Sorry in advance for this....

[rinaina]

most trivial question but I am curious. My hair has been growing back quite well. It is certainly darker and greyer than I imagined, then again, I wouldn't have ever known what color it really was after coloring it all these years, (light brown with blonde highlights). My hair is also very curly and I never had curly hair before....wavy a bit in past. Anyway, I have about a full inch of hair all over now, very full too due to the curls. My trivial question is, when can I color this hair? I can't stand how old the grey is making me look and I look so washed out due to the grey as well. It makes me feel like I look sick. When is it safe to start coloring your hair following treatment? I am still on herceptin but no chemo. I apologize for this silly question especially with all the things others are dealing with. I guess I am just too vain but heck, I do care how I look.

[CPA]

We had the same question. Here is a link to our thread asking the same question back in August.

http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=25117

ps... Jill's hair did not seem to take the color as well as it had previously???

[tricia keegan]

Hi Rinaina

I colored mine about four months after chemo as it was very grey,Ilooked about 70 instead of 47!
I had no ill effects from it and once I had my first cut it really grew faster and softer,and happily some of the curls went too!
Some people say you should wait a lot longer but Dr Susan Love says she thinks it okay to go ahead too so I went for it!!
Tricia

[Becky]

I did the same exact thing as Tricia! Mine was so grey. I am not sure it is as grey as that now but I'm stickin' to the brown! I dye it every 6-8 weeks - even in the beginning.

[KellyA]

Hey there! I have about 1 inch of growth on my head and it sounds very much like yours- curly on the ends and really full, oh, and REALLY GREY!!!!!!! I went today and had it colored and had highlights put in it and I feel sooooo much better. It is a really big step in getting my self back again.

Good luck!!!!!

Love, Kelly

[Sherryg683]

Mine had this dull ashy look to it, so I colored it right away. It's still pretty curly..sherryg683

[Donna]

My hair is just starting to grow back, it's about 1/4" long and seems to be growing really fast. I loved my hair, it was pure white and long to the middle of my back. There wasn't a day that went by that someone didn't tell me how beautiful it was.

My problem is that I have been wearing short blond wigs, the color of my hair before it went prematurely white, and now my friends and family say I should keep it short and blond because I look 20 years younger.

I really just want my white straight long hair back, so I am disappointed to hear people say I should stick with the look of the wig! Although I admit I love the convenience of short hair, so maybe that's okay - but I don't want to get back on the "dying my hair" treadmill.

I would think that dying it would be fine as long as you have enough hair to dye - but I would go to a professional and get it done.

How emotional we are about our hair!

Best to you all,

Donna

[tousled1]

My hair is know about an inch and a half. When it first started to come in it was really gray. I've had it trimmed twice only because it seems to grow crazy -- faster in some spots than others. I get to trimmed to try and give it some shape. My hair is growing in thick but straight as a poker -- I had naturally curly hair before. Also as it is growing in the gray is disappearing, it's now brown and I used to have auburn hair.

[rinaina]

Thank you for your replies. I am going to consult with my onc nurse and onc as well as my stylist because to tell you the truth, I can't wait to get rid of all this grey and dark hair. I have had highlighted hair for as far back as I can remember and the last few years have gone to double process due to more grey, but I never realized just how grey until now. Many of you have said you weren't grey before chemo but as hair grew back it turned grey. I know I had some grey but do not think it was this much according to my stylist. All I know is, it makes me look 70ish too and I don't like it. Thanks again for your help.

[MJo]

I dyed my hair for 20 years and had no idea what color to expect. I got salt and pepper. I also got chemo curl, which I loved for five months. My last cut removed most of the curl. Sigh. My oncologist told me I could dye as soon as I wanted to. Haven't done anything yet.

[Adriana Mangus]

Hi: I colored my hair right away. It came back curly and I did like it a lot. All the women I have talked to, their hair has come back curly but after a few cuts, it just goes back to the way it used to be before chemo...Good Luck to you and stay healthy.

[rinaina]

Thanks Mjo and Adriana for your replies. Can't wait to color my curly locks. Sorry to hear that the curls will disappear after a few haircuts.

[Bev]

Hi R, Don't fret too much about the gray. The first inch of my returning hair was completely gray. Then I could see brown roots again. I looked like I had whitecaps for awhile. I cut that first inch off and colored my hair 4 months after T & H. Went to a shop 2 months later and had it done.

Still curly 12 mos post taxol. I'm having a love-hate relationship with my curls. My fine hair has so much more body now but the styling and worrying about humidity etc. involves more work.

I didn't color my hair before so I'm having fun trying out new combos. Enjoy. A bad hair day is better than a no hair day. BB

[rinaina]

I agree Bev about the bad hair day is better than no hair day....Touche'!