, however growth rates can vary greatly.
Unfortunately, the type of chemo received can also affect hair regrowth in a number of people, for example, taxane chemo treatment like taxotere/docetaxel.
Have you spoken to Oncologist or other medical about this? If not, I would, even if it is GP. They could do health check and make sure it is not due to other reasons, like thyroid imbalance or vitamin deficiency etc. If nothing found then they could refer you to a hair
specialist . Beware of any Quacks and Quack remedies that prey on people 's vulnerabilities.
Best wishes to you,
Chick ?
Hi H, hopefully you don’t go to the same hairdresser ! Pure myth, as any BC nurse will tell you. I think I was pretty lucky with mine, although it didn’t feel like it at the time. ? I used a caffeine based hair care regimen. It wasn’t cheap, but I was a little worried about the slow growth. I also massaged my scalp with coconut oil, and fell asleep thinking I was in a vat of Malibu ! My hair came through pure white, and as soft as down. Then it went all Topsy on me with delightful little ringlets - called the chemo frizz in our club. Once I had my first trim it started to straighten , and it is now a lovely steel gray colour. I’m pretty choosy about hair products now, and tend to stick with those recommended on the Living Well with Cancer website , eking the cost out with a few other paraban free ones. X