Some of you may know my story. My mum completed her radiotherapy on August 15th. Her hair is growing back nicely and today, she was scheduled to have it coloured at a hairdressers and remove her wig, which understandably is a big deal for her.
However, the hairdressers have refused and said it has to be six months after radiotherapy before e you can have something like that. My mum is gutted. She wasnt told of this and from researching, I cannot see anything concrete. There is no definite answer.
Does anyone know at all or can direct me to the guidance please?
As always, thank you in advance
Paul
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Paulo1976
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Congratulations to your Mum on completing her radiotherapy. This would have been a big milestone on her cancer journey. I am sorry she was disappointed at the hairdressers regarding colouring of her hair.
Hair re-growth after radiotherapy depends on the type and number of treatments you had, and the area of the body that was affected. If your hair grows back, it usually starts 3 to 6 months after treatment. It may be patchy, thinner or a different colour.
While there are no definitive rules regarding hair colouring post cancer treatment, Cancer research uk suggests that you should wait 6 months in order to protect the hair, as it may be more fragile. This is to promote further growth. The link to this guidance is here: cancerresearchuk.org/about-...
Your Mum should tell the hairdresser she has had cancer treatment, they might wish to carry out strand and skin sensitivity tests to make sure products will not cause any damage or an allergic reaction. Some hairdressers do this 24 hours before colouring the hair so your Mum should check this so she doesn’t have a further disappointment of waiting 24 hours. I hope some of this is helpful and your Mum will have her hair coloured soon. If there is anything else you wish to discuss you can email ask the nurse at lungcancerhelp@roycastle.org or call our free phone nurse led helpline number on 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600.
Just to add to the information from our nursing team. There are a couple of organisations that specifically support people adjusting to changes in appearance and hair loss after cancer treatment.
They might be of use to give your mum a bit of a boost and some practical support in managing whilst she recovers.
Please find another hairdresser, my daughter is a professional hairdresser and that's all she does is color hair. Have the new hair dresser do a normal test strand on your mom's hair before she proceeds with processing the hair. My daughter does hair strand tests especially on new clients or clients who have over processed their hair. Chemo has more affect on hair than radiation. Radiation does cause hair loss if you are having your brain radiated but only in the areas being radiated. Otherwise after a strand test and everything is good, your mom should have a lovely new do in the color of her heart's desire.
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