Colouring hair after chemo.

[Suzanne333]

Hi all.

Any advice on coloured by hair. My last chemo was end of January. I want to colour my hair end of may. Is this too soon and do I need to use a special dye or can I have it coloured normally?

Many thanks all. X

[Purple-iris]

Hi Suzanne

Looks good and very healthy .

I didn't loose all my hair as used cold cap but a section on top and at the front . Finished chemo in January and was told by my oncologist I was fine to have hair coloured straight away and didn't need to wait 6 months ( she checked with chief pharmacist at Guys )

I used ammonia free and my hair dresser did a patch test . Was very pleased with the results but did find the colour faded very quickly especially on new grey hair. As I have gone short to balance up my hair length am now growing the colour out as don't feel like having to have the roots re done so frequently . May then just have some colour put through rather than whole head but will see how it looks .

Am sure you will be fine as long as your hairdresser does a patch test and you use a gentler product . There are also some natural products available which could be worth investigating .

Best wishes love Kim X

[Suzanne333 in reply to Purple-iris]

Thank you Kim. I will get a patch test done first. Don't want a reaction etc.

I hope all is good with you. Xxx

[Jessica-DianeB]

Wow! People long for trendy Grey!! Looks fab. But I get you wanting to colour it.

I dyed mine 9 weeks post chemo ( as my chemo was delayed due to debulking and I needed a pick me up )

It was fine until I re started chemo then developed a reddish hue. I'm brunnette

( currently bald )

Good luck xx

[Suzanne333 in reply to Jessica-DianeB]

Hi Jessica.

A lot of people love my colour but I just can't take to it. I like my blonde.

I quite liked being bald in a funny sort of way.

Hoping you are ok. Xxx

[Hidden]

Hi Suzanne, I suggest you get something without amonia, I use Loving Care all the time, I use semi permanent which does give a cover. I find my hair doesnt ever absorb those from Health shops and they are so expensive

[Suzanne333 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Suzuki.

I will try loving care.

Hope all is ok with you. Xxx

[Hidden in reply to Suzanne333]

I use it now all the time, I did get a salon colour back in 2013 but really wasnt happy with it so I do my own all the time now. I suppose I should go on to Loving Care Permanent at this stage of my life but tend to stick with semi.

[Emalou71]

You look amazing!! I coloured my hair as soon as I had enough about 10 weeks post chemo my lovely hairdresser used vegetable dye, worked well and had top ups every six weeks to keep it fresh, was back on regular dye by six months x

[Suzanne333 in reply to Emalou71]

Thank you. Most people love my hair but I'm just not comfortable with it

Hope you are ok xxxx

[Emalou71 in reply to Suzanne333]

I'm good thankyou 😀 I totally get that, I didn't feel like it was me at all until I got my colour back in even though people liked it I didn't! Look forward to seeing a pic with the new colour soon xx

[Amyjo1969 in reply to Suzanne333]

Mine came in white too... I use to dye my hair ( pre chemo) now I just go with the white hair. It’s such a relief not to have to do my roots every 5 weeks and I get more compliment on my white hair than I ever did when I colored it. But I get it, it’s hard to get use to. You do look beautiful

[Cropcrop]

Your hair is really stunning and wow those eyelashes are spectacular, mine took nearly a year to come back, I understand why you feel the need to colour your hair, it's like getting a bit of normality back, my oncologist said that once it was around an inch long I could colour it so that equates to around 4 months so you should be fine, though to be honest if mine had come back your colour I would have left it, mine was a really dirty grey so it needed a lift, I had highlights done and felt more like me. Happy new hair lovely ❤️Xx Jane

[Suzanne333 in reply to Cropcrop]

Aww thanks. I can see why people do like my hair but I just don't like it. It's funny because my eyelashes fell out a good month after my last chemo and were back within two weeks. I think they're longer than my hair. Xx

[CALENA]

I am in the same boat as you with my hair. My last chemo was December I decided for my birthday May 9th I wanted to try to color mine back to blonde. It's about an inch long now and came back salt and pepper. I colored it last night but I don't think I left it on long enough but I'm pleased with the color.

[Suzanne333 in reply to CALENA]

It's what we feel comfortable with isn't it. I still wear my bandana as I dislike my hair so much. Xxx

[bsooner]

I went back to my "natural" blonde at about the stage your hair is now. I just had it done by my hair stylist the same as she had always bleach it. If my hair looked as good as yours does. I would have left it alone. I ended up mousey brown.

[Suzanne333 in reply to bsooner]

Your hair is a lovely colour in your photo. I've always been (dyed) blonde and I like it so much. This colour I have now is nice by for someone else. I'm just not comfortable with it. Xxx

[bsooner]

Yes it really makes a difference. The usual colors that I wear didn't look right and I felt washed out. Love being blonde!😁

[Katsmum]

Mine looked like yours when it grew back and many remarked they loved the colour so I left it for a while. It gradually went to a ' dirty' grey though so I tried using a silver colour which turned it blonde somehow!!

[Nicky100]

You have had advice above on colouring..so I am just going to say you look blooming amazing!! Anyone that can pull off a gorgeous cheeky shot like that is worth it!! Xx

[caf132]

I used Nutritint. It is ammonia free and colors completely all my gray. Acts just like a salon hair color, very long lasting and gentle. I split it up into two treatments bc of my very short hair.

Xx Carol

[Bonnie11]

I had highlight done all over. It not painted on your skin just the hair. I think they would look fab in your hair.

[Suzanne333]

Thank you all so much for your advice. Xxxx

[Spencer2016]

Hi Suzanne- my medical team said I was fine to color my hair and said I could use any products. I have been dark brown my entire life (+ gray last few years) but just last week went all blonde! With it so short figured it wasn't a major commitment. Anything to make me feel less "cancer head". I'm so happy I did it!! I didn't wait to finish chemo! Figured it started growing back so was inpatient to change it. Go for it!! For other ladies out there- I was totally bald in Feb and its coming back!

Suzanne- I'm in awe of your eyeblashes! Did you lose them? Any tips?

Cheers,

Anne

[Suzanne333 in reply to Spencer2016]

Aww thank you Anne. I'm gett By my hair done week after next. Like you say it feels like a cancer head. I'm going to go very blonde.

My eyelashes are quite long but a good mascara helps. I lost my lashes but only for a couple of weeks and after all the chemo had finished. Strange how hair falls out at different times and different rates.

Everyone likes my hair but it's just not me. Can't wait to get it done.

Hoping all is good with you. Xxx

[Lily-Anne]

I was told three months by Macmillan, however, although I had Carbo only so just had roots to deal with, after six weeks I could stand no more and my hairdresser put on an organic colour, it didn't last as long as usual, but it made me feel human again.

LA xx

[ellseybellsey]

Hi Suzanne,

You look amazing, I finished treatment last September and waited until now to colour my hair, I've used the vegetable dye from H & B it lasts about 10 washes. All my family and friends say I am daft and that I should leave it the salt & pepper colour.

Ellsey xx

[BellmoreBelle]

I'm nearly at the three month post-chemo mark. I've not got as pretty nor thick regrowth as you have, but I've been attempting to colour it with "semi-permanent" colour in the last few weeks. However, neither the standard hair colours (shades of brown) nor the outrageous (blue and green) will take! I'm guessing I'll have to bleach it first before I can get any lasting colour into it. I want to take this opportunity to be outrageous before I have to go back to being conventional. I am going to reveal my very short locks in public for the first time this Sunday - I am finally back in the rehearsal studio with my band, and it's going to be too hot and sweaty otherwise! At this point I'll quip that we should now be called "The Three Skinheads"!! It's okay for the other two, they're male.

[Suzanne333 in reply to BellmoreBelle]

Go for it. Now is the time to do whatever you want to your hair. I'm looking forward to mine growing but am scared of this bloody disease returning and then losing all my hair again.

I actually quite liked the bald in a weird sort of way.

Post a pic of your coloured hair if you colour it bright colours xxxx

[Caroles1]

If that is your hair,you look amazing! It should be taken with caution up to 6 months,personally, I wouldn't colour until after 6 months.My oncologist told me that,but I am a trained hairdresser and I would be wary without advice since hair can react differently after the treatments we have been through.

Me? I have coloured my hair since I was 18,but my hair grew back white/blonde and I am giving in gracefully,it's the best condition it has ever been❤️

[Suzanne333 in reply to Caroles1]

My hair is growing back thick and everyone likes the colour but I'm just not keen. The photo makes it lighter than it actually is.

I'll be careful when getting it coloured. Xxx

[Kim1958]

Hi I finished first line chemo in Nov. 2016 and started second line chemo on Mar. 29, 2017. I had my hair coloured for the first time mid March 2017. I am on a clinical trial now doing immunotherapy and caelyx. I just had my roots redone yesterday. My hair is quite fine, but it's doing ok with being coloured. Kim xx

[Suzanne333 in reply to Kim1958]

Thank you for your reply Kim.

I hope you are doing well in your trial. Xx

[Kim1958]

Hi Suzanne I have my first scan since starting trial on Friday. My oncologist says because my CA125 is dropping, I am responding to treatment. I'm still anxious about the scan but hoping for good news.

Kim xx

[Suzanne333 in reply to Kim1958]

Hi Kim.

I'm certain your scan will be fine. You're responding to treatment and your CA125 is dropping so it's all looking good.

It's so very normal to worry when having a scan. All us ladies worry about the dreaded scan. Try and put it out of your head. Easier said than done I know.

Good luck and I'm sure it will be fine.

Let us know how you get on xxx

[Kim1958]

Thank you Suzanne! This is what I need to hear. This is such a difficult disease, and it requires us to be so brave. I am so happy to have the support of this wonderful group of women. I will let you all know my results which I will find out on May 24th. Thanks for you support! Kim xx

[Suzanne333 in reply to Kim1958]

It is a difficult disease. I'm in remission and I feel great but it's like a big black cloud just constantly hanging over you.

I get scared but nobody seems to want to talk to me about it. I don't know if they're burying their heads in the sand or just think I'm an attention seeker because I need to talk about it. I do believe though that they just don't understand. They think I'm cured.

I'm just so grateful for this site as the women on here know exactly how we feel. We are all in the same horrible boat but thank goodness for the excellent support of each other.

You will be fine. I know you will. Everything's going well. Xxx

[Kim1958]

That is wonderful that you are in remission! I finished chemo November 28, 2016, but they don't think all the microscopic cells were killed with the carbo/taxol as I had tumours again in February. I get scared too, and so many people in my life are encouraging, but I have a few good friends I can speak honestly to about the disease. That's really important to me. I still have trouble believing this has happened to me at times! Yes this website is wonderful for the support we need and get. I don't know what to expect from my upcoming scan. I feel pain so I know it is still there. Hopefully it has shrunk considerably. If not, I will no longer be in the study trial. Big breath......one day at a time. That's all we can do, and think positive thoughts. Thanks for the encouragement!! Kim xx

[Georgiatec]

You look amazing!

[March2017]

I dyed my hair after 4 months using Olia it was and still Is fine 😊