Hair Dye

Hi Cat,

I also used the cold cap during my chemo last year. I was told hair dye was a big no no. 

With the cold cap they normally give you a guidance sheet, I was given mine on the first chemo day. The advice is to wash hair no more than twice a week. No dye, no straighteners, let it dry naturally where possible. Wash gently, no rubbing shampoo in, luke warm water. Shampoos that have no parabens etc I used Simple shampoo. Even with the cold cap hair will shed from about 14 days so you need to use a wide tooth comb to gently comb away anything that has shed or it can matte with your retained hair. Try not to tie your hair back other than really loosely. Nothing to put stress on the roots. The hair you retain will loose condition due to the chemo and can become dry and brittle. It is still very much worth a go and I would do it again. My hair thinned all over, lost condition but had no bald patches. I avoided wearing a wig or using scarves. It began growing back in after the second cycle of chemo. 

Although hair dye is really not recommend I was able to use the spray in root touch up sprays for my roots and you can also use the shake in hair fibres to help camouflage any thinner patches. My hair is normally a dark blonde (coloured since otherwise I would have a lot of grey) but the chemo meant my hair went almost white blonde so something to be aware of. I didn't colour my hair until 3 months post final chemo as this was the advice given. I was told it was best to use my normal hair dye and do a strand test first and lots of conditioner. I did look at some other supposedly more gentle ones but my hairdresser said that they would probably mean I would need to use them more often and that was not such a good idea. 

Don't loose heart through, I had a good result with the scalp cooling and the spray in roots sprays are really good and looked natural. My hair is currently at different lengths- so looks a bit layered and its almost at shoulder length again. The new hair is in fab condition already and grown in thick. I do believe the cold cap protected my hair follicles. My chemo finished in August last year. Just a thought as well about your roots, you could always use a scarf or stretchy hairband to disguise them if they bother you. 

Good Luck

Jane

Thank you so much for such helpful advice. I have really thick hair so I’m hoping the cold cap will work and any loss won’t be too obvious. I’ll be stocking up on root spray too xx

I didn't have chemo but my hair had thinned a lot during my 50s. I have changed to vegetable hair dyes post radiotherapy. Even hormone blockers can affect the hair. For the body in terms of where nutrients go, the hair is the last place. The body heals first. It's the most important thing physically though in terms of looks. Headwrappers is a charity organisation that offers online support of ways to adorn the head. They sent me a free pack with scarves to use at the online demonstration. So much support if you look for it. I prepared for everything just in case. 

Hope all goes well for you. 

Hi Cat

Mine is thick too and I do think that helps, along with following their instructions. The root spray is fab- I am dark blonde and found using the dark blonde and medium blonde L'Oreal ones good. There are other brands obviously but the L'oreal ones I got from Amazon worked for me. You don't have to use a lot to make a difference x If you have any really thin or even bald spots the spray settles on your scalp and makes it so much less noticeable. Good Luck!

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I have just started chemo and I requested to use a cold cap. I have not received any information and I am learning through the forums. 

My hair is shoulder length. Would you suggest getting it cut shorter for a better result?

Hi Netters66,

It is a personal choice but mine was shoulder length and didn't cut it before. Don't really see the need to unless people have really long hair that could be get matted. I did need to trim my fringe several times during chemo though. I would say keep it as it is and see how the chemo affects it. My feeling before chemo was to give cold capping a try and it worked for me. Your hair will have some changes so be prepared for that but I would 100% to it again. My chemo was finished in August last year. On Wednesday I am going to have my first proper hair cut to sort out the dry bits on the end from where the chemo was. It may be my imagination, but I don't think it is as my hairdresser agrees- but my hair feels and looks like it has grown back thicker than before the chemo. I would say it looks around an inch shorter than before it started and this is because I now have some waviness that I didn't have before that has sort of lifted it a bit. If I use hair straighteners it doesn't look much different to before I started. If anything in better condition! Good Luck and any questions please do ask but in answer to your question I do not believe from my own experience that having shoulder length hair will make any difference to the result- it is more how you care for your hair during the chemo cycles and what type of chemo you are on. Maybe think about just having a trim/tidy up if you have thick hair.

Paxman scalp cooling also has a website that I found answered some of my questions. The nurses on the chemo unit were also trained and experienced in it 

Jane

Thank you for you reassurance x

No problem- anything else, please just ask.

Hi Jane,

I am using the cooling cap, could I ask what make of root spray you used, there are so many.

Thanks

Anne

I used the L'oreal one but I don't think it makes a lot of difference. I also found less is more- too much can make it look sticky and unatural- so I would spray lightly and repeat if needed when it dried.

Jane