Help for Hair After Chemo

My moms hair that was coarse and wavy before chemo came back in soft and pretty with nice big curls. She just let it grow back and I can't remember when she started coloring again, but knowing her she didn't wait long. She tried to convince us all recently that she has always been blond....r-i-g-h-t! :-) She also used to get her scalp massaged with rosemary oil and that seemed to help, I don't know if it was the massage or the oil that helped, but I'm sure it felt great! Glad you are on the road to recovery!

I didn't have chemo but radiation. From what I heard from fellow survivors is that the hair changed from straight to curly or curly to straight. Some had color changes as well. I would embrace my new hair and wear it with pride that I survived and have now moved on to a new level. If you feel tha the gray is too much, then by all means color it. Just think if it is curly all you will have to do is wash and go without all the curly irons and things. Sorry I'm not much help. Also, there is always a wig.

My mom did chemo off and on for 15 years. Her hair only fell out during the last round. It started to grow back when she was still undergoing treatment. It was a different color and texture. The nurses called it "chemo chic". Anyway, it fell out, too. When she was finished, it came back just like it was before. She did not go to a special salon, just the one she had always gone to. You might check with the nurses in your onocologist's office to see if they could recommend a hairdresser to get you started.

I think it depends on you, the treatment and maybe age. My grandmother at age 60 went from red with grey to totally silver and curly. It looked really nice.

My neighbor at 40 lost her hair and now it looks just like it did before chemo. But her hair was curly before chemo anyway.

I wouldn't shave it either. Hope you get some more responses to see how others handled it.

My hair always had more wave to it after it grew back. I would not shave it off, just let it grow. If you get new growth that looks different, you can always cut it after you get more hair. After all, if you are like I was, you've waited a long time for hair!

I was also impatient and started coloring my hair as soon as I had a couple inches of growth. It didn't hurt at all, so if you want to, I say go ahead.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any stylists around that gave me particularly helpful advice.

I am hairstylist and my clients like you it really just depends. Its the waiting game. Some grows off and goes back to before and others stays like it is now. Sorry I am really of no help, but I give you what I have seen in the 8 years I have been doing this.

Absolutely!

I have done LOTS of research as well as seen a specialist and nutritionist b/c I had ALOT of my hair fall out after my last pregnancy. IT went from very thick to medium almost thin. HORRIBLE! I thought for sure it was my thyroid but everything checked out so it was just hormones after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Anyway, I discovered ways to get my hair growing fast and back to its naturally thick condition.

Take a high potecy biotin supplement(5000mg),an MSM supplement, and a B complex supplement(with insitol).
Then be sure to give yourself scalp massages 3 times a week with a stimulating shampoo with peppermint extract. I like to make my own oil mix at home that I use before shampooing. My homemade oil mix is made with jojoba oil,coconut oil, and peppermint extract.

My hair(and nails) are growing at an amazing rate as well as being ultra thick and healthy. :)