Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Momine, your hair is coming in nice!

I wish I could just toss the wig and call my new hair good.  I'm a little over 4 months PFC, but I miss my long hair a lot.  I have always been a confident person inside and out, but this whole BC thing has beat me down a bit.  Maybe once I get some professional color instead of the salt/pepper I'll be feeling a bit better. I'm too afraid to do it myself since last time was a disaster.

Momine, you look great!  You had a lot of hair at 8 weeks.  I'm 6 weeks out and you have to look really close to see any hair at all.  I'm with you StJude.  I'm not patient at all.  I guess I was under the impression that it would grow back faster than it does.  I also don't know how men do it.  I'm cold all the time.  I don't wear a wig, just hats and usually I have to wear a scarf to keep my neck warm too.  I'm ready for summer - then I'll complain that my head is too hot with a hat on.  LOL If it's a nice day I go home at lunch and sit in my sunroom without a hat so I can feel the sun on my head.  That feels really good!

Robo..That's how I explained my first attempt at colouring my hair as well.. But I said I look like the orangutan in every-which way but loose (with Clint Eastwood).. I put medium brown over my orange.. That made it burnt orange... so put dark brown over that... made it brown with red high-lites.. was doable but no great.. Still can not get a colour I am happy with.. Think I will wait a couple of months and go get it professionally done.. I am a natural red head and can not get my colour anywhere near my pre chemo hair.. My hair is growing slow as well ( Herceptin).. But I have hair

robo47, I wish I would have read other people's posts too :-).  I was so mad about it, I cut it all off and started from scratch.  I guess that was the ultimate do-over :-).

I'm trying to think of the positives now in regard to the new hair.  It appears healthy and all and all, it's not a bad look.  I think it's all about control.  I don't like not having a choice.  This was the big decision with chemo knowing we'd have to start over.  Not just with hair, but with everything.  I've heard many ladies talk about the positive things that have come out of this dreadful situation and I wish I could think of some now.  Maybe in the summer when it's warm I'll be happy to have a short cut.

For those of you who are doing your own color, here are a few things I learned or figured out along the way...First, leave the color on way longer than the instructions tell you.  I'm doing 30 minutes instead of 10 and I now have the color as it appears on the box.  Your new hair is resistant just as most grey hair is, and it just takes longer to get the right color.  Second, stay away from any color names that end in R or G unless you want Red or Gold.  Someone told me that little tidbit and now I use a color that has no capital letter at the end of it!  So my medium brown is actually medium brown.  I still have a little residual red from earlier color jobs but now it just looks like highlights rather than "orange" hair.  Third, I'm finding the 28 shampoo color pretty easy to use on short hair.  I just apply it using the gloves in the box, leave it for the 30 minutes, then hop in the shower to rinse it, shampoo one time, then add the nice conditioner that comes in the box.  At $7.99, it's hard to beat the price.  And I have a hard time justifying $40-$60 for a professional job for so little hair.   Hope these hints help someone! 

Selena - I know what you mean about being cold.  I ditched my wig in October but I did try to keep a hat handy or wear a hoodie because way too many times, I was in a restaurant or some other place where my head was just freezing.  Honestly, I think that was the worst part of having a bald head or more specifically, a bare back of my neck!

Oops, cut off -- meant to say im taking biosil and biotin along with vitamins and evoo scalp massages. I hope all our hair grows fast! I still get so sad missing my long hair.

Girls I hate my hair!  It is so curly looks like a mullet, and I dont know what to do!  I have asked 4 hairdressers to put a chemical straightner on it and they wont

What should I do? 

ksmatthews

A BC friend that is 4 months ahead of me uses Moroccan oil. She swears by it.. She pins her hair back by the ear (or it stands straight out). She has soft curls on the back of her head.. Hoping I will get the same curls as her. As of right now my hair is confused.. one side of my head it tries to curl (not long enough) The other side is straight with some hair sticking straight out.. Look like I have a comb-over on top of my head as the new natural part is waaay down on the side and hair grows up at an angle.. Not a pretty picture, but it's hair

ksmatthews, I, like Shore1, had very curly hair my whole life. The curls were so tight that it was unmanagable. When I was 14, I had my hair relaxed for the first time and was thrilled. After a few years, I learned that I could save a ton of money by reverse perming my hair at home. I simply buy the best drug store perm, comb it through my hair and make certain it lays flat, combing it every few minutes. It loosens the curl and smoothes the cuticle to keep it from frizzing up too much. I also used a flat iron. I never use a blow dryer since I have very fine hair and it dries it out completely, so I air dry then flat iron. I was worried the chemo would make it come in curlier, and it did at first, but now it seems smoother, which is great since I hadn't reversed permed it since two months before my diagnosis and was certain that I wouldn't be able to colour and straighten it without it falling out. There are many great salon products for controlling and smoothing your hair, so maybe try those to be on the safe side until you have a bit more length.

Robo, we have hair in common. Mine was frizzy curly pre chemo and I also have that male pattern baldness look going on.

I ditched my wig when the temps here shot up. I just think it's so hot and uncomfortable. I am now only wearing bandanas. Like to think I look more like a biker chick than a cancer patient.

Cailin, I did the same thing. Cut it short first and shaved it when it started falling out. I did mine while hubby was at work and kids were at school. I think cutting it really helped with the emotional part of it. Always had long hair and it was kinda liberating after cutting it.

Ossa, I think your hair looks cute. I'm sooo ready for mine to be full enough I can go topless. I don't mind how short it is, I just want it to be full.

Thanks for all the coloring tips, can't wait to be able to try them!

Momine, love the pictures,Thanks, for sharing...

my hair looks like yours, it has been 4 months PFC next week.  It was wavy pre-BC and now straight. I am thankful for not getting chemo curls.  I gave up the wig and hats almost 2 months ago about two weeks after I went back to work.  Almost everyone at work loved the short look and compliment on how fast it is growing.  I work with older patients and I had to laugh when a few thought I was daring or had changed my sexual preference!!!  My hair pre BC was half way down my back, and now I think I will keep it short.  Helps when I am running late in the morning and don't have to do much to it.  Seeing the positive of this..

For those who are wondering, the "R" is for red and the "G" is for gold, but it will come out different depending on your own base color. I use L'Oreal - the 28 shampoo version, not the permanent color. I think it's "Excellence."



KSMatthews - my only advice is to embrace the curl and get the back trimmed a bit so it looks like a deliberate style that is properly proportioned. I think fighting natural curl is a never-ending battle.



I had a discussion tonight with my DH about my hair and he is just too funny. And he admits that any comment is likely to get him in trouble...lol. He likes the color of my hair but thinks the length is "too young" for me. I, on the other hand, think that 60+ ladies have no business with hair down to their shoulders unless they look like Diane Keaton! He does recognize my lack of control over the current length. And I think I'll have him tell me when it's long enough "for my age" so I can get it cut to keep the "young chick" look...hehehe!

I am going in for a trim and style.  No one will chemically straighten it!  They said 8 month pfc is too soon.  So they are going to see what they can do.  I am crying because I hate this look so bad.  I am ready to just shave it all off again and buy another wig!

Thanks for all the advice i will find  a good product.   

My new hairdo! I actually like it!