HI all was wondering what your experience has been on how quickly hair grows back and for all you ladies in Scotland how often you are entitled to a new wig . Been back to work this week and struggling with body image as a whole , No hair/eyebrows/eyelashes . a fat tummy and a huge scar .
Thanks
Ally
Hi Ally,
When I first had cancer.......I finished chemo in the January and went out for the first time without a wig in June..I remember it because I attended the M & S fashion show in aid of the cancer hospital where I had my chemo..my hair was very short and I was very self conscious
I had loads of compliments though and people didn't know that I had cancer...before that I wore headbands and hats etc. I went back to work earlier and wore something on my head then... This time I think it is taking longer and is still very short and I am still wearing my wig after seven months..I hate my hair..and my eyebrows and lashes keeps coming and going.. so I guess each time is different I was given a voucher for a wig the first time.. and a voucher the second time as well..but live in Chester.. I paid for another myself each time I lost my hair love x G x 
Hi, it took about 4 - 5 months for me to be brave enough to go without a wig, but then I've never had short hair so felt very self conscious, then I had to start chemo again almost straight away so didn't last long sad to say, but found my eyelashes grew back fairly quickly and my eyebrows were quite thick when they came back. It is horrible isn't it having to face people and feeling like a freak, but you are probably much more aware of it than they are and they a probably just glad to see you back.
All the best George x
My hair started to grow about 4 weeks after treatment, but grew at wildly different rates! My hairdresser advised having it clipped again, and regularly trimmed to give it strength. It's pretty good now, 11 months on.....shame it's all going to drop out again once I restart treatment! I stopped wearing the wigs during the warm spell we had in March, I could have done it before, but I found it TOO cold.
All the best Chris
Hi there Ally .....
I finished my chemo on the 25 th of May and found my hair on the return last month about the 10 th of July and its going great guns now .....
Eye brows and eyes lashes are all coming back now and hair on my arms too ....
Never wore a wig even though I had it ..just wore hats and scarfs .... but now am not wearing anything ..unless its cold ..... Never thought I would feel comfortable with out wearing anything at this stage but I do ..which has surprised me as had very long blonde hair pre cancer ..then had it cut before op to short ....so from short to nought .....
We are all different in the way we accept and cope with our hair loss , I have always had long hair ..hubby loved it but even he is liking my new look ........
You will feel good about your self again ..we have all been changed by our journey through cancer and our treatment ...Just be kind to your self ....remember that you are still you under neath all this change xxx
Take care x
Love Jan xx
Hi Ally
I finished my treatment on 24 May and went out for the first time without a wig yesterday. I felt very self conscious at first but held my head high. I went to a busy town centre and nobody seemed to take any notice. My eyebrows have grown back really thick and dark my hair is grey and my eyelashes have grown back beautifully. I think they started to grow backend of June, head felt very itchy and I realised I had a spikey new growth.
I hope your work colleagues are kind and accept you as you are. As Jan said we have all been changed by our journey through cancer and we are so lucky to be alive.
Love Linda xx
Hi Ally
I know what you mean - I finished chemo last week (hopefully - dependent on PET scan) and am very impatient to see the back of the bald and eyebrowless look. When did you finish chemo? My wig is beginning to look a bit frazzled after all these months. Wearing it here in Singapore has been like having a portable sauna on my head, so the opposite of you there in Scotland.
When I feel miserable about the scarring on my body I remind myself of how I felt the day I was diagnosed - I would have done anything on that day to keep myself alive!
Hope the stubble begins to appear soon - I am sure that will give you a real lift.
Moniquex
Hi Monique!
The scars aren't pretty but the alternative is unthinkable. My scar was re-opened last year to remove another tumour and is very thick but Bio oil is working wonders. I do not know whether you can get it in singapore! If your wig is uncomfortable why not try some light scarves tied into turbans. They can be held in place with that tape models use to stop their boobs falling out of low cut dresses. You can get it in upmarket lingerie shops. when I had no eyebrows I pencilled them on and no eyelashes was a problem I was frightened that I would stick false ones to my eyeballs as I have neuropathy in my fingers so I just went in for heavy eyeliner! took me right back to my 'beat' days in the early 60's.
Power to the women! Fight on!
Love Margaret! xxxx
HI Margaret
Thanks for the tips. What is Bio oil and where in the UK do you get in from? I could maybe get someone to send some out to me. I love the idea of a 60s beat look but I don't think my hand is steady enough to put on eyeliner with the neuropathy! 
Moniquex
Hi Monique
Have you looked at annabandana.co.uk they do some lovely chemo
scarves which are elasticated at the back of the neck and also have ties
to make them feel more secure. I find these more comfortable in the warm
weather. I also penciled my eyebrows on but couldn't do anything about no
eyelashes as my eyes felt very sensitive.Because I have always worn
mascara I felt really ugly without it on. I now have lovely thick eyelashes
and its only about ten wks since I finished chemo.
Best Wishes
x
Hi Angelina
Thanks for pointing me in the direction of annabandana. They do some nice jewellery too! It must be great to have your eyelashes back.
Moniquex
Hi Ally,
Mine started to grow back as soon as chemo finished. I never wore a wig but used juliet caps with scarves tied into elaborate turbans. I had my last chemo on March 24th and had enough hair to go 'hatless' at my 70th birthday dinner on June 29th and for my trip to Verona a week later. I needed to wear a hat because of the sun but I had neat, tight grey curls. Alas the curls have gone and the grey has stayed! I did not lose my hair last time but it thinned so I kept it short. My hairdresser is going to help me do something about the colour as soon as my layers grow out and I am ready for a terriffic new style! my eyelashes are not as thick or long as they were but that could be old age. Mascara is great! My skin has become even more sensitive than it has always been so I wear little make up but I do use eye make up as I wear glasses and don't like the way my eyes disappear.
When I had no hair I told my grandsons that they could refer to me as their punk grannie! They think I am weird! I am currently awaiting delivery of a book about the body so I can explain to them what I have had done and why I now have sciatica!
Keep on fighting!
Love Margaret!
Hi Ally
The hair thing is always difficult.My hair was down past my waist before I had my oc.
Everyone in my village new me as the lady with the long plait.When I decided to chop it off
before I started the chemo and had it short people stopped me in the street to ask where my hair had gone!You can imagine their faces when I had to explain why......
it grew back very quickly after chemo ended and I really love it short all spiked up and wacky!I am due to start more chemo next week for a 2nd recurance may not loose it all this time but will have the fantastic hats and turbans I have from Suburban Turban that I wore the last time.I do not do wigs...........I am sure you will look fantastic with your new look hair.
just buy yourself a nice bright lippy and go for it.i often see women with the most awful dyed
badly cut and out of condition hair and think mine isnt so bad after all ! Chin up xxxxxxxGeorgie
hi all,
Thank you all for the replies and tips and support . I know realistically it is the least of my worries and if i had to be bald all my life for this never to come back i would but it does tend your confidence a bit . Have been ok but this week just a bit self conscious . I probably would go without a wig but have a 14 year old boy who would be soo embarrassed , I am going to check at my local maggies centre to see if any feel good days . Hi Monique Bio oil can be bought in high street chemists and health shops . Margaret how is the sciatica is it any better
Ally x
I don't think my daughter would let me out of the house without my wig either, not that I would go!
Moniquex
I finished my last chemo on June 1st and have been going without scarfs/hats for 3 weeks now. I never had a wig. This was partially accelerated by me having major surgery and wasn't able to cover my head, I got used to my short army style haircut pretty quickly.
Hi Ally
I think you are really brave.It must have been very difficult for you returning to work
with the 'Chemo Look'. I finished my chemo ten wks ago and I now have a full head
of fine baby hair - not a look I could leave the house with, so am still wearing my wig or
chemo scarves as I have not yet found the courage to let people see my new look.
I must says that I have now got my lovely eyelashes back so can now return to using
mascara, which is something I would never leave the house without. Its amazing how
we find the courage to cope with all this - but we do somehow!!!!!!
Best wishes
angie x
hi ally
i too finished my 2nd round of cheemo at the end of feb... but unfortunately my hair is just starting to grow.. its no where near long enough to go without a wig.. and its red hot some days... this time round it seems to be taking a lot longer for my hair to grow..i dont wear a wig in the house but, if a knock comes to the door i put on my wig otherwise i would feel awful...i use eyeliner so i have some eyes.... and say to my husband ill go and put my eyes on when we go out... i hope it wont be long until my hair grows... best wishes to all u ladies and hope it wont be long until u all have lovely hair again
shen x
Hello all! I am in Scotland and I did get the wig, just because they gave me a voucher for one, but tbh I've not worn it, except at night when working a night shift and it was chilly! I did wear hats and something called a 'buff' (a sort of skateboarder/skier bandana which my oncologist recommended I try) when I went out at first, but my head got so hot, itchy and sweaty I couldn't stand it, so I would take it off. If people stared, I thought 'stuff 'em, this is who I am just now, deal with it'. I'd sit with my sister having a coffee in the sun and would take it off just to get my vitamin D and to cool off. It wasn't too bad, people didn't react in an obviously horrified way. The best reaction I had was from a regular delivery chap, who took one look at my bald pate when I answered the door and said in a shocked tone 'good god, what happened to you!' I bless him for that honest reaction: it made me laugh, I told him what I was going through and he was sympathetic without being cloying. I hated the 'awkward eyes looking anywhere but at me' people. Anyway, my hair started growing back within 2 months of chemo finishing and I now have a full head of soft, extremely curly grey/black hair, pale eyebrows and thank heavens my eyelashes are back. My hair used to be dead straight and chestnut/grey and my eyebrows matched. I don't recognise myself but am starting to get used to the new look. No idea how long I will have it as I have just been started on letrozole (dammit) due to rising CA125 and having extremely oestrogen sensitive OC. Bah bah bah.
Hi me again - just re-read your OP Ally. I so sympathise about the body image and post chemo weight. I finished my chemo in Oct 2011 and am only now starting to lose weight, about a stone since April and I have a lot more to go. It's dispiriting. I am excercising loads now - swimming at least twice a week and walking my daily 10,000 or as near as I can manage when I can fit it in. This is only because I have more energy just now and my feet and joints aren't quite as painful as they were, although I gather that will return now I'm on the letrozole. All I can say is, hang in there. It's bloody hard work getting fit again, but you are not alone. xxx
Hi Ally
I'm in Edinburgh and was told that you're entitled to a new wig every six months while on treatment. I'm just about to start third line chemo but am having Topotecan this time so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't lose my hair this time as I've only been able to go without my wig for about 3 weeks now. I had my last chemo in February and my hair has come in grey and sort of curly and as it's still very short I still feel a bit self-conscious and very much like an old lady!!
I couldn't keep wearing my wig because it was so hot now that we're actually getting some sun! The downside being that I feel I've lost any little bit of glamour I was able to achieve! My eyebrows and eyelashes keep coming and going so I just use eyeliner which seems to do the trick.
Cheers. Cathy xxx
Hi Cathy,
My eyebrows and eyelashes keep coming and going as well.. and I still feel my hair is too short..I don't wear my wig at home..but I do still wear it when I go out..lots of people have thought it is my own hair..as I matched the colour of my original hair before I lost it this time...if I go places where I might not meet anyone I occasionally leave it off... but put it in my bag just in case..it does give me a sense of dignity and well being..but everyone is different... Love x G x
Hi Gwyn
What a great idea to carry it about with you - I never thought of that. I just hate the look of my hair just now and I know after what we've gone through it seems very trivial to say that, but I don't feel like me. I try and console myself that some women actually pay good money to have their hair cropped like this. It doesn't work though unfortunately!
I wish I could be like some of the other ladies and think to hell with it but I suppose that's like wishing my eyes were blue instead of hazel!
Love Cathy xx
Hi Cathy,
What I did the first time around..as I didn't like my wig too much..I bought fringes on Velcro.. One for the back and one for the front..I matched the colour of my hair..and put them on a headband..and then wore a hat..winter hats for the winter.. summer hats for the summer..no one knew that I had no hair..even my next door neighbour said he liked my hat (he didn't know I was on chemo) .....I bought peak hats from Matalan took the peak off and twirled it into a bow or flower and attached them to the side ( like a flapper hat) everyone thought they looked good..even this year when I went to the canaries on holidays..I wore my wig in the evening..and my fringes with a sun hat in the day..I looked like a monk underneath my hat haha but no one noticed as my wig is the same colour and of course.. it was cooler for the daytime..best wishes x G x 
Hi everyone all the tips are great . Hair is still the soft babydown and think it is going to be white . I am going to the beauty therapist this week to see if they can do anything about the eyebrows . I had very thick dark eyebrows and this i think is the most noticeable thing.
I have never plucked them in all my years
Ally
Re: Hair colour dye for sensitive skin to cover grey hair regrowth after Chemotherapy?
My hair journey......
Hair is back, but too much!
