If you've had chemo, and your hair fell out...

[TealDolphin]

What texture did it grow back in as? Was it straightier, wavier, curlier than before it fell out? And did it ever return to the texture it was before it fell out due to chemo?

I'm not undergoing chemo currently, but I do have a high risk of cancer later in life, so am just wondering, if I ever did have to go through chemo, if I would eventually get back the hair texture I have now, or would it permantmently stay straighter, wavier, whatever it grew back in as? Thanks!

[Angeletti]

I didn't have chemo but DH did and it came back just the same, he still has his awesome curls. My grandma had chemo and hers came back very fragile and fine, so I'm guessing it varies from person to person.

[christine1989]

TealDolphin: I hope you never have to find out for yourself!

I had an art teacher in middle school though who had wavy blonde hair before chemo and afterward it grew in orangy red and pin straight. I wonder why chemo changes hair color and texture?? If anyone knows the science behind it do share.

[TealDolphin]

Thanks for the replies! :)

Does anyone know if the hair does eventually return to it's orginal texture after the chemo wears out of the person's system?

[ColoradoDreamer]

I've been there.

My hair before chemo was sort of wavy and baby fine. When it grew back after chemo, it was fairly curly. However, it's now been almost 5 years since my last treatment, and my hair has gone back to what it was before: wavy and baby fine.

[nellreno]

When my aunt when through chemo her hair came back much curlier. However, she keeps her hair very short right now, so it's hard to tell if her hair went back to how it used to be.

[Purdy Bear]

Not everyone looses their hair with chemo, my mother and my sister in law have both had it and both kept their hair.

[purple_figtree]

I had a lot of thinning when I was going through chemo - at least a third of my hair fell out - but I didn't lose all of it. The hair that's growing back in is curly, darker, and coarser. I was surprised one day to see I had a fuzzy halo around my head, and realized my hair was growing back. Yay!

[Sooze]

A friend of mine had chemo and radiotherapy following an operation to remove a brain tumour. She had beautiful dark brown straight silky hair. After the chemo and radiotherapy it grew in curly and shiny. Now, about four years after her op, it's back to being straight, and the condition is as gorgeous as it ever was. :)

I hope you never have to find out the answer to your question from experience.

[littlenvy]

My best friend just went through chemo at the beginning of this year and now her hair is about 3 inches long and VERY curly. :) She use to have wavy fine/medium fair hair and now its a bit darker, medium and curly but just as thick as before. Looks very good on her, thou its a little bit harder to style at this stage.

[UltraBella]

According to the Mayo Clinic, the change in color and texture is temporary for the majority of chemotherapy patients.

[kdaniels8811]

I lost all my hair to chemo and it is now about an inch and a half (ended in May), same color and texture as before as near as I can tell. Waiting for to get long enough to henna, about shoulder length, I guess. Chemo is really scary but we all get through it and the alternative is much worse!

[MissySue]

I went through chemo in '07. There are a lot of different chemo drugs for different types of cancer and not all of them make your hair fall out. Mine did however. At first when my hair first started growing back it looked just the same, reddish-brown and pretty straight,about 1b or 1c I think. It needed 2 or 3 inches to see the curls in it. It stayed quite curly until recently. Right now it seems a little less curly, 2a or 2b now instead of 2c. I think that might be due to just having longer hair pulling down the curl a little. So, the short answer is mine is still curly after 3 years.