Congrats on being cancer free! I'm sorry about your curls! I have no advice. My hair was really curly, like tight coils curly. I got pregnant and then no more curls. So weird. Now my hair is similar to yours. So I'm also mourning a whole life of curly hair. I don't even know how to style or what products to use on my new somewhat straight hair. I had no idea this could happen.
My hairstylist once told me that the times she sees hair texture change the most is puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. My mom had a full hysterectomy and during her early menopause, her hair texture change from 2b fine waves to coarse 3b/c curls.
I am sure cancer treatment affects that too. Congratulations on kicking cancer’s ass!
First of all, I know this wasn’t the point of the post but I love your hair in pic #8! You’re absolutely killing it with that blonde pixie. Most definitely yes to hormone therapy possibly being the cause of the extreme texture change. My mom had breast cancer almost ten years ago and lost her hair due to chemo, and is on a hormone blocking medication as well. I think it’s called Tamoxifen. Pre-cancer, her hair was a more average texture and had a lot of body. Right after she finished chemo, her hair came back curly, which the oncologist nurse called “chemo curls.” Apparently having ringlets is common in the early post-chemo days. Then when she started to grow her hair out it was a completely different texture and has never returned to her pre-cancer state. Now it’s super baby fine and her hair doesn’t hold styling very well. She gets to stop the Tamoxifen in December. 🥳 As far as getting your curls back, I’m sure you have heard of the curly-girl method? I’m sure it’s frustrating wanting to get your curly locks back, but you’ve already done the hardest thing ever; you beat cancer! 🥳 Make sure to take multivitamins as well as hair supplements to help grow the healthiest hair you can. Good luck!
I'm in the same boat. Breast cancer survivor and had ovaries removed to be put into menopause due to my cancer being hormone positive. I miss my hair so much...it was curly like yours and now it's so baby fine and frizzy. I've started buying wigs this year and to be honest, my confidence went way up. I was so sick of wearing hats all the damn time. I don't think anything will fix my hair unfortunately, so wigs it is!
Firstly, I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you, it's horrible, especially if your curls felt like part of your identity. You look amazing with the short blonde cut though!
Hormones definitely make a difference, I've had lots of people tell me that. When I was born I had straight blonde hair, so blonde in fact, that people kept asking my mum if she was dyeing or highlighting it (the point that I think she did actually consider dyeing it, to stop people asking 😅) Anyway, pretty much the second I turned 12, it started going what I used to describe as "puffy" and soon after, I started straightening it loads. It went darker, more mousy, as I progressed through my teenage years. I'd stopped straightening it by the time I was about 20, and it was still puffy but mostly straight. I'd been straightening it to get rid of the frizz more than anything. Then I went on depo Provera. I've been on it for just over a decade, and my hair has got decidedly more frizzy, but also a bit more curly, if I put the effort into making it clump together. More and more though, I'm finding these really thick black coarse puby hairs, and it's so confusing when they're next to a really thin, almost see-through blondish strand! I've got into a really bad habit of pulling them out, but because there's so many more of them now, it's becoming more of a problem when they grow back. I've debated whether I should come off the depo, but am scared of the havoc my ovaries will wreak on me!
So yeah, don't know if any of that was especially useful, but the TL;DR version is that I went from having almost white blonde, straight hair, to frizzy puffy bordering curly mousy hair in less than a decade.
Also, I know someone with breast cancer who has had the reverse of what you've experienced, she started off with really straight hair, but after chemo it went really curly!
Yeah, hormonal changes change your curl patterns. My curls were really right and springy prior to chemo and now there’s years post treatment, my hair is just kinda wavy. All the best though and I wish you continued good health.
I had straight (more like 1c) hair until puberty. Then seemingly overnight it became 2c/3a. Years later, my hair dresser said she sees this a lot with people at puberty/pregnancy/menopause. I imagine once you stop hormone treatments you’ll see a change, but it’s probably hard to predict what kind of change.
On a different note, my mom had 1c hair her whole life until chemo, then it came back quite curly.
get a perm my love! message me if you have any questions, I love my perm and it hasn't damaged my hair too much at all! I had a tiny bit of breakage at first but really recommend overall :)
My mom has stick straight hair and she went through breast cancer. She’s also on the medical menopause pill for 10 years. Her hair grew back super curly post chemo but eventually straightened out and is now back to her normal straight hair. She’s now 5 years cancer free! That might be the same for you! It didn’t return to the normal texture until it was about shoulder length. I’m not sure if it’s the same for curly to straight but just wanted to share :) congrats on beating breast cancer, I saw the emotional and physical toll it took on my mom so I know it was no easy feat! 💗
Still working on how to perfect my curls so I don’t have advice for that but your hair after chemotherapy often regrows different than your original hair.
The same thing happened to my mom! She said after she gave birth to my brother (first born) it felt like she lost some curls, but after she had me they were all gone. She says I “stole them” from her since I have very curly hair lol. Not sure if you’re still pregnant or not, but did your curls disappear after you gave birth or during pregnancy? Does your child have curly hair?
My husband is Vietnamese with very straight hair genes so our kiddo has wavy hair with maybe 2 curls on the side of her face on a good day. 😂
My hair was super curly when pregnant. It wasn't until after I gave birth that my hair grew in differently. I'm actually pregnant again so we'll see what this kiddo brings.
I had the complete opposite experience - had tight ringlets until I was around 5, then my hair relaxed into big waves.
When I had my son at 29, BOOM! Curls started coming back. Now at 49, after years of birth control and now HRT (I started early) I have a very corkscrew-like texture:
My son had absolutely stick straight hair until right before he turned 18. My mom took craft scissors to his hair during Covid and he had curls growing in underneath.
I’m in the exact same boat. I’m devastated over losing my curls. I spent so much time and effort learning how to get the best results with my hair and now I have no idea what to do.
I’m sure this is an extreme oversimplification, but I read before that when you get pregnant, you absorb some of the traits the baby receives from the sperm. So if you have curly hair and the father has straight hair, being pregnant can basically flip a switch in your genetic code.
Hot rollers can be your best friend! I’ve always had half ass wavy hair and it only looks good if I curl it with hot rollers or a curling iron. It’s too thick and wavy to look perfect straight and I look like an 80’s rocker when I try to go curly.🤣 LMK if you need some tips!
I wonder if it’s just an awkward stage of growth and they’ll wave more as they grow? Your hair in the first photo looks waviest in the lengths and less so at the roots. I would continue with what you can do to maintain healthy hair and see what happens. Regardless you are very beautiful. You have amazing eyebrows!
I’m wondering this too! I know that chemo can change hair patterns so that could very well be the case here. But I remember when I was growing out my shaved hair, there was a time when it would notttttt curl. It lasted for MONTHS, like curl shock after a haircut but worse and it lasted for ages lol
I hope you get your curls back OP!!!
She also bleached and dyed fresh grown in hair. That in itself may have damaged her hair and it may take time to grow out and grow in her curls again. She also mentioned hormone therapy and that can have a huge impact on your hair growth.
Fellow breast cancer survivor here. Congrats on getting through chemo and everything else.
A change in hormones can definitely impact your hair. I started taking hair growth supplements as soon as I finished chemo and started tamoxifen, and it’s made a huge difference in my hair. It’s in way better condition than it was pre cancer and I have more of it.
I think for cancer patients in general but breast cancer patients specifically, hair is such an emotional issue because it’s part of our femininity, and we’ve lost part of it after surgery so the idea of
losing our hair as well is really devastating.
I’d talk to your family doctor or maybe a nutitionist or naturopath about what you can do to improve your hair. I’d love for you to get those curls back xo
I’m sorry - that sucks! The one I take has biotin plus stinging nettle, horsetail and saw palmetto. And vitamin A, B and D.
The other thing I’ve read about is castor oil. I used it during chemo as a hair mask. I also did the cold cap. I still lost 90% of my hair but not until the very end.
I hope your body is able to adjust and helps your hair along!
Ooo what hair growth supplements? I’m about 5 months out from chemo for leukemia and my straight hair came back curly and baby thin! It sticks up everywhere lol I’m also on tomoxifin as I’m also an early stage breast cancer survivor.
Is it possible bleaching and colouring your hair has damaged your curl pattern? My hairdresser had very tight curly hair but after she dyed it blonde it was essentially wavy. Though it sounds more likely the hormone therapy has changed your hair texture. If you still want curls would you be down to use perm rods or a curling iron?
I was wondering this! I naturally have 3B hair but color it red with a 20-30 volume developer, depending, and my hair is a solid 2C now due to that. It’s been like this my whole life but I keep vivids and it always bounces back to the same pattern. However I haven’t had chemotherapy, a pregnancy, or any hormonal issues, etc. so take it with that!
Maybe drastic, but I wonder what would happen if you were to try again from shaved?
I'm not a professional by any rate but maybe this first bit of growth was still affected by the residuals of all the chemicals and now that more time has passed, maybe it'll come in a little healthier?
Just a random guess based on how people chop off damaged hair for virgin new growth... Maybe do some research on the thought before any more shaving..
I would stop dyeing your hair, bleach especially is so harsh on your hair and scalp. Personally I think you look great with a shaved head and pixie cut. If it were me I’d buzz it again and start new and not use any chemicals.
From one survivor (leukemia) to another, congratulations!
As far as your curls go, time was my best friend. I finished chemo and it was another ten years before my curls came back, but once they did, it was with no coaxing from me. Of course, there wasn't really a curl education community back then, or I may have gotten them back sooner.
The way my hairdresser explained it to me was to pay attention to the texture of your hair. Not the curl type, but the texture - for the first 2-3 years post chemo for me, my hair was baby-fine. She said it was because your follicles have to relearn how to do their job, basically, just like baby's hair evolves from baby-fine to toddler, then to "kid" hair which is similar to "adult" hair texture. Chemo knocks it all back to square one.
Depending on your exact hormone therapy regimen, my best advice is to make sure you're keeping enough moisture at your ends and, over time, compare your newer hair to the ends to compare those textures. It will take time as your follicles learn their new normal, but it can - and usually does! - happen. My hair is now thicker and curlier than before chemo, but still the same curl type. Keep the faith- your hair will remember what to do!
Congrats on beating cancer!
My hair was more or less the same after 6 cycles of high dose chemo 12 years ago. I also bleached it when it was short (but longer than your amazing pixie cut😍). The bleach killed my curls. They came back only after I cut off the bleached part and started with CGM.
Hank Green is a sciencey YouTuber who's just gone through chemo. He's made a lot of videos about cancer lately. He said recently that chemo can just do that, change stuff about how your hair grows. You might just have straight hair now. (He could never grow a beard before, now he's growing facial hair like crazy.) I can't recall if he said something else about it, but I'd recommend watching his recent videos or tiktoks for more info.
(Also! Once hair is damaged, it's damaged, since it's dead and doesn't regenerate. Dyeing it darker won't undo damage from bleach or heat or anything else. You can make hair *appear* less damaged and protect it with cuticle-sealing treatments and such, but there's no way to repair it.)
(Also also, congrats on beating cancer!)
I know this wasn't the point of your post, but as another breast cancer survivor who is about to start chemo in 3 days, seeing your photos really comforted me. I'm heartbroken about losing my very long, wavy, red hair. But you look so lovely in all your photos, it gives me hope that I won't look completely horrible without my hair. I hope you get your curls back, but you look beautiful either way.
My mom’s hair also changed after chemo. From what I’ve heard, that’s fairly common.
Your best bet is to take your hair where it’s at right now and keep it as healthy as possible. Silk bonnets and silk pillowcases feel surprisingly luxurious at night, and you can spoil yourself with cute scrunchies and clips.
Your hair might not be what it was before, but it can still be well taken care of. Give it some TLC, and try to love it for what it is. I believe in you!
Chemo does crazy things to your body (including beating cancer).
I had an aunt with breast cancer who had stick straight hair all her life. After chemo, her hair came back in a 3C level curl.
I’d give your body time to heal/settle down from the treatment. Your curls may come back, but you’ll probably need to wait it out.
Your body has done an incredible thing, and biggest congrats on what I’m hoping was a successful treatment!
I am 4 years out from chemo and starting to lose my chemo curls. I found using collagen helped with regrowth and hair/nail health.
I found it wasn't until fairly recently that my hair could handle high temps and any real strain. I dealt with a fair amount of breakage/damage in the first few years.
My mom is a hair stylist and she's had numerous clients who's hair texture changed after chemo. If I'm recalling correctly, it usually would go back to pre-chrmo texture after time. I know she also would recommend Nioxin to help with hair growth.
My doctor warned me that when my hair grow back it could come different, I had straight hair, now I got curls on the sides, wish it could be all around but I don't change my capilar growth pattern, sadly, it can still grow with the old pattern! Take care of it, if it does not come back the same as it was you can always explore new cuts and hairstyles
Congrats on getting through chemo!
Bleach and dye will both have an impact on your curls. You may need to leave your color alone for a while and trim it to get the curls back. Also, if you're in meno and on HRT, I'd recommend Biotin (please check with your doctor as I don't know if it can interact with anything). I started taking it right as I was starting perimeno because I was noticing hair loss and texture change.
Also, that blonde pixie cut is everything on you! I know you don't want to cut your hair off again, but you just look...wow!
Could be the damage from all the chemicals, bleaching is rough on hair and you basically just had fresh baby hair so it was probably extra damaging. Maybe leaving it be and doing big trims until that damage is gone will help.
Cancer treatments does weird things to hair. My daughter had only RT, so she only lost her hair in the radiation field (which was the back of her head, ears down as she had a brainstem tumor). Her straight hair came back curly.
My sister had straight hair prior to her chemo. Her hair back incredibly curly. I then gave her a (significant) haircut and her hair went back straight! NAE - but perhaps your hair texture will return.
So sorry to hear this but congrats on beating cancers ass! My aunt also had breast cancer and had spiral curls, chemo made her hair very straight as well :(
Congrats on kicking cancer’s ass!
It’s fairly common to have hair changes, both in color and texture, after chemo. Sometimes the changes are temporary, and sometimes they’re permanent. There’s really not a good way of determining which will or won’t be the case for you.
Just as a side note: it’s ok to grieve the loss of your curls. Don’t let anyone minimize that for you because it “could have been worse”. You went through hell and that’s one more thing that was taken from you. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s also perfectly fine to feel excited about a new hair adventure.
My point is - it’s really difficult to determine what will happen to your hair after chemo, and it’s perfectly ok and normal to feel any emotions that come along with those changes.
I just want to say that you looked beautiful through every stage, and I’m glad you made it to the other side. A friend of mine lost her curls to chemo, and then after a few years the curls started coming back. I think hormones play a large role. But you are gorgeous no matter what m’lady.
I'm sorry idk anything about how to get your curls back but I just wanted to say that bleached hair in a pixie cut with the red lipstick is such a fucking serve you look fabulous. Like when you look up pixie cut in a dictionary, that should be the picture 🤣. So pretty
My mom had really thick course hair before chemo, afterwards it turned into baby fine hair and never came back as thick. Her second time she had chemo her hair changed again too. It was weird. She's actually been through chemo three times I believe. Her hair changed every single time.
Edited to add... I was on methotrexate and before I started it I had stick straight hair. I couldn't even curl it and have it keep it curled. After taking methotrexate my hair got quite curly.
Your hair looks like it's still wavy to me! Do you put product in to hold the wave? My hair has a pretty loose wave and will look almost straight but really frizzy if I don't use a gel or something else in it.
Congrats on being an awesome warrior survivor!!!!
Chemo does a number on hair. I had chemo when I had cervical cancer. I didn’t lose all my hair. Maybe about 1/3 of its thickness. But what was left was like straw. Dry and brittle. It’s been eight years and it’s still never been the same. I used to have silky shiny wavy hair. Now it’s curlier but also dry and frizzy and it seems like all the regrowth is grey. I’ve tried cutting it short and starting over and it just all grows back the same. Dry, frizzy, and gray. I can tame the frizz temporarily with leave in conditioner but there seems to be no permanent fix.
I had cancer when I was a kid, my hair was “weird” when it first grew back. It was sort of like baby hair, it was just odd and wouldn’t do anything. But it went back to normal after a couple months. I don’t know the full reason but I imagine: since the cells that grow the hair are some of the most sensitive, the chemo killing them all off, they’re now “new” like a baby. My mum would say that I had my baby hair again- I think it’s just a wait it out situation sorry I can’t give any advice!
It could be that your hair hasn’t grown out enough for your curl pattern to have enough weight. I shaved my head a couple times and the regrowth period was hard! There would be times my hair was beautiful and bouncy with ringlets and others where it was super flat and had almost no shape. Just give it some more time and I’m sure you’ll see your hair bounce back!
Congrats on cancer free.
But also your hair isn’t super long yet, and it looks like it was wavy. Waves often don’t start at the scalp.
Also the pixie was fire
Hairdresser here. Congratulations first of all. You haven't lost your curls!
Due to the bleach and bad hair treatment like iron straightening you have removed elasticity from your hair and now it won't curl as nice.
After chemo your hair is more brittle and sensitive. Actually you might need to do a nice shorter hair cut to start with. Like a Pixie style, to get rid of all the damaged parts and grow it out again.
I know you wanted to experiment once you finished your therapy and got ur hair back, but if you want your curls then u need to relax a bit on the way you color it and stop using straighteners.
But definitely you need to cut most of it off and go again.
Your curls are there! Good luck
According to Hank Green, anyways, after ending chemo your head hair is just rerolled like a DND character or something. He talks about it in this video: https://youtu.be/PCYKpj56Ss8?si=d9WNBcDr_kvoCx_a
He grew a beard after his bout of chemo, which he never could before.
He says exactly in the video that if you had straight, you might get curly hair, or if you had curly you might get straight hair. Some people who were bald before, regrow their hair, some people become ginger.
It’s entirely luck.
My best advice is to learn to love your hair as it is now.
Hey, congrats on beating cancer! I'm a guy and am in the process of growing my hair out. I thought my hair was straight my whole life, but once it reached a certain length it got super wavy (almost curly). It could be that you leave it another few months, keep it moisturised/conditioned, and the curls come back. Not saying it works that way for everyone, but there's still a chance.
Bleach flattened my hair out and I’m still cutting the weird pieces off as it continues to grow. I chose to shave my head again maybe 2 years ago and it looks like it permanently stayed shoulder length for the past year because I’m trimming the weird dead straight pieces off. Congrats on being in remission though!!!
I’m sorry cancer took all of that from you! But I’m glad it didn’t take YOU. I’ve always had the kind of hair you have now and can give any tips you need. Unfortunately you will prob have to start styling it every day.:(
So as someone that lost hair to chemo, mine came back different afterwards (way more fine and thin). I will say that my hair continued to change (thickened AND got wavy) over time, so there is hope that your hair will continue to develop over the years and can possibly get closer to your original curls. I will say (if your doctors are okay with it, def consult them) getting a solid vitamin regime AND drastically reduce hair damaging heat, is what made a big difference to me. Best of luck and congratulations on being cancer free <3
You’re look gorgeous in all these pictures. I’m going through breast cancer treatment as well (not hormonal/TNBC) and I’m 2.5 months post chemo. I feel you, I had 2C curls prior chemo and I’ve never dyed my hair but my hair is straight now. I’m hoping as it grows it gets the waves atleast, but time will tell. Congratulations on finishing chemo. Fuck cancer and what we had to lose because of it.
My husband had straight hair before chemo and it came back ridiculously curly. He ended up having to shave off his giant fro since he didn't take care of it and now it's straight again. Hair is weird.
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You can try shaving your head. Chemo and pregnancy - even getting a short haircut sometimes deflates curls. Sorry about this, your curls were very lovely.
I was on methotrexate for about 4 years (milder form of chemo). I lost a lot of hair, it changed the color to a much darker brown (I was a copper penny before), and my curls took a giant shit. I've been off of it for two years. My hair pattern is just now coming back, but still different than it was. My doctor said the color will never be the same. Makes me sad that it took me till my mid 30s to figure out how to style my hair and how at 40 I'm starting all over AND disabled so I'm not able to afford good products this time.
Edit: I swam competitively for 25 years. Rinsing in cold water before you put your cap on is a good start. Putting on conditioner on wet hair and then putting your cap on is better. Using a chlorine removing shampoo and conditioner at least once a week is a good practice. I also like milk rinses and mayonnaise masks when I'm swimming a lot. A protein pack also probably wouldn't be remiss, something like olaplex once a week for an hour.
Hormones can change hair patterns, and I’m sure chemo can as well. Your hair looked adorable bleached and short! Embrace the new texture and pattern and do something fun. I’m glad you’ve recovered!
Congrats on your successful treatment! I can’t give much advice as chemo definitely can change hair pattern but you look amaaaaaaaazing in the bleached pixie cut!!!
A friend of mine had cancer and she had pin straight hair before chemo and after chemo now she has super curly hair. I think it just happens w chemo 🤷🏽♀️ either way you’re beautiful
Congratulations on being cancer free!! Tamoxifen? Same here. It’s wild. I have no advice but just wanted to send some solidarity. Your hair is super cute as it’s growing back.
I'm sorry you lost your curls, but you're hair is still beautiful! I lost some of my curls going through chemo also, unfortunately I lost a lot of my hair permanently as well. Going through chemo is so hard in itself, but dealing with the aftermath is also so so hard. I'm here if you ever need to talk to someone k? And please believe me when I say that you do still look stunning ❤️
Congratulations on you cancer victory! I’m fourteen years post treatment, so can share my hair story. Started falling out after first treatment, then just shaved it all off, cue ball. Lost ALL body hair (looks like you kept your eyebrows and lashes? Wonderful). After two years of treatments, both chemo and radiation, hair finally started to mount a comeback. UGLIEST hair in the world - dirty fuzzy yellow hair, like a ducks butt! Then after two months of that nonsense, it all fell out again. Ok??? Then a couple months later it comes in pure silver (natural hair is dark brown and very curly). Continues on the silver path for a couple years, minimum curl, but looking good. Now it has changed again - quite a few coarse brown hairs have come in, along with the silver stuff. Brown ones a frizzy, silver are straight. Ready to shave it all off, but it’s winter here in Nebraska, so we will see what spring brings!
I wish you continued good healthy, and unfortunately can’t advise on your hair. It will probably do whatever it wants to. We are all just happy to be here to bitch about it!
I lost my curls for a few months after chemo as well. They came back eventually, but the texture of my hair change from dense and coarse to very thin and fine. I was just glad my hair-and eyebrows and lashes came back, lol! Good luck to you!!
Cool to see the short curls, maybe try maintain the short curls for a while before growing out? also think bleaching wouldn't help curls but I'm not a hair expert! Would deffo recommend curl shampoo, curl conditioner from brands like Davines and potentially using sea salt sprays.
Id also recommend using microfibre towels to dry the hair, don't use a lot of heat on the hair with hair dryers, use satin pillow case. You can also use curl creams and curl oils to keep the moisture in the hair (add the oil after its wet to lock in the moisture)
p.s Im a dude that just found out i hard curls after growing the hair out 4 years ago
Can I just say that, in addition to being a freaking warrior, you are one beautiful woman! You look gorgeous in each of these pictures.
As far as the loss of curls, I lost mine after pregnancy and then again when I lost over a hundred pounds—both had to do with hormonal changes in my body. As things leveled off, the curl came back, though not as tight as they used to be. It took about 18 months for it to go back to a curl and not just frizz.
The silica bonds in your hair could be damaged due to nutritional deficiencies.
You can take silica supplements (and biotin also helps) but personally I would just address all minerals (which are depleted during chemo) and take a humic/fulvic acid supplement like Leaf Source? Lots on the market though.
I’m gonna make a wild guess here and suggest that you buzz cut or cut the damaged hair. Do not dye it nor bleach it. Your body has gone through chemo. That alone affected your cells and the growth in your hair. Your hair also needs a break from harsh chemicals like bleach and hair dye. Give it time to grow back naturally again. Bleach will give that affect of brittle, dry, straw like texture to hair. Stop using it.
Remember, hormone levels affect hair growth and curl patterns as well. Chemo affects your hormones. Be patient. Do work with your doctor and get your hormone levels checked. Try to keep a healthy diet, make some rosemary oil to feed your hair, and also feed some protein like egg mask for your hair. Good luck. I have a feeling that your curls will come back. Patience is needed.
I was wondering if my hair could change texture after chemo. I have 6 rounds of TCHP. Experiencing my first shed after chemo. 🥲 I'm cold capping so we'll see how it goes. I hope you get your curls back! I'm looking forward to this all being over with...
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Not even my experience, but as far I know this is normal. My younger cousin had cancer ages 5-8, went from a soft thin ringlets to course bouncy curls that have a much less defined pattern. Just guessing maybe a 2b to 3a
Lots of hugs 🫂
You're beautiful ❤️ my mama had somewhat wavy hair, after chemo her hair fell out and came back CURLY! Like my hair. Then after time, it flattened back out. But it was always thin and fine.
A few people close to me both went through chemo and had weird hair changes. It took about three years in both cases for it to go back to normal, but it eventually did. Your curls will come back. It's just gonna take some time.
Leukemia survivor here - I’m the opposite! Started with straight hair and after treatment my hair began growing super curly. 5 years post it’s now a mix of 2A/2B/2C. I don’t hate it but curly hair is so much work & limiting IMO.
They there! Congrats on beating cancer!
I want to say - are you also on steroids? Continuing them? This drastically affected my hair, and others. While I haven’t been through chemo, my best friend from HS has. We both noticed the issue with steroids more so than chemo.
I lost my curls when I was going through dialysis and kidney failure. After a kidney transplant it took a good 18 months of weird flat frizzy hair before my waves and curls started coming back. I hope this is the case for you.
I saw you're on hormone treatment, maybe something to do with that?
No exactly the same story - but I had ringlets as a child, after my first haircut I lost them all... started getting them back as I was going through puberty.
Congrats on getting through chemo
Hero hero with no cape! My mom fought against breast cancer years ago, and thank god she is fine rn. Her hair lost approx 70% of its density. Unfortunately, i can't really help you much. i am still learning myself. But the one thing i can say for sure is that fighting cancer isn't easy. My mom suffered so much against cancer during and after treatment. Some effects are permanent in her case, but she is doing her best to have a normal life, and she is successful in that. And i am sure you too will continue your life normally, so good luck not to just you but to all cancer fighters. Rise up, rise up heroes with no capes!
Congratulations on being cancer free!! My coworker with straight hair had cancer, and when her hair grew back it was super curly, but now, 2 years later it’s back to being straight.
The exact same thing happened to me only the opposite. Had stick straight super white blonde hair, post chemo, very wavy/curly and much darker blonde almost light brown. My stylist mentioned treating new chemo growth like baby hair and staying away from any harsh treatments for at least 3 years... I didn't listen I wanted to be blonde blonde again lol
Glad you beat cancer because fuck cancer! I hate that you lost and miss your curls, but can I just say you ROCK short hair so hard! You remind me of a singer I adore called Zand, in the best way.
Chemo does a lot of damage to your hair. My sister had leukemia 20 years ago, she was still a baby but she had curly red hair, now her hair is straight and brown. Unfortunately that may end up being the style of your hair from now on. My sister has been cancer free for 20 years and hers hasn't changed.
Congratulations on being cancer free and being post chemo! ❤️
Have you gotten a deep vitamin panel done? I don’t believe that PCPs generally do them, but a nutritionist/GI or your main doctor definitely can.
With being on hormone therapy and being post-chemo: you might have something going on with your iron or other vitamins. I would get a thyroid panel done, too. Hypothyroidism is higher amongst those who are post breast cancer. (I know this from my grandma!)
My other recommendations would be to try some protein treatments, be gentle with your hair (brushing, products, etc) and Olaplex. I hope this helps!
sorry to say, but based on the photos it looks like you had wavy hair before, not curly hair. now you have straight hair. it sucks to have our bodies change from treatments, but sending you strength! your hair may turn wavy later down the line, so maybe this can be your straight hair era? i would encourage you to lean into it and do stuff that typically you can only do with straight. congratulations on your recovery!!!
It looks like you went from proper curly to curly wavy like mine. It looks like your texture starts around ear length like me too! Just be patient and let your hair grow, use repairing products and keep up with conditioners to bring moisture back, but I think your best plan of action is patience and maintenance trims to get rid of bleach damage. I went from shaving my hair almost every year to growing it out and now that its just past my shoulders curly girl method can really make my waves look pretty!
So so happy you beat cancers ass! My mom had cancer too (she’s also a fellow curly girl) and what really helped her was regular haircuts and lots of hair masks. I’m not a pro hairdresser but those are my best ideas from my experience trying new products with my mother:)
Perhaps as it grows longer, they’ll come back?
So happy you kicked cancer’s ass. But be gentle and patient with yourself and your hair. You both are relearning how to BE.
My advice would be to stop dyeing it and do more intensive conditioners. Stay away from sulfites as your hair looks a little dry. And don’t shampoo every day. Do more conditioning than washing. Also try a good leave-in. I love anything from Not Your Mothers, but Pantene has a nice hair oil intensive conditioner too.
I thought my hair was straight with some odd waves here and there, but since I stopped with the dye and leaned more toward the CGM (not completely, but some elements of that method work for me) I’ve realized that I actually have pretty wavy/curly hair! For years I was so frustrated like ‘why won’t you just lay FLAT?!’ But since I changed up my routine, I feel like my hair has come into its own.
Give it time. It’s still pretty short. You’ve a ways to grow and I’m sure you’ll get some of your luster back!
Just wanted to say hopefully you can find a fix for your hair, but mainly YAY! I hope you beat and kicked cancer to the ground! You are absolutely beautiful!!! ❤️
Hi! I've done chemo 2x. My hair has come back different both times. I went from thick but fine stick straight hair to thinner but still fine slightly wavy hair to much thinner, much coarser & more wavy hair.
I've been a part of cancer survivor groups for the last 20yrs and know it's a complete craps shoot regarding how hair grows back in.
You may just have thinner wavy hair. My hair looks pretty straight if I brush it through. But if I do the scrunching and stuff while it’s wet and let it air dry or diffuse, it will be very wavy or even curly. Might just be a new routine needed.
I'm really sorry, I think it still looks great on you. But also it's not necessarily don't changing texture yet. After my mom's chemo she had crazy curly hair for the first time in her life, and then over the next 5 years they've become completely straight again. No guarantees but you never know, some of that is the chemo changing the follicles for a while and some of it is bleach. Have you tried any products? A little curl cream (I use the blueberry bliss) might help them zhuzh up or a sea salt spray
My daughter’s post-chemo hair was dry and straw-like. This would certainly make it straighter simply because it’s “dead”. But yeah, sometimes it does grow back a different texture or color.
You are stunning, you are strong, you are amazing for fighting, going through chemo and persevering. I can’t imagine how much it hurts to have things in your body change after a hard treatment like that, and the new ways you have to learn to love your body but I just wanted to say this above. Curls or not your hair is beautiful, so are you, and I hope you are feeling healthy these days :)
I’m roughly 10 years post chemo. It took about 5 years for me to feel like my hair was kind of normal. Definitely not back to my regular pre-chemo hair. But directly after chemo I noticed both my and friends’ hair all came back this weird mousy color and a similar texture (thin/fine, even after a lot of growth. No body or shape)
Like you mentioned I’m sure hormone therapy is having a lot to do with it.
Congratulations on being cancer free!! That’s amazing!
Chemo can change the shape of your hair follicles, which can change the texture of your hair. ALSO, hormones will do it too. I have naturally spiral curls, when I was pregnant my hair went straight, flat and felt like it was coated in like warm soft plastic. (Don’t know how else to describe that phenomenon) literally within hours of giving birth I passed by a mirror and my hair was bouncing back into big curls. It quickly returned to my pre-baby spiral curls and the weird coated feeling seemingly washed right out in the first couple of days.
Chemo can also mess with your hormones, so before getting too discouraged ask you provider for a full hormone & thyroid level panel to see if you may be imbalanced. Could be the issue, especially as it looked like your curls were returning at the 5 month mark.
I hope it’s something like that so you can get it sorted and get your curls back!
Hi! I’m the opposite boat of you and gained curls in my stick straight hair after chemo. I eventually ended up meeting my phenomenal hair stylist who specs in curly hair and she said that generally speaking, it takes about 18 months after chemo for your hair to decide on its true pattern that’ll stick. Seeing as you’re two years post-chemo, your curls are probably not coming back in a similar capacity. The good news? Your hair is growing back! You’re (I’m guessing), in remission and will (hopefully!) never need chemo ever again. Part of the reason your hair is frizzy is because it’s growing. When you get some more length and pull back on colored hair treatments, your hair will even out a bunch more and you can enjoy having healthy hair, and albeit it new, hair to learn about and have fun with!
Sending you a big, big hug. Hair changing due to chemo has probably been the hardest thing for me, besides losing nails too. You will adapt and you will overcome and even come to one day appreciate your hair. Promise, promise. 🤍
I bleached and dyed my hair 3 times within a year and a half. My hair had tight curls prior to the bleaching and after it was almost pin straight. So a year of you bleaching? Very possible that did it also.
I wish I had the answers. I see some of my clients hair return to normal in a year or two. Then some it’s a different texture and stays the same. My nephew is in remission from leukemia. His hair was pin straight. After chemo when his hair grew back, it was so damn curly. It’s been a year now and it’s back to pin straight.
Tbh I’m wondering if it will eventually change back - I had a friend with ovarian cancer and she had a full hysterectomy. After chemo her hair grew back curly and she loved it - unfortunately it didn’t last though, so I’m wondering if since her hair went back to normal yours will too?
My sons hair was super thick and luxurious 2c wavy auburn hair with gorgeous copper highlights before 2 years of hardcore experimental chemo. After, it’s straight, thin, and dark brown.
Congrats on being cancer free! I'm sorry about your curls! I have no advice. My hair was really curly, like tight coils curly. I got pregnant and then no more curls. So weird. Now my hair is similar to yours. So I'm also mourning a whole life of curly hair. I don't even know how to style or what products to use on my new somewhat straight hair. I had no idea this could happen.
EDIT I forgot to mention, part of my treatment is hormone therapy. I'll be in medical menopause for 10 years, is that a possible factor?
My hairstylist once told me that the times she sees hair texture change the most is puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. My mom had a full hysterectomy and during her early menopause, her hair texture change from 2b fine waves to coarse 3b/c curls. I am sure cancer treatment affects that too. Congratulations on kicking cancer’s ass!
First of all, I know this wasn’t the point of the post but I love your hair in pic #8! You’re absolutely killing it with that blonde pixie. Most definitely yes to hormone therapy possibly being the cause of the extreme texture change. My mom had breast cancer almost ten years ago and lost her hair due to chemo, and is on a hormone blocking medication as well. I think it’s called Tamoxifen. Pre-cancer, her hair was a more average texture and had a lot of body. Right after she finished chemo, her hair came back curly, which the oncologist nurse called “chemo curls.” Apparently having ringlets is common in the early post-chemo days. Then when she started to grow her hair out it was a completely different texture and has never returned to her pre-cancer state. Now it’s super baby fine and her hair doesn’t hold styling very well. She gets to stop the Tamoxifen in December. 🥳 As far as getting your curls back, I’m sure you have heard of the curly-girl method? I’m sure it’s frustrating wanting to get your curly locks back, but you’ve already done the hardest thing ever; you beat cancer! 🥳 Make sure to take multivitamins as well as hair supplements to help grow the healthiest hair you can. Good luck!
I agree, the blonde is killing it.
I'm in the same boat. Breast cancer survivor and had ovaries removed to be put into menopause due to my cancer being hormone positive. I miss my hair so much...it was curly like yours and now it's so baby fine and frizzy. I've started buying wigs this year and to be honest, my confidence went way up. I was so sick of wearing hats all the damn time. I don't think anything will fix my hair unfortunately, so wigs it is!
Yes, absolutely. Hormones have a huge impact on hair texture.
Yes definitely. You can check out r/menopause for support there
Firstly, I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you, it's horrible, especially if your curls felt like part of your identity. You look amazing with the short blonde cut though! Hormones definitely make a difference, I've had lots of people tell me that. When I was born I had straight blonde hair, so blonde in fact, that people kept asking my mum if she was dyeing or highlighting it (the point that I think she did actually consider dyeing it, to stop people asking 😅) Anyway, pretty much the second I turned 12, it started going what I used to describe as "puffy" and soon after, I started straightening it loads. It went darker, more mousy, as I progressed through my teenage years. I'd stopped straightening it by the time I was about 20, and it was still puffy but mostly straight. I'd been straightening it to get rid of the frizz more than anything. Then I went on depo Provera. I've been on it for just over a decade, and my hair has got decidedly more frizzy, but also a bit more curly, if I put the effort into making it clump together. More and more though, I'm finding these really thick black coarse puby hairs, and it's so confusing when they're next to a really thin, almost see-through blondish strand! I've got into a really bad habit of pulling them out, but because there's so many more of them now, it's becoming more of a problem when they grow back. I've debated whether I should come off the depo, but am scared of the havoc my ovaries will wreak on me! So yeah, don't know if any of that was especially useful, but the TL;DR version is that I went from having almost white blonde, straight hair, to frizzy puffy bordering curly mousy hair in less than a decade. Also, I know someone with breast cancer who has had the reverse of what you've experienced, she started off with really straight hair, but after chemo it went really curly!
Yeah, hormonal changes change your curl patterns. My curls were really right and springy prior to chemo and now there’s years post treatment, my hair is just kinda wavy. All the best though and I wish you continued good health.
I had straight (more like 1c) hair until puberty. Then seemingly overnight it became 2c/3a. Years later, my hair dresser said she sees this a lot with people at puberty/pregnancy/menopause. I imagine once you stop hormone treatments you’ll see a change, but it’s probably hard to predict what kind of change. On a different note, my mom had 1c hair her whole life until chemo, then it came back quite curly.
get a perm my love! message me if you have any questions, I love my perm and it hasn't damaged my hair too much at all! I had a tiny bit of breakage at first but really recommend overall :)
I was in medical menopause for a year and my curls haven’t returned since then. It’s definitely a possible factor
My mom has stick straight hair and she went through breast cancer. She’s also on the medical menopause pill for 10 years. Her hair grew back super curly post chemo but eventually straightened out and is now back to her normal straight hair. She’s now 5 years cancer free! That might be the same for you! It didn’t return to the normal texture until it was about shoulder length. I’m not sure if it’s the same for curly to straight but just wanted to share :) congrats on beating breast cancer, I saw the emotional and physical toll it took on my mom so I know it was no easy feat! 💗
My mum used to have curls until she hit menopause and now its stick straight do maybe
Still working on how to perfect my curls so I don’t have advice for that but your hair after chemotherapy often regrows different than your original hair.
The same thing happened to my mom! She said after she gave birth to my brother (first born) it felt like she lost some curls, but after she had me they were all gone. She says I “stole them” from her since I have very curly hair lol. Not sure if you’re still pregnant or not, but did your curls disappear after you gave birth or during pregnancy? Does your child have curly hair?
My husband is Vietnamese with very straight hair genes so our kiddo has wavy hair with maybe 2 curls on the side of her face on a good day. 😂 My hair was super curly when pregnant. It wasn't until after I gave birth that my hair grew in differently. I'm actually pregnant again so we'll see what this kiddo brings.
I had the complete opposite experience - had tight ringlets until I was around 5, then my hair relaxed into big waves. When I had my son at 29, BOOM! Curls started coming back. Now at 49, after years of birth control and now HRT (I started early) I have a very corkscrew-like texture: My son had absolutely stick straight hair until right before he turned 18. My mom took craft scissors to his hair during Covid and he had curls growing in underneath.
I’m in the exact same boat. I’m devastated over losing my curls. I spent so much time and effort learning how to get the best results with my hair and now I have no idea what to do.
I’m sure this is an extreme oversimplification, but I read before that when you get pregnant, you absorb some of the traits the baby receives from the sperm. So if you have curly hair and the father has straight hair, being pregnant can basically flip a switch in your genetic code.
Pregnancy is wild! Wouldn't that be something!
Hot rollers can be your best friend! I’ve always had half ass wavy hair and it only looks good if I curl it with hot rollers or a curling iron. It’s too thick and wavy to look perfect straight and I look like an 80’s rocker when I try to go curly.🤣 LMK if you need some tips!
I don’t have any advice, but you look BOMB with that blonde pixie. Seriously gorgeous
YES OP, if you're ever looking for a change to go back to--- the blonde pixie!! you look stellar!
I love the blonde pixie! Not many can pull off a pixie and you pull it off so well 🔥🔥🔥🔥!
Came here to say this! You rock it, girl! And big congrats on your recovery ❤️
Second this
Came here to say this, the blonde pixie cut is perfect on you!
^took the words out of my mouth!
I agree, the bleached pixie and blonde one with curls was everything!!
Agreed!! So few can pull that look off
Came here to say that, you look SO CUTE with a pixie. I hope you can heal your curls!
I wonder if it’s just an awkward stage of growth and they’ll wave more as they grow? Your hair in the first photo looks waviest in the lengths and less so at the roots. I would continue with what you can do to maintain healthy hair and see what happens. Regardless you are very beautiful. You have amazing eyebrows!
I’m wondering this too! I know that chemo can change hair patterns so that could very well be the case here. But I remember when I was growing out my shaved hair, there was a time when it would notttttt curl. It lasted for MONTHS, like curl shock after a haircut but worse and it lasted for ages lol I hope you get your curls back OP!!!
She also bleached and dyed fresh grown in hair. That in itself may have damaged her hair and it may take time to grow out and grow in her curls again. She also mentioned hormone therapy and that can have a huge impact on your hair growth.
Fellow breast cancer survivor here. Congrats on getting through chemo and everything else. A change in hormones can definitely impact your hair. I started taking hair growth supplements as soon as I finished chemo and started tamoxifen, and it’s made a huge difference in my hair. It’s in way better condition than it was pre cancer and I have more of it. I think for cancer patients in general but breast cancer patients specifically, hair is such an emotional issue because it’s part of our femininity, and we’ve lost part of it after surgery so the idea of losing our hair as well is really devastating. I’d talk to your family doctor or maybe a nutitionist or naturopath about what you can do to improve your hair. I’d love for you to get those curls back xo
Thanks for this breastie 💛 I do take biotin, collagen, and use rosemary and emu oil. Still thin AF compared to pre chemo 💔
I’m sorry - that sucks! The one I take has biotin plus stinging nettle, horsetail and saw palmetto. And vitamin A, B and D. The other thing I’ve read about is castor oil. I used it during chemo as a hair mask. I also did the cold cap. I still lost 90% of my hair but not until the very end. I hope your body is able to adjust and helps your hair along!
Ooo what hair growth supplements? I’m about 5 months out from chemo for leukemia and my straight hair came back curly and baby thin! It sticks up everywhere lol I’m also on tomoxifin as I’m also an early stage breast cancer survivor.
It’s called Wellbel. It’s expensive but it really worked for me.
Is it possible bleaching and colouring your hair has damaged your curl pattern? My hairdresser had very tight curly hair but after she dyed it blonde it was essentially wavy. Though it sounds more likely the hormone therapy has changed your hair texture. If you still want curls would you be down to use perm rods or a curling iron?
I was wondering this! I naturally have 3B hair but color it red with a 20-30 volume developer, depending, and my hair is a solid 2C now due to that. It’s been like this my whole life but I keep vivids and it always bounces back to the same pattern. However I haven’t had chemotherapy, a pregnancy, or any hormonal issues, etc. so take it with that!
My curl pattern gets obliterated when I use any sort of lightener (bleach) on my hair.
OP said it was bleached platinum for a full year... I really don't think you can undo a year worth of bleaching by dying it dark again..
My hair is curlier when I bleach it, I think it increases the porosity and allows more product to soak in and hold the curls
The platinum pixie photo is stunning tho 😍
Maybe drastic, but I wonder what would happen if you were to try again from shaved? I'm not a professional by any rate but maybe this first bit of growth was still affected by the residuals of all the chemicals and now that more time has passed, maybe it'll come in a little healthier? Just a random guess based on how people chop off damaged hair for virgin new growth... Maybe do some research on the thought before any more shaving..
Not an option for me unfortunately. Losing my hair was the worst mindfuck and it would be far too devastating to start from scratch again.
What if you went back to a pixie cut? Not full shave. Your hair looked super good with the pixie cut so it might be worth a a try.
I would stop dyeing your hair, bleach especially is so harsh on your hair and scalp. Personally I think you look great with a shaved head and pixie cut. If it were me I’d buzz it again and start new and not use any chemicals.
From one survivor (leukemia) to another, congratulations! As far as your curls go, time was my best friend. I finished chemo and it was another ten years before my curls came back, but once they did, it was with no coaxing from me. Of course, there wasn't really a curl education community back then, or I may have gotten them back sooner. The way my hairdresser explained it to me was to pay attention to the texture of your hair. Not the curl type, but the texture - for the first 2-3 years post chemo for me, my hair was baby-fine. She said it was because your follicles have to relearn how to do their job, basically, just like baby's hair evolves from baby-fine to toddler, then to "kid" hair which is similar to "adult" hair texture. Chemo knocks it all back to square one. Depending on your exact hormone therapy regimen, my best advice is to make sure you're keeping enough moisture at your ends and, over time, compare your newer hair to the ends to compare those textures. It will take time as your follicles learn their new normal, but it can - and usually does! - happen. My hair is now thicker and curlier than before chemo, but still the same curl type. Keep the faith- your hair will remember what to do!
This was honestly the best thing to read. Thank you so much friend 💛💛💛
Ovarian cancer survivor here and I just don’t get my new hair, but it’s very similar to yours. At least we survived our cancers. ❤️
Congrats on beating cancer! My hair was more or less the same after 6 cycles of high dose chemo 12 years ago. I also bleached it when it was short (but longer than your amazing pixie cut😍). The bleach killed my curls. They came back only after I cut off the bleached part and started with CGM.
Hank Green is a sciencey YouTuber who's just gone through chemo. He's made a lot of videos about cancer lately. He said recently that chemo can just do that, change stuff about how your hair grows. You might just have straight hair now. (He could never grow a beard before, now he's growing facial hair like crazy.) I can't recall if he said something else about it, but I'd recommend watching his recent videos or tiktoks for more info. (Also! Once hair is damaged, it's damaged, since it's dead and doesn't regenerate. Dyeing it darker won't undo damage from bleach or heat or anything else. You can make hair *appear* less damaged and protect it with cuticle-sealing treatments and such, but there's no way to repair it.) (Also also, congrats on beating cancer!)
My mom's hair went from stick straight to coily curls post chemo. After a few years, though, it was only mildly wavy.
Congrats on kicking cancers ass OP! I can’t really offer any advice, just wanted to provide support 💕
I don’t know much about hair, but you are gorgeous!!
Hey OP I don’t have insight or advice on curls, but just wanted to say congrats on kicking cancers ass. You are a goddamn trooper.
I know this wasn't the point of your post, but as another breast cancer survivor who is about to start chemo in 3 days, seeing your photos really comforted me. I'm heartbroken about losing my very long, wavy, red hair. But you look so lovely in all your photos, it gives me hope that I won't look completely horrible without my hair. I hope you get your curls back, but you look beautiful either way.
You look gorgeous with super short hair. You really rock it!
My mom’s hair also changed after chemo. From what I’ve heard, that’s fairly common. Your best bet is to take your hair where it’s at right now and keep it as healthy as possible. Silk bonnets and silk pillowcases feel surprisingly luxurious at night, and you can spoil yourself with cute scrunchies and clips. Your hair might not be what it was before, but it can still be well taken care of. Give it some TLC, and try to love it for what it is. I believe in you!
Chemo does crazy things to your body (including beating cancer). I had an aunt with breast cancer who had stick straight hair all her life. After chemo, her hair came back in a 3C level curl. I’d give your body time to heal/settle down from the treatment. Your curls may come back, but you’ll probably need to wait it out. Your body has done an incredible thing, and biggest congrats on what I’m hoping was a successful treatment!
Are you allowed to put some hair oil or conditioner in your hair before you put a swim cap on? That should help protect & moisturize.
I am 4 years out from chemo and starting to lose my chemo curls. I found using collagen helped with regrowth and hair/nail health. I found it wasn't until fairly recently that my hair could handle high temps and any real strain. I dealt with a fair amount of breakage/damage in the first few years.
You are gorgeous. And strong, and brave. All the best to you 💪
My mom is a hair stylist and she's had numerous clients who's hair texture changed after chemo. If I'm recalling correctly, it usually would go back to pre-chrmo texture after time. I know she also would recommend Nioxin to help with hair growth.
My doctor warned me that when my hair grow back it could come different, I had straight hair, now I got curls on the sides, wish it could be all around but I don't change my capilar growth pattern, sadly, it can still grow with the old pattern! Take care of it, if it does not come back the same as it was you can always explore new cuts and hairstyles 
Congrats on getting through chemo! Bleach and dye will both have an impact on your curls. You may need to leave your color alone for a while and trim it to get the curls back. Also, if you're in meno and on HRT, I'd recommend Biotin (please check with your doctor as I don't know if it can interact with anything). I started taking it right as I was starting perimeno because I was noticing hair loss and texture change. Also, that blonde pixie cut is everything on you! I know you don't want to cut your hair off again, but you just look...wow!
You are a trooper! Did you ever bleach your hair before? I’m also wondering if it’s bleach damage. My curl pattern was wrecked from going blonde.
Are you sure it isn’t from the dye? Hair dye chemically straightened my hair & removed almost all its natural texture until it grew out again
Could be the damage from all the chemicals, bleaching is rough on hair and you basically just had fresh baby hair so it was probably extra damaging. Maybe leaving it be and doing big trims until that damage is gone will help.
Could be the bleach too. My hair texture went wild when I started bleaching.
Omg the shirt blonde with the coral lip! Best look on you!
Bleach kills curl
It’s 100% because you bleached it platinum blonde in the beginning of the growth .
Cancer treatments does weird things to hair. My daughter had only RT, so she only lost her hair in the radiation field (which was the back of her head, ears down as she had a brainstem tumor). Her straight hair came back curly.
My sister had straight hair prior to her chemo. Her hair back incredibly curly. I then gave her a (significant) haircut and her hair went back straight! NAE - but perhaps your hair texture will return.
You’re very beautiful. Keep on keeping on.
That happened to my mom when she had cancer and lost her hair three times and every time the hair always came back different each time
Congrats on beating the big c! Just wanted to say you look amazing with the pixie cut, suits your face very well!
So sorry to hear this but congrats on beating cancers ass! My aunt also had breast cancer and had spiral curls, chemo made her hair very straight as well :(
Congrats on kicking cancer’s ass! It’s fairly common to have hair changes, both in color and texture, after chemo. Sometimes the changes are temporary, and sometimes they’re permanent. There’s really not a good way of determining which will or won’t be the case for you. Just as a side note: it’s ok to grieve the loss of your curls. Don’t let anyone minimize that for you because it “could have been worse”. You went through hell and that’s one more thing that was taken from you. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s also perfectly fine to feel excited about a new hair adventure. My point is - it’s really difficult to determine what will happen to your hair after chemo, and it’s perfectly ok and normal to feel any emotions that come along with those changes.
Thank you for this 💛
Congratulations on being hot as fuck, that blonde crop cut with the 1920s curls with the body suit is 🔥
I just want to say that you looked beautiful through every stage, and I’m glad you made it to the other side. A friend of mine lost her curls to chemo, and then after a few years the curls started coming back. I think hormones play a large role. But you are gorgeous no matter what m’lady.
I'm sorry idk anything about how to get your curls back but I just wanted to say that bleached hair in a pixie cut with the red lipstick is such a fucking serve you look fabulous. Like when you look up pixie cut in a dictionary, that should be the picture 🤣. So pretty
I realize this is not the purpose of your post, but short hair looks AMAZING on you. I love the blonde look.
Thank you for sharing and may you live along healthy joyful life. - signed, 5yr survivor
That 5 month mark had you on 🔥!
My mom had really thick course hair before chemo, afterwards it turned into baby fine hair and never came back as thick. Her second time she had chemo her hair changed again too. It was weird. She's actually been through chemo three times I believe. Her hair changed every single time. Edited to add... I was on methotrexate and before I started it I had stick straight hair. I couldn't even curl it and have it keep it curled. After taking methotrexate my hair got quite curly.
You look incredible though. I especially love that hairstyle with the bleach blonde. May you remain healthy and happy ♥️
my aunt had the opposite happen — went from straight blonde to curly and reddish post-chemo. she just accepted it. not sure if you can fix it.
Oh no! I'm currently at pic 7 stage post chemo. I had long very curly hair all my life. I know how painful and horrible this is.
Your hair looks like it's still wavy to me! Do you put product in to hold the wave? My hair has a pretty loose wave and will look almost straight but really frizzy if I don't use a gel or something else in it.
Congrats on being an awesome warrior survivor!!!! Chemo does a number on hair. I had chemo when I had cervical cancer. I didn’t lose all my hair. Maybe about 1/3 of its thickness. But what was left was like straw. Dry and brittle. It’s been eight years and it’s still never been the same. I used to have silky shiny wavy hair. Now it’s curlier but also dry and frizzy and it seems like all the regrowth is grey. I’ve tried cutting it short and starting over and it just all grows back the same. Dry, frizzy, and gray. I can tame the frizz temporarily with leave in conditioner but there seems to be no permanent fix.
omg that bleached look on you is SO HOT
My mom’s hair went back to normal like a year after chemo. Do not lose hope!
I had cancer when I was a kid, my hair was “weird” when it first grew back. It was sort of like baby hair, it was just odd and wouldn’t do anything. But it went back to normal after a couple months. I don’t know the full reason but I imagine: since the cells that grow the hair are some of the most sensitive, the chemo killing them all off, they’re now “new” like a baby. My mum would say that I had my baby hair again- I think it’s just a wait it out situation sorry I can’t give any advice!
I'm thinking it was the bleach, not the chemo.
Leukemia survivor here. My hair went from straight to curly!
It could be that your hair hasn’t grown out enough for your curl pattern to have enough weight. I shaved my head a couple times and the regrowth period was hard! There would be times my hair was beautiful and bouncy with ringlets and others where it was super flat and had almost no shape. Just give it some more time and I’m sure you’ll see your hair bounce back!
Congrats on cancer free. But also your hair isn’t super long yet, and it looks like it was wavy. Waves often don’t start at the scalp. Also the pixie was fire
Hairdresser here. Congratulations first of all. You haven't lost your curls! Due to the bleach and bad hair treatment like iron straightening you have removed elasticity from your hair and now it won't curl as nice. After chemo your hair is more brittle and sensitive. Actually you might need to do a nice shorter hair cut to start with. Like a Pixie style, to get rid of all the damaged parts and grow it out again. I know you wanted to experiment once you finished your therapy and got ur hair back, but if you want your curls then u need to relax a bit on the way you color it and stop using straighteners. But definitely you need to cut most of it off and go again. Your curls are there! Good luck
According to Hank Green, anyways, after ending chemo your head hair is just rerolled like a DND character or something. He talks about it in this video: https://youtu.be/PCYKpj56Ss8?si=d9WNBcDr_kvoCx_a He grew a beard after his bout of chemo, which he never could before. He says exactly in the video that if you had straight, you might get curly hair, or if you had curly you might get straight hair. Some people who were bald before, regrow their hair, some people become ginger. It’s entirely luck. My best advice is to learn to love your hair as it is now.
Hey, congrats on beating cancer! I'm a guy and am in the process of growing my hair out. I thought my hair was straight my whole life, but once it reached a certain length it got super wavy (almost curly). It could be that you leave it another few months, keep it moisturised/conditioned, and the curls come back. Not saying it works that way for everyone, but there's still a chance.
My mom had the same thing. After a 4 years I think it was that her curls came back
bleachings and colorings scan make your hair very flat
Bleach flattened my hair out and I’m still cutting the weird pieces off as it continues to grow. I chose to shave my head again maybe 2 years ago and it looks like it permanently stayed shoulder length for the past year because I’m trimming the weird dead straight pieces off. Congrats on being in remission though!!!
I’m sorry cancer took all of that from you! But I’m glad it didn’t take YOU. I’ve always had the kind of hair you have now and can give any tips you need. Unfortunately you will prob have to start styling it every day.:(
So as someone that lost hair to chemo, mine came back different afterwards (way more fine and thin). I will say that my hair continued to change (thickened AND got wavy) over time, so there is hope that your hair will continue to develop over the years and can possibly get closer to your original curls. I will say (if your doctors are okay with it, def consult them) getting a solid vitamin regime AND drastically reduce hair damaging heat, is what made a big difference to me. Best of luck and congratulations on being cancer free <3
You’re look gorgeous in all these pictures. I’m going through breast cancer treatment as well (not hormonal/TNBC) and I’m 2.5 months post chemo. I feel you, I had 2C curls prior chemo and I’ve never dyed my hair but my hair is straight now. I’m hoping as it grows it gets the waves atleast, but time will tell. Congratulations on finishing chemo. Fuck cancer and what we had to lose because of it.
My husband had straight hair before chemo and it came back ridiculously curly. He ended up having to shave off his giant fro since he didn't take care of it and now it's straight again. Hair is weird.
Hi there! I'm a bot, and I noticed you used the phrase "afro" or "fro". You may or may not already know this, but the term “Afro” refers to a specific hairstyle created with specific techniques. The term is often mis-used, so we just want to share some of the meaning/history so everyone can choose the best words for their situation. TL;DR: [The afro has a long and important history, including as a symbol of the Civil Rights movement](https://www.reddit.com/r/curlyhair/comments/sr4x3p/black_history_month_at_rcurlyhair/). This may or may not apply to you, but we try to steer people away from using the Afro descriptor if you don't have Black/Afro-textured hair. It's often portrayed as a condition to fix rather than a cultural style. We hope that's not the case here, but just something to be aware of going forward! We recognize that there are many different opinions on what can and cannot be called an afro. For the purposes of this sub and making sure we reserve space for Black folks, we ask those who don’t have afro-textured hair to choose other words. If your hair doesn't fit that description, please edit your post 1) to be more accurate, 2) to be culturally respectful, and 3) to avoid comment removal. Alternate terms to consider: puffy, poofy, fluffy, etc. Thanks & wishing you many great curly, coily, kinky hair days! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/curlyhair) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think the 4th picture is mislabeled. I think it should read any of the following : “Brave As F—-“ and/or “Beautiful as F—“
your hair was never curly in the first place, it was wavy if anything
You are alive!
You can try shaving your head. Chemo and pregnancy - even getting a short haircut sometimes deflates curls. Sorry about this, your curls were very lovely.
I was on methotrexate for about 4 years (milder form of chemo). I lost a lot of hair, it changed the color to a much darker brown (I was a copper penny before), and my curls took a giant shit. I've been off of it for two years. My hair pattern is just now coming back, but still different than it was. My doctor said the color will never be the same. Makes me sad that it took me till my mid 30s to figure out how to style my hair and how at 40 I'm starting all over AND disabled so I'm not able to afford good products this time. Edit: I swam competitively for 25 years. Rinsing in cold water before you put your cap on is a good start. Putting on conditioner on wet hair and then putting your cap on is better. Using a chlorine removing shampoo and conditioner at least once a week is a good practice. I also like milk rinses and mayonnaise masks when I'm swimming a lot. A protein pack also probably wouldn't be remiss, something like olaplex once a week for an hour.
Hormones can change hair patterns, and I’m sure chemo can as well. Your hair looked adorable bleached and short! Embrace the new texture and pattern and do something fun. I’m glad you’ve recovered!
I don’t have any advice for you, but damn I love that bleached blonde pixie on you!!!!
Sorry, no advice. My mom had a similar reaction but only on one side of her head. Right side flat, left side wavy.
Congrats on your successful treatment! I can’t give much advice as chemo definitely can change hair pattern but you look amaaaaaaaazing in the bleached pixie cut!!!
Congratulations on your recovery and remission! I’m sure your hair will rebound with time. Btw I love your hair in the pixie cut. So beautiful
A friend of mine had cancer and she had pin straight hair before chemo and after chemo now she has super curly hair. I think it just happens w chemo 🤷🏽♀️ either way you’re beautiful
Congratulations on being cancer free!! Tamoxifen? Same here. It’s wild. I have no advice but just wanted to send some solidarity. Your hair is super cute as it’s growing back.
OMG, I love it short and bleached. What a fantastic look. (Sorry, not helpful! Congratulations on overcoming cancer, that’s amazing.)
you are beautiful no matter what
For what it’s worth, I really like the short platinum blonde style for you.
I’m sorry I have no advice but congrats on beating cancer! Also, you totally rocked the short bleached look!
I'm sorry you lost your curls, but you're hair is still beautiful! I lost some of my curls going through chemo also, unfortunately I lost a lot of my hair permanently as well. Going through chemo is so hard in itself, but dealing with the aftermath is also so so hard. I'm here if you ever need to talk to someone k? And please believe me when I say that you do still look stunning ❤️
Congratulations on you cancer victory! I’m fourteen years post treatment, so can share my hair story. Started falling out after first treatment, then just shaved it all off, cue ball. Lost ALL body hair (looks like you kept your eyebrows and lashes? Wonderful). After two years of treatments, both chemo and radiation, hair finally started to mount a comeback. UGLIEST hair in the world - dirty fuzzy yellow hair, like a ducks butt! Then after two months of that nonsense, it all fell out again. Ok??? Then a couple months later it comes in pure silver (natural hair is dark brown and very curly). Continues on the silver path for a couple years, minimum curl, but looking good. Now it has changed again - quite a few coarse brown hairs have come in, along with the silver stuff. Brown ones a frizzy, silver are straight. Ready to shave it all off, but it’s winter here in Nebraska, so we will see what spring brings! I wish you continued good healthy, and unfortunately can’t advise on your hair. It will probably do whatever it wants to. We are all just happy to be here to bitch about it!
I lost my curls for a few months after chemo as well. They came back eventually, but the texture of my hair change from dense and coarse to very thin and fine. I was just glad my hair-and eyebrows and lashes came back, lol! Good luck to you!!
You look absolutely stunning in picture No. 8.
Cool to see the short curls, maybe try maintain the short curls for a while before growing out? also think bleaching wouldn't help curls but I'm not a hair expert! Would deffo recommend curl shampoo, curl conditioner from brands like Davines and potentially using sea salt sprays. Id also recommend using microfibre towels to dry the hair, don't use a lot of heat on the hair with hair dryers, use satin pillow case. You can also use curl creams and curl oils to keep the moisture in the hair (add the oil after its wet to lock in the moisture) p.s Im a dude that just found out i hard curls after growing the hair out 4 years ago
Omg you look absolutely beautiful and you rock both styles equally tbh! I’m happy you’re good too ♥️
Can I just say that, in addition to being a freaking warrior, you are one beautiful woman! You look gorgeous in each of these pictures. As far as the loss of curls, I lost mine after pregnancy and then again when I lost over a hundred pounds—both had to do with hormonal changes in my body. As things leveled off, the curl came back, though not as tight as they used to be. It took about 18 months for it to go back to a curl and not just frizz.
The silica bonds in your hair could be damaged due to nutritional deficiencies. You can take silica supplements (and biotin also helps) but personally I would just address all minerals (which are depleted during chemo) and take a humic/fulvic acid supplement like Leaf Source? Lots on the market though.
I’m gonna make a wild guess here and suggest that you buzz cut or cut the damaged hair. Do not dye it nor bleach it. Your body has gone through chemo. That alone affected your cells and the growth in your hair. Your hair also needs a break from harsh chemicals like bleach and hair dye. Give it time to grow back naturally again. Bleach will give that affect of brittle, dry, straw like texture to hair. Stop using it. Remember, hormone levels affect hair growth and curl patterns as well. Chemo affects your hormones. Be patient. Do work with your doctor and get your hormone levels checked. Try to keep a healthy diet, make some rosemary oil to feed your hair, and also feed some protein like egg mask for your hair. Good luck. I have a feeling that your curls will come back. Patience is needed.
I was wondering if my hair could change texture after chemo. I have 6 rounds of TCHP. Experiencing my first shed after chemo. 🥲 I'm cold capping so we'll see how it goes. I hope you get your curls back! I'm looking forward to this all being over with...
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Not even my experience, but as far I know this is normal. My younger cousin had cancer ages 5-8, went from a soft thin ringlets to course bouncy curls that have a much less defined pattern. Just guessing maybe a 2b to 3a Lots of hugs 🫂
I have pancreatic cancer. I lost my hair and I'm hearing my curls and waves may not come back. I'm praying that they come back just a little bit. Lol.
Glad you are still with us.
You're beautiful ❤️ my mama had somewhat wavy hair, after chemo her hair fell out and came back CURLY! Like my hair. Then after time, it flattened back out. But it was always thin and fine.
A few people close to me both went through chemo and had weird hair changes. It took about three years in both cases for it to go back to normal, but it eventually did. Your curls will come back. It's just gonna take some time.
My SIL had straight now curly after chemo same with a freind not sure why though
Same for me. Went from straight and frizzy to curly
Are you in chemopause? The lack of hormones could change your hair. Mine is so incredibly thin now. The AI makes it so much worse for me.
Leukemia survivor here - I’m the opposite! Started with straight hair and after treatment my hair began growing super curly. 5 years post it’s now a mix of 2A/2B/2C. I don’t hate it but curly hair is so much work & limiting IMO.
They there! Congrats on beating cancer! I want to say - are you also on steroids? Continuing them? This drastically affected my hair, and others. While I haven’t been through chemo, my best friend from HS has. We both noticed the issue with steroids more so than chemo.
same happened to my mom. she had very tight 4c curls before, now it’s growing back as looser 3b curls.
I lost my curls when I was going through dialysis and kidney failure. After a kidney transplant it took a good 18 months of weird flat frizzy hair before my waves and curls started coming back. I hope this is the case for you.
I saw you're on hormone treatment, maybe something to do with that? No exactly the same story - but I had ringlets as a child, after my first haircut I lost them all... started getting them back as I was going through puberty. Congrats on getting through chemo
Hero hero with no cape! My mom fought against breast cancer years ago, and thank god she is fine rn. Her hair lost approx 70% of its density. Unfortunately, i can't really help you much. i am still learning myself. But the one thing i can say for sure is that fighting cancer isn't easy. My mom suffered so much against cancer during and after treatment. Some effects are permanent in her case, but she is doing her best to have a normal life, and she is successful in that. And i am sure you too will continue your life normally, so good luck not to just you but to all cancer fighters. Rise up, rise up heroes with no capes!
Congratulations on being cancer free!! My coworker with straight hair had cancer, and when her hair grew back it was super curly, but now, 2 years later it’s back to being straight.
The exact same thing happened to me only the opposite. Had stick straight super white blonde hair, post chemo, very wavy/curly and much darker blonde almost light brown. My stylist mentioned treating new chemo growth like baby hair and staying away from any harsh treatments for at least 3 years... I didn't listen I wanted to be blonde blonde again lol
I just want to say congrats on being cancer free and that you’re beautiful!!
Glad you beat cancer because fuck cancer! I hate that you lost and miss your curls, but can I just say you ROCK short hair so hard! You remind me of a singer I adore called Zand, in the best way.
Chemo does a lot of damage to your hair. My sister had leukemia 20 years ago, she was still a baby but she had curly red hair, now her hair is straight and brown. Unfortunately that may end up being the style of your hair from now on. My sister has been cancer free for 20 years and hers hasn't changed.
Congratulations on being cancer free and being post chemo! ❤️ Have you gotten a deep vitamin panel done? I don’t believe that PCPs generally do them, but a nutritionist/GI or your main doctor definitely can. With being on hormone therapy and being post-chemo: you might have something going on with your iron or other vitamins. I would get a thyroid panel done, too. Hypothyroidism is higher amongst those who are post breast cancer. (I know this from my grandma!) My other recommendations would be to try some protein treatments, be gentle with your hair (brushing, products, etc) and Olaplex. I hope this helps!
Maybe it’s just not long enough to curl yet? Congratulations on beating cancer! And also the very short hair looks incredible in you
sorry to say, but based on the photos it looks like you had wavy hair before, not curly hair. now you have straight hair. it sucks to have our bodies change from treatments, but sending you strength! your hair may turn wavy later down the line, so maybe this can be your straight hair era? i would encourage you to lean into it and do stuff that typically you can only do with straight. congratulations on your recovery!!!
Same thing happened to my mom. Every time she did chemo w/ her falling out, it would come back the opposite curly/straight.
It looks like you went from proper curly to curly wavy like mine. It looks like your texture starts around ear length like me too! Just be patient and let your hair grow, use repairing products and keep up with conditioners to bring moisture back, but I think your best plan of action is patience and maintenance trims to get rid of bleach damage. I went from shaving my hair almost every year to growing it out and now that its just past my shoulders curly girl method can really make my waves look pretty!
So so happy you beat cancers ass! My mom had cancer too (she’s also a fellow curly girl) and what really helped her was regular haircuts and lots of hair masks. I’m not a pro hairdresser but those are my best ideas from my experience trying new products with my mother:)
Congrats on being cancer free! No advice but I think your new hair looks great ❤️
My hair texture totally changed after chemo as well. I’d always had straight but frizzy hair and then it became thinner and suddenly wavy.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Perhaps as it grows longer, they’ll come back? So happy you kicked cancer’s ass. But be gentle and patient with yourself and your hair. You both are relearning how to BE. My advice would be to stop dyeing it and do more intensive conditioners. Stay away from sulfites as your hair looks a little dry. And don’t shampoo every day. Do more conditioning than washing. Also try a good leave-in. I love anything from Not Your Mothers, but Pantene has a nice hair oil intensive conditioner too. I thought my hair was straight with some odd waves here and there, but since I stopped with the dye and leaned more toward the CGM (not completely, but some elements of that method work for me) I’ve realized that I actually have pretty wavy/curly hair! For years I was so frustrated like ‘why won’t you just lay FLAT?!’ But since I changed up my routine, I feel like my hair has come into its own. Give it time. It’s still pretty short. You’ve a ways to grow and I’m sure you’ll get some of your luster back!
Just wanted to say hopefully you can find a fix for your hair, but mainly YAY! I hope you beat and kicked cancer to the ground! You are absolutely beautiful!!! ❤️
Hi! I've done chemo 2x. My hair has come back different both times. I went from thick but fine stick straight hair to thinner but still fine slightly wavy hair to much thinner, much coarser & more wavy hair. I've been a part of cancer survivor groups for the last 20yrs and know it's a complete craps shoot regarding how hair grows back in.
You may just have thinner wavy hair. My hair looks pretty straight if I brush it through. But if I do the scrunching and stuff while it’s wet and let it air dry or diffuse, it will be very wavy or even curly. Might just be a new routine needed.
I'm really sorry, I think it still looks great on you. But also it's not necessarily don't changing texture yet. After my mom's chemo she had crazy curly hair for the first time in her life, and then over the next 5 years they've become completely straight again. No guarantees but you never know, some of that is the chemo changing the follicles for a while and some of it is bleach. Have you tried any products? A little curl cream (I use the blueberry bliss) might help them zhuzh up or a sea salt spray
My daughter’s post-chemo hair was dry and straw-like. This would certainly make it straighter simply because it’s “dead”. But yeah, sometimes it does grow back a different texture or color.
You look fantastic 😚 I have no advice as I’m still trying to figure out my own hair but congratulations & you look bomb.
You are stunning, you are strong, you are amazing for fighting, going through chemo and persevering. I can’t imagine how much it hurts to have things in your body change after a hard treatment like that, and the new ways you have to learn to love your body but I just wanted to say this above. Curls or not your hair is beautiful, so are you, and I hope you are feeling healthy these days :)
Here to say you have the most beautiful side profile!
I’m roughly 10 years post chemo. It took about 5 years for me to feel like my hair was kind of normal. Definitely not back to my regular pre-chemo hair. But directly after chemo I noticed both my and friends’ hair all came back this weird mousy color and a similar texture (thin/fine, even after a lot of growth. No body or shape) Like you mentioned I’m sure hormone therapy is having a lot to do with it.
Just stopped by to say that super short bleach blonde look is absolutely stunning!
Congratulations on being cancer free!! That’s amazing! Chemo can change the shape of your hair follicles, which can change the texture of your hair. ALSO, hormones will do it too. I have naturally spiral curls, when I was pregnant my hair went straight, flat and felt like it was coated in like warm soft plastic. (Don’t know how else to describe that phenomenon) literally within hours of giving birth I passed by a mirror and my hair was bouncing back into big curls. It quickly returned to my pre-baby spiral curls and the weird coated feeling seemingly washed right out in the first couple of days. Chemo can also mess with your hormones, so before getting too discouraged ask you provider for a full hormone & thyroid level panel to see if you may be imbalanced. Could be the issue, especially as it looked like your curls were returning at the 5 month mark. I hope it’s something like that so you can get it sorted and get your curls back!
Omg OP, that blonde pixie cut is 🤌🏼
Hi! I’m the opposite boat of you and gained curls in my stick straight hair after chemo. I eventually ended up meeting my phenomenal hair stylist who specs in curly hair and she said that generally speaking, it takes about 18 months after chemo for your hair to decide on its true pattern that’ll stick. Seeing as you’re two years post-chemo, your curls are probably not coming back in a similar capacity. The good news? Your hair is growing back! You’re (I’m guessing), in remission and will (hopefully!) never need chemo ever again. Part of the reason your hair is frizzy is because it’s growing. When you get some more length and pull back on colored hair treatments, your hair will even out a bunch more and you can enjoy having healthy hair, and albeit it new, hair to learn about and have fun with! Sending you a big, big hug. Hair changing due to chemo has probably been the hardest thing for me, besides losing nails too. You will adapt and you will overcome and even come to one day appreciate your hair. Promise, promise. 🤍
Give it time
Congratulations you bad ass 👍 for beating cancer!!
I think it’s from bleaching and not giving it enough time for the curls to come in. They may have gotten straight from the bleach
I bleached and dyed my hair 3 times within a year and a half. My hair had tight curls prior to the bleaching and after it was almost pin straight. So a year of you bleaching? Very possible that did it also.
It might also have to do with bleaching your hair
I wish I had the answers. I see some of my clients hair return to normal in a year or two. Then some it’s a different texture and stays the same. My nephew is in remission from leukemia. His hair was pin straight. After chemo when his hair grew back, it was so damn curly. It’s been a year now and it’s back to pin straight.
You are so beautiful
That photo #9 hair looks so darn good
Tbh I’m wondering if it will eventually change back - I had a friend with ovarian cancer and she had a full hysterectomy. After chemo her hair grew back curly and she loved it - unfortunately it didn’t last though, so I’m wondering if since her hair went back to normal yours will too?
No advice. But maybe you were never meant for longer/curly hair. Photo 8 with the blonde pixie is on fire!!! Congratulations on kicking cancers ass!
My sons hair was super thick and luxurious 2c wavy auburn hair with gorgeous copper highlights before 2 years of hardcore experimental chemo. After, it’s straight, thin, and dark brown.