Crazy Hair after treatment!!

same

never had to deal with unruly curls before

I found several products, the first one was an old tub of luminous hair gel by Charles Worthington and I could just massage a grape size amount into my palms and scrunch my hair around and voila, a 'style' was achieved 

went to buy some more and found it had been discontinued, cried, tried to find a replacement

There's a cheap body care shop which has a frizz product in a tube which worked almost as well, it's the cheapest thing they have in a blue tube but it does work

I found I was allergic to all my usual products so had to switch to SLS free ones and Daniel Galvin Jr were pretty good but a bit expensive

I've just purchased some orchid oil shampoo and conditioner and it does help with keeping my hair nice and soft for styling, it's now about shoulder length but unless I blow dry it with a round brush it's all over the place

OGX Orchid Oil Conditioner was on offer at Waitrose online. 

oddly enough I saw a pic my daughter took and my short curly style actually suited me better than my poker straight shoulder length but if I wanted to achieve the look now i'd have to perm it

Carolyn

xxx

Hi Annie,

I'm glad you are recovering well, and congratulations on your exercise schedule, it is something I have still not managed to kickstart!

I had breast cancer 2 years ago treated by a lumpectomy and radiotherapy, so less radical than yours. My hair was always curly and for years I've had it 'chemically relaxed' at Tony and Guy hairdressers. I made the mistake of getting it re-relaxed immediately after radiotherapy; my doctors didn't think it would do any harm, nor did the hairdresser. It made matters much worse and my head turned into even more of a toilet brush - think Albert Einstein rather than pre-Raphaelite muse.  Of all the products available, 'Aussie Frizz Miracle' Shampoo was the only one which seemed to help slightly, and at least it won't break the bank. A hairdryer with a brush at the end goes some way to calming it down or the 'JML Simply Straight Heated Hair Straightening Brush' which is appx £20.

After my hair had completely grown out I went back to the hairdresser last November and they 'relaxed' again. It is a lengthy and quite expensive procedure but this time it worked and my hair is smooth and straight again. Of course it grows out eventually but you can have the regrowth treated at about 3 inches, which for me is roughly 6 monthly. I started to feel more feminine and in control of myself after that. This may sound very superficial but once your body lets you down it can be a struggle to claw back the 'old you' confidence we hopefully had in ourselves. My hair was simply a constant reminder of my cancer.

In the meantime, you may have to accept your hair as it is, but once you have a full regrowth you could have a chat with a reputable hairdresser to discuss chemical relaxation. These are still early days for you but things will get better, I promise!

Good luck and all the very best to you,

Sue xx

Hi Annie

Im strugling with my hair also.and i get so angry at ,myself because this time last year i had no hair.so i should not complain.

Like yourself my hair was straight blonde highlighted bob.Its came back wavey and an awfull colour i would like to grow it again  

but as it grows it goes out fuzy ive had it cut 3 times as i just cant stick it so i no how you feel.Idont no what to do either so i will

watch this post.

Anna xoxo

Hello 

I know exactly what you mean !

Ten years post chemo I hated my granny hair but it does seem to grow amazingly quickly! 

Stick with it 

My hair was always wavy but it came back uncontrollably curly, I was just pleased to have some again but it didnt stop people wanting to rub my head and other annyoing things 

These days its shoulder length and just as it was before chemo. 

I wash it every two days and have found 

AVEDA SMOOTH FUSION SERUM STUFF is v good. 

I mix it with hair conditioner and then rub it through towel dried hair. Yo can either dry it with low heat hairdryer ir in summer i just scrunch it up a bit. 

If you have a salon or dept store near you why dont you go in and ask for samples to try before you buy. Most people v pleased to help if you say you have had chemo. 

It is virgin new baby hair and if it has lots heat or straightening it might get knackered.... 

Also anti frizz serums mixed with smooth infusion is good and I apply a little mix on the day i dont wash it 

Coconut oil goid and cheap but difficult to apply without it looking greasy/oily. 

Happy hair! X 

I finished my chemo a year ago, and must admit at first I was delighted with my chemo curl!But it grew at a great speed and the Einstein’s look appeared, I tried a product from Boots called Curl Angel and used L’Oréal Botanical shampoo the Strengthening one Most of the time letting it dry naturally After getting fed up with the amount it grew I have had it cut a few times and seem to have lost my curl but the hair feels coarser.Must admit it is better than the bald look

Hi Annie,

I had chemo and radiotherapy after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. I didn’t lose all my very thick long hair, but the radiotherapy caused me to lose the underneath hair to just below the top of my ears. I had Cisplatin which is not known for hair loss, but some of my hair did fall out and became very thin. It grew back very curly and fluffy, so I had a mixture of straight and curly hair, which made it very difficult to manage, with the curly hair pushing through the straight. I ended up going for a shorter bob and used the Aussie frizz miracle products, (I think this may have been discontinued as I haven’t been able to get it recently).

I can now say that 3 years later my hair is long again, albeit more wavy and appears to be thicker than it was before. It took about 2 years for the fluffy curly hair to grow out, but i’ve been told this is quite normal, so hopefully yours will return to normal as well.

Anna all I can say is persevere with trying to grow it again, I found the longer mine got the straighter it became

Jan  

I wonder if how the hair grows back and how long it stays curly depends on what your hair was like before.

I had chemo for BC in 2010 and while my hair did grow back very curly, this only lasted about 6 months and then reverted to my usual baby fine!

My friend on the other hand previously had  thick hair and she held onto the chemo perm for nearly 2 years!

Appearance is really important and when I was going through treatment it was really important to look as 'normal' as possible. I had a lovely wig, much nicer than my real hair which helped  my confidence no end. I even had someone compliment my hair and ask where I had it done! My husband's not so helpful suggestion was that I should have  whipped off the wig and asked her if she wanted to try it for size :)

Karen

Hi Annie,

I used to have extremely curly hair, which I always complained about, now after chemo treatment I find my curls have gone and I wish they hadn't.  It also dries extremely quickly, before stylists would complain about how long it took to blow dry.

When I had curly hair I used to use conditioner every time I washed it to tame the frizz.  I used to change the shampoos I used from time to time using mainly John Frieda and Aussie products.  John Friedas serum is very good for a straighter look.  I think you will have to go short or keep it longer than four inches.  The longer you grow it the weight should pull the hair down making it straighter.

I think chemo changes lots of things and I just try to be grateful that I am coming out the other side albeit with straight hair.

I wish you well.

Carrac

Hi Annie

Great news you have finished all your treatment . I finished my chemo and radiotherapy end of May last year I have a Letrozol infusion twice a year for 3 years . My hair prior to treatment was  cut into a bob just below my jaw line and was dead straight not a curl or kink in sight it had taken me years to get it into a style I was pleased with and then wham ! I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 months after taking early retirement as a teaching assistant. Anyway my hair has grown back curly and is grey/brown oh boy do I struggle to get it into some sort of style that doesn’t resemble a poodle or a finger in a plug socket . I had it trimmed every 8 weeks but decided a couple of weeks ago to go back to my hairdresser I’ve had it cut short but it still covers my ears and people have said that it suits me every day it looks different . Be patient you will find a style that you like go to a hairdresser that understands about hair regrowth in cancer patients . I was told to use a gentle shampoo with no sulphates etc and I use a unite creamy paste thickening creme a small pea size rubbed gently into hair then I carefully blow dry it on a low heat with a barrel brush and the curls are almost gone but it has texture to . Not sure if what I’ve said is of any use but just letting you know what I do .

Well done with your exercise etc I have yet to conquer that! Big hugs to all the ladies out there 

Witch 

Hi Annie, I called my hair re growth the mammoth look and hated it also (2014). now my hair is straight outside and wavy underneath.

I’m still struggling with lack of stamina to get fit, when the weather picks up will make the effort xx