Intro to Does Hair Grow Back After Chemo: 5 Tips for Chemotherapy Hair Growth
You’ve probably done a lot of research about hair growth and chemotherapy and are wondering if hair grows back after chemo. It takes time for the chemotherapy drugs to be detoxified from your body once you have received your last chemo treatment. Some will begin seeing some thin, fuzzy hair several weeks after their last treatment. How quickly your hair grows back varies from person to person.
Generally, this is what most can expect to see after chemo treatments are complete:
3-4 weeks: Soft fuzzy hair forms
4-6 weeks: Real hair begins to grow
2-3 months: About an inch of hair growth
3-6 months: About 2-3 inches
12 months: About 4-6 inches
Please be patient as your hair begins to grow. It’s common for hair to not grow as quickly as it did before chemo. Also, some hair follicles may enter the growth stage before others, so you may notice different hair lengths, which may cause your hair to look patchy. As your hair regrows, it will be fragile and prone to breaking, so it is imperative to nurture your hair and scalp to ensure you are growing the best hair possible. Here are 5 tips to help grow your best hair.
Does Hair Grow Back After Chemo: 5 Tips for Chemotherapy Hair Growth
Before you continue reading, please note that we are not medical professionals, nor are we giving any medical advice.
1. Eat a nutrient-dense diet: It is important to take care of your body from the inside out. Your daily intake of protein is important because it provides the amino acids that make up keratin, which is the building block of your hair. Lean meats, beans, fish, eggs, dairy, kale, and asparagus are great sources of protein. If you are vegan, there are choices, yet stay away from soy. Otherwise, when you see your hair falling, you won’t be able to say we didn’t warn you.
Healthy fats, such as coconut, olive, and flaxseed, provide your body with long-chain polyunsaturated fats and linoleic acids, which are necessary for hair structure. Notice soy oil is NOT on the healthy list. Fruits and vegetables are essential to provide a variety of nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, folate, zinc, and niacin. Inositol, which can be found in nuts, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and whole grains, helps improve the function of scalp cells. Avoid refined sugar as much as possible.
2. Avoid soy, corn syrup, and mercury(fish): Unfortunately, soy protein is responsible for phytohemagglutinin, which is a plastic-like complex that lodges in the finest capillaries of the body. Follicles have some of the finest capillaries as well as the retina of the eyes. Soy is used in everything from salad dressing, bread, and protein bars, to biofuel, to the ink that is printed in a book. You may think you don’t get any soy in your diet but think again. Baked goods, fried foods, gravies, sauces, low-carb breads and foods, and even grilled foods from your favorite restaurant were probably coated with cooking oil (soy) to keep them from sticking to the grill.
Corn doesn’t exactly attack hair follicles, but many nutritionists will tell you that corn products disrupt so many metabolic processes and more that your body will go into emergency mode again to get that disruptor out of the body or store it in the fat cells to not deal with it. With your body dealing with all the disruptors, there are minimal to no nutrients left to build hair or anchor that which is growing. Gluten-free eating has steered the unsuspecting public into corn based-gluten free prepared foods. YIKES! By the way, a dastardly additive is maltodextrin, which is corn-based.
Mercury is a disruptor of the body’s metabolic processes also and is not just in canned tuna. Watch out for swordfish, mackerel king, orange roughy, tuna, and even yellowtail. Got amalgam fillings in your teeth? That’s made with mercury.
3. Avoid substances that collect in or on your follicles: A few decades ago, we worried about petroleum and mineral oil in hair products. But now, with “progress”, manufacturers have replaced those oils with silicones, acrylates, waxes, quaterniums, and plasticizers, which do wonders for making the hair look better. Also, if you are new to our method and philosophy, organic products typically contain silicone derivatives (the stuff caulk is made of) and may plug follicles and disrupt growth. Here’s a link to your free copy of the Silicone Derivative AVOID List.
4. Use gentle, natural, nourishing hair products: Only use gentle, nourishing, and chemical-free hair products to nourish your hair and scalp. (AND NOT BABY SHAMPOO. Lawsuits against these companies are still in progress, and they are perfect examples of lies told in marketing to unsuspecting and trusting people). The Chemo Feel Better Look Better NOW package addresses all of your hair and scalp needs
5. Take care of your scalp: Healthy hair grows from a healthy scalp. Use a gentle, natural, and free from chemicals shampoo to cleanse your scalp. Massage your scalp with the pads of your fingers in a circular motion for 4 minutes. This helps relieve tension and increase blood flow to your follicles.
Apply a natural oil to your scalp to help nourish the scalp and soothe any irritation. Belegenza Natural Hair Care’s SpotLite Shine Serum is a wonderful moisturizer for your scalp. It’s lightweight, non-greasy, and non-sticky.
With thin hair and bare scalps, it’s important to wear head coverings when out in the sun.
Conclusion to Does Hair Grow Back After Chemo: 5 Tips for Chemotherapy Hair Growth
It’s important to have the proper education as to what you need to do to ensure you have long-term hair growth, or you could end up with weak, thinning hair. You must use products that are gentle, nourishing, and chemical-free. Belegenza Natural Hair Care understands all of this and has created a package of hair care products that take all the guesswork of which products are best for your hair follicles. Check out the Chemo-Feel Better Look Better Now package. Healthy hair starts with healthy hair follicles and scalp. Experience fuller, stronger, healthier hair.