When can I be a blonde again????

[fannyanny]

Probably a much asked question but do any ladies out there know when it's ok to tint hair again after chemo? My chemo finished in Nov last year - hair started coming back Christmas. I've had it trimmed 3 times now - still on the way to looking like one of the Jackson 5 but HATE the bloody grey... have been blonde for the last 35 yeras and want ME back! Any ideas?

[angelina]

Hi, Saw my onc last week and asked her when can I colour my hair. She said 6 months after

chemo has finished, but if I were you, think maybe you ought to have it done at the hairdressers first time - if you usually do it yourself. Hope this is of some help to you. finished my chemo 6wks ago - think there is a slight chance i got a bit of hair growth.Keep getting the magnifying mirror out to check!!

Angelina x

[fannyanny]

Thanks Angelina!! We don't really appreciate what we have do we - until it's gone!! have always had my hair coloured at the salon. Will ask my hairdresser to do a strand test!!! x

[LizK]

I was told to leave it till a year after the end of treatment. My hair is just showing signs of growing back but at the moment there's so little of it that I can't tell what colour it is - some looks white and some looks as though it might be black - think it's called Salt and Pepper hair colour!

Liz XX

[GeorgeSuffolk]

Hi, I didn't realise that you weren't supposed to dye your hair so I did mine as soon as it was about an inch long. It was very resistant to the dye so still had grey patches and the colour was not as true to the packet as it used to be before hair loss. However I continued to dye it until I lost it again this time (only a few months) and preferred that to being grey.

I know there are more important things to worry about, but having no hair really gets me down and the fact that it comes back frizzy and grey is so depressing.

Best wishes George x

[TinaWright in reply to GeorgeSuffolk]

Hi George and Cathy,

I felt the same - I never minded no hair at all as much as new grey growth.

So, I decided to dye mine as soon as it was long enough too. However, not bleach or highlift.

Like Cathy,I have been blonde for over 30 years too. But I decided to use this opurtunity and go dark. I was then able to use a semi permanent. I am a hairdresser so I use proffesional products and am able to ask one of my two hairdresser daughters to do it for me at home. So, I would advice you to go to the salon always.

From hairdressing experiences after chemo everyones hair grows back different, of course we all notice the grey if we`ve coloured previously,but some ladies hair will grow curly, others thicker and many more will be fine and whispy for a while.

A good hairdresser will know if your hair is strong enough but more to the point its also our scalp that becomes extra sensitive to chemical burning.

After chemo our immune system is still building up and chemo thin`s the epidermis layer of our skin - hence why we need to stay out of the sun as we are more prone to burning hence skin cancers.

We are also more sensitive to chemical burning of the scalp so this is another reason why it is advisable to wait 6 months - longer if the hair is growing back delicate.

Hope this helps - Blondes may need to wait a bit longer before colouring however, that said - cap highlights are a good way to start and build up the blonde gradually. This avoids direct contact with the colours or bleach on the skin. I had my first cap highlights about 9 months after last chemo. Now, 14 months later my hair is back to how it was pre chemo apart from a few layers, but we are getting there - its actually been quite fun.

Enjoy some changes and be proud of who you are and remember you are all beautiful with or without hair, short and grey until you get yourself back, its quite an experience feeling like a stranger.

Lots of love from tina xxx

[cathysal]

I often too think there are more important things to worry about but I think the fact that we are fretting about not liking grey hair etc is a really good thing. It shows we're not so ground down by it all that we can still take an interest in our appearance. The last time I saw my oncologist she commented on how good I was looking. I replied it was all down to Max Factor and a good wig but then she said "Ah yes, but it's the fact a girl can be bothered putting on her Max Factor and her wig that's the important thing" - she's so right! I am coping okay with the salt and pepper look on what I call my Julius Caeser style hair - I just couldn't live without my eyeliner though! Although I have to add - I have never been out without my wig on - I haven't reached that stage yet.

Cheers Cathy xx

[TinaWright]

I agree totally Cathy - good on you girl!

MY GP told me I was a huge inspiration to all cancer sufferers because she said I wasn`t allowing it to take over me completly.

I know ladies who never bother with their appearance much at all, no make up, short grey hair,

which is fine for some people, that will be there comfort zone, but if its not then why should we stop carring about ourselves because we got sick.

Often we can feel well in between the chemo and its side effects. If we continue to enjoy new clothes and hand bags (my weakness) I bought myself a taupe patern radley tope bag yesterday at a bargain for £35.00 from our Tula outlet shop. origional price was £189.00 what a saving! Then so be it continue we must! and we can encourage one another on here - I have to say, "It does it for me"

Love you all from Tina xxx

[fannyanny]

Couldn't agree with you more!!! Love bags too Tina and shoes!! haven't had much interest in the last few weeks but the passion is returning!! Yah!! x

[fannyanny]

Just answered it!!!

[SandyL]

I went back to blonde) just as soon as it was long enough to call 'hair' - about 3 months after finishing chemo in November 1999. It lifted my spirits no end. If you 'feel' better - then you have a better frame of mind and everything just seems 'right' after that. My hair grew out as a mousy blond with a reddish tint - VERY horrible - just did not feel like me! The extra 30 pounds didn't help with self esteem issues either. I joined e-Diets on line to get rid of those.

It's important to be yourself again - so I say,'go for it.'

Sandy.

[angelina]

Hi All

This is just my second day of joining ovacome.Have been reading all your

comments for a few weeks-re my oncologists advice as I have been feeling really

depressed after finishing 5months of chemo.It's good to hear that it's not only me

who's got grey hair coming through.I was quite alarmed at first but have noticed

it seems to be looking darker as its got a bit longer although its only like beard stubble

at the moment. Does it change colour anymore after the first trim!!!!!!!!!