My Hair Is Growing Back-------it Looks Awful

[LOPSIDED]

I THINK I MIGHT HAVE LOOKED BETTER BALD. I ALWAYS HAD A LOT OF GREY IN THE FRONT. BUT MY HAIR LOOKS WHITE IN THE FRONT AND DARK IN THE BACK..........YES, I LOOK LIKE A SKUNK. ITS STILL WAY TOO SHORT TO GET STYLED. WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR.......I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE.

[Jackie]

My hair started out all gray on top and dark in the back. As it grew some on the dark started coming in on top. More like my color before I lost it all. Mine is still real short, but it is growing.

[fourboysmom]

I had long hair (foiled blond) before it all fell out. It is so short and ugly and I just streaked some color through myself (even though you're probably not supposed to). Oh its not what we had, but at least its ours!! I accentuate my eyes a little more and wear some jewelry to make the best of it. Love, Janet

[Bev]

Mine started growing back around New Years. Color and consistency of dryer lint. Just this past week, I've noticed my roots are coming out in their normal color. It does look like I'll have to wait a few more months to have enough to cut off the weird stuff and style the rest. Best wishes, BB

[janet/FL]

Dear Lopsided
I use Clairol Nice'n easy Root Touch-up! It really works. Covers gray in 10 minutes and lasts for several weeks. My hair may not be very long, but at least what little there is can be seen. In the kit is a little brush that you use to apply the color so very little gets on the skin.
Good luck
Janet

[DeborahNC]

Lopsided,

Mine is growing back exactly like yours! It's white all around the edges and black everywhere else. I have about an inch all over since my last chemo 1/19.

I'm discouraged that it's growing so slowly, but have finally gotten used to going wigless and hatless. I've gotten lots of compliments on how beutiful my hair looks! Go figure.

I look skunkish, but have decided if someone doesn't like the way I look they can look elsewhere. And this took some real soul searching as losing my hair was more traumatic for me than losing my breasts. Believe it or not I once posted about that very thing and was told to 'get over it, hair will grow back.' Very true, but I was revealing my deep feelings on my hair loss and was really hurt by those replies.

[Jackie]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_15_60.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZRxdm479YYUS) DeborahNC,

I can relate to your feelings concerning your hair. Loosing my hair was very traumatic for me also. I finished chemo 11/05 and my hair is about an inch long. I have been going wigless & hat less and it feels really good. As you can see my hair is growing very slow also. I guess it is better than no hair.

[SherryS]

Janet, thanks for the tip on the root touch up product. I finished chemo end of Jan. 06 and my hair is about 1 1/2" long. I know I was grey before my hair fell out, but I'd been coloring it so no idea how grey. Mine seems to be like everyone else's -- a funny white grey, with dark underneath. It seems to be getting a little darker all the time, but I know I'll still have some grey. I find wearing my wig too hot now and the hair is long enough to go w/out. Most of my friends love how I look with this hair and hate seeing me in the wig anymore which is lovely. I enjoyed being bald and will probably keep my hair short. For now, I want to feel less "stark" about the colour (or lack of colour!) and give my face some warmth. I don't want to see my stylist and pay $100 for colouring so little hair but the touch up kit would be just enough to make me feel I've got some "oomph" to my features. I'm doing the same with make-up and earrings for now and I'm grateful to see that my body is healing itself after the chemo. Feeling good about yourself and how you present to the world is still important, maybe moreso, once you've started on the cancer journey.

[MJo]

I haven't seen my real hair color for 20 years. The white patches were a shock. When I was bald, I decided I wouldn't dye my hair again. Now that it's growing back, I've changed my mind.

[SherryS]

You sound just like me!! I hadn't seen my real hair colour for about the same length of time but my hairdresser kept telling me it was more grey than I realized. Fine. I thought that when it grew back in I'd leave it it's natural colour. But...while all my friends and the women where I get my hair done have raved about this sharp look -- the extreme salt and pepper which is very striking and have told me I should keep it.....there is part of me that thinks at 49 this is the "natural" time to just let my hair be what it is. But my face seems washed out and I'm not ready to look this way just yet. I think I'll colour it and see what I think and if I don't like it? It's still short enough and I've got my wig and I can let it grow out until my first cut post chemo. Or as my best friend suggested, we just shave it off and start again!! I love humour!!!!

[Sonja]

I haven't started chemo yet, starting on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2006 so my hair hasn't fallen out yet! I had shoulder length hair (my mop) and chopped it off acouple of weeks ago to get accustomed to the fact that I will lose it all! My hair has been dyed for the last 28 years and when I went to my stylist for my last haircut she told me not to color it, that the color was fine. Well.... I am seeing much of my roots these days and they look the same as most of you. White in the front and darker in the back. I kept telling everyone that when I finished up with chemo I will look like a SKUNK when it started growing back! I glad to know about the Clairol root touch up kit. Is it harmful, are we not supposed to color our hair when it comes back? And I too will keep it short. I was told that I look better with short hair and if I hadn't gotten sick I would have never cut it! Which is true!
I don't know how true this is but someone told me if you shave your head acouple of times, the roots will come back in stronger.
Good Luck with the hair and I just want to say again how happy I am to have found you all!

[rinaina]

Sonja, it sounds like we are at the same stage in our b.c. and same schedule. I begin tx May 25. I will be getting a total of 4 tx over 12 weeks of Cytoxan and Adriamycin. What is your regiment? Are you estrogen and progestine positive or negative? Will you also be getting Hercepting and Taxol following chemo and then radiationd? Let's keep in touch.

Rina

[SherryS]

We're glad you found us too. Sorry that you had to, but glad to welcome you all the same. It's a good place to be. I hear you w/cutting the hair and realizing how good you're going to look w/short hair. Sometimes it's the things we would never risk or try that come out the other side of cancer...we're more prepared to risk and discover things about ourselves we never knew.