Hair regrowth

Hello

I found hair loss very hard too, totally undermining my self esteem and confidence. I did the cold cap all the way through and  finished chemotherapy in the middle of August. My hair did not disappear entirely due to the cold cap but I had some very thin spots, but managed to cut the hair to a short length all over so you couldn;t really tell. I did wear hats for ages though. I did a lot of research into what might help your hair grow back quickly and after I sent him the ingredients list my oncologist was happy for me to start taking supplements (Nourkrin) before I finished chemo. I also am rubbing  serums into my scalp buying whatever I can find from online sellers that is a reasonable cost and contains caffeine and biotin, both of which are thought to protect and stimulte the hair follicles. I use the Waterman shampoo/conditioners and I did try Fast but perfer the smell of Waterman.   I also found my surviving hair was very very dry so I still regularly do hair/scalp treatments (this one Umberto Giannini Grow Mask Hair and Scalp Treatment - Boots  which smells nice, feels relaxing to my scalp and has really nourished the hair is reasonably priced and I come back to it). It is growing really quickly and my shortest hair is probably about 5 cm. I like the peptide serum from The Ordinary which is supposed to make your hair thicker and I am currently trying the grow gorgeous hair serum but I think it makes my scalp a bit itchy - not sure as I can tell there are also still new short hairs coming through.  I have also done RevitaLash and Revitabrows and have good eyebrows and recently grown eyelashes (these were the last thing to make a showing and are still growing in) which has really cheered me up.  I can't honestly tell which things worked but my hair is not dry, hasn't grown in as chemo curls and is thickening up all the timem and I am beginnning to feel that is it ok in public.  I am taking Letrozole and I worry about hair thinning over time so I thought I would get in the habit of trying everything that might keep it long term. I'll stay with the supplements, the Grow mask and Waterman shampoo/conditioner and add in extra bits and pieces when I see good offers.  I also tried Olaplex 3 on the super dry hair which did work but felt a bit expensive for the amount I needed compaired to the Grow Mask.  Basically I have thrown a lot at it, have had rapid growth of nice condition hair, but can't really be sure which things worked best. I suspect it'll vary by person. I think the supplements have helped my nails too. Sorry this is so long but hope it helps, so hope your hair grows in quickly. I think it is supposed to be between one and three centimetres per month but varies by person.  I've also been making sure I have plenty of relevant protein and vitamins in my diet not wanting to leave any stone unturned. Good luck. 

Hi, I finished chemo in late a June and would say I have about 1cm long hair, with a good covering all over. It's just about ok to go out for a walk, but I wouldn't go to the shops without my wig yet.   I love my wig, makes me feel great and I have really gotten used to it. Hope this helps 

It took mine a long time to get going, although I started to have a bit of fuzz during docetaxel. I finished chemo in mid-January and I went out for the first time with no hat in my 2nd week of radiotherapy, which was late April. But even then, my hair was very very short, like a buzz cut and it was obvious it was growing back in from chemo. I wasn't at all embarrassed by that, especially as everyone else there was going through cancer treatment. I just owned the losing the hair thing from the start, shaving my very long hair off ahead of chemo. 

Mine really started to grow between months 3 and 4. 

Now, 9 months post chemo, my hair is about 4cm on top and 6cm at the sides. 

I think what I've experienced is fairly typical - late to get going, grows more on sides than top. In fact, when I lost my hair, it was the sides that stuck around for longer, which gave me an amusing male baldness look.

I know it's going to take years to get my long hair back, so I am determined to enjoy the short hair styles as I go. So far, I have not cut it once and I don't intend to for a long time yet, until I can actually get a style like a short bob out of it. 

I have just started occasionally using a hair dryer, which lets me dry my side hair a bit flatter. Mine is pretty curly now. I had wavy hair before so I don't know if it is the short hair making it curly or the chemo.

Mine has grown back in the same colour and with just as much of it as before so I am pleased.

I haven't washed mine at all with shampoo, I have taken this opportunity to be strictly co-washing (washing with conditioner only)and my hair is in fabulous condition. I'm not going back to shampoo! And I use only paraben/SLS/nasties free stuff now.

My eyelashes took much longer to start growing, and I ended up using a serum - so they then grew back even longer and better than before! My eyebrows were always fairly light so I didn't bother with any serum for them and I'd say they're still not back to what they were before but I don't mine that.

I hope you get your confidence back with it, there is no shame in going through cancer treatment, and losing your hair can be part of that. It shows how strong you are, to have come through something like that. It makes you more, not less.

Hi Annie

i started losing clumps of  my shoulder length hair ten days into my chemo treatment and got so fed up picking bits of it up from pillowcases and clothes that I actually asked my husband to clip it off for me.  I have seen some virtual workshops via Look Good Feel Good for cancer patients and one is for Hair care, I have registered to do one so don't know what it entails but presume it will cover regrowth, there are also others for Nail care and make up that might be of interest to you.

The rate of regrowth can also vary from person to person.

In terms of tips for quicker regrowth, some people have found that using hair growth treatments like minoxidil or taking biotin supplements can help. However, it's important to speak with your doctor before starting any new treatments, especially if you're still undergoing treatment for cancer.

I hope this information helps and that your hair starts regrowing soon. Remember to be kind to yourself during this time and take things at your own pace. And if you do decide to go on holiday, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time regardless of whether or not you have hair.

Also, you can check out the website hairfolli.com for more information on hair growth and hair care.