Chemo curls are generally not permanent and should reduce with time. Other changes to the color and texture of the hair should also go away as the drugs leave the body after treatment. In the meantime, gentle care and styling can make managing the hair much more straightforward.
If you keep your hair short, in six to 12 months most of your chemo curls will be gone and you'll be free to try new styles with your short hair. For those who enjoy longer styles, chemo curls may last several years, or until you cut off the growth that occurred just after chemo.
New Color, Texture or Curls
Many people report having "chemo curls," or different hair color and texture when it grows back after chemotherapy. This is because the chemotherapy medications can remain in your body and cause your hair follicles to behave differently.
Some people report having 'chemo curls' – this often refers to new hair that is curly where as before chemotherapy treatment their hair was straighter. This can, in part, be explained because the shape of the hair follicle can alter during treatment and become twisted.
In fact, one of the most visible side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss and changes in hair texture. This is sometimes known as "chemo curls." Chemo curls occur when a cancer patient's hair grows back after chemotherapy in a different texture, thickness or pattern than before.
A return to normalcy is typical, but it takes a while – usually six months or so. “All who have done chemo do finally get back to normal,” Patricia said. “Treatment for breast cancer can take a whole year, but six months after it ends, life comes back – incisions heal, hair grows back, chemo brain fog lifts.”
Your hair can grow back an entirely different colour. Your perfectly beautiful brunette mop might grow back grey and vice versa. It's not uncommon to become a redhead after chemo when you were a brunette before.
Puberty, menopause and pregnancy all cause hormonal shifts that can make your tresses go from straight to curly hair. In fact, 40-50% of women experience major changes in their hair while pregnant or breastfeeding.
You can ask your hairdresser to suggest henna dyes or vegetable based dyes for you. These are gentler on the hair than the other types of hair colouring. So hair specialists think it is safe to use them. Even with a vegetable dye, it is worth testing before you use it.
Your hair usually begins growing back after your treatments end. But whether it grows back to its original thickness and fullness depends on your treatment. Different types of radiation and different doses will have different effects on your hair. Higher doses of radiation can cause permanent hair loss.
The following timeline indicates what most people can expect to happen after chemotherapy: 3–4 weeks: Light, fuzzy hair forms. 4–6 weeks: Thicker hair begins growing. 2–3 months: An inch of hair may have grown.
Some cancer treatments may cause your eyelashes and eyebrows to become thinner or fall out completely. But remember that eyebrows and eyelashes usually grow back.
Hair growth after chemo can be stimulated to grow back faster by applying minoxidil or minoxidil alternatives. Research suggests that minoxidil (Rogaine) might speed up hair regrowth after chemo.
How long does it take to get your natural curls back? Everyone's hair is different, so while it may take your friend just a few weeks to see their curls return to their former glory, you may have to wait a couple of months. The quickest way to see results is to cut off your damaged strands.
Curly hair can turn straight or become less curly due to changes in hormones due to conditions like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, puberty, or pregnancy – heat damage, genetics, iron deficiency, and overloading your hair with products can also be to blame.
When treatment ends, you may expect life to return to the way it was before you were diagnosed with cancer. But it can take time to recover. You may have permanent scars on your body, or you may not be able to do some things you once did easily. Or you may even have emotional scars from going through so much.
Most chemotherapy side effects are temporary and disappear once your treatment is over. For some people chemotherapy can cause long term changes in the body months or years after treatment. Many people feel more tired than usual for a long time after chemotherapy treatment.
Breast cancer: Women with breast cancer have an overall 30% chance of recurrence. Many cases happen within five years of completing the initial treatment. Cervical cancer: Of those with invasive cervical cancer, an estimated 35% will have a recurrence.
Most chemotherapy drugs are cleared from body waste in about two days. A few drugs may take as long as seven or more days to be cleared. A variety of factors can influence how long it takes for the drugs to leave your body.
It is best not to use dyes or perms for around 6 months after finishing chemotherapy. This is because when you are recovering from chemotherapy, your hair is more fragile than usual, and it is more likely to get damaged. It takes about 6 months for the hair to become stronger.
After chemotherapy, it may take several months for your hair to grow back. And your hair is likely to be softer. It might come back a different colour and be more curly. It will probably grow back at the same rate as before chemotherapy.