How long do post chemo curls last?

[Lynee]

I wished my hair would quit changing color.  When it first started growing back, one part of my hair was one color, the sides a different color, and a stripe along my forehead yet another color.  Then it all turned bright white, and after a few weeks, the hair already on my head turned black!  Never had black hair in my life!!

[Shi]

❤️ I’ve found Aussie miracle shampoo and 3 minute miracle, John Frieda 3 day straight and straighteners work, I got some mini straighteners when it was first growing out and curly, so got it a bit more Mia farrow straight 👍 if you are growing it long again, then it does take patience but it’s worth it 👍hope this helps 💕💕✨✨Shi xx

[red_robin]

By a year after chemo my hair was looking like Queenie Goldstein from Fantastic beasts if I didn't use products on it and a hairdryer. I hated it. 4 and a half years later my hair is back to how it was before. Wavy and almost down to my waist. Thickness hasn't changed but I had really thick hair to start with.

Side note I found Aveda smooth infusion products worked wonders on my hair.

[Pegyrusel]

Was literally  just saying  to my daughter  that  I  looked like  my mother with the new curls  that have arrived  as my hair  grows  back in. Definitely  not a  look  I wanted  and it makes me feel  like  an old lady. Am reassured by comments  from  others  about it eventually  looking more like I'm used to. Roll onthe day.

[Lynee]

If she wouldn't mind absolutely straight hair, she can have a keratin treatment done at a hair salon.  It can be pricey, so call different salons to get their prices.  Also, at my salon at least, I couldn't even get my hair wet for three days afterwards; by the third my hair looked quite greasy to my mind, though no one else seemed to notice.  On the plus side, the treatment lasted 3-4 months on my curly hair, even with my normal daily shampooing. 

[Lynee]

A few things to try that worked on my pre-chemo curly hair: 1) leave-in conditioners; 2) shampoo hair and apply conditioner when you first get in the shower, but don't rinse out the conditioner until you're done with the rest of your shower.  

You might want to also research products specifically made for frizzy hair.  I haven't used any, so can't make any recommendations, just know they're available.

[Lynee]

I can sympathize, as I had curly hair pre-chemo.  As you can imagine, the curls were even worse post-chemo.  My hairdresser recommended keratin treatment to counteract the curls.  The treatment I had required that I not even get my hair yet for 72 hours afterwards, but the treatment lasted 3 to 4 months for me, and that was with daily shampooing and no heat styling, i.e., no blow dryer, curling iron, or straightening iron.  It can be expensive, but price will vary by salon, so you might want to call around to check pricing before scheduling an appointment.

[jilly34]

Hi It took about a year before my hair started to grow straight again. I so know what you mean about "old lady" hair and I too saw my mother looking back at me every time I looked in the mirror. Hang on in there - it will straighten before you know it.

[Alicat]

Hi PFK, 

I wish my hair would stop turning grey. I found my first grey hair at 11! I’ve been colouring it since my 20’s. I think it should be pure white now. Not ready to stop colouring yet. My biggest problem is that half my fringe is curly and half straight. My hairdresser has to cut it at an angle so it looks levelish. 

Best Wishes

Alicat

[PFK]

I have been having lumps removed since I was 18. I am now 48. Never had any hair changes till the double mastectomy. I had over 40 cysts and tumors when they finally removed them. Now my hair is so curly and it stopped turning grey and actually I have less grey then when I was 40. I did not realize that breasts were so connected to your hair growth. It has turned more red. It was reddish before but now I look like Jessica rabbit

[Alicat]

Hi Pfk,

i read your post with interest. I had a lumpectomy 2 1/2 years ago, radiotherapy and now on tamoxifen. After radiotherapy one side of my hair became curly and I mean very curly! It’s still like it today. I have always had dead straight hair. I never know what to do with my hair. I didn’t know that this could happen. Has anyone else had this? 

Best wishes 

Alicat

[PFK]

I had my breasts removed two years ago. Not cancer treatment needed. They got everything. Within a month my hair came is curly. It is getting more curly by the month still. It was straight before. I love it. Wash and go... but I dont understand if I had no treatment why mine came in curly

[pupcake]

[pupcake]

I purchased a book on how to care for curls as the theory is quite different than straight. If you have ringlets. Blow dry, apply get and air dry. The ringlets will stay

[pupcake]

I finished chemo in 2014.  My hair had always been thick and straight.   It started out Clown-like curly and is now half way down my back loose spirals or rich waves depending on if i brush them.

I ended up getting the book “Curly Girl”. because I had no idea how to have curls rather than a ball of frizz.

At the present I can straighten it, have loose waves, or curly locks,  it’s quite divers and fun!

Good luck.

Pup

[Treeze]

My hair started growing back curly and yucky grey in the January and was curly till the April when after my second trim and colour the curls went.It has a slight wave when it gets longer now and there are a lot of very short new curly hairs apparently.

[Bev H]

interesting to read all your comments, am at the short curly grey stage, some days it looks great, others cannot do a thing with it. Much thicker now - how I longed for thick hair, now am not so sure. Leaving it to do its own thing, have had a couple of trims. Just glad to have hair I guess. Still a shock when I look in mirror. Have had positive comments. Such a change in body image during and after treatment but o sooooo glad to be here.x

[JLS]

Hi all, I finished chemo 2 yrs ago and Herceptin jabs just over a year ago. My hair has grown back curly and is now shoulder length. I am worried I will lose it as I keep reading chemo curls don’t last yet mine is still curly from the root. I have big ringlets and waves and absolutely love it!
My hair was poker straight and fine...it wouldn’t even take a perm properly (back in the day!). I’m really hoping I keep this hair - anyone kept theirs? Xx

[Wtado]

I’m just over a year since chemo and my hair is an explosion of frizz. When it’s wet it resembles ringlets but when dry is all frizz, just like an afro. My original hair was corse and wavy but manageable. I can’t decide wether to let it continue growing long and try to style it straighter with tools or cut it and hope a hairdresser can do something with it. I still can’t go out in public without my wig, it’s getting more difficult as my own hair is bulky and my wigs don’t feel they fit as well. Any suggestions?

[recoff]

Hi Designsbybriana.....I am glad to see your post.  Last year 2016 I had anal cancer...all my hair came out.  My hair was fine and straight, no curl.  It has come back with super tight little curls...it is thicker probably because of the curls.  It has been a year now and my hair is about 5 inches long.  I love my curly hair.  Everyone I know who has had cancer has told me that as I have it cut the curls will go away.  Makes me not want to cut my hair lol....I just wanted to see if anyone out there got to keep their curls.  Wish me luck.

[Designsbybriana]

I went through treatment about four and a half years ago. I had super straight hair before that wouldn't even take a curl.

Mine came back wavy and as time goes on it is has more waves and it makes it super thick to the point I have to buy extra jumbo hair clips because regular clips won't hold it all.

I'm happy to have hair but this huge frizz is hard to manage. I thought mine would straighten over time and it has not.

A friend and hair stylist told me and about four to five years post treatment is when you can tell what your hair will stay like. I hope mine goes straighter yet but it seems to keep going very wavy.

[Bibi44]

Hi I found oils work best. Put some coconut oil in before you wash for 10 mins (my hairdresser said to leave it in all night with a bag over it, but I didn't do that), then after you wash a few drops argon or jojoba oil just on the frizzy bits (it's not oily after you dry). I got this stuff called Mane Tamer from Lions Leaf that was also good for plastering it downif it frizzed up between washes. Like you, mine has always been dead straight & I didn't like the curls, although you  don't need to blow dry, which was a plus. Hope it straightens out soon. x

[Kelly_Tobias]

I'm 4 months out from chemo. My hair is about 1/2 inch long. All my life even when I was a baby. I have had straight hair. Now it's growing back curly! WTH! I have no idea how to work with curly hair. My past long straight hair also was vergin hair. When I started to loose it I shaved it off and donated. Man do I miss it, It brought out my sexy side. But what do I do with curly.

[Bibi44]

My friend & I were just discussing today that our hair has suddenly returned to its normal texture (hooray), I started chemo Aug 15 & she was June 15. I had curly, frizzy ends which are now growing out.  New growth is dead straight.  She has had very short hair because her chemo curls were too hard to handle & it's all now straight.  I was told your hair follicle collapses when the hair dies in chemo, as your hair grows back, it curls round the bends in the follicle until it is strong & thick enough to push the walls out, then it goes straight again. Just thought it was worth posting. xx

[Colleen M]

My hair started growing in post-chemo with a weird yellowish gray, but one year later, it's SUPER curly (my hair had alway been curly but not THIS curly!

I use curl-pudding and curl-creams while it's wet and let it air-dry to keep it from getting overly frizzy and puffy.

[Cocka]

😂I know what u mean. I am 6 months post chemo. I have 2 inch curls all over from having v straight long hair. Just getting used to it and I style it with a small round brush before adding wax. I had quite a lot of grey roots coming through so I dyed it med brown and recently I've had blonde hilights to the front. The grey seems to be coming back much less now. Sea salt spray is also really good if u don't wang to style it..it keeps the curls defined. I'm an ex hairdresser so I love to experiment. I'm starting to enjoy my mad curly hair now👍

[plimsoll]

Hi the curls themselves are permanent but they will grow out, I kept my gorgeous ringlets as long as I could but ultimately with long straight-ish hair with ringlets on the end it looked like a bad 80's perm so I chopped them off... five years later my hair it still healthy and slightly thicker after chemo... I am 52 this month...

[FrizzyMe]

My last chemo was just over a year ago. I had a bilateral total mastectomy without reconstruction. My  hair started growing about a month later and as it grew it went from slightly wavy to mega curly!  It is much the same colour as it was before albeit a bit lighter. Its now about 4 inches long (if I pull a curl straight!)  Although I would never have had my hair cut this short, I am actually really quite enjoying it!  I swim a lot so no more hours spent blow drying and straightening. I also find the best way to deal with it is to spritz with water when I get up and also to use lots of conditioner after shampooing.  Products for curly hair are also very good.  Encourage the curls and embrace the new look and the new you!!!

Its great to have hair again and its goodbye to my rather expensive wig which, when I bought it, I though I'd wear again on bad hair days!

[karapace]

I finished chemo 9 months ago. I used a cold cap so have always had some hair even a respectable head full at end of chemo.  It did however carry on falling out for 6 weeks or so after chemo so got pretty thin but by then the fuzz was starting to grow. The new hair is now various lengths averaging 3 inches. It is very thick and very brown!! I cant bear too cut the longer stuff left from the cold cap so I just tie it all back as best I can. If I want to dress up I put on the half wig I bought for £10 on ebay! - you brush your own front hair over the join to blend. Someone said I had lovely hair when I wore it to a function the other evening!! So my own hair looks strange being of differing lengths and whilst not quite curly there is a bit of a wave and some frizz in the new hair. Seems to be rather slow growing but I cant wait for it to be long enough to cut into an acceptable style (pixie is not for me!) 

[Eian01]

Mine came with a slow growth, but it good to see them back and love to know the styling suggestions from others..

[Jingle Bells]

Bless you xxx

My last chemo was in July 2016 and I have only just started to use the straighters as my hair has come back curly as ever.  

God bless xx

[jimandm]

don't be too quick to think the gray will last!  Mine came back with more gray than before but I was just proud it came back.  However, I do pick out the gray in the part.  I've noticed (1 year since last chemo) that some of the gray hairs now have brown roots!  It is starting to go back to how it was before.  My hair was very straight before so loose curls have been enjoyable.  Hoping that stays but feel like it will grow out in time as well and be straight again.  Oh well,  I'll enjoy it while it's there!

[Aine]

After reading your latests posts ladies I am jealous!!!

My hair is evidently very slow to start sprouting again!

I would love to be worrying about curls!  3 months after chemo and I have very fine downy hair but no way ready to show the world my freaky head.  Ah patience is soo hard to do.

Aine x   Im looking at my straighteners and wondering if I will ever use them again!

[Annie71]

Hi, fellow recovering-from-chemo ladies,

I am about 11 months out from last chemo treatment and have had 3 small trims since then. At 71 of course my hair came in silvery gray and was actually kind of fabulous, but it made me feel old so I had it dyed a light auburn. re. curls: I have always had quite curly hair, but this is ridiculous! I joke that if I don't watch out, my curls will pierce my scalp! But here's what I do to feel good about them: I am keeping my hair short (grows at a snail's pace anyway) and use Jessicurl products for gentle shampoo and conditioner, and Spiralacious Gel for set my hair before slightly drying it with a diffuser. No combing or brushing ensues--wake up in mordning, spritz with spray mixture of water and conditioner, and just tousle my hair. It really works. Especially, now, we need to love and accept ourselves as we are. ANd--I just ordered a mini hair straightener for days when I want to look different.

[Treeze]

Would love mine to last forever..love my curls and thankfully it's come back thick..now on my 3rd haircut since my hair came back in january! 🙂

[virginia]

Hey everyone,

My mom is just about done with chemo and really hates her hair. I think it's anywhere between 2-4 inches at this point. She's always had thick hair but never this curly. She doesn't like the way she looks and it makes me sad that she's having a hard time with it. I wanted to post on here to see if anyone has suggestions about how to feel OK about it. I don't think she's tried any different shampoos, so any shampoo/product suggestions would be helpful. I plan to order them for her on Amazon.

Also, if anyone has suggestions for styling that would be really great too. I saw online that sometimes people use mini straighteners, has anyone tried that? 

I just want my mom to feel confident again so any suggestions/advice would be so appreciated ~ thank you so much 🙂

[Aine]

Im sure you are stuck with the grey!!!

My hair has started to reappear and I couldnt bear looking at grey and white hair.

I dyed it last week with stuff from Holland and Barrett.

I was a little worried that it might damage my regrowth but no problem.

I now have blonde hair one cm long! 

It is peeking out round my wig and doesnt look too bad really - not like the white bits previously which looked awful.

Try dying your hair - you will look and feel sooo much better.

Aine x

[Saralou-yogi]

I finished chemo in December and my hair is back grey and curly. I love the curls but the grey not so much! Comments so far seem to have confirmed that the curls will go, but no-one has commented on whether the grey stays or goes! I would love to hear other people's experiences on this.

[Guest user]

Hi everyone

I am now over a year since last chemo (Feb 2011) and have had 3 haircuts to date. I had a very slow start and didn't stop wearing wig until last October. Since then it has really taken off! It remains quite curly though tamed with an anti-frizz straightener. I have had it coloured twice as I couldnt' cope with the yucky grey/brownish colour! I have it done at the hairdressers and now have a very trendy style. Interestingly I have many compliments and now feel quite good about myself again. I know if feels like an eternity, but with persevernce and a really good hairdresser I am getting there. My lashes and brows are back too, though brows very light (don't need to pluck! I don't think?!?!?) and lashes less but look ok with a good mascara. Amazing how different we can feel when happy with how we look! Take care all. J.

[Guest user]

I am at that Dolly-The-Sheep stage, post chemo by 5 months and looking like i need a busspass and a tartan shopping trolley !!!

Hair was long, dark and curly...now grey, short and very curly !!

Does the colour change ??? Have been warned against dyeing it at mo to avoid that Lego/Action Man hair look.

Driving me mad...but also sooooo glad to have hair again and eyelashed are better than ever !!!

Madge xx

[JanC63]

I seem to have experienced a combination of the replies so far. I finished chemo in September 2010. By January 2011 when I went back to work, it was curly and a bit more grey than I had before. gradually it grew longer before suddenly curling tightly at the ends giving quite a scary effect so I'd rush to my lovely hairdresser and have it cut short again - maybe 2-3 inches. At the beginning of this year it suddenly wasn't curly any more but is growing at a great rate so I'm back to my 'old' straight hair. I did enjoy the 6 months last year when, for the first time in my life I had slightly curly hair that stayed in place when I brushed it. I do miss it! When I think of the efforts my mother put in to make my hair curl when I was a child......!

[Haxted]

Mine also came back totally grey and curly like a lamb. Although the temptation was to let it grow, my hairdresser friend advised trimming it everso lightly despite the shortness because the ends were so wispy and at different stages. Kept the "mad" flyaway look at bay!Whilst it was curly, made the most of it and used curly hair mousse etc and abandoned hair dryers! Was brilliant!

2.5 years since end of chemo, hair still wavy (it WAS poker straight!)but not enough to leave undried as just looks unkempt. Blow dries more or less straight. Thicker and wirier than before.

[Kindensurprise]

Hello

Mine came back totally grey and really curly. It took about 9 months to get straight and after about 18mths it began to look like me again in the mirror (I had waist length straight hair before. Fast forward 3 1/2 years and I am thinking if having it cut shorter through choice!
I look back now at picture of me with curly then wavy hair and it looks hideous, but at the time I was just glad to have some hair!

Good luck
Kinden
x

[Guest user]

Hi
I finished chemo at the end of 2008. It came back like cork screws and I was at my wits end. I couldn't cope with it. By Feb 2009 it was starting to get a bit longer and my hairdresser worked wonders! She blew it straight! I looked more like me.

Fast forward 3 years and my hair is thicker than ever.

I'm back to me!

xx

[Ninja]

My post-chemo hair isn't any thicker - in fact it's thinner as I'm still on Herceptin and that can inhibit hair growth in some folk.

It started off with uncontrollable waves, rather than curls (I wanted curls!) so when it was quite short it just stuck out at all angles. Once it was long enough to wrap round a small brush, I've been straightening it with the hairdryer. It's not grown enormously yet but I can still scrunch it up if I want a funkier look. I've had the tips trimmed off about 3 times and the funny frizzy bits are fewer as a consequence.

[elinda45]

My hair was completely straight before chemo and as soon as it grew back was very wavy but in some patches more than others! 2.5 years on and it's still as wavy. It's not curly enough to scrunch dry but not straight enough to leave as its looks a mess. So as my hair is thicker now than it used to be it takes me an age to blow dry it. I'm not complaining though as I'm just so pleased to have my hair back and don't take it for granted anymore.
Elinda x

[Guest user]

Hi when I had my first chemo mine lasted a yr this time rd so far it's been 6 months still v curly u just have to kp trimming it but i also got used to mine missed it when wasn't there Laura

[sky2sea]

Hi
I finished chemo in july last year and initially it was very curly. Last cut i had (I've kept it short) it had almost straightened out again. I was just getting used to some curls - never satisfied eh?!