Does Your Hair Stay Curly After Chemo?

I'm about 4 months past my last chemo. My hair came back curly and thick. I have talked to others with the same experience and they say it goes back to normal after about 6 months to 2 yrs or so.  But then I think it depends on the individual as well as the chemo drugs taken.  I heard a physician explain it by saying that the chemo effects the base of the hair follicles. They may end up dividing at a different rate and hense the change in the hairs pattern. Some people w. Curly hair have it grow back straight. Eventually, when the chemicals have completely left the body, the hair tends to go back to its normal pattern. (but not always) Good luck. Hope you 'Kick Cancer's Ass!'

Chemo finished Dec. 2008 for Ovarian Cancer hair has come back curly. After 6 months it is only about 2 inches long but so dang curly. Not complaining. After bald any hair is good. It's just after having long blond hair for over 30 years don't quite know what to do with this kinky mop!

Yes it will ,I had chemo about 2 years ago and my hair was wavy just about straight and blonde and it fell out and when it grew back it was really curly and dark brown and its stayed exactly the same almost so I'm pretty sure that the hair will just stay like that, but I hope it will go back because it is really hard to take care of curly hair!!

You r truly special for you r the 2nd person that I am aware of who has encountered this curious phenomenon...my friend had the same thing happen.  To answer your question:  Yes it will stay curly!

Chemo can do strange things to your hair. My hair was gray before and now it is brown. I would tend to agree that your hair will stay curly.

It may very well stay that way! I have known people to loose their hair due to chemo, and have it grow back different than it was, and most times that is the hair they will have for life! Some have had color changes, but texture changes are pretty common too. I would enjoy the change. I have to pay big bucks to get that curly do look.

I am a 53 year old male, and I am eight months past my last round of chemo for pancreatic lymphoma.  My hair grew back with the same salt and pepper color that it was before I lost it, but it is curly and unmanageable.  Before I lost it my hair was basically straight and totally manageable.   One good thing is that It is actually thicker than it was before I lost it.  Of course, after losing it so fast and being bald for eight months, I am like everyone else - just glad to have any hair grow back at all.  But I do wish it would return to its normal straight texture.  I have been told that it will probably return to its original texture, but it may take a couple of years.

After reading this article from the link below it makes sense.
I'm 34 and finished 6 months of chemo last Dec 08. My hair is now 1.5" long and I am loving the curls. Hope it stays this way, however it may not, I will enjoy it as long as it lasts.
Using natural product Aveda Be Curly to enhance the curls.
www.breastcancer.org

I had brown hair with a bit of a wave in it before chemo. It returned black (with grey) and is very curly. While I am happy to have hair again, I put an order in for straight hair! Figures I'd get curly!!!

My last chemo treatment was July 2009.  My hair just grow 1/2 inches very thick and curly.  I always had pin straight hair.  I hope it doesn't say like this.  I can't do anything with it

I completed 5 months of chemotherapy in August 09. I then had 7 weeks of radiation. Prior to BC I had wavy blonde, nice hair. I now have CURLY, KINKY, hair! It's crazy but like everyone else, just happy to have something...

My hair is growing back now.  I finished chemo in December 2008.  It is so curly and I really don't like it.  However I am happy to have it :)  To answer your question...many people (including nurses, doctors and other survivors) have told me that some people's hair stays curly and some people's goes back to normal.  Who knows...maybe they were just saying that to make me feel better LOL

My 20 year old son was diagnosed with cancer and had to have 9 weeks of intense strong chemo.  Before the chemo he had straight thin hair.  He lost all his hair a few weeks after chemo began.  Then about 6 weeks after the end of chemo it started to return.  But it came back thick and curly!  I love it!   I hope it stays that way.  The color stayed the same though.

I'm 27 months out from my last chemo treatment for breast cancer and did lose all of my hair. It started coming in curly and now it's this thick, coarse, wavy mess. It was fine in texture before and I couldn't curl if for the life of me. I've been told by several cancer survivors it would go back to almost like is was after 2 years out from treatments. I guess everyone's different.

Hi,after 6x F.E.C for breast cancer I was bald by may 2008,had straight light brown/blonde hair fine texture,
now head full of thick, curly  salt  and  pepper hair approx 3 '' long,Ive had 2 trims,I'm 47yrs young, its  hard to  tame, but I m living  with  it ,and  loving the  new me! I  have no idea if it  will stay..... Others Ive spoken to have had hair return to normal texture and  colour 18-24months post chemo, enjoy xxx

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A very old question from 2008, so that Catherine Jones can advertise her "how to take care of your hair extensions site."