CRAZY HAIR

Quilter_1

OK, so we all wait for hair after treatment ends: and, mine is finally coming in, yay.  But.....it is now a mixture of white and gray, before I always colored it dark brown, the color of my youth, I loved it, it was thick, managable and I loved it.  Now...it is a little over an inch long and I can't do anything with it, there is no way that I can style it.  At home, I no longer wear a beanie, but I always have a baseball cap handy if anyone comes to the door.  I wear the baseball cap outside all the time. I never leave the house without a wig if I am going to be in public.   How long before I can color it again, it does appear to be healthy, it's not dry or brittle, just very unruly.  I'm also worried about hair color and it's links to cancer.  What do any of you do, what's a solution. I know.....I whine about not having hair, and now, I'm whining about the hair I do have.  I just want to look normal, again.  I am feeling so good, I want my appearance to match the way I feel.  On the plus side, I have very nice eyebrows and eyelashes.  I had a very good first 3 month checkup, so that's good, too.  What's a girl to do.

Linda

Donna Faye

Third time around

Quilter, this is my third regrowth of hair. Had thick wavy hair naturally. 1st chemo came back tight curls and light brown. Took over a year for the curls to begin to relax. Second time came back very limp, fine and dark grey. Third time, came back very thin and grey. I was advised not to color or use any strong chemicals on my hair as it is struggling to survive. So, just get a haircut every 8 weeks and keep it short so it has some body.  Give your hair a few more months to see how it will settle and then find a great beautician. 

 

janaes

Hi Quilter, my hair color did

Hi Quilter, my hair color did not come back like i wanted it. I was in my 40s and my hair came back pretty grey. It made me feel i was 60. I ended up coloring my hair brown before i wore my hair in public. I cant remember forsure but my hair was a little longer than an inch but when i did ditch my wig i wore jelin my curly hair. It was an ajustment but it was a good thing. You willget there.

Forherself

What about an appointment with your hair dresser

They may have experience with this, and maybe some more natural colors they can recommend

Harmony09

I can totally relate!

I have ALWAYS had long (middle of my back), curly hair. It was so easy to just toss and go with a little oil or leave-in conditioner. I heard about "chemo curls", and I have always been leary of cutting my hair short, knowing that the weight kept it from being unruly and poofy.  When I was bald, I tried wigs and scarves, but it was not me. I did wear cute hats, sewn/crocheted by a church, when it was very cold. I kinda liked being bald. Showering and getting ready was so incredibly easy   I am 1 yr from my last chemo Tx, and I look like I have a Q-tip or a mushroom on my head! The curls are like chemo curls on steroids! I have looked all over the internet and YouTube, and I would love to have what they call chemo curls! My son calls them brambles .My 19 year old daughter told me flat out that I looked better bald. If I didn't have to get through this stage to get to the length and weight to pull it down, I would shave it off! I know I should be grateful for it, and I am grateful to be alive and growing hair. However, I can't wait to be done with looking like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket

Sincerely,

Stacey

barnyardgal

I had long, straight hair

I had long, straight hair with some grey. It was all grey when it first came in but then some brown started coming in a couple months later. Once it was a short pixie I dyed it. My plan was to grow it long but I found a shorter cut looked better on me so I had it cut shorter. I do have curls now, mainly in the back, so my stylist cut it so it behaves. I love it now.

Quilter_1

barnyardgal said:

I had long, straight hair

I had long, straight hair with some grey. It was all grey when it first came in but then some brown started coming in a couple months later. Once it was a short pixie I dyed it. My plan was to grow it long but I found a shorter cut looked better on me so I had it cut shorter. I do have curls now, mainly in the back, so my stylist cut it so it behaves. I love it now.

What color did you dye your

What color did you dye your hair?  Did you do it yourself or have it done in a salon?  What brand of color did you use, and, are you worried about cancer and hair color?  I know, it’s a lot of questions?  Thanks in advance.

zsazsa1

I had brown hair, with a

I had brown hair, with a little gray that I hennaed, cut in a pageboy style cut - same cut for the last 30 years or so, because it was easy, looked professional.  It was always very soft, but now, post-chemo, it's growing in even softer.  I was pleasantly surprised that the very short hair actually looks good on me!  Of course, anything looks better than bald and no eyebrows/eyelashes!  There's a lot more gray.  I asked my hairdresser to dye my hair hot pink, or electric blue, but she wouldn't.  She said that they taught her at Vidal Sassoon in London, in the 80s, never to dye hair coming in after chemo - that it might harm the hair.

I'm surprised at how slowly the hair grows, but I'm glad it looks good.  I feel like an AARP ad, you know, the athletic gray-haired active 60 yr old woman.  I was somehow hoping for thick tight curls that I could just put some conditioner on, but nope, I think it's gonna be the same unruly wave that I had before.

I cannot believe Donna Faye that you've been through it three times.  Such amazing strength.  I dread a recurrence.  I think I dread having chemo again more than anything else, but I'm sure I would do it again, if I had to.  

Quilter, congrats on getting through chemo, and enjoy the new hair, whatever color you decide on!

Donna Faye

better pic

I uploaded a better picture so you can see my hair style. I,too,before chemo, always wore a pageboy as so easy to keep. I wore hats during my first chemo as I was teaching high school. and it became a contest to see who could bring me the BEST hat! I had a Aussie  army hat, a real beaver Stetson, and a mink Davie Crockett, among others. The students and staff hated it when I got hair and stopped wearing my hats. The second and third time, I did scarfs for going out and a beanie for at home as the head lets lots of heat out. I did think long and hard about chemo when I was a 1A for UPSC, but my sisters on this board helped me decide to do it. See post on Observation anyone? It was not as bad as I had feared; after effects are annoying but can deal with it.

zsazsa1

Donna Faye said:

better pic

I uploaded a better picture so you can see my hair style. I,too,before chemo, always wore a pageboy as so easy to keep. I wore hats during my first chemo as I was teaching high school. and it became a contest to see who could bring me the BEST hat! I had a Aussie  army hat, a real beaver Stetson, and a mink Davie Crockett, among others. The students and staff hated it when I got hair and stopped wearing my hats. The second and third time, I did scarfs for going out and a beanie for at home as the head lets lots of heat out. I did think long and hard about chemo when I was a 1A for UPSC, but my sisters on this board helped me decide to do it. See post on Observation anyone? It was not as bad as I had feared; after effects are annoying but can deal with it.

You look wonderful!

You look wonderful!

ConnieSW

Donna Faye,

you look so elegant.  Do keep that hairdo. I really enjoyed the hat story. You are so good at making lemonade out of lemons!

TeddyandBears_Mom

Harmony09 said:

I can totally relate!

I have ALWAYS had long (middle of my back), curly hair. It was so easy to just toss and go with a little oil or leave-in conditioner. I heard about "chemo curls", and I have always been leary of cutting my hair short, knowing that the weight kept it from being unruly and poofy.  When I was bald, I tried wigs and scarves, but it was not me. I did wear cute hats, sewn/crocheted by a church, when it was very cold. I kinda liked being bald. Showering and getting ready was so incredibly easy   I am 1 yr from my last chemo Tx, and I look like I have a Q-tip or a mushroom on my head! The curls are like chemo curls on steroids! I have looked all over the internet and YouTube, and I would love to have what they call chemo curls! My son calls them brambles .My 19 year old daughter told me flat out that I looked better bald. If I didn't have to get through this stage to get to the length and weight to pull it down, I would shave it off! I know I should be grateful for it, and I am grateful to be alive and growing hair. However, I can't wait to be done with looking like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket

Sincerely,

Stacey

Glad to see your post Stacey!

Glad to see your post Stacey! It's been a while..... I miss your beautiful bald picture that you had prior to the system loss that we had here.

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

TeddyandBears_Mom

Donna Faye said:

better pic

I uploaded a better picture so you can see my hair style. I,too,before chemo, always wore a pageboy as so easy to keep. I wore hats during my first chemo as I was teaching high school. and it became a contest to see who could bring me the BEST hat! I had a Aussie  army hat, a real beaver Stetson, and a mink Davie Crockett, among others. The students and staff hated it when I got hair and stopped wearing my hats. The second and third time, I did scarfs for going out and a beanie for at home as the head lets lots of heat out. I did think long and hard about chemo when I was a 1A for UPSC, but my sisters on this board helped me decide to do it. See post on Observation anyone? It was not as bad as I had feared; after effects are annoying but can deal with it.

Great Picture Donna Faye!

Great Picture Donna Faye!

barnyardgal

Quilter_1 said:

What color did you dye your

What color did you dye your hair?  Did you do it yourself or have it done in a salon?  What brand of color did you use, and, are you worried about cancer and hair color?  I know, it’s a lot of questions?  Thanks in advance.

My hair was reddish brown so

My hair was reddish brown so I use reddish brown dye. Once in awhile I use medium brown. I just found Herbatint that is supposed to be safer than regular dye so I'll probably use that next time. I was going to buy chestnut but reviews said that was really dark so I'll have to research a bit.

derMaus

Donna Faye said:

better pic

I uploaded a better picture so you can see my hair style. I,too,before chemo, always wore a pageboy as so easy to keep. I wore hats during my first chemo as I was teaching high school. and it became a contest to see who could bring me the BEST hat! I had a Aussie  army hat, a real beaver Stetson, and a mink Davie Crockett, among others. The students and staff hated it when I got hair and stopped wearing my hats. The second and third time, I did scarfs for going out and a beanie for at home as the head lets lots of heat out. I did think long and hard about chemo when I was a 1A for UPSC, but my sisters on this board helped me decide to do it. See post on Observation anyone? It was not as bad as I had feared; after effects are annoying but can deal with it.

GREAT picture! Thanks for

GREAT picture! Thanks for showing us your current look, it's a keeper (although I'd love to see that mink Davie Crockett hat...)

Harmony09

TeddyandBears_Mom said:

Glad to see your post Stacey!

Glad to see your post Stacey! It's been a while..... I miss your beautiful bald picture that you had prior to the system loss that we had here.

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

Hi!!!!

I just realized that my picture was removed and put it back 

I had to stay away for a bit to reduce my scanxiety. I will fill y'all in on another thread. I need to catch up on things too. Great to "see" everyone and be back!

Sincerely,

Stacey 

Quilter_1

Thank you all for your

Thank you all for your responses, I am grateful to have so much help at my fingertips.  I have a wonderful hairdresser and friend who will take very good care of me.  She went wig shopping with me and trimmed and styled my wigs.  I am just impatient.  Donna Faye, sorry to hear to about your having to go through a third bout of chemo.  Recurrence is always in the back of my mind.  

EZLiving66

I had colored my straight

I had colored my straight white/brown hair blonde for years and it was long. After chemo it came in pure white and curly. It is now down to my waist but I usually wear it in a high, curly ponytail. I'm afraid to get it cut because somewhere deep inside I feel like if I do the cancer will come back LOL. 

Love,

Eldri

LisaPizza

EZLiving66 said:

I had colored my straight

I had colored my straight white/brown hair blonde for years and it was long. After chemo it came in pure white and curly. It is now down to my waist but I usually wear it in a high, curly ponytail. I'm afraid to get it cut because somewhere deep inside I feel like if I do the cancer will come back LOL. 

Love,

Eldri

That sounds amazing!

That sounds amazing!

ConnieSW

Eldri,

kinda like Samson, huh?  I'm afraid to get rid of my wig, hats, scarves. Dangerous to tempt the fates. 

Ribbons

added my picture

This is my 4 month hair, very curly!! It was slightly wavy before and blonde and grey mixed.