Hair colouring

Hi Bonnie

I had chemo for endometrial cancer in 2022 and used scalp cooling.

Colouring, using heat, washing more than twice a week etc is not recommended and will potentially lead to more hair loss. The hair that remains can be brittle, dry and needs to be handled delicately. 

You may find the chemo strips your hair of some of its colour- it did for me. 

I used colour root touch up sprays at times and they can help however I would advise to use sparingly. If you use more than that they will dampen your hair and you risk it sticking together and matting. If you then have a shed the matting can become worse and then you lose more. 

I would try to focus more on condition at the moment. 

When chemo is finished I would still advise waiting until your hair is in a healthier condition. There will likely be some shedding post chemo and for me it took a few weeks to settle down. You may find that your normal hair dye does not take as before. I tried a water based one that I believed would be more gentle but it did not work as it should. I then went back to my normal one. No bleach. I would advise against using heat styling and styling products until you start seeing some regrowth. 

Home - Paxman

The Paxman website has good advice regarding hair care and this is what I followed. I managed to keep my hair.

Good Luck with the rest of your treatment.

Jane

Thanks so much Jane. That is all super helpful advice. I will be patient (having to learn that!) and focus on condition not colour. I will also look at the Paxman website. 

I coloured my hair 4.5 months after chemo, at a salon and only using semi permanent (as advised) as it’s kinder to hair apparently. I had no issues and my hair grew back well, I have full coverage. I had Phesgo too and can report you can colour your hair, I think it does slightly delay growth as my friend who had chemo at the same time as me didn’t have Phesgo and hers grew back quicker xx

(+) The Changing Faces of Cancer- Scalp cooling, Hair loss and Regrowth. - Macmillan Online Community

There's some more advice in this 

Thanks so much Anna. Really useful and helpful advice. 

Hi Bonnie3351,

I kept about 60-70% of my hair using the cold cap it just thinned all over so probably no one would notice but I was desperate to have highlights done! I waited 6 months from the last chemo, I had quite a bit of regrowth from the hair I had lost so a combo of old and new hair, I went to the appt with my hairdresser that I've had for years and obviously explained my abscence and she was very nervous about just going ahead with no tester with the old and new hair she said high chance of coming out different colours! I told her just to go ahead and it was fine....I'm also on herceptin!!! So do be careful last thing we need after all we've been through is a hair disaster!!! Xx

 Belle123 Thanks for sharing your experience. Really helpful. 

• Hi Bonnie

Daniel Field does a range a water based colours that are safe to use, I had my roots done twice during chemo while cold capping and I didn’t lose any hair. You have the option to have a free consultation  with them but you can order directly from their website.

Hi Marietta,
It’s wonderful to hear that you didn’t lose any hair with cold capping. I’m starting my first session on the 22nd and am considering cold capping as well. I have long, thick hair and really hope to keep it. Did you cut your hair short before starting so the cold cap would fit better? I’ve ordered the scalp cooling kit from Daniel Field after someone recommended it here in the community. Are there any other precautions you’d suggest to help prevent hair loss?

Hi Marietta So is this a kit you use at home? When you say you had your roots done I wonder if this was at a salon? They do so many colours, do they help you choose the right colour with a video consult? So great you didn’t lose any hair, what a result. I am cold capping and am 5 chemos down out of a planned 12. So far none lost. Please may that continue