One of the most common things that cancer patients try to figure out is their hair growth timeline once chemo treatment is over. I have been googling and insta-hashtag searching of what my hair would ideally look like in 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or even up to two years post chemo. When exactly wilI feel comfortable enough to ditch my wigs? When can I finally tie it into a ponytail? When will my hair grow out into a bob?
After excessively browsing different pages of cancer patients documenting photos of their hair growth transformation, it is honestly disheartening knowing that it will still look super short and that it will take FOREVER for my hair to grow back to the length that I once had.
Sure- people would be nice about your short hair. They will tell you that you get the chance to try out new hairstyles...or you might even end up liking short hair more. While that might be possible, I have come to find that short hair isn't for me and IT NEVER WILL BE. Unless you have been through hair loss twice only to wait for AGES to gain back everything you have lost due to being poisoned in order to be alive, you do not have the slightest idea of what it feels like to experience hair loss and hair growth. It has been extremely frustrating for me.
I decided to take a photo of my head every month in order to capture my hair growth journey. And now that it's been over a year, I thought I would share the photos of my one year hair growth timeline. Surprisingly, it grew back much faster than expected. Although it is still shorter than my old hair, it is already at a length where I could wear headbands and tie up mini ponytails. I may not feel like 100% myself just yet but I do feel a bit more like a girly girl again.
Check out my monthly transformation taken from May 2021- May 2022.
Just like my experience with chemo, everyone's hair growth journey is different. It is possible for your hair to grow back thicker and faster than before. It is also possible for hair to come back in a different color or texture. Many of us from the cancer community got "chemo curls," where hair comes back curlier than before. Apparently this is very normal but usually temporary. I am pleasantly surprised with how thick and healthy looking my new hair turned out. I have been applying castor oil and "Grow Gorgeous" hair growth serum which seemed to have helped speed up the hair growth. I also tried Chinese rice water. I am doing whatever it takes to boost the speed of my hair growth because I cannot wait to get my hair back.
Perhaps another reason why cancer survivors are obsessed with hair growth is because it symbolizes how far you have come. The longer your hair, the further you are in remission. Every mm, every cm and every inch marks the distance between where you are now and the darkest chapter of your life. With time comes more reassurance. The traces, the scars and the visible marks of what you have been through will slowly fade away. There will be less triggers. There will be less reminders of your trauma. Hair growth is a visual depiction of your healing journey.
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