Trying to get through the journey of growing my hair back

Lynnie1974

Hi all

I am 6 months post chemo and I have hair, which I'm very happy about, however I am struggling with what to do with it. I used to have long brunette hair that I straightened every day (it had a natural annoying wave) and now it's grey and really course and quite curly. 

I got a hair dresser to put a bit of colour in it on Thursday and, to cut a long story short, I didn't like it and because I had a night out planned last night I decided to rectify things myself. Not a good decision! I proceed to turn my hair yellow, then green, then orange. I then had to resort to using an old brunette hair dye I had at home and now I've gotten rid of my lovely textured grey colour and am a solid blocky brunette. 

I'm 44 so am not yet ready to be grey, however, everyone loves the colour and I guess I kinda liked it too. I now don't know what to do. I miss my old hair, I hate not knowing where I'm supposed to go with my hair style. I'm looking to get some advice from a really good colourist although have to wait 4 weeks to get in to see her! My hair was my crowning glory and now it feels like a dear old friend who I can't connect with anymore.

I'd love to hear some stories of hair growth such as, did the texture change and gone back to normal after some time?

Please share any nightmare attempts at colours/styles to make me feel better about myself too. 

Thank you!

Zoffiel

My brutalist approach has been to keep clipping it off at a #4 until I was absolutely sure there was no chemo fuzz left. 
My first experience was that it took a couple of months for the regrowth to look normal enough for me to be able to tolerate it. I was 43 then and by the time I was 50 it was curly and waist length again, albeit not as dark as previously. I stopped permanent  dying it and just used rinses to give it a bit of colour.
Roll forward to the present, it took me 18 months to stop clipping it following chemo in 2016/17. My poor partner hated it, but I didn't mind. It was a bit edgy and deliberate rather than its current state. Now it's straight and totally grey but the quality is OK. It's driving me spare growing it out but it's nearly at the point I can get some sort of style cut into it. I must admit it's nice to not be confronted by my jug like ears all the time

Afraser

It’ll change. Some hair settles quickly, mine changed over almost three years. Started out chalk white lambswool. Not curly, frizz. But mine. We transitioned to grey - I am considerably older and had gone through growing my colour out and embracing my external grey before chemo, so grey was fine especially as it was a good steely grey. But then it gradually turned light brown, with a bit of grey. It’s straightened considerably over time (and got greyer!) but still has a bit of a curl, which I rather like after a lifetime of poker straight. Texture is slightly finer (it was quite coarse before) but that could also be age. I found about a year after it all grew back (grey and curly) that my shed pattern changed. Slight panic but all it meant is that after almost never seeing a hair on my brush or comb I now shed hair at a normal rate. No idea if it’s related. I look at the changes as an inexpensive way of experimenting with new looks! 

primek

My hair grew back white. Then it was salt and pepper. Then it came in a bit darker. I found keeping it shorter whilst very curly was best decision. It looked edgy and trendy. When i had it longer I looked like my mothers curly perm grey hair from the 80s. I went onto a multivitamin as my nails were brittle and suddenly my hair started to grow back with colour so I strongly suggest doing this.
I didn't colour mine when white as I liked it. I concentrated on my makeup. Now colour is back I'm doing blonde streaks to help blende my natural grey again. 
It's a difficult time and one I found challenging but know it will change as your body recovers.

primek

My transition over 3 years. I've kept it short as I remain somewhat curly at the back.

This was me a few months before cancer found and treatment started at 51.


This is me about 2 months following chemo and keeping it short 

About 6 months on. Still keeping short as grew in at different rates

Curly grandma look. I still had boys at school!

Return to short and some blonde highlights to rid the grandma look

My hair is a bit longer now but I've kept this cut and find the blonde looks best to cover my remaining natural grey. I'm 55. 4 years on from diagnosis. 

iserbrown

Looking good @primek!

Sister

I did a number 1 when it grew back as I looked like a wedge-tailed eagle chick - white fuzz.  That was just over a year ago.  Then it grew back iron grey which I hated so I coloured it.  It was sort of curly and for some reason grew back with a double crown.  I've now had 2 haircuts and it's much straighter - I'm currently trying to get a bit of length so I have something to style.

suburbangirl

Hi @primek- your hair looks gorgeous- and so do you - in EVERY photo! xx

Annie C

@primek

Your smile is lovely, warm and welcoming.

kmakm

Such a gorgeous smile @primek.

kmakm

It took about a year of hair regrowth before the coarse texture grew out. I kept it neatly clipped close to my scalp for most of that time. In the autumn of this year, a year after chemo, I let it grow a bit and a curl appeared. I've never had curly hair and always wanted it, so I love it. I've kept it short at the sides andclong and curly on top. I think the curl has started to disappear  but we'll see.

My hair came back exactly the same colour, brown. I was 51 when I had chemo and now 18 mos after losing my hair, it seems as thick as it ever was. Even the greys are in the same place.

On thing is for sure, I love my hair really short and will be keeping it that way. Best of luck, K xox

Lynnie1974

Oh my gosh, thank you ladies so much for your responses. @primek, thanks for the pics. Like @kmakm says, you have a gorgeous smile. It really helps to hear others stories to know you're not alone in your battle. Even though 'it's only hair' as anyone who has never lost their hair keeps saying (meant in the most loving way of course) I've found it such a challenge. I feel so much better already having connected with you all. Big love, thanks for the support xxx

suburbangirl

Hi @Lynnie1974
I love your hair, colour and style, and you look absolutely lovely! xx

Nefertari

Wow thanks for the encouraging stories of the hair regrowth and here's hoping my texture improves.  I'm not keen on it at all, it looks great short but like fleece when it is a bit longer.  It is so thick!  I'm hoping that goes away, then I may consider a slightly longer style.
I went from long dark straight hair (dyed it for years) to bald, which I didn't mind after the initial shock.  The regrowth is now grey with a little dark hair mixed in, looks okay with my dark eyebrows.
At first I thought I'd be horrified and have to wear a wig or hat all the time because I do not want to colour it and have not had short hair for years.  Now I love the colour and the simplicity of a short do, hair dressers are shocked when I say a number two shave but I like it and I get lots of compliments.

@Lynnie1974 and @primek - you two girls look lovely!! Love the colour and the styles of both.  Your texture looks better than mine haha

Lynnie1974

Thanks @Nefetari, that's very sweet. My hair is now brunette (so I suppose I should update my photo!) but who knows what colour it'll be in the next few weeks! I'm with you on the ease of short hair - it's so nice to not have to spend loads of time blow drying and straightening although I do miss how feminine I felt with long hair. It's so nice to know I'm not going through this journey alone!

Nefertari

@Lynnie1974, I can only hope my texture improves, my neighbours son said it's like shaun the sheep, the innocence bless.  He meant it as a compliment baa baa