Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Carrol2

mamaV thanks for posting. I am 2 years PFC and I don't get to see too many pics of ladies as far off as I am. I only cut my hair 2x and then it was very very little. One was at 4 months and the other was at 1 year 6 months. It doesn't grow in evenly so you have to trim it at some point. I am due for another cut now. My bangs are all grown out past my chin now and I decided I want them back and more layers back. It is pretty traumatic for me to go to the salon though. My ends are a little crunchy now not sure why, possibly leftover from the chemo, more likely from blow drying it every day. But it looks like yours is pretty much back to how your hair was before, I think mine is too.

JoanQuilts

I wanted to post my new avatar for those of you in the growing stage.  I am 7.5 months PFC and had my first haircut this morning.  I actually ditched the wig two months ago.  I am going to keep my hair short.  Happy New Year to all!  Joan

DivineMrsM

ooo la la, Joan!  Love the hair!  You look awesome!

mermaid_1010

WOW, you look phenominal!!  Rejoice!!!  My picture where my hair is..  that's from stopping Adrymycin April, 2010 until August, 2012..  2 1/2 years to get it back to where it was..   I think your hair looks WONDERFUL..  Have a Happy and Hairy New Year!!!!    xo

kjiberty

Kim:  Love your pic!  You look beautiful!

Rockym

MamaV, I'm coming up to 1 year 1 month and I think I am about where you are too.  Your hair looks great!  I'm starting to wonder if after growing mine back longer, I may go short again.  I'm kinda liking the style I have this week.  Still no haircut for me either :-).

Ulightup, I've been using Fructis Sleek & Shine Oil Treatment.  It's about $4 at Walmart and the bottle has lasted a year (until it spilled in my luggage ziplock bag on this trip :-().  It makes the hair soft and tames the curl a bit without feeling oily.  I also use John Frieda Clearly Defined Styling Gel.  The gel helps make the curl look more controlled.  I was using a flat iron (small 1/2" from Bed, Bath and Beyond), but now my waves are framing my face better so I'm not using the flat iron as much.  Before chemo I had long thick hair that was a tad below my breasts.  I never used product and rarly used a blow dryer.  I didn't even own a flat iron.

I suppose the hair regrowth has been both a challenge and also fun.  Kinda what I had expected.

onvacation

I love all the pictures - everyone's hair is so different yet all pretty!  

Happy New Year!  Going to be a good hair year!  LOL

mary625

I'm almost a year post final chemo. I've cut my hair probably 5-6 times as I decided to keep it short. My hair was naturally curly and has returned that way...but I can keep it under control with prodiucts. I recommend the Got2B Glue in a yellow tube. I take some of that along with something called Wired ( a lighter stying cream) and put that through my hair thoroughly. I then blow dry with just a comb, drying all of the layers forward and as flat as possible. Only when it's thoroughly dry and straight, then I arrange it the way I want it. I've found something even better than hairspray called Dusting by Schwarzkiopf. It's expensive, but absolutely unbelievalble. I sprinkle it wherever I want some lift or spkes. I also put it on the hairs at the hairline that tend to be curlier. After I sprinkle it there, I can do whatever I want with my bangs. This is a salon product however. Not the same Schwarzkiop or a different line than Got2B. Hope this is helpful.

lago

Mary625 your old hair texture should start to be coming back in a few months. I found it started after a year. My hair didn't get curly but it was wavier just different, not as shiny. I'm back to my old self now.

ang7894

Me at 8 mo PFC

Finally found out how to do this.. Everyone Happy New Year!!!

mary625

Oh, I forgot to mention eyelashes. I thought mine had come back permanently and used an eyelash curler. Big mistake. I now have very short eyelashes near the inner corners of my eyes. Grrr. They were finally looking so good.

Eileenohio

Ang-  your hair looks great. I am now 7 months PFC,my hair is not nearly as full or long as yours is. There are days when I think I will never have a full head of hair.  

Happy New Year Everyone.

onvacation

Ang - great picture - your hair is coming in so nicely!

shore1

Ang - Looks good

Mary525 - Thanks for the product info. Always like to try new stuff.

Below is a pic taken at about 48 weeks, about 6 weeks after the last pic I posted. Still no haircut. Still wish I had a big pony tail like the old days, but makin progress.

AEM47

Shore -you look awesome! How did you deal with the growing out phase?

shore1

AEM, thanks, I couldn't give up the wig until over 8 months pfc. So when I finally did, I had a good amount of hair & I just left it curly and pushed it back in a headband. I'm still in the headband phase, but it's much longer than it was in early Sept. when I finally ditched the wig, so the curl isn't as tight. I had it highlighted about 9 months pfc, and that cheered me up a little. Like MamaV, I won't cut it until I have a lot more. Your avatar looks awesome - nice and smooth bangs.

mermaid_1010

Yes, I treated myself to some nice expensive headbands..  that made you concentrate more on how pretty the hairband was and NOT how wavy and curly my hair was.. and it made it look..  more "with it" while I was waiting for it to grow in..  Hairbands were a God send...

lisa2012

My hair was long, curly, and crazy before all this. I didn't get baby hair or duck fur...it seems more ore less like my old hair. Well,maybe a bit more poodly. But too short on forehead! Kj, how do you get it to stay down?

Only almost 2" long. Still bewigged.

juneaubugg

Wow. I'm a bit depressed. Will it take me two years to have hair at my shoulders?! My hair used to be down below my bra strap. I just want it back.



I forget who asked, but my last chemo was October 10 so I guess I'm about 12 weeks PFC. I'm taking biotin.

butterfly14

Thanks juneaubugg...I just started with the biotin and had last chemo Dec 31. My hair was long and curly, middle of back before chemo, just want some hair back...

ang7894

Thank you everyone I am finally feeling much better on the hair I still can't wait to be able to put it in a ponytail again. that is probably another year away.

CAYH

Hi, everyone!

I've been reading this thread all along because I love hearing about & seeing the progress shots, but didn't have much to add...will be at 35 weeks PFC tomorrow.

I must say how much I admire those of you who've managed to go for a year or longer without cutting your hair - shore1, you have such amazing length! How beautiful it looks!   Mine was fine on Boxing Day, but by New Year's Day it looked downright awful!  I couldn't stand it even one more day, so got it trimmed today.  Only about 1/2" all over, but it probably took me back to where I was 6 weeks ago - which is good.  My curl is definitely waning already (boo!) & maybe once it's reverted back to it's old poker straight self, I'll decide to grow it longer since it will be easiser (for me) to do it then.

Knowing I was getting it cut today, I took some fast & dirty shots last night so I could compare & yikes - a bit of bedhead going on made it look even worse, but LORDY:

With the gray, whatever "funk/edgy" I'd convinced myself I had with the short, was lost over the past few weeks & I  definitely need some of "whatever" to get me through...

Wishing you all the best of health in 2013, Ladies - this year *will* be better! 

mermaid_1010

Oh if only mine would have looked like yours.. I pictured a short spikey style while it was growing in.. but it was so wavy close to my head...   ugh...

You look adorable.

mermaid_1010

Well..  I had to keep having the back of my neck trimmed.. and over my ears so the crown would catch up...  and it took forever.. but Easter of his year, it was even and reached the bottom of my ears..  then it just started growing and by August, it was touching my shoulders..  now it is below...

I am back on Taxol now..  and nervous.  I'm using the ice caps... 

Go with hairbands..  and wait till it hits your ears...  then you will start to see it grow like crazy...

AEM47

Mermaid - I think you are right. Since it has started to grow over ears...it's taking off again. I'm trying desperately to let it go but it is starting to look seriously messed up..lol. I really need to figure out how to get over this hump since I know I'll be sorry if I cut it again right now. I hope you have good luck with the caps - once is tough enough!

ang7894

I agree AEM once is enough. I wish someone told me about cold caps before I started chemo.  I would have done that no doctor or nurse no one told me.  I found out on here and by that point it was to late.  I still can not think about even as much as a little trim. 

Cayh- Fantastic hair you look great.

Shore1- you to very nice hair can't wait for hair to be that long.

Sandlake

CAHY~ Your pictures are great, like you I keep trimming my hair.  I think I finally have that fuzzy stuff cut off now and will just let it go for the next few months to see what happens!

Mermaid~ Good luck with the cold caps, mine started growing back during Taxol so hopefully you won't loose yours during this Tx. 

AEM47~ My hair is starting to grow fast all of a sudden, I did get it trimmed before Christmas just to get me through  I really like my short hair though and find it hard to get past these awful stages.  I need to update my picture soon.

kjiberty

CAYH and Nanc:  Your hair looks great!

Shore1:  Your hairgrowth looks unbelievable.  Congrats.

I am officially 6 months PFC this week and my hair has been trimmed 4 times.  I put a tape ruler to it and it's about 3 inches, which is typical of 1/2" per month.  I took Lago's advice and bought a 1/2" flat iron and now am using my 1" flat iron.  It's pretty curly in the back, but I don't care--I don't look at it.  I am seriously thinking about keeping it short.  I like the edgy look, plus I get  ton of compliments on my new "haircut" from people who don't know the year I've had.

DivineMrsM

Regarding those compliments on the new short 'do.....I would get that as well.   I think as we pull out of the nosedive of dealing with bc and its treatments, and our hair starts growing back, and we realize what we've just come through.....I think some part of us walks more confidently and with a different perspective on things...and I think others sense there is something, some kind of new truth about us...and it is reflected in our appearance, and they compliment us on it.

LeeA

TheDivineMrsM - what a great post and perspective you've offered up!  Really beautifully expressed and I'm going to take a screenshot of it and save it!  

Ang - you look great and so glad to put a face to a name!  

Cayh - I love your overall look!  The color, texture, etc.