Post-Chemo Hair Growth & Styling Tips

The number one thought on most people’s mind post-chemo is how quickly will their hair grow back and what will it look like. Though I became quite fond of my bald head, the day chemo was over, I threw that love to the wind and put all my energy into regrowing my hair. After many nights of research, I settled on Biotin as my first plan of attack. I started taking the Biotin supplements the day my chemo ended (with my doctor’s approval) and I was so amazed by the results. My hair grew like weeds.

Though I was thrilled to have hair on my head again, I was not so thrilled about the hair that quickly sprouted EVERYWHERE else. One day, I even found 2 long hairs coming out of my cheeks! It was also around that time that I experienced a horrible bout of cystic acne, so I decided to take a break from the Biotin and exercise some patience.  I have since gone back on a lower dose of Biotin in a gummy form and have had no side effects.

Now I am about 13 weeks out from chemo and I am finding creative ways to style this odd little mess of hair on my head. As someone who has always had long hair, this is a new beast for me to tackle. As a beauty addict, I am taking this as just another beauty challenge. It’s a chance for me to try new styles, experiment with new products and build my confidence along the way.

As I started looking for information on how to style post-chemo hair I found that Google Image were greatly lacking. There were lots of articles on the topic, but very few photos. I wanted photos, real images of women post-cancer.  So after many unsuccessful searches, I finally stumbled upon Leo With Cancer. Her blog was everything I was looking for, beauty, fashion, hair and Dena is a breast cancer survivor. Jackpot!
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So in the spirit of growing the post-chemo hair inventory on Google, I figured I would dedicate a whole post to tips for hair regrowth, a hair growth timeline and tips for styling your fresh new baby hair. The best thing is, this post will be FILLED with tons of photos.

Set yourself up for success with a few key items as you move into your hair regrowth journey. Having these items on hand will help you tame your mane each morning and feel more confident about your ever changing ‘do.

1. Biotin Supplement or Biotin Gummies
2. Hair Pomade 
3. Cute Headbands

So now that you have set your expectations for the timeline and you have your key products on hand, we can dive into styling tips and inspiration. There are tons of celebrities rocking the pixie cut who we can turn to for inspiration.

There are also a few easy things you can do to “feminize” your look and take it from bald beauty to  sassy seductress.

The Faux Hawk
As your hair is beginning to grow in it will still be patching and the middle may be longer at first. Using water or hair paste (more effective) mold the middle into a mohawk with your hands. This is a way to add a playful fun touch to this length.

Headbands
Headbands are fantastic during this time. Look for headbands with thin sparkly bands. This will add some dimension to your hair and dress it up.

The comb over
Using hair paste comb your hair over to the side and define a deep side part. This will be easier the longer your hair looks. When we hear “comb over” we general think balding old men, but this look can actually look can actually be very feminine.

Fringe
The inclination when you are growing your hair out is to cut the hair around your ears, because it’s so dang annoying and somewhat unsightly. If you plan to grow your hair out longer, stay away from the scissor. Instead ask your hair stylist to feather that area. This will take away some of the weight and help the hair lay smoother, while still keeping the length.

Pixie
By about 6-8 months you will have more of a pixie look, which gives you more styling options. Investing in mini straightener and some touchable curl cream will allow you to easily options to wear your hair curly or straight. Hair oil is also great for smoothing the frizz that comes with chemo curls. You may also find that you need hydrating products at this stage to combat the dryness that comes with curly hair. The hydrating shampoo and conditioner from Pureology were lifesaving products for me.

Strong Eye Makeup & Brows
Strong eye makeup and brows can really balance out your face with a short hairdo. Strong brows  in particular will bring definition to your face.


Check out my updated Post-chemo hair styling article on I Had Cancer


This article first appeared on My Cancer Chic