Of hair regrowth after chemo ....

Hi

I can't answer your question as I didn't have chemotherapy, but am 'bumping' your post up as it's slipped to the second page, so I'm hoping someone else can come along and help.

Best wishes,

hi

I was a bit anxious about my hair too, the stats are good overall that most of us do get our hair back but there is a few who don't

My experience was that I finished chemo Christmas Eve 2015 and by around week 9 my head started to look like a '5'o'clock shadow', I have dark hair, my eyelashes also popped back quickly, I didn't lose all my eyebrows but they were and still are very sparse.

From then my hair grew back very slowly, nowhere near 1 inch.  I have one photo of me in around April time with very short slate grey hair which is typical 'chemo', I recognised it on a lot of women in the hospital. 

by about June I had dyed it dark brown and experimented with styling gels so I didn't feel like a chemo victim, by then it was short and curly and someone said you'd never know it was inflicted it just looked like my choice of style.

Worryingly it was thick and curly at the back but still fairly sparse on top but not that noticeable to other people, just me being over sensitive. 

I'm 55 and now have shoulder length dark brown hair which is not dissimilar to how I looked prior to the breast cancer diagnosis, except the last inch is still a bit curly, which I quite liked but next hair cut the will be gone. 

Does that help ??

Carolyn

xxxxx

Thanks Carolyn, I am nearly done with chemo and will have to remember not to get too tense if my hair doesn't reappear on schedule!

Hi Spinningrose65

1 inch of normal hair 2 months after chemo sounds like a massive generalisation to me. Everyone is different. Mine took an absolute age to re-grow - it started while I was on Docetaxel but was slow. My last chemo was in September 16 and by Christmas I didn't have an inch of hair by any means. Even now, it grows much more slowly than it used to and is only just getting back to my normal hair. I have kept it quite short - not a lot of choice there and I am also just about to get the last bit of coarse "chemo hair" cut from the ends. 

Don't be too anxious - it almost always regrows. Your body has been through a huge ordeal and actually needs everything it can muster to repair and recuperate everywhere - it will put some effort into growing hair when it has energy to spare.

R

Hi Springrose

I am 7 weeks post finishing my last round of "T" chemo and my hair has started to grow back at the sides, but the top is very thin and patchy. It started to regrow after the last round of FEC and I would say it would be about 0.5 inch in the areas that it has grown. It has that slate grey look that someone else mentioned. I really hope that changes!

As for my eyelashes and brows, I lost I'd say 70% of those during the T phase and they are very slow to come back. I have some eyelashes still falling out where others are regrowing! 

Good luck! 

I had my last chemo mid May. I have now got a fine head of what can only be described as 'bum fluff'. Ginger BF but BF.

A friend and nurse suggested taking sea kelp tablets from Holland and Barrett. I like to think they are encouraging hair growth but not totally convinced.

Eyebrows weirdly never went and I had them semi-permanent tattooed!!!! Grrr. Eyelashes went and slowly recovering. All other personal body hair gone. And not overly bothered if that puts in an appearance or not!!!!

Hope another story of hair growth helps .......

Leolady56

Hi

I’ve posted this before but top left is me 8 weeks after my chemo finished, it was a further 8 weeks before I had it cut and con had nearly day that it was about a year before it properly felt back to normal - so don’t despair, it will be back before you know it x 

jo x

I think we’re all different, Spinningrose. Like you, mine seems quite slow. I’m now 14 weeks post chemo (had to check that, last one 4 Apr) and I’ve also got the bumfluff and 5 o’clock shadow just. least it’s dark enough that I can kid myself it’s a bit Sinead O’Connor. I’m wearing my docs and a lot of camouflage  

I do think Herceptin slows it a bit. But then again my friend is on it too and her hair is coming in great. I suppose we just have to be grateful that it is growing back, albeit slowly. 

Linda xx

Hi Carolyn, indeed very helpful. I think I just need to have some patience! I guess I want as much visible evidence of what is happening and what has happened to be gone so I can continue with my denial of it all

glad your hair came back! Xxx

Hurrah for docs and camouflage  I have been called Sinead a few times during this period of baldness, along with some pretty derogatory and insulting things by a complete bum trumpet of a colleague. Not helpful

i guess patience is key, not something I am blessed with

good luck with your journey - to all of you who have responded. And thank you for responding. Keep soldiering on hey xxxxx