Post-Chemo Regrowth, Aftercare & Organic Products
The rebirth of your hair and how to tackle it
First thing to remember is that everyone’s experience with hair re-growth is unique to them and the rate of growth varies from person to person. The new hair that comes back is still in a state of transition and takes time before it regains its natural health and strength. Not only can the hair be sensitive but also the scalp can be sensitive, and it is best not to expose either to strong chemicals. Just like your body, your hair needs to gain its inner strength and it takes time for this to happen.
There are several stages to hair re-growth and the first stage takes about 2 months after you are finished treatment. Typically, hair grows at a rate of approximately half an inch per month. That gives you six inches annually. The key to re-growth is patience and allowing yourself time to recover.
Chemotherapy drugs affect the roots of your hair. They will continue to affect the hair shaft formation because these drugs will still be in your system for some time. Your hair, skin and fingernails will take some time to recover as the toxins leave your body. When your new hair comes in, it may be different from your natural hair at first. This is due to the loss or change of pigment and may result in white, grey, or some colour difference other than your natural colour. As your body recovers and the hair pigment rebounds, your hair may return to its original colour, or a colour close to your pre-chemo hair.
Expect a change in hair texture as well. Many women experience a change in the texture and colour of their hair when it starts to grow back. Sometimes women whose hair used to be straight are faced with curls. This is a result of the chemotherapy damaging the hair follicle. This can result in dry, fragile, brittle, frizzy and unmanageable hair. The good news is that the hair will eventually revert back to its original texture. For some women who have had fine hair most of their lives have found themselves with more hair than they ever had but unfortunately it can go the other way too.
Unveiling your new hair from beneath the prosthesis can be quite daunting for many women and for others it’s a celebration of a new them! This is a chance and a great opportunity to experiment and embrace new hairstyles and colour. This gives you the opportunity to explore where you were too afraid to do so in the past. About 85% of our clients whom had long hair before treatment said that they would never go back to having long hair again. Many stay short!
