Hair Extensions or Mesh Integration Systems

Hi BaileyLady I haven’t had hair extensions myself, but a friend of mine did. She hadn’t been through cancer herself, but had hair extensions for several years. She ended up with alopecia which she was told from the extensions, but she still continues to have them put in to try and cover the bald spots.  So I personally wouldn’t recommend them.

My sister finished her chemo a year ago, and her hair came back really curly. She hates it, she has always had straight hair.  She gets up in the morning and straightens her hair, but by lunch time she says it is curling again, and it’s driving her crazy.  This week she went to the hairdressers for her first cut since chemo,  she wants to grow it, but wanted a fringe put in. The hairdresser pointed out all the different lengths in her hair, which she didn’t realise. So she had more cut off than she wanted too, but it has evened it out, and she says it feels so much better. 

Have you spoken to a hairdresser. If your hair type is different to how it was pre chemo, a different style may suit your hair better. Or just having the ends cut to tidy the whispy bits may help?  My hairdresser used to say that cutting the ends encouraged more growth, but that might just be a myth.

Good luck whatever you decide to do. Wishing you all the best x 

Hi BaileyLady

I didn’t cold cap so lost all my hair - my hair before was long and dyed brown , I used to get freaked out with the thought of my grey roots showing pre cancer. When my hair grew back it was curly and fluffy , like most peoples , and I decided to let it grow , thinking it would be fine for a few more months until I got some length - but it wasn’t, it was truly horrible , so I rang lots of hairdressers and found two who had done training on hair growth after chemo , and had a proper, short cut - it made such a huge difference I wished I had done it before, it is easier to grow if it’s in a style really, and it made up my mind that I would keep it short and not dye it again, which 4 years later is still the case , although I have sometimes got hair envy of someone with long swishy hair ! As chellismo says , you are really best contacting a hairdresser and getting advice , 

If you’ve not had hair extensions before I think they are not always the holy grail, my friends having hers taken out this week after they started to fall out , apparently a dodgy batch and her hairdresser has given her the money back , but worth bearing in mind that they aren’t always successful?

Jo x

Many thanks for your replies jowoomot and chellesimo

Well I went to a hairless hairdressers who have dealt with many cases of this and basically they recommended a good trim to tidy it up and Pharma Hermetic hair products to encourage good and faster growth.

I was not suitable for the mesh integration system as I basically have a full head of hair now albeit all different lengths.  I was not suitable for extensions either as in the areas where I had lost a lot of hair the hair that is growing in is not long enough to work with.

so the only options I had if I want to stay long was a wig or a hair topper.

I definitely didn’t want to go short and I didn’t want a wig because the one I bought at the beginning and tried on a few times in the house but I could not make it stay still on my head, maybe because I had hair under it, but I would not be confident it would stay in place all day and I want to go back to the office.  Anyway I tried on the topper, which is a bit like a round mesh that covers the top of your head and has strong clips to hold it in to the hair.  It was real hair, so very expensive but it felt really comfortable and I instantly looked my old self again! 
unfortunately due to a national shortage of real hair due to covid, it would have taken 12 weeks to order one in at the colour I wanted so the hairdresser dyed it with the exact hair dye that I use and fitted it, blow dried it and cut it to my style (from a photo) and I was nearly in tears during the process! It was like me re-emerging!

I walked out of the shop feeling amazing and climbed into the car where my husband was waiting! He was bowled over!  I said come on, let’s go to the pub for a pub lunch where I told him all about my morning! Then we popped to the supermarket and a couple of shops and it stayed in place, didn’t budge at all.  We are now already booked in a restaurant for tonight to go out for a meal to celebrate!

after not being out of the house in so long, apart from hospital visits and although it is only a hair piece but I now have the confidence that I can stride out there knowing it will stay in place, and it will last around about a year while all the while my hair will be growing and hopefully I can get it restyled when it is long enough and dispense with the hair topper!

thanks again!

Please be careful I have had both hair extensions and a mesh integrated system . Both will damage what hair you have, you can get tension alopecia which means you will end up with bald patches every where. I have had weaves too, they all put pressure on thinking hair. I had a wig made from a lady called Esther Jaskolski , its Jade Remy Hair in Pemberton, near Wigan, it wasn’t cheap but its 100% human hair and ~I visit the hairdresser and get its styled . Lots say they are human hair but they are mixed with synthetic, although I didnt want to down the route of a wig, its kinder to your head. Be very careful I spent a fortune on things telling me they were human hair but wasn’t . Message me if you want to see it  and good luck, 

Thanks for the tips, 

After all the advice I will definitely stay clear of the extensions etc. Luckily the hairdressers I went to specialise in hairloss so gave good advice and it is a Remy hair topper. Was very expensive but I think it is worth it and I won’t be wearing it every day. Just a few times a week.

thanks again and take care.