hair color

I didn't lose my hair on follox6. 5FU disconnected wed. Too soon to get rid of my grays??? I colored roots after first round before surgery, it was ok. Not pink! LOL. Any stories to tell me or knowledge on this topic.

Comments

  • k1
    k1 Member Posts: 220 Member
    I got on to ask the same question!
    I'm finishing up my last round of chemo this week and want to know when I can safely color my hair at the salon too. For Christmas I got a gift certificate for the salon to have my hair done and it was a great gift because everytime I have to look in the mirror and see how bad I look on chemo knowing that when it's over I can get my hair looking better gives me something to look forward to.

    Last week at a store I was offered a senior discount -- great but I am 10 years too young to be eligible for it -- so that made me feel some urgency about the hair.

    My hair thinned a lot and I have a bald spot on top but I did not have all over hair loss.

    K1
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    I am af american. The doc
    I am af american. The doc told my mom to wait 3 months after the last treatment for any kind of chemical in the hair. No dyes or relaxers. You will end up with a bad chemical burn. Please be careful.
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    Hair Color:
    In the past there were several posts on this topic. In the search box put in something like hair coloring and the posts should come up. Look up the discussion by "Annebelle". It appears some ladies used Aveda products without problems since they do not have the heavy chemical compounds. I think you need to go to an Aveda salon or a salon using their products. There are probably other products out there so you may need to research some.

    Don't know if this is much help but thought I would throw it out there.

    Take care - Tina
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    k1 said:

    I got on to ask the same question!
    I'm finishing up my last round of chemo this week and want to know when I can safely color my hair at the salon too. For Christmas I got a gift certificate for the salon to have my hair done and it was a great gift because everytime I have to look in the mirror and see how bad I look on chemo knowing that when it's over I can get my hair looking better gives me something to look forward to.

    Last week at a store I was offered a senior discount -- great but I am 10 years too young to be eligible for it -- so that made me feel some urgency about the hair.

    My hair thinned a lot and I have a bald spot on top but I did not have all over hair loss.

    K1

    I was just fine
    Folfox only thinned my hair a little. Folfiri made it come out in finger fulls and I cut it short and wore a cap. The month after chemo I had it cut very short and had some fun with products like spray wax and styling cream and used the blow dryer to create new looks. (which I am still doing as its growing out). And yes I let them put color at 1 month post chemo...I also got my first tatoo that week :)

    plh4gail
  • tommycat
    tommycat Member Posts: 790 Member
    For me. anything that made
    For me. anything that made me look and feel better was worth it. However, don't use a box color, go to an Aveda salon as suggested as the color will be better, and if it turns out iffy, the colorist can keep tweaking it if necessary.
    Congratulations on finishing chemo!!!!
  • lauragb
    lauragb Member Posts: 370 Member
    tommycat said:

    For me. anything that made
    For me. anything that made me look and feel better was worth it. However, don't use a box color, go to an Aveda salon as suggested as the color will be better, and if it turns out iffy, the colorist can keep tweaking it if necessary.
    Congratulations on finishing chemo!!!!

    What a timely topic. I now
    What a timely topic. I now have the official skunk stripe of white-gray in my hair. Did anyone use the Aveda salon while on chemo or was that just after completion. My hair texture is iffy too, might need that short haircut.

    Ditto on the congratulations! What a milestone:)
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    lauragb said:

    What a timely topic. I now
    What a timely topic. I now have the official skunk stripe of white-gray in my hair. Did anyone use the Aveda salon while on chemo or was that just after completion. My hair texture is iffy too, might need that short haircut.

    Ditto on the congratulations! What a milestone:)

    Yes...congratulations!
    I waited till after chemo and wore different cute caps. And my hair had some texture and waves/curl before chemo. Now after chemo as it grows in its soo soft and has some waves. So weird! But I like it. And yes...congratulations on finishing the chemo!

    gail
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    plh4gail said:

    Yes...congratulations!
    I waited till after chemo and wore different cute caps. And my hair had some texture and waves/curl before chemo. Now after chemo as it grows in its soo soft and has some waves. So weird! But I like it. And yes...congratulations on finishing the chemo!

    gail

    I didn't wait....
    I was on Folfiri and my first time around my hair just thinned and I didn't lose it all. It was extremely gray and I looked horrible. I heard all the horror stories about not dying it while on chemo but I said screw it. I did it...and out of the box..no salon. No problems whatsoever. Didn't bother scalp ...nothing. My next times on Folfiri my hair fell out immediately...all of it...so that was that. Good luck to you and congrats on end of chemo!

    Jennie
  • Jane822
    Jane822 Member Posts: 50
    Haircolor
    I'm on my second go around with Folfox and had Folfiri between the two. I colored my hair every 4 weeks on Folfox - straight out of the L'oreal box with no problem. Lost my hair on Folfiri and it's just growing in so I'm wearing a wig and I'm back on Folfox. When it's long enough, I won't hesitate to color it again. I had no problem whatsoever.
  • westie66
    westie66 Member Posts: 642
    Jane822 said:

    Haircolor
    I'm on my second go around with Folfox and had Folfiri between the two. I colored my hair every 4 weeks on Folfox - straight out of the L'oreal box with no problem. Lost my hair on Folfiri and it's just growing in so I'm wearing a wig and I'm back on Folfox. When it's long enough, I won't hesitate to color it again. I had no problem whatsoever.

    Hair Colouring
    Hi: I did 12 treatments of cisplatin + gemcitibine and then 12 treatments of oxaliplatin + irenotecan + 5FU. I coloured my hair at home throughout. I did lose some hair (thinning) and new hair is curlier than before (natural hair was bone straight). I think some women may be more susceptible than others.
    Cheryl
  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    No alcohol
    My wife's onc said to get hair coloring that did not include alcohol...
  • eightpawz
    eightpawz Member Posts: 28
    YoColor
    I get my colored while on chemo. I go to a salon that uses YoColor. It's yogurt based hair color, no ammonia, no chemicals. They actually have a lot of cancer patients as clients. There are only 2 salons near me that offer it. Look on the YoColor website to find a salon near you.

    -Dawn
  • SisterSledge
    SisterSledge Member Posts: 332 Member
    hair color
    I think the warnings about using hair color are based more upon the worry that the harsh chemicals will be too abrasive to scalp tissue that can be sensitive from chemo treatment...not to do with the color not looking as desired. But, chemo has changed over the years and perhaps it isn't affecting scalp tissue so much as in the past...many are able to keep on coloring right through their treatments :)
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    Not for the colon cancer (kept my hair)...
    But after my breast cancer, where I did lose it...when it started back, it was completely white....

    I went to a salon and had a cellofane (OMG...can't spell...sigh...) treatment with blond. It just coats the hair, no harsh chemicals. It went fine...

    Now, my hair is naturally dark brown with light streaks. My salon gal said people would pay big money to have their hair like mine...I told her, well, I paid, too.. *smile* with just short of my life...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    A Guy's Perspective
    I noticed that the only man posting was in regards to his wife, so if all y'all don't mind I'd like to kick my experience into the kitty. When I was first diagnosed, I told a lady friend of mine and she surprised by revealing that she was a colorectal stage IV patient also and that we were lucky because we got to keep our hair.

    Well, I started on Ironotecan right over a year ago and one day in the shower big clumps of hair started to come out. Once it got to be unsightly (around April)I had a couple of other lady friends over, one used the clippers to get off the majority of the hair and another used a razor to shave it slick while her husband recorded it all on cam.

    My younger brother used to go bald a lot and advised using Nair to get the stubbles. BAD mistake! I got a bad chemical burn out of it. I June, after moving to Utah, my new Oncologist switched me to Victebix and my hair started to come back in. When it fell out, I was blonde with very little traces of gray at the temples. Now, I'm about 75% gray. I've thought about having it colored either white or silver (I'm leaning towards silver) for a more suave and debonair look.

    So yeah, us guys can be concerned about how our hair looks also, lol!

    God Bless
    Doc Ray
  • Kenny H.
    Kenny H. Member Posts: 502 Member
    Doc_Hawk said:

    A Guy's Perspective
    I noticed that the only man posting was in regards to his wife, so if all y'all don't mind I'd like to kick my experience into the kitty. When I was first diagnosed, I told a lady friend of mine and she surprised by revealing that she was a colorectal stage IV patient also and that we were lucky because we got to keep our hair.

    Well, I started on Ironotecan right over a year ago and one day in the shower big clumps of hair started to come out. Once it got to be unsightly (around April)I had a couple of other lady friends over, one used the clippers to get off the majority of the hair and another used a razor to shave it slick while her husband recorded it all on cam.

    My younger brother used to go bald a lot and advised using Nair to get the stubbles. BAD mistake! I got a bad chemical burn out of it. I June, after moving to Utah, my new Oncologist switched me to Victebix and my hair started to come back in. When it fell out, I was blonde with very little traces of gray at the temples. Now, I'm about 75% gray. I've thought about having it colored either white or silver (I'm leaning towards silver) for a more suave and debonair look.

    So yeah, us guys can be concerned about how our hair looks also, lol!

    God Bless
    Doc Ray

    Didnt lose any hair while on
    Didnt lose any hair while on 1st treatment on xeloda, folfox 5/fu.....Now on avastin/irinotecan (3 rounds) some starting to come out but not in clumps.

    Wondering how long before it really does? (trying to delay shaving it)
  • traci43
    traci43 Member Posts: 773 Member
    hair color
    My first time on chemo (FOLFOX) I didn't do anything for 3 months post chemo. I was scared to lose my hair. My second time on chemo (XELIRI) I went ahead and had my hair colored. I had Inoa color, I think it's a Redken product, it has no harsh chemicals. I love it and no hair loss. Good luck to you, whatever you choose to do.
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    traci43 said:

    hair color
    My first time on chemo (FOLFOX) I didn't do anything for 3 months post chemo. I was scared to lose my hair. My second time on chemo (XELIRI) I went ahead and had my hair colored. I had Inoa color, I think it's a Redken product, it has no harsh chemicals. I love it and no hair loss. Good luck to you, whatever you choose to do.

    I was told i wouldn't lose my hair but i cut it to a crewcut
    figuring i wouldn;t have the energy to keep it unknotted during treatment, etc as it was nearing my lower back at the time of Dx....Its grown back rather fast since then....I did lose all hair in area radiation passed thru.....