hair question

froggy1
froggy1 Member Posts: 205
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
I have gotten my hair back and don't seem to losing it on Carbo/Doxil, but it needs help. I usually color it and have a body perm. I thought I read this was a no-no(???) If so, does it affect the chemo outcome or the hair? I sure have a case of the uglies right about now!
Ginny

Comments

  • zinaida
    zinaida Member Posts: 221
    Do not know about body perm,
    Do not know about body perm, but my doctor told me chemo can affect color you expecting, not a chemo result. I color my hair blond usually, so during chemo I did not color my roots.I wonder, if you ask your doctor, what her(his) answer will be? (((HUGS))), Zina.
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    zinaida said:

    Do not know about body perm,
    Do not know about body perm, but my doctor told me chemo can affect color you expecting, not a chemo result. I color my hair blond usually, so during chemo I did not color my roots.I wonder, if you ask your doctor, what her(his) answer will be? (((HUGS))), Zina.

    Don't tell the Chemo-Police, but I colored my new growth!
    I've been chemo bald now 3 different times and experienced the thrill of returning hair and dilemma of whether you dare color the virgin new hair. I know it's considered a no-no, but I will share with you that I colored my hair when it was 1" long the 1st 2 times I was coming out of baldness. And NEXT MONTH I am coloring my latest crop of chemo curls!!

    The 1st time I used one of those "root touch-up" hair colors and combed it in and only left it on 10 minutes since I was terrified my precious new hair would fall out from the chemicals in the coloring. That 10 minutes was long enough to color my new hair and I felt so much more like ME again.

    The 2nd time I was coming out of taxol-induced baldness, I used the same 2-step hair coloring process I used before I had cancer, first coloring my hair a dark auburn and then working in highlights. & my chemo curls were fine! & that's what I'm going to do again this time. I think in 1 more month that I'll be beyond the 'bald spots/thin areas' look and a professional cut/color/highlighting will do wonders for me. It may be risky (or maybe not!), but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    me too
    I used natural instincts whe my hair grew back but i waited 2 months. I also will do it again as I am bald again and on carbo/taxol. I did not need a perm as my hair was very curly so i used gel and spiked it. My hair grew back mostly gray so I needed to cover it up and I used golden brown. I look forward to doing it again as I to have a case of the uglies.
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    GRAY
    I am VERY gray and very vain. I colored my hair as soon as it starting growing in. I've been coloring every month since for the past 1 1/2yrs. No problems with odd colors.
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    nancy591 said:

    GRAY
    I am VERY gray and very vain. I colored my hair as soon as it starting growing in. I've been coloring every month since for the past 1 1/2yrs. No problems with odd colors.

    Sharon (aka Ms Fanciful) is
    Sharon (aka Ms Fanciful) is our resident hot stylist. She confessed that she colored her new hair as soon as it came in.
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    Hi Ginny,
    the chemo in your body can affect the color outcome, and I think any added toxins to the already toxic body is not the best. I did the same thing as LInda though, I did color my hair a few times while on chemo. (It did turn a cherry red, due to the chemo, and had to add some more brown to it.)
    I think whatever you can do to cure the case of the "uglies" is to your advantage in feeling charged to fight this disease.
    Hugs,
    kathleen
  • lavanya30
    lavanya30 Member Posts: 4
    MY EXPERIENCE
    LEMME TELL YOU WHAT I DID ..AFTER ALL MY CHEMO CYCLES WERE OVER ...I FULLY SHAVED MY HAIR AND STARTED APPLYING BABY OIL,ALOE VERA JUICE ON THE SCALP AND WASH WITH A MILD BABY SHAMPOO THEN AS I WAS WEAK AND DINT WANT ANY FURTHER CHEMICAL IN TO MY BODY..HAIR GREW SLOWLY AND WE NEED PATIENCE FOR IT ...I TUK PICS OF ME IN DIFFERENT STGAES OF HAIR GROWTH JUS TO MOTIVATE ME THAT MY HAIR IS GROWING ...

    AFTER AROUND A YEAR AFTER MY RECOVERY I DID COLOUR AND STRAIGHTENING OF MY HAIR AS I WTD LENGTH AND NORMAL PERSON LOOK..WE CAN ASK OUR DOC AND DO WHAT WE WANT..THERE ARE COLOURS WITHOUT AMMONIA AND WITH AMMONIA ..THEY SAY AMMONIA CAUSES CANCER ..


    SINCE THEN IVE COLOURED MY HAIR THRICE ..DOCS ALSO SAY THAT USING A HAIR REMOVAL CREAM ON THE HANDS AND BODY DOESNT CAUSE CANCER..SO WE CAN USE THAT ALSO ..
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    Hair regrowth
    I had my last chemo on 9/16. My hair has grown in but due to the way it grows, I feel it looks worse than when I had nubs. It grows forward and to the middle so everyone says I now have a faux hawk. Just this week I have been able to put some product in it and spike it a bit but it still wants to lay down and go to the middle. My hair has quite a bit of gray. I had been dying my hair for fun for years so I really didn't know how much gray I actually had. My oncologist told me I could dye my hair as soon as it grew in. I haven't yet because it is still too short. I am going to keep it really short anyway because after all this time it is hard to picture myself having hair. For me it was such a freeing experience not to have to worry about haircuts, dye jobs and doing my hair each day. I am actually tempted to shave it off but I guess I'll wait to see what it looks like as it grows a little more. My hair seems to be coming in straight and the same color contrary to what I have read about the hair coming in another color and curly. What fun! Oh well, at least I am happy to have this to worry about rather than the cancer. I am going for bloodwork next week. I can worry then.

    Karen
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    Hi Ginny,
    Being a

    Hi Ginny,

    Being a hairstylist for 27 years now as well as a cancer patient.

    I highly recommend that you use any type of demi-colors. They have great penetration into the hair without permanently altering nor affecting the actual hair's cortex structure.

    These colors also cover gray beautifully without leaving ashy/brassy undertones once it fades.

    All the ladies suggestions/experiences are do-able, but just keep in mind that the new hair and it's poly-peptide structures are very weak and depending on the line of the product ( is it known to be harsh or is it gentle?) for example.

    Just don't use the professional based permanent colors which requires developer/peroxide.

    I colored my gray (as my friend Carlene said - LOL!), but I only colored the front edges where the gray seemed to grow. Actually, it's time for me to color it again! :-)

    Good luck with color.

    Sharon
  • froggy1
    froggy1 Member Posts: 205

    Hi Ginny,
    Being a

    Hi Ginny,

    Being a hairstylist for 27 years now as well as a cancer patient.

    I highly recommend that you use any type of demi-colors. They have great penetration into the hair without permanently altering nor affecting the actual hair's cortex structure.

    These colors also cover gray beautifully without leaving ashy/brassy undertones once it fades.

    All the ladies suggestions/experiences are do-able, but just keep in mind that the new hair and it's poly-peptide structures are very weak and depending on the line of the product ( is it known to be harsh or is it gentle?) for example.

    Just don't use the professional based permanent colors which requires developer/peroxide.

    I colored my gray (as my friend Carlene said - LOL!), but I only colored the front edges where the gray seemed to grow. Actually, it's time for me to color it again! :-)

    Good luck with color.

    Sharon

    Demi-colors?
    Hi Sharon,
    Thanks for the reply. What are demi-colors? I did make an appointment with my hairdresser, but I'm afraid what might happen!(So I cancelled it) I had a BAD orange experience about a month ago. LOL My hair now had resistant grey, which is bugging me. I tried a touch up kit, but it didn't seem to budge it.
    Ginny
  • LPack
    LPack Member Posts: 645
    Gray
    Well.........

    I did have my hair colored and highlighted after remission and it was probably about 2 months after new growth.

    But when I had my recurrence, I stopped coloring and let it go natural. Naturally it has white, gray and black and very little brown. Still never knew my hair was black!

    As I continue to be on chemo..............my hair remains natural. I have thought about coloring it but I guess I have made a statement around here now! lol

    Yes, I do get senior discounts now and I will not be 55 until next month! Amazing what gray and or white can do to your perception of someone! And my husband, who will be 58 in September, you can count the gray hair on his head. If someone mistakes me as his mother.................☺!

    I have always been told I look younger than I am! That is not happening anymore! :(
    But I am glad to still be here with my family and friends whether coloring my chemo hair, bald or just plain natural!!

    I was having my hair trimmed the other day at the salon, a lady said, "Now if my hair could just look like that, then I would not color it." I turned around to see that she was talking about me! (Earlier at home I had been lamenting about my hair as I looked into the mirror - thinking should I or shouldn't I!)

    I felt somewhat better and was glad to be who I am gray/white and all!! Anyways, my hair is at least 90% gray/white and that is alot of coloring to keep it looking like it is not! And then again I can take delight in the fact that the Bible says white or gray (hoary) hair is a sign of wisdom! ☺

    I am glad that right now no one can see my black toe nails!! Always something!!

    Libby ☺
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    LPack said:

    Gray
    Well.........

    I did have my hair colored and highlighted after remission and it was probably about 2 months after new growth.

    But when I had my recurrence, I stopped coloring and let it go natural. Naturally it has white, gray and black and very little brown. Still never knew my hair was black!

    As I continue to be on chemo..............my hair remains natural. I have thought about coloring it but I guess I have made a statement around here now! lol

    Yes, I do get senior discounts now and I will not be 55 until next month! Amazing what gray and or white can do to your perception of someone! And my husband, who will be 58 in September, you can count the gray hair on his head. If someone mistakes me as his mother.................☺!

    I have always been told I look younger than I am! That is not happening anymore! :(
    But I am glad to still be here with my family and friends whether coloring my chemo hair, bald or just plain natural!!

    I was having my hair trimmed the other day at the salon, a lady said, "Now if my hair could just look like that, then I would not color it." I turned around to see that she was talking about me! (Earlier at home I had been lamenting about my hair as I looked into the mirror - thinking should I or shouldn't I!)

    I felt somewhat better and was glad to be who I am gray/white and all!! Anyways, my hair is at least 90% gray/white and that is alot of coloring to keep it looking like it is not! And then again I can take delight in the fact that the Bible says white or gray (hoary) hair is a sign of wisdom! ☺

    I am glad that right now no one can see my black toe nails!! Always something!!

    Libby ☺

    Libby....I had a pedicure
    Libby....I had a pedicure earlier this week to cover up the black toenails. I hate the way they look!

    Carlene
  • LPack
    LPack Member Posts: 645

    Libby....I had a pedicure
    Libby....I had a pedicure earlier this week to cover up the black toenails. I hate the way they look!

    Carlene

    Pedicure
    That will be one of the first things I do when I am off this trial!! And then some.............☺

    Libby
  • zinaida
    zinaida Member Posts: 221
    LPack said:

    Pedicure
    That will be one of the first things I do when I am off this trial!! And then some.............☺

    Libby

    I just color my hair
    I just color my hair probably 4 weeks before I will be bold again. It has turned out beautifully. I need ask my husband to make a picture of me with long blond hair (on me and then on floor) :( before go bold again. With last chemo January-June 2010 carbo/gemzar I keeped my hair with getting thin little bit. Do not know what will be this time. P.S. I did pedicure to myself also (while I still can bend down yet). Love you all, Zina.