My hair is different but I like it!
My hair is different but I like it! My hair is now growing back after treatment and it’s about 1.5" long. It’s now coarser and wavey but instead of lying very flat on my head it sticks up. I used to have to put on tons of mousse and blow dry hair upside down to give it some body - now there’s more than enough body in it.
As it gets longer, will I start to look more like Leo Sayer or Jimi Hendrix? Do I need to use styling products like gel? One thing though, it is desperately dull looking - no shine. I may need to colour it. What I would really like to know is - is this a permanent change or will my hair eventually go back to how it was pre treatment. Does anybody know?
Sophiebubbles
— Hi Sophiebubbles — I have always wanted curly hair and thought well at least one good thing from this chemo - curls…
No such luck! It grew back as straight as it ever was and all my friends had curly hair.
Sad to say theirs has now gone straight again, about 12 months down the line… but fingers crossed yours may stay curly for you.
If you are dark then henna seems to make it shiney.
Love Joy xxx
I love mine too! Just written on another forum about my hair, but I think it’s great at the moment. Hope I don’t lose my curls, Joy, but I proably will when it needs cutting! C’est la vie!!
My hair… was very thich & curly / frizzy but controlled with wonderful straightening irons. Ive put a request in for straight blonde or red hair when it grows back…surely it couldnt be any curlier!!!
— It is 7 and a half years now since I finished Chemo. My hair grew back thick and curly, everyone thought I had had a perm! It is straighter now but if I don’t straighten it when drying it it tends to be a bit kinky.
By the way I have just bought a brush the same shape as straightening irons only instead of the ceramic heated bit it has bristles and it glides through your hair as you are drying it. Hair straighteners are redundant now!
—Help —Hi Can anyone tell me when I will be able to have a colour on my hair! Was blonde now grey. (not nice)
— Hi Janet — I too was blonde (bottle) and hated the grey in my hair when it grew back, although it WAS quite dark and like when I was young. I used the vegetable dark brown hair dye from the body shop… completely harmless. You have to leave it on a long time and it smells awful whilst on. Once you wash it off it is ok and your hair is gorgeous condition. This sufficed me until about six or seven months after rads finished and then I waited a couple of months to make sure the dye was all out and went blonde again…
It was a wonderful feeling when I went blonde too… another step back to normality.
Love Joy xxx
Don’t colour it yet!!!— Hi,
I was lucky enough to have a very knowledgeable hairdresser and she said that hair should absolutely not be coloured (or have any other strong chemicals like perm treatments) until at least 6 months after the end of chemo. I’m not a hair expert myself but I did what she said, and, as my chemo ended last May, I was able to have my hair highlighted in time for Christmas. BUT - only after they did a strand test with a bit that had been cut off as part of my normal trim.
I know it’s really important for self esteem (in fact, one of my very few little crying sessions when I was diagnosed was in the hairdressers getting it all cut short before it fell out) but please be patient. I do know someone who had her hair coloured too soon and the texture was terrible afterwards.
I recommend you find a really good hairdresser and get her advice on what to use. I didn’t need mousse or gel because my hair was quite soft when it came back anyway, but I did use a salon quality conditioner (again recommended by a professional hairdresser). And even if you feel the need to go to a more expensive salon than you’d normally use, do it if you can afford to, it may be expensive in the short term but at the moment you can’t risk a mistake by someone who isn’t aware of the potential risk.
Remember to post a photo when your crowning glory is back on form!
Jo
CHECK UP —I went to see the Oncologist yesterday. I had not seen her since she had marked me up for Radiotherapy in July 05. It has always been another friendly doctor. Anyway, she asked me how I was and as always I said I was fine no problems. Then, guess what. I have been waiting on this subject being brought up for months and months. MY WEIGHT. Yes I have to say if I lost a couple of stones I would feel and look much better and I have been waiting for someone to draw this to my attention not that I needed to be reminded of it as I see myself every day in the mirror. Not a pretty sight. She informed me that if I went to the gym (wait for it) 5 times a week and exercised for a good hour or so I would see the weight falling off and if I didn’t put as much on my plate that would also help. Is this woman on this planet. If I went to the gym 5 times a week I would probably be getting buried by the end of the first week. I agreed and smiled as she told me “DO IT FOR YOURSELF”. Well I did. I went out with my lovely husband for a nice meal with yes a bottle of wine to celebrate being well. I will now have to go to the gym 6 times a week. At the moment I am just glad that I am happy and healthy and have come through last year still smiling.
Janet
—Hi Joe —Thanks for the information. Will do as you say and find a good hairdresser never mind the cost I deserve it! Did really want my hair coloured in time for my sons wedding in Cuba in May but only finished chemo in January and radiotherapy 2 weeks ago so will have to stay grey and dodge the photos or buy a big sun hat.
Thanks again everyone for the replys.
JanetS
curly hair rocks Well, I had straight hair before chemo. Came back curly - almost afro, which was a bit difficult to deal with when you’re used to light brown straight hair! Now, 2 and a half years on from end of chemo I still have lovely curly locks. Have to say I prefer it this way. Everyone kept telling me it would probably go straight, but certainly isn’t looking that way yet! Can’t imagine after 2 and a half years it will suddenly change.
—dull hair —Sophie, my hair came back curly, thick and dull. When it grew to about 2 inches I used a gel and sort of spiked it. Everyone loved it on a 64 year old youngster. As time went on it went back to the way it was before chemo but still dull. I started using a shampoo by Loreal called "Vive FreshShine shampoo. Bought it at Walmart. It made a world of difference in my hair.
pat
—granmum —Just read your profile. Dont be discouraged or depressed. Be positive and thankful and prayerful. You know, our Lord never sleeps.I also had stage 3 with 2/13 node involvement. That was July 2004 and it will soon be two years. I still go to oncologist every three months til the two year celebration.