Who would have thought losing your hair could be so traumatic? I never really did but the reality is I really did miss having my hair. Before I got cancer I had mid-back length hair and then within a week of my first chemo I was sitting in the hair salon going GI Jane and getting it cut off. I made that choice after days of crying every time a chunk of hair fell out.
Now if you anything like me you want to know when it will come back. Your hair will start to regrow in 30 – 60 days. Your hair will only grow about ¼” a month. Mine seemed to grow back a little faster once the first inch or two came in. When it grows back it may come back a different color or texture. One lady I know was a blonde with straight hair and her hair grew back darker and curly. Now I was hoping my hair would grow back thicker, curlier and lighter BUT I got darker hair that is still straight.
I was never a girly girl, I never had a pedicure or manicure before. If I was going to dye my hair I would go buy a box. But since my cancer diagnosis I realized a few things that I never would have expected. I love being pampered, I love mani’s and pedi’s and I love facial’s. I realized that I missed going to the salon and getting my hair washed and the scalp massage that goes with it. Yes, you can still go and get it done if you are bald I guess but it is just not the same as when you have hair. I missed the feeling of hair hitting my neck and shoulders and I really missed a pony tail. I know it is weird but I missed the ability to have a pony tail and when it grew back enough to have that again I was in tears and I have not been able to cut my hair below the pony tail length since.
If you have had lymph nodes removed the full manicure where they cut the cuticles is not recommended. The reason for this is they have any germs on the manicure set and you get an infection on the side that the lymph nodes were removed you will have a harder time fighting the infection. You can bring your own manicure kit in, which is what I do now.
I do not know what made me realize that I like girly girl and honestly I am still not super girly but I am definitely more girly now than I was when I was younger. Don’t get me wrong if I was going out or trying to be a flirt I would get all girly but just not the spa treatments. I totally enjoy going and getting dolled up again at the spa. I did come to one realization not too long ago, I would not go and spend money on my hair getting dyed and styled even after it grew in and I realized it was because I was always sure that the oncologist was going to tell me something at my next treatment. That my body would betray me again and I would have had to lose the hair that I just paid to have done.