Hair regrowth

[tndfe]

About how long after the fourth & last round of a/c chemo does it take for hair regrowth?  Is there anything that can be done to speed it up?

[rkmsim]

My hair started to grow back 6 weeks after my last A/C treatment.  I quit wearing my wig 4 weeks later when I had about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of growth.  It felt so good to go without that wig!!! My hair came back curly but only stayed that way for about a year.  It is back to its previous straight condition.

[bet1019]

Hairgrowth began for me within a few weeks.  It is very slow however.  I began goin without my wig 6 months after the day my last treatment was administered.  It was still very short.  I would have gone without my wig sooner except my hair came back kinky, kinky curly and that made it appear much shorter.  I had to put up with the frizz until I had enough length to start trimming it up - that took away the burned perm look.  The later growth was much more relaxed.  1 year after my last treatment, my hair looks better than ever with full body - I hope it lasts!

[Cathyg12]

A related discussion, hair loss on eyelashes was started.

[nohair]

A related discussion, bald and thin was started.

[Geral]

Hi!

Before I lost my hair, a hairdresser told me that hair grows 1/2 inch/month.  I found this to be true after my hair started coming in.

When my hair first came in, it was very curly (it used to be straight).  It was like having a free perm!  I received alot of compliments on it.

However, I've always had really long hair, so I chose to let it keep growing.  It's now below my shoulders with alot of body, and the bottom half is curly (it looks like I rolled it!).

I have a feeling it will keep straightening over time as it grows out, but it will probably keep the body.

Hope you're feeling okay.

Take care...
Geral

[grabung]

I too lost my hair during my chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.  It was, by far, the most traumatic part of the whole experience for me.  At first I thought I was vain because I took my hair loss so seriously.  Now I am ok with it and have learned that every person deals with their cancer in their own way.  Mine was to morn the loss of my hair.

As far as regrowth goes, my last treatment of A/C was in September and I had "stubble" by December and was not wearing my wig by February.  The regrowth seems painfully slow, especially when all you want is to feel "normal" again.  My husbad's hairdresser did recommend a hair regrowth treatment.  It's supposed to stimulate the hair follicles.  I wish I could remember the name, but unfortunately, it's not coming to me.

My hair came back in baby fine and wavy.  It's now been a year since the stubble started and I've had 1 haircut.  My hair is still in the shorter stages, but is growning in nicely.  People looking at me would not know that I had lost it.

Good luck, keep positive and before you know it, yours will be back soon too.

Gina

[tndfe]

thanks for the info bet

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear tndfe, Hair regrowth after chemotherapy varies from individual to individual. You will see it starting to come back about 4 weeks after chemotherapy is completed. It grows at about the rate that your hair grew before chemotherapy.  There is nothing available at this time that can be recommended to speed up the process.  Remember, the hair that grows back may be of a different color and texture than what you had prior to treatment.