Your treatments have caused hair loss. This is an emotionally difficult stage, and you are eagerly waiting for hair regrowth. You’ve reached that point: your treatment has just ended and your hair will soon begin to grow back. Still fragile, it requires the utmost care. How long after chemotherapy will your hair grow back? Will it grow back differently? Should you shave it to make it grow faster? Here are all our tips to help you better understand the post-chemotherapy period and this long-awaited moment of hair regrowth — a strong sign of remission. Discover also our products to boost hair regrowth after chemotherapy.

In the vast majority of cases, hair begins to grow back four to six weeks after the end of chemotherapy, or at least shortly thereafter. Give your body time to eliminate the toxins accumulated during treatment, particularly in the scalp. This requires that chemotherapy substances have completely left your system. You may also consider a post-treatment detox program to help remove remaining toxins. By the end of the first month, you should start to see early regrowth appearing across the scalp. You will then need to be patient, as hair grows on average about one centimeter per month. Be aware that hair regrowth often causes itching of the scalp. Massage your scalp as much as possible and be patient!

Hair often changes in appearance, especially during the early stages of regrowth. Color, thickness and flexibility may be different. Hair is often thicker, curlier and may sometimes turn gray. If you previously had straight, dark hair, it may grow back wavier and slightly lighter. In general, except for color, hair returns to its original nature after a few months. So don’t be surprised if your hair doesn’t immediately return to how it was before — be patient. The same applies to body hair when it starts to grow back. It may be more abundant and appear as a kind of fine down, but rest assured, this is temporary.

It is possible to slightly promote and accelerate hair regrowth once it has started, particularly through massages. Regular massages using vegetable oils or a gentle lotion help reduce itching, eliminate toxins, and stimulate blood circulation. For a few minutes, use the pads of your fingers to massage from the nape of your neck to the top of your head with slow, gentle circular motions. There is no need to hurry; this almost daily ritual should be pleasant and painless. Take the opportunity to relax during this time.

Absolutely not! During hair regrowth, you can continue to wear your wig without worry, as it allows the scalp to breathe and does not slow down regrowth. The same applies to chemotherapy caps or chemotherapy scarves, which do not hinder hair growth at all. Feel free to wear your scarves and remove them once you feel comfortable with your hair length. Finally, contrary to popular belief, cutting your hair very short or even shaving it will not speed up regrowth.

Hair grows on average 1 to 2 cm per month, but after chemotherapy, everyone wants to quickly regain a nice length to style their hair, which is completely understandable. Everything happens at the root. That is why, initially, the hair bulb must be detoxified before being boosted with nutritional supplements, stimulating shampoos, and strengthening serums.

Tip: try to keep your head as warm as possible day and night! Cold constricts the blood vessels in the scalp, which can limit hair regrowth. Finally, don’t hesitate to check out nutritional supplements that can help with hair regrowth after chemotherapy.

Certain foods are very good for hair and its regrowth, and only a balanced diet will truly make a difference. Try to balance your meals by including, among other things, vitamins A and C found in green vegetables and fruits, omega-3 (from fish), zinc, and iron. However, don’t obsess over your diet — it should remain a source of pleasure. Moreover, while a healthy diet contributes to hair health, it should be remembered that it is only a "boost," and unfortunately, there is no miracle recipe for accelerated hair regrowth.

Rich in vitamin B, brewer's yeast, in capsules or flakes, is an excellent supplement to help stimulate hair and body hair regrowth. However, be careful: even natural supplements must be used with great caution, especially when dealing with cancer.

Always consult a pharmacist or your doctor before taking any supplements.

There are various solutions available to help hair regrowth. We have listed a few of them, but there are hundreds of recipes and old wives' remedies out there.

Our Favourite, Castor Oil

Our little favourite, castor oil, has proved its worth for generations. It’s truly ideal to support regrowth and also to strengthen the hair fibre. The texture of this oil is quite viscous, so you can easily mix it with another oil (avocado oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil) to make it more fluid.

In the evening, massage your scalp to facilitate regrowth, or your lengths to make them strong, vigorous and voluminous. Leave it on overnight. To prevent your sheets from being soaked with oil, place a towel between your head and pillow. In the morning, wash your hair as usual. The dense texture of the oil requires a deep wash to remove it entirely. Repeat once or twice a week. If you prefer to wash your hair in the evening, we recommend in this case leaving the oil on for at least 30 min.

Find out everything you need to know about castor oil in our article:

Castor Oil: A Must-Have for Hair and Eyelash Growth!

Still focusing on natural options, lotions and other stimulating serums can be used in a treatment for a minimum of 3 months. Be careful with the ingredients! Prefer products with natural formulations. In ampoules or droppers, these products should be applied and left directly on the scalp to stimulate the hair bulb. Finally, always check the composition of your products before applying them to your scalp, and if your scalp is damaged or irritated, favour the use of oil or shampoo.

Avoid dyes, perms, straightening treatments, as well as blow-drying during the first six months. You risk weakening your hair further and affecting regrowth. If you cannot tolerate your white hair but still want a plant-based color, opt for natural, so-called organic plant dyes: ammonia-free, paraben-free, and resorcinol-free. However, be careful not to do any coloring as long as your scalp is visible. Do not shave your hair or your peach fuzz, it will disappear after six months to a year.

Furthermore, just like your **hair**, your **eyelashes** and **eyebrows** will grow back, but a little later. They can sometimes be thinner and sparser. So, be patient, they will grow! Initially, you can use **castor oil** on a cotton swab and apply it every evening to the base of your **eyelashes** and/or **eyebrows**. For fast and effective regrowth of your **eyelashes** and **eyebrows**, we also recommend products from the brand Revitalash, specifically developed to boost eyelash regrowth and eyebrows after chemotherapy. The results are amazing!

Finally, feel free to check out our article: We tested Revitalash for you to see the results of this test! Regrowth of **eyelashes**, **eyebrows**, and **hair** – the brand Revitalash quickly became the go-to brand for this stage of hair regrowth after chemotherapy.

Discover the Revitalash brand and its range of products in our article: Revitalash: The flagship brand during and after cancer

Sources: https://www.e-cancer.fr/Patients-et-proches/Qualite-de-vie/Image-corporelle/Prendre-soin-de-ses-cheveux/La-repousse-des-cheveux