Hair after chemotherapy?

Has anyone else been through chemotherapy and have their hair grow back looking differently? I had completely straight hair, I lost about 75% of it during chemo, and its growing back curly! Same color at least, I just wanted to know what other people's experiences were.

Hair after chemotherapy?

yes, hair can do that. people who have had curly hair may find after chemo that their hair is straight and vice versa. i had an oncologist explain this in detail to me once, so forgive me but i dont remember the exact reason why, but it has something to do with killing off the rapidly growing hair cells with the chemo....chemo kills ALL rapidly growing cells (cancer is nothing but rapidly growing cells) and doesnt distinguish between cancer cells, hair cells, etc...so when the hair cells finally regenerate after the chemo is stopped, they are not the same...they are different because the chemo has altered them. this is not uncommon!

maybe consider it a blessing? some girls with straight hair would kill for curly hair! :)

Hair after chemotherapy?

As a nurse, I have had a lot of people tell me the same story!

Most important - get rid of that cancer! Good luck %26amp; God bless!

Hair after chemotherapy?

It could be completely unrelated to chemo, might have more to do with changes in age, diet, etc.

i never had chemo, but i used to have blonde, curly hair. now it's straight and dark!

my aunt had chemo and her hair grew back the same.

Hair after chemotherapy?

wow, that seems strange..never heard of that...I love curly hair though!

My God be with you on your journey.

Hair after chemotherapy?

my mom's going through chemo and she lost almost all of her hair and now it's growing back a different color and it's straight her hair color use to be red now it's like a platnum blond....

Hair after chemotherapy?

I myself lost all my hair 100% with chemo and when mine grew back not only was is curly but the color was pitch black. But the good thing is i like it.. They only bad thing with chemo is i also lost my fingernails and toenails and those are not the same at all. But the hair is great oh and i even got a few greys all in the right places lol.. Good luck to you :)

Hair after chemotherapy?

Unbelievable, but true. I am a chemotherapy nurse and I have had pts hair fall out straight and come back in curly. I have also had pts hair change color and texture when it came back in.

Hair after chemotherapy?

My grandmother lost 100% of her straight hair and had very curly hair grow back. That was roughly 6 years ago and it now seems to be straightening back out, so, it happens.

Good luck to you.

Hair after chemotherapy?

When I had chemo, I lost ALL!! my hair on my ENTIRE body and the hair grows back faster and then the place that I had radiation, barely grows at all. When it started, my mother took some hair off my pillow when I wasn't there and when it was over and we then compared, my hair color had changerd slighty. I also rarely have to shave...YEAH

hope that helps you,

Good Luck

Hair after chemotherapy?

My mom had chemo and went completly bald and when it was growing back in it was darker and straight when before it was curly.Good luck to you

Hair after chemotherapy?

Its really pretty normal. I have been through chemo and radiation. I have lost my hair twice. Both times came back different. Like you my hair was straight and dk brown. First time it came back REAL curly and lighter. Now its more waves and body THICK and black, and I love it. The hair on under my arms and on my legs has not grown in a year and a half.. WHOOHOO no shaving. I love it! My doctor says this is very normal.

Hair after chemotherapy?

Yep, I had straight hair, and now it is curly. It has been hard to get used to. I'm not sure I ever will....

Hair after chemotherapy?

Mine grew back really wavy and darker.

But, after it grew out and was cut, it's back to normal.

[except grayer LOL]

Hair after chemotherapy?

I finished multi-agent chemotherapy 4 months ago and my hair is also now curly, and I have some grey hair coming in! The hair I used to have was very straight and very not grey! I'm in my mid-20s... That's my experience and I don't like this curly poof I now have... But at least I'm alive:)

Hair after chemotherapy?

I am four years out from surgery. Three from chemo. Lost every bit of my hair up to my eyelashes. My hair grew back as curly as can be. I still have a "bald spot" the hair just did not grow back thick like the rest of my hair. It is like baby fuzz. People kept telling me if I got it cut really short three times it would grow back. Did not work. My hair is still curly too. Take care!

Hair after chemotherapy?

Yes, I went through chemo and lost all my hair. It was originally ash blonde and very thin and straight. It came back extremely curly and dark brown. My cousin also lost her hair from chemo and it came back curly but was still her original color.

Hair after chemotherapy?

LOL:)

My hair came back both times curly. It was the same colour tho. Its been 3 yrs and its starting to straigten back (like it used to be) its a little wavy, but its okay:)

Hair after chemotherapy?

My mother lost all her hair durning her treatments and when it grew back it was thicker and darker.

Hair after chemotherapy?

I lost every single strand of hair last year during chemo for breast cancer. It started growing back almost immediately after the chemo stopped. I have light brown with blond highlights in my wavey hair. It grew back greyer but all curley. Almost like a tight perm. Its been about 10 months now and the hair s about down to my shoulders. The top is starting to get straight but I am not sure if it is just cause the pull of it getting longer or what. I have not cut it at all and I really don't want to but I may have to. It is all over the place. I have you are feeling better.

Hair after chemotherapy?

three yrs in remission-- my hair come back funny--some wavy to curles to super curley, basically same color, though another lady had blond hair, then it come back red, looked great! when i was bald...(okay, i had about 10 hairs) and i call that bald. anyway, i said if it didn't grow back i was going to get my head tattooed, my husband didn't like that idea....so i guess it good my hair grew back....good luck

Hair after chemotherapy?

How does chemotherapy affect your hair?

Chemotherapy often causes hair loss otherwise known as Alopecia. This is because the cells in the hair follicles grow fast and chemotherapy damages fast growing cells. (see what is chemotherapy). Hair loss is not permanent and it will grow back once your treatment has ended. Not all drugs cause hair loss - Some just cause thinning and others cause dramatic hair loss including the body hair and eye brows. Furthermore, different people have different tolerances to the drugs. Occasionally, some people loose their hair when it is not expected and sometimes in other cases no hair loss occurs when it is expected. (See table below for a list of chemotherapy drugs likely to cause hair loss)

Hair loss can start any time from after the first few days after chemotherapy to within a few weeks. However, your hair will grow back once treatment is complete although to start with your hair will grow back very fine, very like a babies hair. Your clinic nurse can arrange for you to have a wig before your treatment starts . After three to six months you should have regained a full head of hair although it may be slightly different to before your treatment in terms of colour and texture.

Prevention of hair loss Preventing as much of the chemotherapy drug getting to your scalp as possible can do this. This is done using a cold cap that acts to cool the scalp and therefore restrict blood circulating in that area and reaching the follicles. The availability and types of cold cap used varies from hospital to hospital. The cap put on fifteen minutes before chemotherapy to start restricting blood flow, and kept on during and up to 1-2 hours after your chemotherapy. This does mean that your time in the unit is longer.

Not everyone can tolerate wearing the cold cap as it can feel very cold. This discomfort varies from patient to patient so it is not a failure if you can't wear it and it has no influence on the outcome of your treatment. In other clinical trials to date, less than 2% of patients who had retained their hair did not continue with the procedure.

While cold caps may be effective in preventing hair loss for some chemotherapy drugs they are not successful for all drugs. Your doctor or nurse will be able to advise you.

The cold cap system - How it works? Studies have shown that scalp cooling is effective in preventing hair loss in patients treated with some chemotherapy drugs. Cooling the scalp to a temperature of +17 oC to achieve a subcutaneous temperature of +20 0C (68 oF) constricts the blood supply to hair follicles diminishing or abolishing their perfusion hence preventing high chemotherapy dose delivery during the initial phase of chemotherapy. Further, coldness itself reduces the availability of (chemotherapy) cytotoxic drugs to the cells of the hair follicles by directly reducing their metabolic rate. It is the combined effect of both these mechanisms, induced by cooling the scalp, that prevents or reduces hair loss (alopecia).

How effective is it? The cold cap system works better for some drugs than others. Some clinical trials show a success rate of up to 85% with:-

Docetaxel (taxotere) Epirubicin

Paclitaxel (Taxol) Cyclophos

The cold cap may not work with all drugs or may not be tolerated. Here are some tips from patients to help you cope with hair loss if it does occur. Hair loss can occur at varying degrees and to different parts of the body depending on the type or combination of drugs used:

baldness may be temporary, partial or total

you may lose eyebrows, eyelashes, body and pubic hair

you may not lose any hair at all

Hair loss can start any time from after the first few days after chemotherapy to within a few weeks. However, your hair will grow back once treatment is complete although to start with your hair will grow back very fine, very like a babies hair. Your clinic nurse can arrange for you to have a wig before your treatment starts . After three to six months you should have regained a full head of hair although it may be slightly different to before your treatment in terms of colour and texture.

Radiotherapy and hair loss Hair loss can also occur after you have had radiotherapy, again as a result of damaged hair follicles. However, you will only loose hair from the area being treated with radiotherapy. This hair lose is usually temporary and your hair will regrow completely after your treatment. However, the speed and thickness of this regrowth is dependent on the length treatment and the quantity of radiotherapy you received. On average it takes between six and twelve months after you have finished your treatment. If your hair does not regrow or comes back very patchy, wearing a wig is a possibility.

Practical Advice You can ease the pull of long hair on your scalp by having it cut into a shorter style before you undergo treatment.

Avoid using harsh chemicals and shampoo on your hair as these can cause the scalp to become dry and itchy. Try switching to gentler products. Do not perm you hair for at least six months after your treatment. If your scalp does become too dry you can gently massage it with a light moisturizer.

Use a soft hairbrush to prevent irritating your scalp if it is tender.

Avoid nylon pillowcases as they can irritate the scalp. Use cotton as an alternative.

Wherever possible, let your hair dry naturally as hairdryers and rollers can further damage brittle hair. Avoid sleeping with hair rollers in place.

If you have lost underarm hair, try not to use deodorants and use unscented talcum power instead.

Wearing a wig If your hair does not grow back, is patchy, or you are still undergoing chemotherapy, you might consider wearing a wig. There are several varieties in all styles and colours, and can be made from both synthetic and human hair, or a combination of both.

Paying for a wig You are entitled to free wig if you are in inpatient when the wig is supplied or if you are on State benefits/allowances.

If you are not eligible to receive a wig free, then you are still able to get one at NHS prescription charge, prices are approximately 鎷?5 for an acrylic wig, 鎷?40 for half real hair wig and 鎷?05 for a full real hair wig, or through the Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund. Your doctor, nurse or social worker should be able to advise you.

Children and young adults up to the age of 19 in full time education are also entitled to free wigs if hair loss is as a result of their treatment. If they are going to have intermittent treatment over a few years they will probably need a new wig every time as their head size grows. Alternatives to wigs are scarves, hats and baseball caps.

If you want to choose a wig from a shop, hairdresser or wig retailer, you are free to do so although it is likely to cost you more. However, because you have lost your hair due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, you are exempt from paying VAT if you fill in a VAT form. This must be presented at the time when you buy the wig as it cannot be claimed back later.

Wig specialists A wig specialist will help you choose a colour and style that suits you. You may want the help and advice of your regular hairdresser or a friend, and your wig can be chosen at leisure.

How to wear a wig There are several different tips to make sure your wig is secure:-

Although a well fitting wig should stay in place by itself you can also use double-sided tape. Wig specialist閳ユ獨 stock hypo-allergic double-sided tape that will not irritate your skin. The tape is applied to the underside of the wig. Surgical spirit can be used to remove any remaining adhesive.

The lining of the wig can sometimes irritate the scalp. You may find it helpful to wear a thin cotton scarf or skullcap under your wig. These are usually available from wig suppliers.

You will need to have your wig adjusted as you lose more hair.

Ensure that you receive instructions on how to care for your wig and how to have it re-styled.

Try to avoid using hair spray on you wig as this can make it look unnatural.

Loss of other facial hair. It is possible to loose the eyebrow hair. There is a remarkable make up process called micropigmentation to which can simulate cosmetically perfect eyeliner or eyebrows hair. It is only available privately - more information can be found on www.permanent-makeup.com

Table to summarise risk of hair loss with different chemotherapy drugs:-

Drugs:

Adriamycin Amsacrine Methotrexate

Daunorubicin Cytarabine Carmustine(BCNU)

Etoposide Bleomycin Mitroxantrone

Irinotecan (Campto) Busulphan Mitomycin C

Cyclophosphamide 5 Fluorouracil Carboplatin

Epirubicin Melphalan Cisplatin

Docetaxel, (Taxotere)

Vincristine Procarbazine

Paclitaxel, (Taxol) Vinblastine 6-Mercaptopurine

Ifosphamide Lomustine(CCNU) Sreptozotocin

Vindesine Thiotepa Fludarabine

Vinorelbine Gemcitabine Raltitrexate (Tomudex)

Topotecan Capecitabine

Hair after chemotherapy?

It is very, very common for hair regrowth to come back differently after chemo. Don't fret about it, enjoy it! You get to be you again but with different hair.

Consider yourself lucky. Not about the cancer thing, lots of people survive cancer these days, but about the hair! At least you've GOT hair! LOL

Best wishes.