Stages Of Hair Growth After Chemo: Top Tips For Growing Back Great Hair

For a lot of people, hair loss is the first thing that springs to mind when the topic of chemotherapy is mentioned. Although not everyone will experience hair loss when going through the treatment, the possibility of it can be daunting as hair can make up such a big part of our identity and self-image.
Here at UKLASH, we aim to be here for you when it comes to all types of hair loss, helping to put your mind at ease and find solutions to make you feel more confident and reassured. In this article, we're going to look at why chemotherapy causes hair loss, break down the hair regrowth timeline post-chemo and give post-chemo hair care tips using some of our award-winning UKHAIR products.

Understanding Hair Loss During Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is used to attack cancer cells, which divide and grow quickly, but the treatment is unable to distinguish between rapidly dividing cancerous cells and those that aren’t, like our hair cells. This means the chemotherapy attacks hair cells as well, causing hair to fall out. 

Stages Of Hair Growth After Chemotherapy

Stage 1 - Initial Hair Loss - During and 2-3 weeks post-chemo
This first stage is when you will be experiencing hair loss, which usually starts around 2-3 weeks into your chemotherapy treatment and lasts until the chemotherapy drugs are no longer in the body, which is typically around 2-3 weeks after the treatment has finished. As the chemotherapy drugs circulate in your bloodstream, you will find that they target not only the hair follicles on your scalp but also the rest of the hairs on your body, including your lashes and brows. To learn more about re-growing your eyelashes after chemo, head to our article here. Stage 2 - Hair Resting Phase - 1-2 months post-chemo
After you have been through your chemotherapy treatment, your hair follicles will enter the Telogen Phase of the hair growth cycle, aka the Resting Phase. This will typically start to happen around 1-2 months after chemotherapy, so if you’re at that stage and wondering why you haven’t seen any hair regrowth after chemo, this is completely normal. Your hair follicles have been through a traumatic time and this resting phase is a period of recovery for them, so try to stay patient and consider some of the top tips we’ve outlined below for growing hair back after chemo. Stage 3 - Early Regrowth Phase - 1-3 months post-chemo
At stage three you might start seeing some regrowth, which is your hair entering the Anagen Phase, also known as the Growth Phase. At first, you can expect a very fine fuzz that appears in patches, often referred to as ‘chemo hair’. This will later make way for new hair growth that is a more recognisable, stronger and thicker hair texture. Stage 4 - Visible Growth Phase - 3-6 months post-chemo
Around the three-month mark, you should start to see some more noticeable hair growth that grows more evenly and is a more recognisable hair texture. It might be that you notice a different hair colour or texture than you had previously; around 65% of people notice a difference in their hair when it grows back after chemotherapy. If you’re wondering ‘Can hair grow back curly after chemo?’ The answer is yes! Coined ‘chemo curls’, some people find that they have a new curly hair type which is a beautiful new normal - you just need to find some curly hair products and styling techniques that work for you!Around this time, you might start to see your lashes and brows begin to grow back too! A great way to help them grow back faster is by using our UKLASH Eyelash Serum and Eyebrow Serum, which has helped over 80,000 people see longer lashes and bolder brows in as little as 6 weeks! Stage 5 - Established Growth Phase - 6-12 months post-chemo
Around this time, you should hopefully be seeing significant hair growth after cancer treatment! If you’re wondering how to stimulate hair growth after chemotherapy, we’re here to help! Firstly, it’s important to learn how to take care of hair after chemo, being gentle on your scalp and strands whilst avoiding using any harsh chemicals such as bleach, hair dyes or perms on your hair as it is still in a period of recovery and needs to stay away from any additional damage! One of the best products for hair regrowth after chemo is the UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum. It’s packed with powerful natural ingredients such as AnaGain™(Pea Sprout Extract), Phytic Acid and Turmeric, which help to encourage healthy hair after chemotherapy by creating the perfect scalp environment for growth!

Stage 6 - Full Regrowth Phase - 12-18 months post-chemo
Around a year to a year or a half after your treatment has ended your ​​chemotherapy hair loss recovery should be complete and your hair growth cycle should be back in business!Having been through all of the chemotherapy hair loss stages, it’s important to be proud of your body and hair and how far it’s come, and taking care of it is your way of showing gratitude and appreciation. Continuing to avoid damaging products and hair tools and incorporating a proactive hair care routine is a good way to stimulate growth and to help keep your hair happy and healthy!

Hair Changes After Chemotherapy

You might be asking yourself ‘Why is my hair growing back different after chemo?’ Don’t worry - this is a common phenomenon! Around 65% of people report a change in their hair after chemo. This is due to the damage that is caused to the hair follicle during chemotherapy, meaning that it may not function in the way it once did, leading to possible changes in texture, colour and thickness. Everyone is different, and in some cases, these changes could be temporary and in others permanent; most importantly, it’s about learning to love your hair’s own colour and texture whatever it may be and embracing your new hair as a beautiful symbol of strength!

Texture change - A change in texture is a common theme. Your hair might decide to grow back curly (often referred to as ‘chemo curls’) or straight, where it might have been the opposite pre-chemo. 
Colour change - Another change that you might come across is a change in the colour of your hair. This is due to the effect that chemotherapy can have on melanin; the hormone responsible for the intensity of colour in hair and skin. It can possibly reduce your melanin count resulting in hair that appears lighter, and in some cases, white or grey. 
Volume Change - Our hormones have a huge effect on the behaviour of our hair and during chemotherapy, when our hormones are in flux, our hair follicles follow suit. This can change our hair’s texture, making it more coarse or fine when prior the chemotherapy, it was the opposite.
Although initially, these changes might come as a shock, it’s important to try and embrace this new normal, appreciating how strong and powerful your body has been over the course of your treatment whilst learning to love the new you. Why not do a little research into cute hairstyles and how to treat your new hair colour and texture - you could learn a lot and it might help you come to terms with your new hair.

Clare’s Story Of Hair Regrowth Post-Chemo

“On 15th December 2023, I was told those awful words, ‘Clare, I’m sorry to inform you, but you have breast cancer’. My world was literally turned upside down in a second. My cancer was triple negative, so an aggressive one which require chemotherapy. As soon as I heard chemotherapy I knew hair loss would be involved. So my homework began researching products that might help me. Cancer takes a lot from us and is also an expensive time so finding a product that works is a RESULT. I am utterly delighted with the UKLASH products and can honestly say they have worked for me so far!”

Top Tips For Growing Hair After Chemo
1. Scalp Care Is Self Care - As your scalp and hair follicles go through so much during chemotherapy, it’s important to embrace scalp care post-chemotherapy by being extra gentle and using proactive formulas in your daily routine. Why not try The Hair Care Essentials set which combines our Growth Shampoo and Conditioner, both of which are made up of 97% natural ingredients, and our Repair Mask which is scientifically formulated to rebuild the keratin bonds in your hair, helping you grow back longer, stronger and healthier hair!
2. Be Gentle - During the first year post-chemotherapy, it’s important to take extra care with your hair to encourage healthy regrowth, avoiding any harmful products and colourants, such as bleaches, dyes and perms and avoiding using hot tools where possible, such as curling tongs and straighteners. Give your hair a chance to breathe and recuperate to allow for healthy hair growth!
3. Use Hair Growth Serum - Our UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum is easy to apply and packed with powerful ingredients to help repair and protect your hair and encourage regrowth. AnaGain™(Pea Sprout Extract) is combined with Phytic Acid and Turmeric to revitalise and stimulate hair growth at the scalp, whilst the addition of Lemon Fruit Water conditions and protects your hard-earned regrowth!
4. Nourish From Within - Chemotherapy is a lot for your body to take, and so it’s important to fuel your body with all the important vitamins and nutrients it needs to stay strong during recovery! The best vitamins for hair regrowth after chemotherapy include Biotin, Vitamin C+E, and Folic Acid, all of which can be found in our UKHAIR Hair Vitamins! Chew two gummies a day to help supplement your diet, which should also include a balanced diet of proteins, greens and fibre, dairy and fats!
5. Hairstyles For Growth - When you’re trying to encourage hair growth, it’s important to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on your scalp and strands, staying away from hairstyles that use heat and could damage the hair follicle, or pulling to hard on the hair causing tension at the scalp and leading to breakage! To learn more about what hairstyles to choose to avoid breakage, head to our article here.

Generally, hair regrowth after chemotherapy follows a gradual process, with most patients regaining significant hair growth within 6-12 months. During this time, patience and self-care are essential parts of the process, as the journey to healthy hair growth is different for everyone. Hopefully the above has cleared up questions you might have had and encouraged you to take care of yourself and your hair throughout the process. If you have any hair-related questions relating to cancer or chemotherapy that you’d like answered, don’t hesitate to contact the team at UKLASH by email at contact@uklash.com.

*Before introducing a new product into your routine, always consult your Oncologist