When your hair grows back in

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Lakegirl
Lakegirl Member Posts: 15
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm curious. Are there any women out there who have been through chemotherapy and their hair grown back? Did it grow back darker and curly. Before my hair fell out it was straight and light. I've had so many people tell me stories about their "friends" whose hair came back dark and curly. Just wondered if this is a myth. Can anyone tell me their stories?

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  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #2
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    It did come in differently
    Hello Lakegirl,

    I haven't had chemo but my mom has. When she first lost it, it was dark brown. When it came back it was silver and white. She was 55 years old. When it was coming in she said, "It sparkled like diamonds." It was curly too, but the curl didn't last long. The color never came back, but it was beautiful. And it did indeed sparkle like diamonds! :)
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #3
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    Dawne.Hope said:

    It did come in differently
    Hello Lakegirl,

    I haven't had chemo but my mom has. When she first lost it, it was dark brown. When it came back it was silver and white. She was 55 years old. When it was coming in she said, "It sparkled like diamonds." It was curly too, but the curl didn't last long. The color never came back, but it was beautiful. And it did indeed sparkle like diamonds! :)

    silver and white
    I finished Chemo the end of May, mine is now about 2 inches long and it curls around my neck and ears in the back. It has come back thick, and funny you should say it sparkles...that is just what my sweet grandaughters said when I was sitting in the sun. I have thought of coloring it but everyone tells me not to. Your hair will be beautiful when it comes back!
    hus, jackie
  • BELIEVEx3
    BELIEVEx3 Member Posts: 24
    #4
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    when your hair grows back in
    Ah I remember the shadow of hair glistening in the light........ prior to chemo my hair was a beautiful sandy blonde blunt cut shoulder length style, loved it then and love it now.........Initially my hair came back in very dark and curly, I must say I was happy just to see it was really coming back in in any color or texture. As my hair grew the curl lessened, the color lightened and thanks to a great hair stylist I have beautiful hair very similar to my original texture and color. But I must admit I am 15 years out from my original breast cancer and chemo and now becoming a bit grey a few cancers later and now just happy to be here!!!!!!!!!!! As a nurse and patient I have experienced personally and professionally the transition from baldness to a change in hair color and texture that often returns to a somewhat normal state within the first year after chemo..........
  • patti anne
    patti anne Member Posts: 101
    #5
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    BELIEVEx3 said:

    when your hair grows back in
    Ah I remember the shadow of hair glistening in the light........ prior to chemo my hair was a beautiful sandy blonde blunt cut shoulder length style, loved it then and love it now.........Initially my hair came back in very dark and curly, I must say I was happy just to see it was really coming back in in any color or texture. As my hair grew the curl lessened, the color lightened and thanks to a great hair stylist I have beautiful hair very similar to my original texture and color. But I must admit I am 15 years out from my original breast cancer and chemo and now becoming a bit grey a few cancers later and now just happy to be here!!!!!!!!!!! As a nurse and patient I have experienced personally and professionally the transition from baldness to a change in hair color and texture that often returns to a somewhat normal state within the first year after chemo..........

    Yes, darker
    I finished chemo in May as well and it is about 2 inches long too. It is definitely darker, I have always been blonde...but it is not curly. I'm so disappointed in that. I wanted curly hair!! :)
  • tjhay
    tjhay Member Posts: 655
    #6
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    patti anne said:

    Yes, darker
    I finished chemo in May as well and it is about 2 inches long too. It is definitely darker, I have always been blonde...but it is not curly. I'm so disappointed in that. I wanted curly hair!! :)

    Mine is about 2 inches, just
    Mine is about 2 inches, just had my first hair cut 2 weeks or so ago, and it did come back darker, and my mom (she should know) says it is thicker though still very fine. However it is still strightas a stick, which is kind of unfair cause everyone else in my family has curly hair. (Hmmmmm maybe I should talk to my mom about that? lol just kidding) Oh well guess i am just suppose to have stright hair
    tj
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #7
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    tjhay said:

    Mine is about 2 inches, just
    Mine is about 2 inches, just had my first hair cut 2 weeks or so ago, and it did come back darker, and my mom (she should know) says it is thicker though still very fine. However it is still strightas a stick, which is kind of unfair cause everyone else in my family has curly hair. (Hmmmmm maybe I should talk to my mom about that? lol just kidding) Oh well guess i am just suppose to have stright hair
    tj

    My sister always had the
    My sister always had the straightest hair. After chemo, her's came in curly. It has been 6 months and it is still curly but less so. It came in a beautiful salt and pepper. She colored it before so she doesn't know how different this is from what it would have been without being colored. I didn't have chemo so I can't speak to texture, thickness or color except by proxy or by sister.
    Stef
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #8
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    fauxma said:

    My sister always had the
    My sister always had the straightest hair. After chemo, her's came in curly. It has been 6 months and it is still curly but less so. It came in a beautiful salt and pepper. She colored it before so she doesn't know how different this is from what it would have been without being colored. I didn't have chemo so I can't speak to texture, thickness or color except by proxy or by sister.
    Stef

    My hair
    My hair before chemo was dark and straight with a few white hairs.
    After chemo it is about 2 inches long and a little curly back and sides but top is straight and my hair has come back a few shades lighter and white hair around my face. Looks like I had my hair frosted. Very thick hair--I thought I had thick hair before but now it is unbelievable.
  • cats_toy
    cats_toy Member Posts: 1,462 Member
    #9
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    hair
    Hi Lakegirl, as with everything else, we all react differently to our hair growing back. Mine came in very very silver, curly and thinner on top, even after two years, it is still thinner on top, but the curls loosen up as the hair gets longer. Enjoy the process!
    Cat
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537
    #10
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    Hi Lakegirl
    THanks for this post...I am 3 wks out from chemo and I have fuzz all over my head...its really soft but not much of it and I live in wisconsin and its getting cold up here...I however will take anything I can get and will love it!!!

    Hugs to you
    Linda T
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #11
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    My hair grew back black and
    My hair grew back black and grey, the best way i can described it is skunky!! It also came back thick and curly, I get it colored and i keep it short. I actually really like it and get a lot of complements. I bought some headbands, the material kind not the plastic, and the curls wrap around it. Although the curl is loosening up a bit now. My neighbors hair grew back the same way, blond and straight. There are a lot of chemicals in your body and it comes out in your hair. Let us know what happens!
  • esaud
    esaud Member Posts: 5
    #12
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    meena1 said:

    My hair grew back black and
    My hair grew back black and grey, the best way i can described it is skunky!! It also came back thick and curly, I get it colored and i keep it short. I actually really like it and get a lot of complements. I bought some headbands, the material kind not the plastic, and the curls wrap around it. Although the curl is loosening up a bit now. My neighbors hair grew back the same way, blond and straight. There are a lot of chemicals in your body and it comes out in your hair. Let us know what happens!

    Orphan Annie
    I am almost a year survivor (Nov 13 since surgery). Last chemo was January. My hair is about 3 inches long and curly as opposed to my lovely thick straight hair from before. The color was coming in black, white, brown and gray. Original was brown. After talking to others, I found out coloring your hair was not bad, so now I have color. My question was somewhat answered in this discussion. I wanted to know how long I had to live with this hair, which people say look nice, but I don't think it is me. Since it sounds like there is no answer, how have any of you straightened it?
  • esaud
    esaud Member Posts: 5
    #13
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    mlmjt1 said:

    Hi Lakegirl
    THanks for this post...I am 3 wks out from chemo and I have fuzz all over my head...its really soft but not much of it and I live in wisconsin and its getting cold up here...I however will take anything I can get and will love it!!!

    Hugs to you
    Linda T

    Hats
    Hi Mimjt1 - I live in Chicagoland and went through the bald times during winter. My cancer facility had knitted hats that churches and schools donated. I slept in these and wore them around the house. They were the best for keeping me warm. Also, a church donated a knitted shawl to me. It was the most comforting and loving thing I received and kept me so warm. I also bought some wearing around the house hats from ebay. I wore my free wig that the ACS gave me when I went out in public until I got more than peach fuzz. The wig was so cute, I'll try to style my hair that way when the curl goes away. I had a second wig I bought from ebay to vary my look.

    Stay warm.

    Judy
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #14
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    I am in the minority here,
    I am in the minority here, but I didn't notice a change. My hair was very curly before and is still very curly. It was brown before and was brown after.
  • cindyc59
    cindyc59 Member Posts: 44
    #15
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    mylast chemo was June 31.
    mylast chemo was June 31. My hair is now about and inch long-still wearing the wig. At firstit came back all gray and white. Now it is back to mostly brown with a white frame around forehead. It was baby fine and straight before now it seems to be wavy. I hope that changes. I was used to just washing it and sticking my head out the cat window to dry it,but honestly Ill take whatever I can get to lose the wig. My head gets so cold yet!

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