Can I colour my hair!!!
Am after some feedback on when I can put a permanent colour in my hair. Finished my last chemo early December and now have a great head of short curly hair but is a lot greyer than it was before. Work mates and friends say it looks good but reality sets in from teenage daughters when they tell you its about time you colour your hair mum!
But...............am not sure if I should. Have done the internet thing and so many conflicting stories. Would love some feedback. Have a box of permanent hair dye purchased tonight but not sure if I am game enough to use it. Don't want my hair to fall out or worse still have it go some strange colour.
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I actually asked my onc about this & she said no restrictions......you just might want to wait till its a bit longer.......it was quite short when I asked her !!
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I finished chemo in Feb, so my hair is quite short. To long though for a scarf or wig. I returned to work and everyone said nice things, but when one colleague remarked..."so you don't mind being grey then?" Sent me to the shops and it was dyed the next day.
I don't know why I was worried about colouring, I guess I was still used to being sickly. I also was finding dressing difficult with a grey head. That really was getting me down. I was trying to wear warm colours like before, but found I looked so hard with the grey hair.
I say go for it....!0 -
I finished chemo in Feb, so my hair is quite short. To long though for a scarf or wig. I returned to work and everyone said nice things, but when one colleague remarked..."so you don't mind being grey then?" Sent me to the shops and it was dyed the next day.
I don't know why I was worried about colouring, I guess I was still used to being sickly. I also was finding dressing difficult with a grey head. That really was getting me down. I was trying to wear warm colours like before, but found I looked so hard with the grey hair.
I say go for it....!0 -
Thanks so much. Yes everyone does say nice things and when I mention I am going to dye my hair they say no. But my daughters are continually saying, its about time you dye your hair mum. and when I look in the mirror I think yes I am looking better except for that damn grey hair, which is also curly. Will definitely crack open that box of hair dye this weekend!!!!!!!!!
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Merrilyn, when my hair grew back it did look good grey (had been for 15 years ....but dyed) & curly & my skin looked wonderful. I was always going to dye my hair again. Before BC I had started to go a bit lighter with my colour so afterwards it was great to have a "clean slate" to start from. We actually started quite light (my hair was almost black) & have worked up to a colour I am happy with........& twelve months on I think we just about have it right. I don't think my hair takes up the colour as well as it used to though, & I have had to learn how to deal with the curls now it is a bit longer. My hairdresser is coming today & I think I will not have it trimmed this time, I would like just a little more length to see if the curls will flatten out a bit more.
Carmel
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Merrilyn, when my hair grew back it did look good grey (had been for 15 years ....but dyed) & curly & my skin looked wonderful. I was always going to dye my hair again. Before BC I had started to go a bit lighter with my colour so afterwards it was great to have a "clean slate" to start from. We actually started quite light (my hair was almost black) & have worked up to a colour I am happy with........& twelve months on I think we just about have it right. I don't think my hair takes up the colour as well as it used to though, & I have had to learn how to deal with the curls now it is a bit longer. My hairdresser is coming today & I think I will not have it trimmed this time, I would like just a little more length to see if the curls will flatten out a bit more.
Carmel
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My Mum had Breast Cancer, and she says No to the Chemicals due to reaction of my skin. If ya do it, just do the test behind your ear as they explain on the box. Mix just half a cm of tint and a drop of the Peroxide (white in bottle). Put onto skin behind the ear, a dab, and your supposed to leave it there for 24 hours to see if there is a reaction. This is supposed to happen before each time you have a colour (oh please). I was a hairdresser for 20 years, and I hate to say, no one ever asked for the test and we didnt do them. I wonder if theyre getting fussier now! So keen to hear how people have gone. I have sensitive skin, so I shall test first. I hate my natural dark and steely grey hair poking out. My goodness, nothing ages a female faster than a natural grey - sorry , my opinion, and having transformed women for 20 years, you can look 10 years younger by having a great colour. Golden rule is = 3 shades away from your natural. Only time this changes is when you have foil work. Red next to the skin brings out the red in your skin. Black is always harsh unless youre in your teens and then it just = rebellion. (I did that too!). I see so many women say "But I was always blonde" and go too light and it sucks the colour out of your skin. Oh and last bit of advice, we age in 7 year cycles, so dont try to be what you were 7 years ago, try to be as beautiful as you can for the person you are today! Make sense! For those who want to make a statement with their hair, I did that too, when I was in my early 20's! Just sayin........Love Bel
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Thanks so much for that.
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Hi Merrilyn,
Have you heard of the iHeard website - www.iheard.com.au?
It's run by the Cancer Council and is dedicated to busting cancer-related myths. People can submit questions, and the Cancer Council will post responses based on the latest good quality evidence. You may find the question about hair dye on the website already, or if not.... why not post the question yourself? I'm sure there are other people out there who are wondering about the same thing.
Good luck
Annie
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Great Website from the Cancer Council, I have popped in the question about hair colour!!!
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Great Website from the Cancer Council, I have popped in the question about hair colour!!!
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I have short spiky grey now - I have coloured for the last 30 years as I started to grey when I was very young. Everyone says "It looks great" "the colour is fab" but . . . I just don't know. It's easy not bothering with colour but I feel drab, that's all there is to it. I am having it cut and tidied next week and the hairdresser (she does the LGFB workshops so she really knows about it) says to wait until I see the style before I decide whether to have highlights or whatever. Trouble is I feel old enough and the hair just confirms it !
I have used home done colur and hairdresser colour in the past with no probs. But I agree with the test that Bel suggests - you never know what might have changed since chemo.
Good luck.
magicmum
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I have short spiky grey now - I have coloured for the last 30 years as I started to grey when I was very young. Everyone says "It looks great" "the colour is fab" but . . . I just don't know. It's easy not bothering with colour but I feel drab, that's all there is to it. I am having it cut and tidied next week and the hairdresser (she does the LGFB workshops so she really knows about it) says to wait until I see the style before I decide whether to have highlights or whatever. Trouble is I feel old enough and the hair just confirms it !
I have used home done colur and hairdresser colour in the past with no probs. But I agree with the test that Bel suggests - you never know what might have changed since chemo.
Good luck.
magicmum
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As a hairdresser I agree with the skin test and was told by a trichilogist to do two tests within 24 hrs because sometimes the reaction doesn't happen with the first test. I assume it wouldbe a good idea as we have had a lot of chemical in our bodies. Foils or tips are a option as not being applied to skin. Could choose some of the new products that are low in ammonia as well. I haven't coloured myself yet as I'm still waiting to see if I loose my curls I have thanks to chemo.0
