Discouraged with post-chemo hair (hello after 7 years!)

[Prism]

I've been gone for seven years and was happy to find I still remember my login details. Hello, again! I think when I was here last I shared that I underwent chemotherapy in 2007 for breast cancer. I'm happy to say I'm cancer-free, but my hair texture has been different since chemo. My hair seems to be a bit more brittle, but that could be due to coloring as well. I know my eyelashes are different (shorter and don't hold a curl when I try to curl them), so it's no surprise that the hair on my head is different.

I measured my hair tonight and it's 18.5 inches, a whole half an inch longer than it was when I was here last. I think I got discouraged with growing and cut my hair back then. I'd like to have long hair again, but I don't know if my hair will look good long. For one thing, it's going gray, and presently doesn't resemble the lovely silver locks of many in the gray thread. I've been getting it colored every few months and am currently planning to discontinue the dye.

I guess I'm just wondering, when you've got a very long way to go until you have long hair and you don't feel like your hair is pretty, how do you keep from getting discouraged and just giving up? It's not lost on me that I'd be here with seven years of growth if I hadn't gotten discouraged last time. Thanks in advance for any posts. I look forward to becoming active on the boards again.

[Borgessa]

Congrats on getting through the cancer ordeal. I'll leave the experts for the advice.. Just wanted to say Kudo's too ya.

[ExpectoPatronum]

Welcome back and glad to hear you're cancer free!

As for what to do to keep from getting discouraged, honestly the best thing is to learn to appreciate your hair has it currently exists. This is obviously, a lot a easier said than done. Appreciate the length your hair is at and appreciate how long it took for it to get to where it is.

[Siri]

Congratulations on being cancer free and welcome back! :cheer: :flower:

[TatsuOni]

Welcome back and congrats on beeing free from cancer! :)

[Anje]

Hi, welcome back, and congrats!

I've heard enough stories about hair texture being different after chemo that it seems to be a common thing. It's like you get someone else's hair when it grows back. Which is really weird. Honestly, I think it comes down to learning how to treat your new hair and make it look it's best with its new texture, because it isn't going to look the same or behave the same as it used to. That's a big adjustment, might take different products, new routines, altered handling... But you can do it. Be patient, consider starting over with hair typing, and build from there. :flower:

[Arctic]

Welcome back and congratulations on being free of cancer! I think I remember your username!

I haven't got chemo hair myself but have gone through a hair type change. It took a lot of mental efforts (and time) to accept the new hair type, I really struggled with it. I've been more or less in peace with it for some years now, even it still some times feels like I am still learning to find the care methods that are the very best for me and as someone with trichotillomania I am still trying to learn to not get triggered by coarser textures.

If you haven't already, you could also google people's experiences with chemo related hair type changes. I have read they are very common and I have seen people discuss about them online.

[school of fish]

So wonderful about your cancer-free status!!! Welcome back to the board :)

This is a little off-topic and may or may not be useful, but about the eyelash thing - I have lashes that grow straight and grow downward toward the floor, and they resist curl too (they just grow naturally that way, it's not a result of texture change in my case). The ONLY and I mean ONLY thing that's been able to hold a curl in my lashes is Maybelline Great Lash mascara, waterproof formula - the one in the pink and green tube that they've making since the dawn of time ;)

I've been curling my lashes with the squeeze curler thing and holding the curl with that mascara daily for over 30 years, ever since I was 13 years old. I pray they never change the formulation or discontinue it, hahaha!!!

Anyway - I don't know if it's relevant to you or if you've ever tried it but I thought I'd throw it out there :)

Sorry for the highjack - back to topic! :p

[spidermom]

Let go of any ideas you have about how your hair should look and get to know the hair you have. You could start a blog here or keep notes in a journal at home to keep track of the different things you try and how your hair responds. Eventually you will find a strategy for bringing out the best in your hair. Have fun!

[lapushka]

I guess I'm just wondering, when you've got a very long way to go until you have long hair and you don't feel like your hair is pretty, how do you keep from getting discouraged and just giving up? It's not lost on me that I'd be here with seven years of growth if I hadn't gotten discouraged last time. Thanks in advance for any posts. I look forward to becoming active on the boards again.

Thank goodness you are in remission! :) My grandma and a friend of my aunt both had breast cancer. Unfortunately, neither of them were so lucky and it turned brain cancer (tumor) in later years for both. They are both long gone. :( :no:

You just have to hang in there day by day. I'm sure it's not any more difficult than chemotherapy (now *that* takes courage). Growing hair next to that is like so easy. Just be patient. Do you by chance have a picture of your hair; I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is. :flower:

[meteor]

Yay, Prism! Welcome back and Congratulations on being cancer-free!!! :cheer: :love:


[...]I guess I'm just wondering, when you've got a very long way to go until you have long hair and you don't feel like your hair is pretty, how do you keep from getting discouraged and just giving up? It's not lost on me that I'd be here with seven years of growth if I hadn't gotten discouraged last time.
I think there's a lot to be said for good old benign neglect, putting it up and forgetting about it, because hair growth is such a long process. Also, hair doesn't look the same day in and day out. I think giving it the best hair care you can manage but not expecting much in return is the way to go, since all change related to new growth is so incremental. Just let it be and it will pleasantly surprise you one day. :blossom: Happy growing! :heartbeat

[bparnell75]

Welcome back and we are happy you are in good health now. I agree with many here. Just enjoy what hair you have at each stage. I grew mine out from bleach for 30 years. starting about 8 years ago. I was then cut to chin length to get rid of the dye. (I really struggled with the gray and the mousey brown, but I persevered) I just enjoyed each stage ad pretty hair dos. As soon as it was long enough I started doing up dos. Is solves so many problems and can look pretty even when it does not look good down. At 18 inches you have plenty to do a French twist and a Gibson tuck. Maybe even a disc bun. Do you still have some forks and sticks from before? If not and If you need some pretty hair toys PM me. I will be happy to send you some. I make them all the time. Perhaps a small fork and some sticks, or decorations for the Gibson tuck.

[Cg]

It can be difficult to accept that your new hair isn't going to be like the previous, but once you do, you can concentrate on finding what routines and products work best for you now. When you know that, you will be a lot happier with your hair.

Please don't ever forget what a positive outcome you've had. Not everyone gets that. You have your life and you have hair. Enjoy both!

[Groovy Granny]

Welcome back...and congrats on being cancer free :)

I am not sure of your age....but I would encourage you to color back to your normal color and then just let the silver grow, doing microtrims to rebuild your hemline.
I did that at age 50 and finally at 65 I am 85%+ silver, with still a bit darker hair @ nape and back, but even there silver is mixing in on closer inspection.

Give your silver a good chance; many times it does not grow in as fast as you'd expect...or in the pattern you think.
It is a free NATURAL highlight....and yours alone
If after a good shot you really don't like it...color it want you want...or get high/low lights to blend it in.

My motto is ENJOY THE JOURNEY....that means embracing your hair AS IT IS....giving it what it needs for the best care.
Then bling it up with new hair styles and toys as you encounter each new length.

You have a lot to celebrate and I wish you well :cheer:

[Prism]

All - Thank you for the comments. I never expected so many would reply. Thank you so much for the warm welcome back and good wishes. I will try to see if I can get BF to take a pic for me.

School of fish - I will have to try that for the eyelashes! Have you tried a heated eyelash curler? That takes a little patience, but can make them look longer and stay curled. I will give Great Lash a try!

meteor - I like that--"good old benign neglect!" Lol I do understand what you mean. I think you're right--I need to forget about the hair a bit. It'll get there if I don't expect it today.

bparnell75 - Thanks for sharing that you struggled with the mousey hair until you were happier with your hair. I think maybe it would help for me to find some hair twins on these boards--people whose hair was similar to mine and ended up looking good long. I get frustrated because using heat makes it look "presentable," but I don't want to use heat because I know it'll affect the long hair journey. Also, thanks for updo recommendations! I'd never heard of the Gibson tuck before, and I'll be giving that a try. Maybe this is also the time to master the French twist; that one has always escaped me. Frankly, so many of your beautiful updos here are tough for me. I'm all thumbs when it comes to trying to French braid, for one thing. Maybe it gets easier?

Cg - You make a good point. Many of my friends that I went through cancer with are no longer here. I am immensely grateful for the positive outcome. Sometimes I need to remember it's just hair, after all.

Groovy Granny - I just turned 49. Cancer was at 39. I am dealing with midlife blues and feeling old in general, so the hair turning silver is just a small part of it. Thank you (!) for the wisdom about giving silver a chance to be how it will be. I'm looking at silver at my temples mostly, and I never considered viewing them as free natural highlights. In the past I think I mentioned that my mother and sister both have hair to the floor, literally. My hair never got longer than bra strap, and I treated mine more harshly, blow drying, coloring, etc. I realize I've got to do things differently or it'll be the same story for me growing hair long now. It would be extremely disappointing to grow it and then find it doesn't get longer than midback due to damage. Enjoy the journey -- very good advice!

Okay, I just got BF to take a pic for me, and when I see it, I'm so disappointed with it. It's naturally wavy in sections, but not evenly. I brushed it before the pic, and the waves look like frizz now. Oh well. Here goes. I can't seem to get it to post here, but here's a link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liora/33645000273/in/datetaken/

[FrayedFire]

Okay, I just got BF to take a pic for me, and when I see it, I'm so disappointed with it. It's naturally wavy in sections, but not evenly. I brushed it before the pic, and the waves look like frizz now. Oh well. Here goes. I can't seem to get it to post here, but here's a link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liora/33645000273/in/datetaken/

Oh, Prism, your hair is so pretty! It's like it has micro-texture and refracts the light! I can't wait to see what it looks like in silver. And then it will be light enough to do anything you want with it (rainbow hair chalk, anyone?) Just like your name!

Welcome back, happy to hear you made it through.

[lapushka]

Okay, I just got BF to take a pic for me, and when I see it, I'm so disappointed with it. It's naturally wavy in sections, but not evenly. I brushed it before the pic, and the waves look like frizz now. Oh well. Here goes. I can't seem to get it to post here, but here's a link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liora/33645000273/in/datetaken/

It looks great to me. Almost all color (where's the gray?) and a nice thick hemline. Maybe a tiny tad dry over the lengths, but that's not really an issue. Just try maybe a leave-in and a good serum after your wash and it will smooth things out quite a bit!

[Groovy Granny]

Groovy Granny - I just turned 49. Cancer was at 39. I am dealing with midlife blues and feeling old in general, so the hair turning silver is just a small part of it. Thank you (!) for the wisdom about giving silver a chance to be how it will be. I'm looking at silver at my temples mostly, and I never considered viewing them as free natural highlights. In the past I think I mentioned that my mother and sister both have hair to the floor, literally. My hair never got longer than bra strap, and I treated mine more harshly, blow drying, coloring, etc. I realize I've got to do things differently or it'll be the same story for me growing hair long now. It would be extremely disappointing to grow it and then find it doesn't get longer than midback due to damage. Enjoy the journey -- very good advice!

Okay, I just got BF to take a pic for me, and when I see it, I'm so disappointed with it. It's naturally wavy in sections, but not evenly. I brushed it before the pic, and the waves look like frizz now. Oh well. Here goes. I can't seem to get it to post here, but here's a link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liora/33645000273/in/datetaken/
Your pic looks good....you just have to figure out what it needs.
We have all been there.... and no head of hair is perfect (((hugs))).

How wonderful it is to be in better health at age 50; I had medical problems back then also (as well as 'midlife blues') and truly didn't expect to see 50; scary!!
But now you have good health on your side....with a little TLC your hair will perk back up :cheer:

I agree MOISTURE will help; I love JOICO Moisture S&C, then I use a pea size dollop of conditioner as a leave in, with a little oil (few drops) and a few drops of BIOSILK serum (all on damp hair).

I would avoid heat; if you need to dry your roots... do it on warm/cool and let the ends air dry.

While it is impressive to have relatives with super long hair....it may take a bit longer with your medical history.

So set shorter goals....MBL>WL>Hip etc so as not to be discouraged, and join those threads to get support as you grow.

Hang in there...it will come! :flowers:

[Prism]

Oh, Prism, your hair is so pretty! It's like it has micro-texture and refracts the light!

I think that's mostly old coloring, but thank you all the same! :)

[Prism]

It looks great to me. Almost all color (where's the gray?) and a nice thick hemline. Maybe a tiny tad dry over the lengths, but that's not really an issue. Just try maybe a leave-in and a good serum after your wash and it will smooth things out quite a bit!

It's definitely dry over the length. The coloring I was doing (that's where the gray has gone ;) ) is probably mostly responsible for that. When you say "serum," do you mean something with cones? I do like how it looks and feels with a coney product on it, but I worry about longterm damage. Any thoughts on this?

[Prism]

I agree MOISTURE will help; I love JOICO Moisture S&C, then I use a pea size dollop of conditioner as a leave in, with a little oil (few drops) and a few drops of BIOSILK serum (all on damp hair).

Does the Biosilk have cones? Any concerns about what they do over time? I love the look and feel of my hair after applying a coney product, but I worry about whether it's doing more damage than help. Your thoughts? Thanks for your posts!

[Groovy Granny]

Does the Biosilk have cones? Any concerns about what they do over time? I love the look and feel of my hair after applying a coney product, but I worry about whether it's doing more damage than help. Your thoughts? Thanks for your posts!
Oh goodness...I am not good about those things :o

For one...my hair LOVES cones!
I can't go without them in my products and I have never had damage.

I do clarify once a month and use a silver shampoo.

It seems people are either for or against them :shrug:

Plus your hair is heavier than mine so you would use the original serum (I use the LITE).

Here are the ingredients:

ORIGINAL
Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Ethyl Ester of Hydrolyzed Silk, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Eugenol.

LITE
Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Ester of Hydrolyzed Silk, Fragrance (Parfum), Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool.

[Prism]

Groovy Granny, thank you. I was just reading the cone vs. cone-free thread on here, and it does seem like there are pros and cons. Your hair looks incredibly healthy so keep doing what you're doing!

[akurah]

The thing with cones is if your hair likes it or not. If your hair likes it, use it, don't worry about anyone saying "omg they're going to ruin your hair!" While science may yet disprove it, cones aren't going to cause damage from what I understand. At most, they might seal out moisture that you want to get in, so I generally recommend making sure you use some manner of sulfate periodically (not necessarily regularly) since that'll get them off if they build up.



If I'm deliberately going to use cones, one of my favorite things to do before that is to oil my hair super heavy with coconut oil (before getting in the shower) and letting the hair stay oiled from 5 minutes to an hour before washing my hair, then using a nice coney shampoo. I don't do it often, mostly because my wash schedule is erratic, and I sometimes don't think about it, or I haven't given thought to which conditioner to use, since whether or not I use a coney one depends on which one I grab. I also don't always actually use conditioner, because not only is my wash schedule erratic, how I was apparently is too :lol:

[lapushka]

It's definitely dry over the length. The coloring I was doing (that's where the gray has gone ;) ) is probably mostly responsible for that. When you say "serum," do you mean something with cones? I do like how it looks and feels with a coney product on it, but I worry about longterm damage. Any thoughts on this?

Yes. I am using something from Action and Aldi now (both stores in my area), but before that I was using the IC Fantasia serums; they are lightweight but get the dryness out and are very smoothing. You never need a lot, just a tiny puddle in the palm of your hand, spread it through both hands and apply to hair that's come out of its towel. I had the Chi serum but that is thick and can be quite heavy (upside, you need even less of that).

[embee]

Welcome back! Happy to read that you made it through that ordeal.

Ever since I became interested in my hair as a teen I was sad about it... the color, the straightness, the thin stringy droopy quality. It took many years to come to acceptance, and now I'm ok with it. Sure, it would be great to have this or that, but it's not happening on my head!

You can have long hair or short hair, it will still be your hair, maybe the new normal, but yours. If you want long, go for it! :)

And I would surely use whatever shampoo or conditioner makes my hair feel or look the way I prefer.

[Hay_jules]

Congrats on 10 years! I'm not sure if my hair changed texture after chemo or if it was just age, chemical damage and such. I got my first greys at 16 and cancer at 27. I had heard that your hair can grow back completely different after chemo so I thought, maybe I'll be lucky and my silvers won't come back, and maybe it'll be less frizzy. As you probably guessed, i was wrong lol. Very wrong. I had more silvers and my hair was so poufy and wavy that one of my kids called it Ronald McDonald hair. I lost every single hair on my body, when it grew back it all grew back differently. My eyelashes on my left eye (the side i slept on) came in sideways, all pointing towards the bridge of my nose (that took nearly a decade to sort itself out), my brows grew sparse and have never filled in. My body hair grew back finer which is nice I suppose, but my head hair grew back curlier and i had no idea what to do with curly hair except brush and straighten, and i dyed the greys of course.

I'm growing out bleach now and have a lot of greys in my brown hair and honestly, I don't see myself leaving it be until i have a lot more silver, I haven't decided a long term solution for after this has grown out but i have learned to accept it for what it is. I'm focusing on paying attention to what my hair likes and every time i make a new discovery (like curls I didn't know I had or something that actually helps frizz) i am so pleased and just remind myself that it will be even better once it's grown out more. I'll be 14 years cancer free this year, 13 years my hair has been growing back and I'm just learning now some of the changes it's gone through.

I guess my point is I've been there and it sucks but if you can learn acceptance you'll find you have a whole lot more to appreciate about your hair. Like the fact that you have it. We can have a level of gratitude after having gone through chemo and the emotional trauma of cancer treatment and the emotional trauma of losing our hair. Feel free to pm me if you ever feel like it.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Welcome back. The word cancer does come with a lot of fear of the unexpected.

The best I can say is start a gratitude journal and remind yourself of all the things you are grateful for. As with the expectation of long hair comes lots of patience. Be kind to yourself and treat your hair gently. Happy growing and good luck:grouphug:

[truepeacenik]

When I feel my hair isn't pretty, I focus on a neat hair toy/accessory for looks and go rock my day. Any stranger who will actually say something negative about my hair will get ignored, because s/he was obviously raised by jerks.

[Groovy Granny]

Groovy Granny, thank you. I was just reading the cone vs. cone-free thread on here, and it does seem like there are pros and cons. Your hair looks incredibly healthy so keep doing what you're doing!

Thanks, will do...good luck to you :cheer:

[Prism]

When I feel my hair isn't pretty, I focus on a neat hair toy/accessory for looks and go rock my day. Any stranger who will actually say something negative about my hair will get ignored, because s/he was obviously raised by jerks.

I may adopt this as it sounds like a very good rule. :) Seriously, it does help to have a distraction and takes some of the sting out of the disappointment.

[school of fish]

...

School of fish - I will have to try that for the eyelashes! Have you tried a heated eyelash curler? That takes a little patience, but can make them look longer and stay curled. I will give Great Lash a try!

...

Okay, I just got BF to take a pic for me, and when I see it, I'm so disappointed with it. It's naturally wavy in sections, but not evenly. I brushed it before the pic, and the waves look like frizz now. Oh well. Here goes. I can't seem to get it to post here, but here's a link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liora/33645000273/in/datetaken/

Yes, I've tried a heated lash curler and alas it was a disappointment - I remember being so hopeful and then watching as my beautifully curled lashes slowly unfurled ( or maybe they furled) themselves back to their poker straight natural state after about 30 seconds, hahaha!!

I think you're getting some good tips and suggestions from others about how to handle your new texture. I agree that letting go of previous expectations of your former hair is likely your best path to contentment with your new hair :) It seems your new hair handles differently and wants different treatment as compared to the texture you had before, so there will be a 'getting to know you' period ;) I think what you've got now looks pretty great, and that with a little trial and error you'll get the straighter and wavier sections to play together more easily :) Enjoy the experimenting - it can be fun!

[Prism]

I just wanted to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. I've enjoyed reading your replies. If I can ask a followup question it'd be...from my pic linked in the thread, do you think my hair is too damaged from coloring to grow long? Is cutting it back to virgin hair my only option or can hair "bounce back," so to speak? I have used a "reconstructor" before and wonder how well things like that can work. Thank you!

[Alun]

My mum had chemo for breast cancer. Not only did her hair grow back really quickly, but it came in black, when it had been grey for years! Her excitement didn't last, because it didn't remain black for very long atall. Still, touch wood, the cancer has never come back.

[Prism]

My mum had chemo for breast cancer. Not only did her hair grow back really quickly, but it came in black, when it had been grey for years! Her excitement didn't last, because it didn't remain black for very long atall. Still, touch wood, the cancer has never come back.

I'm happy to hear that she is cancer-free. The color change must have been SO strange!

[Prism]

Okay, so I thought my hair was shiny with coney products (like the old pic from my avatar), but I used coney products today and took a pic, and it looks like the coneless pic does--just dull, dry looking hair. Do you think there's any salvaging this to grow it long, or will I just need to cut it off eventually? Will a protein conditioner or reconstructor or something help? Thank you!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4188/34439868546_0257681e47.jpg

[Arctic]

Have you, by any change, taken the new photos with phone camera? I know my phone camera - which actually should be pretty good quality - takes terrible hair photos. It makes my texture look coarser and drier every time, the image quality is too sharp to flatter hair (and many other subjects). I hate posting those photos. Of course not all phone cameras do this, but mine looks lot like yours. When I use proper cameras and when I look in the mirror I see the real texture. Some cameras are just not very good at capturing hair. Camera settings, light conditions and whether flash is being used affect hair photos a lot too.

This being said, your hair looks like it's wavy, but you wear it (and possibly care is as?) straight. It does look somewhat dry. You are the best judge about how damaged it is, but if it isn't causing you particular problems, why not just start micro trimming regularly.

[Prism]

I'm afraid that my hair looks like this to the naked eye as well. I'm on an iPhone. The texture IS wavy when I let it air dry, but this is what it looks like after it's been brushed. I guess I was wondering if reconstructors and protein-filled products can actually repair the hair. I do have a heat cap and some coconut oil to give a try as well. I think it might be shinier when I blow dry it with a round brush. Coloring has definitely dried it out. I think this might convince me to just go gray without future colorings since it's like a pile of straw!

[enting]

Prism even though your hair is only wavy, you may be interested in experimenting with curly girl style care. What I mean by that is making sure your hair is moisturized and not brushing it after it air dries unless you are going to put it up. Wave or curl that is brushed out can look dry and frizzy even if it is in no way damaged!

To me, your picture looks as if your hair could use a good deep treatment. I don't think you need to cut that hair off at all, it just needs a bit more loving. If your routine changes and your hair seems much healthier down the road but this section of hair still seems like straw, you can decide then if you want to trim or cut it off, but other than a little dry and brushed out it looks great to me!

You could try some protein and see if your hair likes it. Various people around the forum talk about the need for hydrolyzed protein because that protein is small enough to get into the hair - you can see if there's a conditioner you'd like to try that has that. The only way to know what your hair likes and needs is to experiment with things and see how your hair responds. Keep a journal of what you've tried and what the results were, that way you can keep track of what works and what doesn't.

I've also seen olaplex talked about on the forum, often used after bleaching and dyeing hair. Would it be something worth trying? Perhaps someone with more experience than I with it can chime in.

[Prism]

enting, Thanks for your reply. Here's my hair with a leave-in without combing or brushing: https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4166/34476323856_a1d9f9c6d3.jpg

Tonight I'm planning to try a different leave-in product and see how hair is tomorrow morning.

[enting]

I think it looks great! Those are beautiful waves.

[Lady Stardust]

Prism, your hair looks gorgeous with its natural wave!

It can't hurt to try lots of TLC and treatments and just see how you get on. I can't offer any advice on specific treatments as I have a different hair type to you but I can see you've had some good advice on here already. I just wanted to say I'm glad to hear that you're in good health, and that you have lovely hair, so hang on in there!

[embee]

The unbrushed hair looks fine to me! I wish I had that much thickness and wave. I'd not cut - that would be so discouraging - especially if the virgin hair didn't actually live up to my hopes. As it is, you're getting to the point you can experiment with updo styles and hairtoys, and that's *always* fun.... expensive, crazy making, but fun. :)

When my hair is not at its best I like to select shiny dangly earrings. That's a variation of hairtoy, for me.

Happy growing. Enjoy what you have. What a pretty color it is! Save the brushing for *before* your hairwashing, or if you're putting you hair up.

[Prism]

Thank you all for your kind comments! I plopped overnight, and I'm not sure whether I like the result or not. Will keep trying new things. I am staying away from the brush (!) and trying to resist combing, too. Combing with fingers only seems to give me a better result. Oh, and the Turbie-Twist was halfway off when I woke up. I don't move around that much, I don't think (was in the same position that I went to sleep in when I woke up). Might need to plop with a t-shirt for better results next time.


https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4164/34443111531_6121e13154_z.jpg

[lapushka]

Okay, so I thought my hair was shiny with coney products (like the old pic from my avatar), but I used coney products today and took a pic, and it looks like the coneless pic does--just dull, dry looking hair. Do you think there's any salvaging this to grow it long, or will I just need to cut it off eventually? Will a protein conditioner or reconstructor or something help? Thank you!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4188/34439868546_0257681e47.jpg

It also depends on how you wear your hair, and this pic is going against your texture, so that might have something to do with it more than the actual products did. Did you blow it out (and use a brush with it)?

[Prism]

It also depends on how you wear your hair, and this pic is going against your texture, so that might have something to do with it more than the actual products did. Did you blow it out (and use a brush with it)?
I didn't blow it dry for this pic. With a round brush and air directed downward, I can usually get a nice shine going (see avatar). I'm doing my best to avoid heat now (except for bangs).

[lapushka]

I didn't blow it dry for this pic. With a round brush and air directed downward, I can usually get a nice shine going (see avatar). I'm doing my best to avoid heat now (except for bangs).

Wow; how'd you get it this straight then? Is it from just brushing? I wouldn't be able to do that at all. Not so smooth, anyway. :)

[Prism]

Yes, it was just from brushing periodically as it is drying. Much of my wave is under the top layers. It only looks really wavy all over when I've scrunched it or used a leave-in product.

[EliseMarie]

enting, Thanks for your reply. Here's my hair with a leave-in without combing or brushing: https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4166/34476323856_a1d9f9c6d3.jpg

Tonight I'm planning to try a different leave-in product and see how hair is tomorrow morning.

This^^^ looks REALLY pretty!

[Prism]

This^^^ looks REALLY pretty!
Thank you, EliseMarie!

[lapushka]

This^^^ looks REALLY pretty!

Yes it does. Nothing to be ashamed over, or to complain about. The hem is as sharp as a razor (even as heck and thick) and the hair is nice and full. I mean, it's pretty! :D

[Prism]

Yes it does. Nothing to be ashamed over, or to complain about. The hem is as sharp as a razor (even as heck and thick) and the hair is nice and full. I mean, it's pretty! :D

Thank you so much! Everybody, I appreciate your kind words. You've made me hate my hair a lot less.

P.S. DBF recently gave me a trim using the CreaClip. I highly recommend that gadget if you want to cut it yourself. No more having a hairdresser chop off two inches when you said you wanted 1/4 inch!

[bparnell75]

I know many who have been through Chemo and lost all their hair. So having 18.5 inches of hair at all is a wonderful thing for which to be grateful. Also learning a couple of nice up dos and some pretty toys will make a difference. Hair looks so different when UP and it is dressier too.

[Prism]

I know many who have been through Chemo and lost all their hair. So having 18.5 inches of hair at all is a wonderful thing for which to be grateful. Also learning a couple of nice up dos and some pretty toys will make a difference. Hair looks so different when UP and it is dressier too.

Thank you! I have been admiring your pic with your beautiful hair fork for a while now. I have a 2-pronged one in the mail now. Hopefully it'll be good and will work in my hair. Any other toys you'd recommend? I have 2 Ficcares and some silk scrunchies.