Chemo curls: 14 women on loving them, hating them… and everything in between

Anyone going through chemotherapy will eventually hear about chemo curls. Maybe someone told you that your hair would grow back completely differently. Maybe you're secretly hoping for those gorgeous curls so many women talk about. Or perhaps you're mostly wondering whether you'll ever recognise yourself in the mirror again.

There are countless stories about chemo curls. So we asked women from our Facebook and Instagram community what happened when their hair started growing back after chemo. Did they get curls? Did they last? Did they like them? Their answers show one thing above all: there is no standard story.

"I absolutely loved them"

Lidwien: "Yes, I got chemo curls and I absolutely loved them. They suited me and I really enjoyed having them. Sadly, they grew out. Since then, my hair has become a bit of a mixed bag: straight strands, loose waves, tight ringlets and stubborn grey hairs sticking out everywhere."

Loes: "I used to have long, thick, straight hair! The only thing I ever wanted was curls, and I got them!! My hair has been growing back since November and I'm loving my full head of curls!"

Mieke: "My hair used to be very straight and now I have curls. I'm really happy with them and I've had them for more than 10 years now!"

Emmanuella: "I got chemo curls too. But after a few months, my straight hair came back. My hair is now a white-grey colour, whereas it used to be dark. Everyone thinks the grey looks lovely. I actually like it too. And with a stylish haircut, you can change a lot."

"At first, I really didn't like them"

Patricia: "After chemo, I got a whole head of curls back. They stayed for two years. At first, I didn't really like them because I no longer recognised myself in the mirror. They've disappeared now, and because of hormone therapy my hair has become very thin and lifeless. So these days... I actually miss them!"

Sandra: "My chemo curls were really frizzy and I had no idea what to do with them. Then my hair grew back the way it used to be, except for a tight little curl at the ends. Honestly, it looked awful. I ended up getting a very short, spiky haircut. Surprisingly, it suited me! After that, I got a lovely head of hair back and I was really happy with it."

Sarah: "I had lots of curls, but they were really strange. At the nape of my neck I had tight ringlets, above that beautiful big curls, and on top completely straight hair. It was a nightmare to style. Until my new hairdresser said, 'I'm going to cut all those curls out.' And tadaaa... even with longer hair now, there are no curls left at all!"

Floortje: "My naturally curly hair unfortunately grew back straight. I still hope my curls will come back one day, because I definitely prefer them."

"I discovered a completely new hairstyle"

Lobke: "My hair always had a bit of a wave to it, but after chemo I got suuuper beautiful curls; I was soooo happy with them. Sadly, they disappeared again after about two years and my hair is back to how it used to be. But I'm really glad I've experienced 'every possible hair length' because I now know short hair suits me. I loooove short, edgy hairstyles. Nowadays, I get my hair cut short without a second thought, whereas before I would have doubted for ages whether I dared to do it."

Katelijne: "My hair actually started growing back while I still had a few chemo sessions left. At first, I had curls and cowlicks, which I later had cut off. My hair grew very quickly and after a second haircut it became straight again. As for the colour, my hairdresser calls it salt and pepper."

Helga: "No curls, just a bit of a wave. I don't have to do anything with it, it simply falls nicely into place. It's the same white colour I already had before, but my hair has only been growing back for six months."

Monique: "No, I don't have curls (yet), but I got very soft baby-fine hair back... whereas my hair used to be quite coarse. I did get the same amount of hair back as before, though."

And sometimes, it simply takes time

Monica: "My chemo curls have disappeared, just like the grey colour. I have my old hair back again. It just takes time."

Sabine: "I had very tiny curls. But afterwards, my hair became extremely thin. It turned out that I developed Hashimoto's disease after my cancer treatment, which explained why my hair had become so fine and sparse. Now, 11 years later, things have improved a little."

Chemo curls are anything but predictable

Some women got gorgeous curls. Others ended up with a few stubborn ringlets, frizzy hair or no curls at all. For some, the curls disappeared after a few months. For others, they stayed for years.

Maybe that's what makes chemo curls so relatable: nobody knows in advance what their new hair will look like.

Also read: Chemo curls after chemotherapy: why do they happen and do they last forever? >

Did you get chemo curls too? Or not at all? We'd love to read your story in the comments.