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My last chemo treatment was 5 weeks ago and I have been declared "cancer free." My hair has started coming in very sparsely. I was just wondering what to expect about when it will be thick enough that I can go without a wig or scarf.
My last treatment was Dec. 12, 2008. I started to notice a hair growth Jan. 1, 2009. My profile photo was taken at the end of August 2009. As of this week I started to go without a scarf. I guess it's personal preference but only now am I comfortable going out with no covering.
That's a lot longer than I had hoped for, but there is a certain sense of freedom in not having to do anything but shower and dress in the mornings!
My profile picture was taken about 4 months after last chemo. at 3 months it was still quite short, but thick enough not to have that 'chemo head' look. Hang in there it will soon be growing like a weed I'll bet. 9 months post chemo I have a nice thick head of hair and have had 2 haircuts already!
I'm at the same place as you... six weeks out from chemo. I've got some peach fuzz as I noticed it starting to grow a little about my 5th treatment. When I had my son to the dermatologist awhile back he mentioned to me that hair grows at a rate of 1/4 inch per month. Mine is coming in lots of colorless white with some darker grey. So I guess a fancy name is salt and pepper. Boring, I know. Where's the promised curls and pretty color? I've recently advanced myself from scarves to caps. I really WANT to throw them all away and just go out there the way I am but I'm not brave enough to do it. Looking forward to the day when I need to sing the Veggie Tales song Oh Where is My Hairbrush?
Mine looks like it will be gray/white. I've always colored it dark blonde, so I'll just wait and see what I get!
I am seven months out of chemo and I am at the stage of grow out that people don't take a second look. Mine started coming in as white/light gray, but is now a salt and pepper color. It is baby fine and very soft so I am keeping it short. It is easy to care for and if I have to return to chemo - it won't be so drastic.
My photo above it about two months of grow out.
Good Luck to you!
My last chemo was June 6th. Stubbles apperaed started at about 6 weeks after that. I am 3 months from chemo and I have had a quick growth spurt in the last week, I still cover when I go outside but I am thinkng very soon I won't need to.
The rule of thumb is 3 months for a full head of hair.
I finished chemo in August and my profile picture was taken the end of March the following year. However, my hair was really curly.
You'll probably get your first "shape up" hair cut at about 4/5 months.
God Bless and WOOOHOOO to cancer free!!!
Nikki
Hi. I finished Chemo last October, and my hair was "long" enough to style by April. Have to let you know, though, my hair was LONG and straight and brown/blond pre-chemo and came back DARK, SHORT and UNBELIEVABLY CURLY. Had my first haircut last weekend, and the curles bounced right back, contrary to the "cut off the curls, and hair grows back straighter" theory. It is very odd...I'm having to learn how to style my hair at the age of almost 43...
lifeisgrand: When my hair started growing in it was almost all gray. As it's getting longer and thicker, color and curls have evolved! Look at my profile photo-no touch ups on it! Give it some time!!
I can't wait to see what I get. It's about 1/4" and very sparse and white at the moment.
I've been updating a post I started while back that might be of interest to you:
https://www.inspire.com/groups/ovarian-cancer-national-alliance/discussion/ hair-fell-out-three-times/?msg_activity=reply_posted&page=last&cmnt_id=5476 70
It started back a month after treatment and it took about a month to look like much, then it started thickening fast and growing faster.
The first two months were the hardest time to be patient for me.
I hope your hair comes back and is awesome :)
Great news about being cancer free! My last treatment was July 28th, and I am also anxiously waiting for my hair to come back. So far all I'm feeling is a little fuzz.
Best of luck to you!
Esther
I don't remember when I sprouted peach fuzz. My last chemo was Nov. 1, 2007. I had my first trim in April, 2008.
Sweet side note. I teach middle schoolers. I didn't want anything to make an extra hair fall out as soon as it started growing back, so I ditched my turban as soon as my hair was long enough not to look bald. The day it was long enough to spike, all my students were excited for me. But my favorite part came when my seventh period class arrived. The first four or five young men who came in said, "Cool haircut! May I go to the restroom?" (The boys' bathroom is next door to my room, and it's a frequent request before class starts.)
Just as the bell rang, they returned together. They'd wetted and restyled their hair into a matching spike!
It helped me enjoy all the stages as my hair grew back.
By the way, as the queen of limp, baby-fine hair pre-chemo, I, too was looking forward to curls I hadn't had to pay for. My hair came back as straight as ever!
Does anyone have thin spots they didn't have before? No one notices, but my hair is fairly sparse on top of my head. I have no problem styling to hide it. I remember my mother had the same growth pattern before she ever had cancer, so I wonder whether it's just hereditary. We always thought it was because she'd pinned her nurse's cap there for 30 years! She died seven years ago, so I can't ask her.
I have a friend 5 years in remission and she said her hair is thinner than bfore. She wears it short and spikes it. As for me, I am 8 weeks post chemo and I have a short "cap" now of 1/4 inch hair. Just as silver and just as straight as before. As soon as I had a nice silver stubble I began going bare. Only one person has remarked...while shopping one day a very bare-headed fellow remarked, "But you're feelilng good, Right?". I smiled broadly, and said, "Yes, I'm feeling really good."
I finished my chemo beginning of April, and my photo here was just taken today. Every person is different in terms of "comfort levels" of going without hat, wig, scarf etc, so you have to go with how you feel. I was probably 4 months post chemo that I felt that people might think I had a very "edgy" haircut rather than seeing a chemo patient. I'm sort of at the Jamie Lee Curtis stage right now. I had slightly wavy, thick hair pre chemo and it seems to be the same now, maybe a bit straighte, but can't tell until it gets longer. The site below was taken by a photographer who had lost hair in chemo. I believe each photo represents one week. It looks like she was sporting a more side-shaved looked at the start, then began over, but I used this as a reference when I was wondering what my hair would look like when I went back to school (I teach).
Oh....and I wear so many different types of earrings now ...fun!
Good luck to you!
http://www.karinstack.com/images/hair/HS_grid.jpg
Mine, too, was long enough by month 4 to go without the wig or scarf.
My hair was shoulder length bob, blonde and straight. It came back gray at first then very dark and VERY curly!!! I have to keep it short because it grows out instead of down! LOL
Everyone says they like the short look. I highlighted it and dealing witht he short look. Everyone loves it. At least, as of now, I'm cancer free! I'll deal with the haircut!
Good luck, girls!
Jan
I'm at month two, and finally have thick, albeit short hair on the top of my head. (For some reason, it took longer to come in there.) I'm excited to hear that in two more months, it may be long enough to toss the wig. Mine is mostly gray, but hoping it will darken up as time goes on. I wouldn't classify it as curly, but I could definitely sport a spiked do if I were so inclined. :-)
It takes several months. At some point you'll feel there is enough coverage to go without a headcovering, but you have a way to go yet. I know you are anxious, and I don't blame you, but you need to give it more time.
Everyone's will come in different. I lost my hair twice. First time only patches of it but 2nd time, I was completely bald. I've always had thick hair. But this time it came in CURLY and even thicker!! I hate it!!! But its only hair and I'm glad its mine this time. I've been in remission for 1 year and my hair is still short but thats because of the tight curls. Give yourself a few months. Take care!!!
~Christine
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