chemo curls

lexie2002
lexie2002 Member Posts: 147
edited September 2014 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on products that actually work calming down these awful kinks in my hair.

I've spent so much money already on things that don't do anything! HELP.

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  • floaton
    floaton Member Posts: 181
    edited September 2014

    Lexie,  this curly hair is kinda driving me nuts too - I used to have hair so straight I couldn't curl it if I tried.  Now, corkscrews. Anyway, after trying a few products, I've been using this product from target called Shea moisture kids curling butter creme.  I picked it over the "adult" version since it had less of a smell.  It's paraben/phthalate/etc free and has mostly friendly sounding ingredients.  I put about a quarter size in tshirt-dried (not toweled bc it makes it frizzy) wet hair and let it air dry.    My hair is about 3" long now, I used less when it was shorter.  Once it's dry I lightly mess it up to get rid of the product crustiness and it leaves nice, non-frizzy curls!  I also alternate shampoo/condition with rinse and condition only every other day to help keep down the frizzies.  And for days I really can't deal, I have a few WIDE headbands that cover most of the craziness.  Hope this helps!  

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  • lexie2002
    lexie2002 Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2014

    Hi Floaton, thanks so much for the advice. I read where another lady mentioned the Shea moisture line found at Target. I looked and looked and

    couldn't find it??   I have also read where the average person I guess has around 6 inches of hair by now. I'm ten months out and only have a 

    little over 3 inches??? Bummer. My hair was blonde, layered and very straight. These curls are so tight, and your right they are like corkscrews! :(

    My hair just looks so unhealthy and dry no matter what I do. I so miss my shiny, healthy hair.

    I see where a lot of women have no lymph node involvement like you but still had chemo. I've been sort of confused about that. It seems your

    tumor was pretty small. Mine was missed and because of that it was able to grow for 3 yrs and ended up being pretty large. My journey just kept

    getting worse and worse. Oh well, can't look back.

    Are you on Arimidex since your bc is estrogen positive??

    Nice talking with ya.

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  • Toastiecat
    Toastiecat Member Posts: 132
    edited September 2014

    Have you tried the tiny straightener? I used one, and the difference was huge. My hair, like yours, was super straight before -- and now finally is again! Your length is about on par with where mine was 10 months out. Also, getting it shaped by a pro really helps. 

    Here's the straightener:

    http://www.sephora.com/mighty-mini-ceramic-styler-P379305

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  • floaton
    floaton Member Posts: 181
    edited September 2014

    At my target anyway, they keep the Shea moisture products in the "curly hair" section with the straightening products and hair oils, not on the shampoo/gel aisle.

    6 inches?  I'd love that!  I'm 9.5 months out and only 3 inches here too.  But I'm glad I at least have hair growing back. 

    I had a few cells in one lymph node, so not technically positive.  But given my age and a few other "bad prognostic" indicators (stage 3, lymphovascular invasion) I got chemo.  And I'm premenopausal / in my late 30s so I'm on tamoxifen.  Guess it's time to update my profile!  And toastiecat, I'll have to get on getting that haircut :)

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  • lexie2002
    lexie2002 Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2014

    How is the condition of the hair growing in so far? Mine is very dry looking and looks brittle. I'm figuring it's because even though it's new

    hair it's still coming from the hair follicle where all that medication probably still is, or at least some of it. I've done two deep conditioning

    treatments with no luck. I'm trying to just give it time but just wanted to have a bit of control over my hair.

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  • floaton
    floaton Member Posts: 181
    edited September 2014

    mine looks ok as long as I put the Shea moisture product in it.  Otherwise it does look very dry and frizzy and stands up everywhere.  The ends do feel a little dry vs what I'm used to, but I wonder if this would've been worse if I hadn't had a small haircut when my hair was only 1/2 inch.   I wasn't planning on cutting it so early, but then it still looked straight and was a lot longer on one side of my head than the other (my hair grew in in a really odd pattern) and it was driving me crazy to be lopsided like that!

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited September 2014

     Shea Moisture products! 

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  • Cream52
    Cream52 Member Posts: 5
    edited September 2014

    My hair's growth is very slow because I was on Herceptin for more than a year, in addition to the regular chemo.  I always had straight hair before and now, I have very frizzy, uncontrollable hair.  I always have to wear thick hairbands to hide the hair.  

    Has anybody tried the Brazilian Blowout or other permanent straightening methods? 

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