Yeah...have had songs from the Misfits stuck in my head while trying to come up with a title for this EPIC "How Long Will It Take My Hair To Grow Back After Chemo?" regrowth post. This is going to be long & I'm putting in lots of pictures that chronicle the loss & regrowth of my follicles, some never before shared with anyone....Today I am at the 2 years from last chemo mark. And while I still have a ways to go before my hair is "back to normal"...it's pretty much back. Still have some shorter top parts to grow out to catch up to the length. But for those who (like I did) are searching the interwebs lookin for info & photos showing the rate of hair regrowth after chemo, then this is the post you're lookin for. Now, everyone's hair grows at it's own rate, but I've been told my hair grows at pretty much the average rate....
1/4 - 1/2 inch per month. And of course I'm doin a post like this...even before I had the breast cancer, I was all about my hair...And I miss it...soooo Ok, so here we go.....
So here I am...June 2009, (above) celebrating my 40th birthday...& I have breast cancer, I just don't know it for sure yet. I knew about the lump at this time, but hadn't been to the doctor yet. In about 2 weeks from this day, I was diagnosed. So, this is what someone with very aggressive breast cancer looks like. Yep. Next:
First chemo, August 27, 2009. ROCK that shit!
Ahhhh, the shave day (above)....September 14, 2009...pretty much right at 2 weeks after my 1st chemo...the hair was comin out all over the place. I'm convinced that's what killed our vacuum cleaner! Anyway, yeah...I was more than a little upset about the havin to lose my hair part of this whole ordeal. And I'm not gonna lie...I had to get pretty well lit to go through with it. So after drinkin several Berry Skyy Vodkas with Diet 7Up back (was out of the good stuff lol)...we began the buzzin...Talk about Horror Business....
So I figure if I MUST lose my hair, might as well do a mohawk....And yeah, that's my personal message to breast cancer...eff you!
So we took a few pics...& then buzzed off the 'hawk & it was gone & I was bald (above).
And I plopped my wig on my bald head (above) & felt SOOO much better. And we went out to dinner. Took the new wig 'do out for a test drive lol...
Ok..so fast forward through 6 rounds of chemo to right about a month after the last chemo...January 2010 (above). We called this baby bird head. The longer hairs are what never fell out...Looks like a receding hairline.
February 2010 (above)...these are about a week apart. When I look at these it reminds me of a turtle lol! I didn't have any eyelashes or brows...Just using makeup as best I could to disguise that fact. I was finishing up with radiation around this time I think...I remember the excitement with every new bit of hair growth during this time.
March 2010 (above). It's startin to fill in. These are about 2 weeks apart. I was still wearin my wigs & bandanas when out & about, but SOOOO happy to see more hair growin in. Seems like you could almost see it growin...it was different every day.
Later in March 2010 (above)...The picture on the right is when I went out for the first time without anything on my head. Said I went topless! LOL! But was still doing wigs to work & stuff. Very butchy lookin...
And here is the pixie in June 2010 (above). Six months after last chemo. I finally stopped wearin wigs. It isn't a hairdo I would have ever chosen to do, but it sure was nice to not have to have something on my head.
July 2010, 7 months post chemo (above)...I've entered the "Headband Phase" of things. The second picture shows when the chemo curl started. These are about 2 weeks apart.
August 2010, 8 months after chemo (above). I called this my "senior citizen 'do" lol. I'm celebrating the end of Herceptin treatments. YAY!
October 2010, 10 months post chemo (above). I had gotten a tiny flat iron & straightened my hair in the pic on the left. Every time I see it I think "Activiaaaaaaaa..." On the right is not straightened, still in the headband phase.
October 2010, 10 months after chemo ended (above). I'm about to attend my very first "Pink Out" Pep Rally. And I need to learn to stop takin pics in here...SUCH bad lighting...Too much Horror Business...(Misfits fans get it...right?) Still in headbands.....I started callin the 'do the "chemo-fro" at this point. LOL!
YAY! A nubby ponytail! (above) And from the front, startin to look more like "ME" again. January 2011, 13 months after chemo ended. I had been able to do this for right at a month...remember when I got my mediport removed?
And when I just didn't feel like doin the nubby pony tail, it was chemo-fro in headband. Had to do the headband thing, cause it was quite the mullet! April 2011, 16 months of growin hair (above).
May 2011, 17 months (above)
June 2011, 18 months (above). This was my first "real hairdo" cut. But it wasn't really a 'do...just some blending. I never wore it like this again. Just kept doin ponytails, & the chemo-fro in headband thing. This was flat ironed.
This is August 2011, 20 months(above). The shag 'do is gettin mullety again. Not flat ironed, just round brushed while drying.
Early October 2011, 22 months post chemo (above). Round brushed left, chemo-fro right.
Late October 2011 (above). Now I can clip up the sides while they grow out & not be in the pony tail all the time. I've pretty much stopped wearin it curly at this point. When I round brush it while blowdrying, it's straight, just like it used to be. YAY!
And this is exactly 24 months from the end of chemo - December 2011 (above). Two years of growin. I wish these photos were better quality, but we were in a bit of a rush & I wanted pics taken on the anniversary of the end of chemo. Anyway, I still have some growin to do...gotta let that shortest top layer catch up to the rest....So, I'm still growin, but wanted to share this in the hopes that newly diagnosed people might see that yes, it sucks to have to lose your hair, but it does come back. I saw a similar post one day while I was bald in the middle of chemo, & it encouraged me & helped me so much...& that's all I'm wantin to do here...help others goin through the same thing. I realize that, as cancer survivors, we have much more serious issues & things to deal with, but if you're like me, the hardest part was the hair thing. So I hope that if you're checkin out this post because you are waitin & watchin for your hair to grow back, just know...it will be back. You WILL have your hair again.
[I may add pics to this post a couple of times until I achieve the 'do that I will call Mission Accomplished.]
***************Edit: Pics Added April 2012**************
March 2012 - 27 months post chemo
*************Edit: Pics Added June 2012**************
May 2012 - 29 months post chemo
June 2012 - 2 1/2 years post chemo
I think I'm almost there. Still gotta keep the sides pulled up. Will check back in about 6 more months.
************************Edit: Pics Added December 2012**************************
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| November 2012 - 2 years 11 months post chemo **************************Edit: Pics Added April 2013***************************  
March 2013 - 3 years 3 months post chemo
********************Edit: Pics Added December 2013***************
 
Mission Accomplished! These were taken October & September 2013, just shy of the four year anniversary of the end of chemo, which was December 10, 2013, the date of this Edit
***************************Edit: Pic added January 2015****************************
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One last pic. This is January 2015, 5 years and 1 month post chemo.
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128 comments:
Thanks for sharing your hair growth. My last chemo was Oct. 13, 2011. I tell everyone that the fuzz on my head is my Chia Pet hair. It's slowly coming in and kind of depressing. Like you I use to have long hair, before my wonderful adventure of chemo. But after seeing your photos I know I have something to look forward to. Like you I am going to take photo's of my hair growth to share with my friends and family. Again, thanks for sharing.
Hi Donna! Thanks for commenting here. Yes, losing my hair was the worst part of the whole thing for me, but now it's finally gettin there. Yours will too! Congratz on finishing chemo!!! Hope you have a great xmas & a happy & healthy New Year! =)
This is a great depiction. I just showed my husband and we both agree that's just how my hair grew back. Thanks for sharing. I was a freakin wreak losing my waist length hair. It's not bad enough you lose your breast but then the hair goes and your identity goes. I hope you are well. I'll be sharing the link w/ others. I'm a volunteer for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and your pics will help others in their journey. Michele
Hi Michele! Thanks so much for checking out my blog & sharin it around. For me, the hair loss was the hardest part of goin through it. I hope this post & my blog helps & encourages others who are goin through it. I am well & hope you are too! Thanks for commenting here! =)
Kimberly-
I am so glad to find someone else that posted pictures! Like you, I searched the internet to try and find pictures of peoples hair growing back. It is not an easy task but yours is among the best that I found. I am 19 and was diagnosed in September of 2011 with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Its all gone now (yay!) . But I had 4 months of ABVD. Sadly lost all my hair, but its on the road to recovery. I also made a blog to help my fellow cancer-ees! The link to my blog is:
http://wheresmyhair-jess.blogspot.com/
But I just really wanted to say how much I appreciate you sharing! It is nice to know I am not alone out there
Hi Jess! Thanks so much for your comments! And I'm VERY glad to hear you beat that Hodgkins Lymphoma! Yes, it does seem that the hair loss is pretty near to being the worst part of havin to go through cancer. So happy to hear that my post was helpful. I'm gonna go over & check out your blog...LOVE the title! Thanks so much again!!
=)
xx
Thanks for posting these pics! Just today I shaved the last of my hair -- I'd gotten a buzz but now that I'm 3 wks after 1st chemo it's just a mess. Your pics give me encouragement and a realistic view of what to expect. Me and my wig will be pals for awhile (just gotta get used to the darn thing)
Hi Laura! I'm sorry you're havin to go through this...thanks for leavin a comment. I'm so glad this post was encouraging to you...that's why I do this blog...when it happened to me, I couldn't find very much about this with pictures & stuff. You will make friends with your wig. I sure did. I had 5 wigs. But after the 2nd month of baldness, I only wore them to work, or to "functions". I pretty much ran around with a bandanna on my head. Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & all the best to you!
xx
Hi there- I just found your blog and I love your hair journal. As I sit here completely bald from chemo, it does make me feel better to see your pics. Your hair looks gorgeous!
Hi Anonymous! I'm so sorry you're havin to go through this, but glad this hair blog is helpful. Losin my long long hair truely was the worst part of the whole ordeal for me. And now, just over 2 1/2 years post chemo, my hair is almost back to normal. Hair regrowth after chemo is really amazing. It shows you just how quickly & how slowly hair grows & time passes. But when it's back, it seems to have been more fast than slow. All the best to you! Hang in there! xx
HI!
I'm 40 and face the real possibility of chemo, depending on my oncotype testing results (august 2nd is "D" day).
My hair is blonde(dyed LOL), wavy, and almost halfway down my back.
I feel like losing it will kill me (metaphorically) as it has been a part of my adult life the past 20 years!
Seeing this blog has given me some hope!
It IS a BIG deal, thank you for giving it the attention it deserves!
Hi Ginger! OMG I hate that period of time waitin for test results. So sorry you're havin to go through this, but glad the blog is helpful. I was the exact same way when I was told I was gonna have chemo. My first question was "Am I gonna lose my hair?" Not, will it kill the cancer, or Am I gonna die...but will I lose my hair. I mean, I was totally all about my hair before bc, so naturally I was devastated to have to lose it. Even men get all freaked out when they discover they're goin bald. So I totally get it. Hopefully your tests will come back with you NOT needin chemo. Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commentin. xx
Thanks for the picture journal. I'm 28 days out of chemo and waiting for any sign of hair growth! Just need to be patient, but your pics have given me hope!
Hi Jackie! So glad you found this post helpful. Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commentin here! All the best to you! =)
I finished my chemotherapy April 2011, I still have barely any bangs and the top sides of my head are still bald. Sometimes I think it will never come back. Help! Any suggestions? Has it taken anyone else this long? I enjoyed your pictures- thanks!
Hi Hoping....Thanks so much for commenting here. So sorry to hear you're regrowth is taking so long. Everyone's hair grows at it's own rate. I believe some chemos may play a role in that too. I'd def check with your oncologist & maybe a Trichologist or Dermatologist. All the best to you! xx
I'm about 3 1/2 years post chemo and my hair is finally about to my bra line. I hope you are doing well still. My cancer metastasized to my bones and I'm on Arimidex and Faslodex and doing the best I can. Still singing and DJing. Take care!
Michele, I am still doin well, as far as I know. It's hard to know when the onc appointments get farther & farther apart. And I effin HATE bc. I hope those meds arrest those mets & shut em down. Keep on keepin on!!! xx
You are right, this IS an excellent post on the progress of hair re-growth. When my hair came back . .. like about 9 months into the re-growth, it became such an awkward length I was searching and searching to see when it would pass. It's passed, thank goodness. You hair looks lovely by the by. Kudos to you and thanks for the post! ~Catherine
Hi Catherine! Thanks for checkin out my blog & commentin here & for the lively compliment. Glad you're hair is better. Suck we have to go through it at all. I effin hate bc! xx
I just finished my last chemo and of course I am thinking and worrying so much about my hair...........will it come back? will it be thin and bald spots? Thank you for the encouragement! It can come back and be beautiful again!
Hi Anon...thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commenting. And so sorry you're havin to go through this. Yes, your hair will be back. Seems to take forever, yet once it's back, it seems like 'wow, that was fast'...but not...ya know? So glad my post is helpful. All the best to you. And Eff cancer! xx
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It helps me to know there will be better days ahead. My hair came out right after my second treatment of chemo for stage 2 breast cancer. I was in complete meltdown over the hair. My kids were in confusion at ages 3 & 7 why Mom's hair was coming out in chunks. I am now going into treatment 6 and started the herceptin. It helps me to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That hair comes back and yiu've can still look beautiful as ever..
Hi Bridget! Yes, the hairloss thing was the worst part of the whole ordeal for me. There IS light at the end of the tunnel. All the best to you! xx
Thanks for sharing. I am 5 months out from my last chemo treatment and very anxious to see how long it will take to get my shoulder length hair back. I've never liked short haircuts on me but I am dealing with it as best I can. You really look beautiful in all the pics. Best of luck to you.
Maureen
Hi Maureen! Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commentin & stuff. I've never had short hair either until this...but was SO happy to have any hair at all! Kinda seems like it comes back fast & slowly all at the same time! LOL!
Hi there,
Had a mastectomy in Nov. Awaiting test results re: chemo, will find out this Fri. Jan 4th what that will be. Already had 5inches cut from my long hair in prep for what may come. NOT looking forward to it, most especially the hair loss. Thank you for posting your pics & progress,....hoping I can be as strong when my time comes....
Hi! So sorry you're havin to go through this. Glad the post was helpful though. What I found was, the anticipation of losing the hair was worse than actually bein bald. Then you just adapt & excitedly await the new growth. All the best to you as you learn what's what on Friday. xx
Could not agree more that the anticipation of losing your hair is worse than actually being bald! I'm currently at the bald stage mid way through chemo for breast cancer. I'm done end of January and then start the process of waiting for my hair to grow back. This post was so helpful - thank you for sharing. I don't normally wear anything on my bald head, except knit hats for warmth, but I'm realizing this probably won't be the case when my hair starts to grow back in. Like you I had long hair (that I LOVED) before chemo and don't really know how I'll manage those first few months of growth. Can't believe soon I will be dying for a pixie hair do! I've been researching to see if there is anything I can take or use on my scalp to help promote hair growth. I've found some things advertised, but nothing anyone that has gone through it has endorsed. Is there anything you tried to speed up the process?
Thanks again for sharing!
Jenn
Hi Jenn! So sorry you're havin to deal with this. Love that the post was helpful. Everything I've heard about hair growth is that nothing will speed it up. Not Nioxin, not Rogaine, not these crazy things sold on the internet...What I did was take a good Biotin supplement. I had already been takin for years before diagnosis, so with the Oncs permission, I stayed on it. Figured since chemo can affect hair & nails, it would be a help. I found just a good store brand liquigel biotin with 5000 mcg. I agree, as much as I have never been a fan of short hair for myself, I was thrilled to be able to start wearin an actual 'do! Thanks so much for commentin here & all the best to you! xx
Thanks for a very helpful blog. Your hair is beautiful. Losing my hair, for some reason, was the only part of this journey that brought tears to my eyes - nto sobs, but a little loss of cool. Thank goodness for great wigs and scarves. My last chemo was 4 months ago and I do have hair growth - a short boy look, but it does not seem to be coming in as quickly as yours. However, I have a couple of questions for you and others who read this. My natural hair was blond and straight. What is coming in is dark and gray, but straight (I was told to expect curly.) It looks from your blog as if curls may come later? Does anyone know if blond comes back dark and then changes to blond, or am I doomed to dark hair forever (not right for my skin color.)???
Hi Barb! Congratz on finishing chemo! I was the same, the hair loss thing was the worst part in the beginning. I remember sayin I would gladly have 10 surgeries if it meant not losing my hair. I would have been the happiest cancer patient alive, were it not for that damn hair issue. Ok, gonna try to answer your Q's..first, everyone's experience is different. I think the hair has to have enough length to begin to curl. I have heard of many people who's hair came back a totally different color & texture. However, I do know one lady who was blonde, & after chemo her hair started coming in gray & then blonde started growing in. All the gray was cut off when she got her first real haircut. In your case, I think it may still be too early to tell what's gonna happen. But isn't having hair at all soooo much better than bein bald? All the best to you!
Thanks for your "epic" post. I'm having my final chemo treatment this week, and will most certainly start looking for evidence of hair growth every morning...beginning the day after! I was prepared with scarves and two wigs. I named the wigs "Monkey" since they feel like I'm wearing an animal on my head. My husband buzz cuts his hair, so he is experienced with the buzzer. The day it started falling out (Election day)...(maybe it was more than the chemo) I had a brief pity party and then he cut it down to 1/4". After that I had 1/4" hairs all over the place for a couple months...the oncology nurses told me not to shave it down completely..can't remember why.
It took a couple of months for the eyelashes and eyebrows to start coming out,and I still have about half of those left. Showers are now wonderfully short..no shaving, no shampoo, no conditioner...just in and out. Going out involves a 5 minute shower and two seconds to put the wig on..I like that part, but can't wait to have my hair back..especially the lashes. I've tried false lashes, but they are more obvious without the real ones there to hide them...and one of the chemo side effects for me is constantly watering eyes, so keeping the glue sticky is a problem. Thanks again for your blog.
Hi Nancy! Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commenting. I just checked out your website & Blog! I love your art! And I hate that we've had to go through the bc bs, but glad you found the hair regrowth post helpful. I did check daily for hair & esp eyelashes. Like I'd take a magnifying mirror & lift up my upper lid & look for those tiny hairs sproutin out. Every bit of hair growth was exciting for me . And isn't it interesting that so many of us had the hardest time with the hair issue? That makes me feel better, that I wasn't just a vain freak. Some people around me just didn't understand why I was so upset over the hair & not just jumpin for joy over the fact that I was deemed "cancer free" (as best as anyone can tell anyway). So thank you & thanks to all who have commented here. We are not vain. Shew, even a man gets upset when he starts losin his hair, right? All the best to you. xx
Thank you so much for cataloging your hair experience. You should have it put on breast cancer.org since after all my searching, you did the most comprehensive job. My last chemo was 5 months ago. My hair is just a bit more than a pixie. And it is showing some curl. I hate it. Been using mousse which helps a little. Never thought about using a roller brush. I will try tomorrow.
You said at one point that folks out here have bigger issues than hair. I agree but it is a psychological battle which should be respected just as much as a
medical/physical battle. Like I am sad that I may never get my period again. And I am frustrated with chemo brain. Oh well, we're still here, though. :)
Hi Anon! Feel free to share the post & blog anywhere & with anyone you think might enjoy it. Yeah, as our hair grows back, it becomes a love/hate thing. Love havin some hair, hate the style of it. All the best to you!
Thank you for that. I'm about to start chemo in a week, and losing my waist-length hair will be a wrench. I've been scouring the internet for some idea of how long it will take after the end of chemo before I look like 'me' again; at 57, I doubt my hair will grow back at quite the same rate as someone younger, but I will also take photos - because it's important for the next woman who comes along looking for someone 'like her'.
Hi Anon, thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commenting here. So sorry you're havin to go through this chemo stuff. It really is amazing how quickly the hair starts comin back. I always say, it's kind of the perfect example of how quickly & how slowly time passes...All the best to you!
Does it ever come in straight again? Or does chemo curl prevail for eternity?
Sincerely,
Used to have straight hair until chemo took it and now currently has a curly mullet
Ps I should let you know how many very dark moments your blog has gotten me out of. Some serious meltdowns were calmed by seeing these pictures. I can't thank you enough!
Hi Kate! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad that my blog/post was helpful to you. The fact that it has helped is exactly what helps me, so, thanks so much for letting me know. And so sorry you're havin to go through this. I don't really have an answer to the chemo curl question...everyone is different. For me, the curl is there if I don't round brush my hair while drying. I actually wore it curly yesterday cause I overslept & just didn't have time for the styling. I also wonder if the weight of the hair as it grows relaxes that chemo curl some. Thanks again for readin & commenting here. All the best to you! xx
This is very encouraging.....my last treatment was April 4, 2013 so July would be 3 months of growth....everyone around me say how fast its growing in...but i guess because i look at it everyday it seems like its coming in slow....however this post gives me hope....thanks for the updates.
Hi Anony! So glad you found the post helpful. Yeah, I've always said that waiting for hair to grow back truly is an experience of how quickly & slowly time passes, all at the same time. People look at me now & are all like, "Wow, sure didn't take long for your hair to get back to a more normal length!" And I'm like, ummm, yeah, but it's been 3 years...but sitting here today, it kinda does seem like it went fast. But during the "senior citizen 'do" phase, seemed like it was takin forever! Congratz on completing chemo & all the best to you! xx
Thank you, very good job of documenting your hair re-growth with a clear timeline. I am almost 3 months post-chemo and looking forward to the time when I can go out without a wig, but not fond of short hair on myself. I have always had dark hair, but I just switched to a short wig in blond, trying to do something fun with a short look. Your picture where you mentioned Activia made me laugh because I let my son see my head last week and he said that soon I will look like the Activia chick
Hi Anon! Thanks so much for chekin out the post & commenting. I'm so happy when people find it helpful. I've never liked short hair for myself either. For me it went from Activiaaaaa to a weird wavy mullet. Hang in there. I know it seems lime it's takin forever, but once it's back to normal, you'll be all like " wow, that was kinda fast". Lol" xx
Thanks for your posts! I look like Despicable me right now! Lightbulb head! But I actually look better than I thought I would. Now I can relax and give myselfca few years to let my hair grow back. BTW, your wig was fabulous! - YLR.
Your post is so helpful. I look like despicable me right now! I have a lightbulb head, but now I can relax knowing it will take a few years for my hair to grow back. Peace - YLR.
Hi Yolanda! Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commenting here. Yeah, nothing helps bein bald like a good wig & a good wig STYLIST! OMG. I had 5 wigs by the time it was all said & done. I'm so sorry you're havin to go through this, but glad my post gave you encouragement. It appears I'm not alone in that, the hair loss was the hardest part of the whole ordeal. Thanks for posting & all the best to you!! xx
Thank you so much for sharing your “hair regrowth” journey with us. Seeing how beautiful it is now gives me some hope about mine. I had a modified radical mastectomy (2 pos nodes)in Dec 2012, started chemo in Feb 2013 and had to stop the chemo after only one round due to allergic reactions. Just enough to lose all my hair by the 10th day! Like you, after all I’ve been through my husband is amazed that the hair thing is what I complain most about. I am now 5 months after that last chemo dose and my hair regrowth looks like yours did at two months. My onc put me directly on Arimidex after we decided no more chemo (my oncotype score was low anyway,) and I think that also has a lot to do with the slow hair regrowth. Like others mine was much lighter and is coming in black and gray and I have an area on top that is much thinner than the rest. Hopefully it will fill in. Thank you again for posting the pictures, it really made me feel better when I was so down about the hair. God Bless you and everyone on these posts. Hang in!
Hi Susan! Wow. Thank you so much for sharing your story & checkin out the blog. I'm so very happy that it helped you & you have no idea how helpful it is for me to know that it is helping people. I still don't find it odd that the hair thing is the worst part. Even men get upset when they lose their hair as perfectly healthy men! I know the growth seems slow, but it will get there. Hang in there! all the best, xx.
Also...hate that you only got to do one chemo! I mean, if you're gonna have to lose your hair, would've been effin nice to get the benefit of a full course of the chemo! I mean, damn!!! Would be nice if there was a test or something they could do to tell BEFORE the first dose if there's gonna be a reaction. So sorry you had that happen...as if bc isn't bad enough. Big hugs! xx
Thank you so much for posting pictures of your progress. I shaved by tailbone-length mane prior to chemo treatments, finished my treatments for BC in December, 2011 and have been growing out for two years -- it's nice to see that within the next 6 months I can start to look forward to it starting to look a little longer. Right now it is just below my shoulders in the back, but I'm rocking the chemo mullet so the front is still just to my chin. Ideally I would cut it all to one length, but I can't bring myself to lose the back length just to even things out. I've waited too long for that tiny bun!
Hi Melissa! Thanks so much for checking out my blog & commenting. I never did cut the back to even things up either. I just kept doin headbands & ponytails & half up in a comb through the mulletness. Hang in there, you'll be so surprised how fast it will grow now. Yay! xx
Thank you for sharing ! Your hair is very encouraging. I don't think it's vain for a woman to not want to lose her hair. It's her female mane....it identifies her and is unique. Mine is down to my waist and getting cut off next Tues. :(
I'm starting Chemo Aug 9. I guess I will do a very short pixie to start with....can't bring myself to do the shave knowing I still do have hair...even if it's for a few more weeks. Fingers crossed I have some little stubblies back by the New Year....because this year was for the birds.
Good luck to each of you !
Hi Norma! I totally hear ya! I wanted to keep enjoying havin my long hair for as long as possible! When I finally did shave it off, it was just comin out by the handfuls & had been for several days. The anxiety of losing the hair really was worse than actually being bald for me. Thanks so much for checkin out my blog & commenting here. All the best to you as you begin your chemo! Hang in there! xx
Dear Girls, All the comments have me tearing! Haven't shed much emotion thru my ordeal but definitely all my hair! Today makes day 12 of my last chemo cycle and I found myself on line, once again, researching. (As a side note, I was switched from Taxotere to Abraxane, a drug much nicer to the bone marrow, but more far expensive, because of an allergic reaction that manifested the first week post infusion.) I, too, am eager for the hair regrowth, and was wondering how I might speed it along. Thank you, Kimberly, for all the photos! Wishing everyone good luck post treatment.. I believe I will be on Tamoxifen soon. Meeting with my oncologist at the end of the month.
Hi Karen! Congratulations on completing chemo! Thanks so much for visiting & commenting here. So glad you found the hair regrowth post helpful. Hope you get along with Tamoxifen better than I did. Most people do great on it. I'm a weirdo I guess. All the best to you! xx
Thank you so much for your blog. I'm 10 days into AC chemo and I was in tears this morning when I saw how much hair was falling out. I've already done 12 weeks of taxol and managed to hang onto about 20% of my hair through that.
I almost shaved it this morning. It's looking pretty bad even at it's best. I have made an appointment to get it shaved in 4 days if I can hold off that long.
I pulled out my wig for the first time since getting it and put on a lot of makeup. I can't believe how much better I look than trying to deal with what's left of my hair.
Your blog is really informative about what is coming up next for me. I really appreciate the effort you put into it.
Congratulations on your four year cancerversary! Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Hi Simplelife4Real, Big big hugs comin atcha from me to you! xx I'm so glad you found this post to be helpful, but so sorry you're having to go through this. Yes, the most tears I shed through the whole ordeal was over my hair. Call me vain, but I don't care. Most other cancer people I speak to feel the same way. It's bad enough that you have to go through something so scary, but to lose your hair too...it's just too much. But yeah, a wig def helps. I had five wigs by the time it was all said & done. And now, four years later, my hair is pretty much back to normal. Once you finish chemo, you'll be totally amazed at how quickly it grows in. I mean, every single day it looked a bit different.
All the best to you...hang in there...thanks so much for commenting here. xx
Thanks for posting. I had to have my head shaved the day after Thanksgiving. I too had long hair but did get it cut into a bob two weeks before so it be easier to deal with. I so am not digging my wig, but I do love some of the new winter hats I found. My goal is I hope to have hair by June for summer as I love summer. Time will tell I guess. I am 41 with triple negative...just wondering how you have been health wise. Did you have a lumpectomy or masectomy?
hey thanks for posting this, it really gives me Encouragement. I'm 12 and 5 months ago i was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma when i lost my hair everyone was supportive, once it started growing back it was peach fuzz everyone kept calling it that, lol, but in a week its about to be half an inch YAY!
Hi Suzanne, I had a lumpectomy & so far my health has been great since. Yeah, wigs aren't for everyone. I loved mine. Thanks so much for checking out my blog & commenting.
Hi Kailey, so sorry you're you're having to go through this. But glad to hear your hair is already on the way back in. Hang in there, thanks so much for commenting here. xx
Hello again, Luna. I'm the anonymous poster at March 22, 2013. I did indeed lose all my waist-long beautiful hair... along with all the other hair you never even think about. NOW I know what nose hair is for! Glad when that grew back. Chemo was rough - losing my hair was bad, but turns out it was honestly a 'minor' inconvenience. I did have one nice woman offer me $100 for the cut off hair, since it was well over a metre long. But it all resides in a silver box, where occasionally I peek inside, a little perplexed, trying to find "me" again.
I took a 'selfie' at the end of chemo, starkly bald, no eyebrows or eyelashes, just a pair of earrings and no make-up, and although the photo is not beautiful in a conventional sense, it came out astonishingly powerful. A friend said it made me look like a Byzantine princess, had it framed and on his bookshelf. I rather like it, perversely enough.
I couldn't wear wigs - one, I hated how I looked in them, and two, my scalp was too sensitive. I got into the turbans and hats, etc., until one afternoon I just got fed up with the whole shebang and went to the supermarket bald. Yes, I got a lot of startled looks. But I also got a LOT of admiring smiles (undeserved, because it was only a fit of pique, not bravery). After that, I just went 'au natural.' It was actually quite liberating.
I'm now nine months post chemo, and here to report for those older, not so gorgeous survivors, that yes, your hair does grow back, but not (at least in my case) as you once knew it. That's the bad news.
The good news is that it grows in super white at first, because grey hair grows faster than dark hair. When it's also super short, even at 58 (had a birthday in between there) it looks seriously rock star funky and fantastic. Enjoy that month - it doesn't last. The dark starts growing pretty quick on its heels, and turning everything - if you're lucky - an uneven 'silver.' (Yeah, right.)
If you've got a wonderful partner, as I was lucky enough to have, you'll both find some laughter in the different stages. "Oooo!" he said, rubbing my head when it started growing back. "Velcro!" A month later, it was "Nubby carpet!" A month after that it was, "Cool!! SHAG PILE carpet!!"
I think for us older ladies, hair grows slightly more slowly than you younger ones. But not by that much. It may just be because it's so curly it just seems 'shorter.' But at some point, you stop seeing 'cancer patient' in the mirror and start seeing 'you' again. Just a different you. Every month, you'll get another different you.
I can use all the styling gel, blow driers and straighteners - one humid afternoon and SHPROING!! It's back to being grey Little Orphan Annie. Then I have to remind myself that, in my twenties during the Age of Big Hair, I used to pay good money to have this unruly mess! I teased it all out as far as I could the other night into a bizarre 'Afro.' I used to be so worried about how I looked - now I can just play, and somehow that's made me feel - and look - younger.
Funny thing - my hair used to be my 'identity' too. Now, it still is... except it's a work in progress. I miss my long hair, losing it was unbelievably painful. But I'm actually enjoying seeing all the different phases of ME as it grows out.
Okay, long rant over. Just to add my voice to the rest to say, yes, your hair will grow back and, even better, it may teach you things about yourself, good things, you never even suspected.
Hi again Anon!!! What a great comment here! And so very well said! Would make a most excellent blog post...do you do a blog by any chance? Yes, it truly is a brand new you every month. So glad you're all done with chemo & you're seeing "you" again. Thanks so much for reading & commenting here again! And if you DO have a blog, would love a link. I love your writing style. :)
xx
lyn (Thailand)
I cried alot this couple days at night and can't sleep. I don't tell anyone, but now it is very hard to cover. It the 3 rd week of my first round among 4. My head starts to be bald. Tmr. i have meeting bfore i make appt. to shave. I feel life is so change, i just don't wanna see anyone and don't wanna have anyone noticed my hair now. I was alone so i cried a lot at night time. When i read ur blog, it is very cheer me up, though still long way to go for me. Thx u so much for ur good heart, i will move on.
Hi Lyn, So so sorry you have to go through this. I cried & cried over the hair thing too. I totally understand how you feel & hope it gets easier for you, though nothing about this is easy. I'm glad this post was of some help for you. Thanks for sharing with me & my readers. All the best to you! xx
I love reading your blog and I love you..my amazing daughter. You have truly helped so many people deal with that horrible disease. Luv, Mom
Awww thanks! Love you too!
Wow, what we've been through. This was a great photo journal. You wore it well at every stage, but great to see your beautiful hair all grown back.
Awwww thanks for your sweet words Eileen!! Yes, all that we've survived...I really loved seeing your hair pics, too.
Thank you so much for describing your experience, and the photos. 5 months after chemo, I am waiting for my hair to grow back to the length it used to be. It is still very shorty and curly, and white and grey. Just does not look like me at all, so I will continue wearing the wig. Today it rained and the hair became even more curly. Anyway I will be patient and hope it will straighten out eventually. I really appreciate your showing the example of how it grew back for you. I think you must be helpig a lot of people 'in waiting'.
Hi Anonymous! I sure hope this post helps people as they go through this. I looked & looked for things like this as soon as I heard the word chemo. Yeah, for me, the chemo curl did relax as the hair got longer. Maybe it's the weight. Mine did not come in white, but I know others whose did, but even they say the color started to return on it's own. And then some others had to color. Hang in there! And thanks so much for reading & commenting here.
Your hair diary is such an inspiration to me. I look at it at least once and week and try and see how my hair is in comparison to yours. I'm in my thirties and losing my waist length hair has been so hard. I'm only one year post-chemo and waiting until I get to the two year mark to get hair extensions, so I still wear my long wig. I am so excited by your recent post - your hair is SUPER gorgeous, so glossy and thick. It looks even longer and shinier than your pre-chemo hair, which was pretty impressive! Thank you for taking the time to upload photos - it means so much! Best, Tallulah
Hi Tallulah! I am so very sorry that you've had to go through this. But your comment here reminds me that it's not just vanity, the whole hair thing upon diagnosis...I mean, it WAS the first question I asked when told I would need chemo. And you're right, the hair I have today is actually better than what fell out from chemo. So, something to look forward to?? Eh, it sucks, that's the bottom line!!! But thank you SOOOO much for commenting here. Comments like yours are the ENTIRE reason that this blog exists. Wishing all the best to you & big HUGS! xx
Thank you for this wonderful journal! I rinished chemo 6 months ago and although I do have hair, it is gray and wavy, I still wear my wig in public. However, last night, Valentine's Day, i went with out it. Such freedom! I know this growing out period will take time but i am happy to have hair! You are an inspiration! Pratcing patience, everyday and celebrating life!
Cindy
Hi Cindy! Thanks so much for checking out my post & commenting! Yeah, it does take time to regrow our hair. It's testament to how quickly & how slowly time moves, all at the same time! It is SO wonderful to finally not feel the need to wear a wig, isn't it?! I have known other bc ladies who's hair came in gray, but eventually the color returned on it's own. Enjoy that new hair & thanks so much for sharing with me! xx
Hello Kimberly (Lunatechchick),
I came across your blog and I really enjoyed reading this timeline about your hair regrowth. Thank you for taking the time to write it!! I have to say that your latest picture in January 2015 is great. Your hair is absolutely gorgeous!! I have always had a weakness for women with straight, thick brunette hair lol. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 19 (I'm now 22) in 2012 and had 8 rounds of chemo in which I lost my thick full head of red hair. It has grown back a little more blonde but still pretty red now but is thin all over and very thin at the crown of my head. Seeing that yours grew back nicely gives me some hope that I am maybe not loosing my hair because of baldness. But the important thing my health in which I am grateful for now and happy to see you are doing well also.
Regards,
Michael
Hi Michael! Thanks so much for checking out my blog! Sorry you had to do chemo & go through cancer at all, but sounds like you're on the back to 100%! Hopefully the hair will fill in & you'll be happy with it again. Thanks so much for the lovely compliment on my hair! It does seem to be better than my pre-cancer hair. Thanks so much for reading & for your comment here! All the best to you!! xx
Hello!
Thank you for posting all of your hair pictures...it is certainly encouraging to all of us. How exciting that you are five years post treatment! My hair looks almost identical to yours at 6 months out and I was wondering if you ever colored yours? I am thinking about using a semi- permanent color because I am much darker than I was pre-chemo. Your latest pic is absolutely gorgeous and healthy looking so I just wondered if maybe it is like that because you didn't put anything damaging on it. Thank you again and take care!
Hi Anonymous! And thanks so much for your lovely compliments! I did have some AVEDA demi cokor done in 2012 I think it was. I would be doing it annually if my colorist hadn't left & then the salon closed. I would color it right up if it's not the color you want, however, I might would wait a bit, as several people I know say their hair color went back to normal after about a year. Thanks so much for reading & commenting on my blog! All the best to you!! xx
Thanks so much for posting your photographs. I'm 2 weeks into a 6 week chemo programme and no hair loss yet, but am expecting it soon. Am struggling with the prospect to be honest, but after seeing your photos, I CAN DO THIS!!!! Thank you so much again
You look absolutely beautiful
Thanks for the lovely compliment!
Lunatechchick,
I left a comment on February 17th .Thanks for your kind reply back!! I just started a blog of my own which I have been meaning to do for some time. I am hoping I can inspire people who have to go through chemo and cancer as well. Feel free to check it out
http://mikecman.blogspot.com/2015/05/everyone-thanks-for-coming-to-my.html
Regards,
Michael
Hello again Michael! Welcome to the blogosphere! I'm sure your blog will be helpful to many! Thanks for sharing the link!
Thanks so much for sharing your journey especially the hair pics. I am at the 18 months post chemo juncture and finding the chemo curls harder to deal with by the day. While I am excited that my hair is showing growth I have no clue what to do with it. Hoping you can provide some insight perhaps recommend products and or share with me your experience for example, did you trim your curls at all as you went along or just allow it to continuously grow? If I knew for a fact the curls would go away I would start putting it in fact even go back to the pixie cut I had two weeks prior to shaving my head. However since I don't know the outcome I'm a little hesitant to chop it all off for fear I will regret losing the progress I've made so far. Any insight you might have would be greatly appreciated I am truly torn as to which way to go but know that I am over wearing headbands every day LOL I know you can relate. Thanks again warm regards
Hi Stacy! At 18 month was the first time I let my stylist TRIM my hair. Really she just did some blending so I could flat iron it with a teeny tiny flat iron & wear a short shag, as shown in the picture. But I didn't care for how it looked. So I kept doing curly with headbands. But I also had been able to do a nubby ponytail for awhile, so I did that wuite a bit. Yes, I was sick & tired of headbands & ponytails. But after just a few more months, it was long enough to just wear curly, or "embrace the curl" as my friends told me. Yes it goes through some awkward phases, but I rarely let the stylist touch it until it got long enough to start to shape into something. But I was not one of those who kept cutting the back till the front caught up. Nope. I was on a growfest! No real products to recommend. I just continued to use what I always loved on my hair, which is AVEDA products. But hang in there. You're almost to a point where you will have normal looking hair. I dont know that the chemo curl goes away for everyone. And maybe the weight of growing length helps to pull that out. I dunno. But you'll get there. With help from ponytails & headbands. Thanks so much for reading & for commenting here. All the best to you! xx
Hi there - just wanted to thank you for posting your hair growth pics. My last chemo was March 6th and this is my second go-around with breast cancer (had a completely separate case of it 10 years ago)and even though I know the drill from the last time, it's nice to see the progressions and also how you coped with the styling issues. BTW you look beautiful. I'm still wearing wigs out bc I can't bring myself to go out in public without them yet, but I've tried to style it for around the house.
Thanks again, and hope you're doing well!
--Destiny Hunt :-)
Hi Destiny! UGH! I hate that you had to go through it at all, let alone again!!! Damn this bc! So glad my post is helpful. Styling does become an issue & seems to become more & more of one, until one day, boom! It's all back to normal. Seems like it takes forever & happens quickly, all at the same time, right? As far as I know, I'm still doing well at 6 years out. But it is also that time of year...mammo time & blood work time. And it's next week & yep, as usual, I'm flipping the eff out. Just sayin...Thanks so much for reading & commenting here! Wishing you all the best! xx
Thank you so much for writing your blog. I am 17 days out from my first chemo trying to decide if today is the day to shave my hair. It was been falling out like crazy for 4 days. There is no turning back. I enjoyed your story and hope I can be positive too. BC sucks!
Thank you for sharing your story. I am 17 days out from my first chemo. My hair has been falling out all over the place for the last 4 days. I am debating if today is the day. Do I shave it? This is all I have thought of since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, triple positive. Will I feel better when it is gone? Thanks for allowing me to read your story.
Hi Debbie! I am so sorry you are having to do this. And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who was more upset about the hair loss than even the cancer itself. I don't know if shaving your hair will make you feel better, but it will aleiviate the anxiety of the anticipation of having to lose your hair. I was fortunate that I had already gotten a wig, so that helped Thanks so much for reading my blog & sharing with me. Wishing you all the best!! xx
Hi,
I am going through chemotherapy right now and am stressing about losing it. You're an inspiration and I am so glad you're well ahain.
Your hair is gorgeous. Mine is as long as yours is now. But it will grow back, hopefully.
Take care.
Hey there Anonymous! Thanks so much for reading & commenting here. It really does make me feel better to know that I'm not the only cancer person who was so upset over the hair loss part of treatment. I also think it's especially difficult for us long hair girls. But, what I did discover is, the anticipation of the loss was actually worse, for me, than being bald. At least bald, I felt like I had something to look forward to...the regrowth! And it will. And you will have your hair again. So sorry you have to go through this. Hang in there! xx
Hi, I'm almost 4 years post chemo and my hair is still very thin on top and hasn't regrown back to its pre chemo thickness. I think I've used most of the hair products for thickening/volumizing out there. I'm taking biotin and using minoxidil right now, but continue to have hair falls/thinness. Did you use anything on yours? Would you have any tips? Thanks for sharing your pics by the way. You're lucky to have your hair back as before.
Hi Anonymous! So sorry your hair is still thin. I do have a bald spot on one side where the hair just doesn't appear to be coming back. I'm also still having major eyelash & eyebrow issues. I didn't use anything to regrow hair. I had a bunch of brand new AVEDA shampoo when I was diagnosed so I just used it , even on my bald head. I do take 10,000 mcg of Biotin. Hopefully your hair will thicken up soon. I just hate effin cancer & what all we have to go through. Hugs xx
Am two weeks post chemo. My hair is coming back slowly and fluffy!! These pics have given me an uplift like you wouldn't believe. Like you, the hardest part was losing my hair. Felt like I had lost all control over my life. Was angry at having breast cancer, then angry because I lost my hair.
Hi Sarah! So glad you find this post helpful! It helps me to know that I'm not alone in that the hair thing was the hardest. Thanks so much for sharing with me. Best wishes, xx
Hi Kimberley!
Greatings from Madrid, Spain!
I am now 14 months out of chemo, and I read your blog all over when I was in the middle of it, and it gave me much hope and optimism when I was bald, a BIG BIG THANK YOU for it!
My hair came out I would say the same colour as before, brown; but it did came out with curs, while it was only very slightly wavy before BC treatment. Now it is about 10-12cm long, and the curls are in the end half, right at the root it is not curly. I am not sure if it means that the curling has stopped, or that it is just coming out this way.
Could you please tell me if you still have any curls or waves? Or yours has got back to completely straight, as it was before BC?
However it is, just as you wear it in the photos, it's LOVELY and you look FANTASTIC!:-)
Hugs and all the best!
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn! Greetings from Texas! I am so happy my blog gave you hope & lifted your spirits. It sounds like your hair just might go right back to normal, as mine did. I think the "chemo curl" eventually fell out, just just because the time out from chemo, but also from the weight. As you can see in the last photos I added, it's long & straight, just like before.
So yeah, it ended up the same.
Thanks so much for the sweet compliment. Your comment just made my day!
All the best to your continued good health!
xx
Thank you so much for posting these pics.
Hi Amy! Thank you for visiting my blog. So glad you like the hair regrowth post! Thanks for leaving a comment that you were here! xx
Thanks for the blog.
I do have a question, not sure you can help. I had 2 rounds of cysplatin. One in August, one in September. No hair loss. Over the last month, i have a major bald spot going in my frontal hair line and major thinning. Any ideas on what i can do to stop this? I am a mess, after everything i went through (the chemo and 40 rounds of radiation ) i thought i would at the very least be able to keep my hair. Then this. Any ideas would be much appreciated, congrats on your recovery, i still am unsure if mine is gone. Still have scans after the inflammation goes away. (I have squamous cell carcinoma in my sinuses, almost lost my right eye, did lose cheek bone and part of my sinus in my nose.)
Again, thanks for sharing your journey. Jill
How sweet of you to share all this to encourage others! You are young and gorgeous and looked great with very PRETTY short hair as well as with your beautiful long hair.
I am still not having great growth - it has been two years since end of chemo and while my hair grows longer - it is still so thin I have to keep it short so the thinning areas don't show. I don't know if that is normal I(I am in my late 50s so that MAY contribute)or not but I am starting to grow it out and hope it fills in better as it grows. I can see I have a long way to go in terms of months/years but it is nice to have a visual of about what I can expect growth wise!
Hair vitamins seems to help some as well as DHT blocking shampoo...
Thank you so much,
A sister in cancer!
Hey there Anonymous! I am 47 now, and my hair doesn't look like these photos any more. I dunno if it's from the chemo or just getting older, but it has majorly thinned...like I feel like I have maybe half as much hair as I used to & am considering a shorter style to hide the thinning. But so glad you found my post to be helpful. So sorry you're still having hair issues. Here's to us both achieving better hair sooner rather than later. Thanks so much for reading & commenting. xx
11 weeks out from my last chemo treatment. I have tried to stay so positive through all of this, even when my husband & little boys (8&5) shaved my head. I kept telling myself "this is temporary! " ugh. Now that the treatments & mastectomy is over, I'm overwhelmed every single time I look in the mirror. It just isn't growing fast enough & my reconstruction isn't coming fast enough either. Reading your post & seeing actual photos is such a relief. Thank you so much for documenting it! I miss my hair, but this reminds me to just be patient a few more months... It's gonna come back. Thank you!
Hey there MegAnn!!! So very sorry you've had to go through this. Doesn't it just seem like the hair loss just makes an already tragic, heartbreaking situation all the more worse? GAWD!! And thank you so much for commenting here. So glad you found my post helpful, but your & everyone's comments actually help me too, because it reminds me that it's totally normal to be just as devastated about the hair loss as I was about the cancer itself. Maybe even more so. It's NOT vanity. Our hair is a part of us, just like our breasts! Patience is not something I have ever had much of, but with regrowing hair, we really have no choice. You are at a point where it will probably start seeming like it's changing quickly & the length will be measurable. The first year was hardest for me, until I could get that little nubby ponytail, which helped me look more like myself from the front. Hang in there, your hair will be back. Best wishes for good health & great hair to you! xx
My long comment disappeared!
Hi Anonymous! I'm sorry you don't see your comment here...I have several Anonymous comments here, but the last one I saw was a couple of months ago in December. I'll check the Spam filter....Best, LTC
Hi Lunatechchick, my name is Ang, I'm 32. I am newly diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease stage 2. I'm getting my chemo port this Wed. I am really scared and anxious. I have already been told I am gonna lose my hair with AVBD. I knew this was coming, and I've been growing it FOREVER (partly bc I love it and bc i've been growing it to donate it), it's to my waist. I don't know if I should cut it to my chin/ shoulders before my first treatment so it won't be ruined when I donate it. What if I'm that one percent that doesn't lose it??? Just some thoughts and feelings i'm having.
Thanks for the encouragement and bravery. I needed it.
Hi Ang, I am so sorry that you have to go through this. Of course you're scared & anxious, & the hair thing just makes it worse. Checked out your Google+ & can see that you have such beautiful hair. If it were me, & growing it for the purposes of donating it anyway, I would go ahead & get it cut off to at least the shoulders & donate good, healthy hair. My hair got really dry & brittle right before it fell out. Also, we all hope to be in that 1 percent that doesn't lose their hair. I have yet to meet anyone that didn't after the chemos that cause hair loss. So I would cut off the amount you would minimally want to donate first. And a lot of people do go short before it falls out, just to prepare for it. I didn't, but I wasn't donating. Anyway, it all just sucks, but I'm glad you found my hair growth post helpful. Thanks so much for commenting. All the best to you.
xx
Thank you so much for your blog. You are truly doing a service for all people who have lost their hair due to chemo. When I was going through chemo in 2015, seeing your pictures helped me to have hope. The best thing your posts have done in addition is to show people actually how long it takes to grow back hair or return to normal, especially if you had long hair to begin with!!! It seems interminable. I am now 22 months past chemo, and it is finally to the point where I can put my wild curly hair into a pony tail. Yay! The new parts coming in finally look straighter and more normal, but at age 61 now, parts of my hair on the top of my head turned coarse and wiry while other parts still look smooth and a and good like they used to. I have very thick hair, but it's not as shiny as it used to be. I do have hope that after 2 1/2 years that most of the chemo curl portion will be gone and in 5 years that I will have completely forgotten my hair issues, along with cancer.
Here's what you can do: like LunaTechChick, I finally could pull up both sides and use barrettes, then put it up in a pony tail or bun. I have had very little luck with straighteners; the hair just boings out again. I have tried all oils; coconut seems the best, but none of them are that great. Curl wax products just makes it curlier. I color my hair (Excellence 9NB) and it seems to improve the texture a bit. I wash it MUCH less than I did, only twice a week as it is so dry. My only advice is to be very gentle with your hair, and keep believing, because it WILL grow back. This is a huge emotional issue for women, and I pray one day that cancer treatments will not cause people's hair to ever fall out again. Thanks again and best of luck to all posters going through treatment.
Hello there Anonymous!
Thank you so much for commenting here! It is words like yours that let me know this post helps people...Isn't the return of hair a trip? Mine was super thick for a long time after it came back...but then the shedding returned & now it's not as great as the last photos in the post...and it's texture is changing...guessing it's age related...and gray...I'm not coloring as much as I once did...but color does seem to improve the texture. Some people's hair comes back the same while others report it came back entirely different. I say, any day with hair is a good hair day indeed. Thanks so much again for your comments and hair regrowing tips.
Best,
LTC
xx
Hi LunaTechChick, thanks for your response. As I said, you've helped so many people, especially about their hair loss during treatment and afterward. I also read more of your posts. I share your sentiments about that sickening pink October. I am interested that after all this time you still have anxiety when there are certain triggers, like fall. I share that.
As for your posts on whether to continue the blog...I know a woman, a writer, who had stage IIIC endometrial cancer like me. She posted on the Daily Kos for 5 years. After 5 years, she just got tired of posting and thinking so much about cancer anymore. She had other interests. Her posts are still up to help others, but she passed the baton to others.
It's ok to go out and live your life. You have helped lots of people already. If you want to post or not, either way is ok. Best, Christine
Hi Christine!!!
Thanks so much for sharing with me & reading other posts of mine. I will more than likely still post from time to time. Especially if I get on a rant about something. But this blog isn't going anywhere. =)
xx
I am 8 months out from my last chemo treatment for Stage 2A BC. My hair is growining in well, very fine, white, curly, about 3 inches long.(I colored it previously a light blond with highlights for many years.) I'm 62 but look much younger. I'm planning to go to my hair stylist to return to my blond hair color. My friends and family think I should leave it white and if I color it I will ruin my hair. I'm currently wearing a wig that looks identical to my hair before (shoulder length bob). I work as a health care provider and am struggling wanting to be my previous color, but short. Seeing white hair screams cancer to me. It's hard enough to have the short pixie hair, but think I could handle that if I had my other hair color. Any suggestions or thoughts from anyone? Have you older women colored your hair? Regrets?
Thank you for your wonderful blog and all the encouraging posts!
Hey there Anonymous!!! Aren't good wigs just the best??? I'm not sure about the rules of coloring new hair after chemo. Pretty sure I've known some who have done it though. I do know one friend who's hair started coming in gray and curly & over time the natural color returned, but not sure how long that took. I have colored my hair a few times since it's been back with no issues, but I did wait till it was almost back to it's former length...you know, so it would be worth the money and the time. I'm so glad you find my little ranty blog encouraging. Thanks so much for sharing with me.
xx
Best,
LTC
I am 10 weeks out of Chemo and 9 weeks out of radiation. Stage IIIB Anal cancer. The past month I have lost over 75% of my hair. I thought I would be one of the "lucky" ones with just thinning, but not so much. Just when I was feeling better after treatment ended, now I'm depressed over the hair loss. I am using Nioxin to try to keep and strengthen what I have, but don't know if there is anything else I can do. Any suggestions?? ( love your web page)
Hey Anonymous! So sorry you're having to go through this. I wish I had some suggestions for you but I just really do not. I did consider using Nioxin but did not because I have heard that once you start using the products that have Minoxidil to regrow hair, you have to stay on it or lose new growth if you stop. I dunno if that's true, but decided to just wait it out. I do see great reviews on the product & it's not out of the realm of possibility that I may look to try it in the future, as my hair seems to go through a shed & get thin every few years. Thanks so much for checking out my blog & for sharing with me here.
All the best to you!
xx
This is the best timeline of hair growth chemo I have seen. I am five months post chemo and am so impatient for my hair to grow!! What you have done gives me an idea. Is an awsome thing you did for your fellow survivors.
Hi Malu! I apologize for the delay in responding! We are in the process of moving & I haven't been able to tend to my blog in several weeks. I'm so glad you found my post to be helpful. I was also so impatient. So you're probably rocking a cool pixie right about now. Hang in there & thanks so much for sharing with me here. All the best!
xx
I am so glad I came across your post. I found out in June of 2017 that I had stage 3 beast cancer. I have the triple negative and the mutation gene. Didnt know I had the mutation gene. I am 11 months post chemo, 1 year will be on Nov 7th. I am at the stage where I feel like I have a mullet. Losing my hair was the most traumatic thing! My hair was to my waist. I ended up cutting it and donating it. I hate my hair right now. I have a natural wave, but until my hair gets longer and heavier like before and look more like waves, it is in curls right now. I can straighten it, but it really makes it look like a mullet. I will hit my 40th bday in Dec. I'm not real sure how headbands will look on me at this age lol! But I am glad I came across your post! It's the best I've seen and do glad for all the pics!
Hi Amy C! I totally hear you on all the hair issues. Re-growth is harrrrrd when you're wanting it to be long again. Yes, as you can see, I sure did go through the mullet phase. I was 41 during the headband phase & 40 at diagnosis, so give it a try. Soon you should be able to get a nubby ponytail....hang in there. It will take some time, but then one day, it seems like you get a haircut & it's much more normal. Thank you for sharing with me & so glad you found the post & pics helpful.
xx
Best,
LTC
Hi There! I read your chemo hair regrowth blog and some of the recent ones too. Your hair blog is the best I have read out of all the hair blogs out there. I literally just shaved my head yesterday, but I think I will have to shave it completely bald as my buzz cut is coming out. I have 5 more rounds of chemo. I am just praying the chemo kicks cancer to the curb, but losing your hair makes it harder on everyone. Myself and my little kids. It just makes you look and feel sick.
Anyway, glad you are doing well!
Do you mind me asking what Cancer you had? I have Stage 3 as well and it’s HER2+.
Hi There! You’re an inspiration documenting your Cancer Journey. I just shaved my hair yesterday and it was hard for me and an adjustment for my little ones as well. I have my 2nd of 6 chemos this Friday. Praying I beat BC!
Anyway, your hair blog was the best one out there I have seen.
Do you mind me asking what kind of cancer you had? I saw stage 3 but missed the type. I too have stage 3…HER2+
Thanks! -Angie
Hey there Angie! Thanks so much for your kind words about the blog. Yes, losing my hair was one of the hardest things for me & many people. It's my hope the hair regrowth post is helpful. I was stage 3, ER-, PR weakly + at 9%, HER2+. My chemo was 6 rounds of Taxotere & Carboplatin & of course Herceptin for a full year. Herceptin does not affect your hair. Thanks so much for reaching out. Hang in there & keep on keeping on! All the best to you! xx
Thank you for the response! Hope you are doing well & all the best to you as well -Angie
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