Hair

harrie · 09-18-2008, 11:39 PM

My hair is a good 6 inches and bushy. Thank God for gel!! The texture is so different from my "normal" hair. I was wondering, do you think the texture of the hair will get back to normal after a while?
With NO gel, my hair looks like a giant black cotton candy. I feel like if I chopped it off, it would make great pillow stuffing because it is so soft.
HarrieCanarie

naturaleigh · 09-19-2008, 05:22 AM

Hey Harrie,

I remember when my hair came back, it was soooo soft, like baby's hair, which is probably what it is since the cells are new growth. I don't remember how long it took to go back to normal, it is a gradual thing, but my hair is like it used to be, even the sporadic gray areas!!

Sounds like you are one of the lucky ones too, everyone told me my hair would most likely come back all gray.

Mary Anne in TX · 09-19-2008, 06:02 AM

Hey Maryanne!
My hair has been an adventure in itself. It has changed colors at least 4 times! As for texture, it came in first all curly, then wavy, then curly again, and now wavy and soft. Every time I learn to fix it one way, it seems to change.
But I think it's should be set for a while! I'm just doing herceptin and have for 1 1/2 years.
If I stop H in the winter, I guess it will go back to more grey and "whatever"!
Just enjoy whatever appears! I would love to see some video of all of us with all the hair changes we go through!
Best wishes girl, ma

Sheila · 09-19-2008, 06:05 AM

Harrie
If you cut it, send it to me...i could uses some!

CindyE · 09-19-2008, 07:11 AM

My hair is just starting to grow in after finishing chemo on July 24. The sides are dark and pretty even growth. But the top is all sparse, grey, and bushy. I'm hoping it begins to grow more on top and fills in soon. Winter is coming and I'd like to not have to cover my head all the time. I have heard it takes time for it to get back to "normal" so I guess it's just a waiting game at this point.

Best wishes to you Harrie on your do!

Vi Schorpp · 09-19-2008, 07:57 AM

I remember so well! My lifelong straight hair came back like lamb's wool, or a brillo pad...it took quite a while, but then it came back like my old hair, straight! Today, 5 years out, it is exactly the hair I've always had, including the highlights, (wink, wink). I've always wanted curly hair, now I'm grateful for my natural hair! I have a great head of hair, body, style, etc., but I've never appreciated it more.

I worked with my stylist quite a bit to help it look as good as it could while growing in.

Gerri · 09-19-2008, 08:40 AM

My hair came back super curly - like a bad perm from the 80's. It also came back darker before. I didn't have gray before I lost my hair and was afraid that it would come in gray. It grew back so dark, after it was about 3 inches long I asked my stylist to lighten it. That really changed the texture - not for the better! I also used a flat iron to try to straighten it. All of this just damaged my hair even more. Finally after several haircuts (sometimes pretty short) all the goofy stuff was gone and my normal hair came back. It was still very dark so about 6 months ago (for the first time) I had a weave. I really love the way it turned out. I wear my hair shorter and curlier than before but everyone loves it. Just keep trimming off the new fluffy stuff and eventually it should calm down.

Now, even on a 'bad hair day' it is GREAT just to have hair!

jones7676 · 09-19-2008, 12:56 PM

My hair has changed several times. My friends got curlier and darker and stayed that way. Another of my friends hair went from reddish brown to almost black and curly and has stayed that way.

PinkGirl · 09-19-2008, 01:20 PM

Hi Harrie
My hair grew back thick and wavy. After awhile, it just changed
back to my kind of hair. I didn't get it cut off, it just switched
back to my straight hair and it is the same old colour.

juanita · 09-19-2008, 06:22 PM

four years later my hair is still not the way it was before. and i've had it cut many times. i just learned to live with it and stop fighting it.

Barbara2 · 09-19-2008, 07:32 PM

After 5+ years my hair is still MUCH different than my old "normal." My hair used to be very thick and natural curly. The new version is much thinner (it seems like I have about 1/2 as much hair as before treatment) and straight!

After 50 years of thick and curly, the new hair seems so unlike me, but I actually like it better. I'd prefer it to be thicker, but I like the straight and it is much easier to manage.

whynow? · 09-20-2008, 02:25 PM

Before treatment I had fine hair but lots & lots of it - All dead straight and down to the middle of my back. It's grown back quite quickly and though curly - only at the back - it looks exactly the same. It's currently shoulder length and my hairdresser has commented the only difference is that my hair has become more porous. It takes on colour (highlights) very very quickley...

Sherryg683 · 09-20-2008, 04:15 PM

My hair came back very curly and uncontrollable. It still has a wave to it where it was very straight before. It's pretty easy to mess with now...sherryg683

ElaineM · 09-20-2008, 08:56 PM

Hi Harrie,
My medium brown hair was thick and very wavy before chemo. It grew back thinner, pure white and very curly. Then it turned brown and wavy again. Now it is brown, a little wavy and mixed with some gray, but that is because of the natural aging process. I think our hair folicles are affected by the chemo and are not sure how to respond for awhile after we finish chemo. Hang in there, go with the flow and do whatever you can to make it presentable during the process. We are very lucky to have hair again. I don't think I want to be bald forever, especially since we live in a warm, sunny climate. We don't need sunburn on our heads, not to mention more possible headaches.

kcherub · 09-20-2008, 09:12 PM

I am very protective of my hair now. Not that I take excellent care of it, but while I love my stylist, I want to run screaming from the room when she has to trim the ends.

This is fresh in my mind, as I just had a cut and color today. See? I don't take excellent care of it--it is very, very blonde.

Which reminds me...I need a new avatar photo. It won't be from today, but newer than "chemo-recovered barbie."

Take care,
Krista

caya · 09-21-2008, 07:55 PM

I have been incredibly lucky with my hair - before treatment, it was about 50% grey (which I coloured), very thick, curly/frizzy. After chemo, it initially grew in straight, very dark brown with very little grey - my onc. and the chemo nurses were astounded that I had so little grey.
Growth was slow until I finished chemo, then as many ladies on this board had assured me, the hair would grow in more quickly after I finished Herceptin. I finished Herceptin in May 2008, over the summer it has become a soft curl, still very little grey, much longer, not as thick as before BC, but believe me, I am very happy with it now..
I started using a product called "Glaze" by John Freida in the Hazelnut/Expresso colour - it basically is a no ammonia/peroxide rinse that covers the grey and "brightens" your hair - no roots if you stop using it, just fades. The grey strands actually look like natural highlights with this product - a $10 bottle will last about a month. You can use it if you have less than 25% grey.

all the best
caya

harrie · 09-21-2008, 11:07 PM

Thanks everyone for your responses. Seems the regrowth for everyone is as variable as the types of hair that we all had to begin with.