I Had Chemo and My Hair Came Back Curly!

Many patients experience changes to hair texture after chemotherapy known as "chemo curls." But why do they happen, and how many people get chemo curls? This episode will explain.

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)

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[vaszgul]

My mother has had bright green eyes ever since she had chemotherapy. She has had blue eyes her whole life. I'm the one that pointed out to her how green they are now. It's fascinating.

[gsquaredfam]

"A very expensive perm" just made me spit soda all over my dash

[Jilliberation]

I had breast cancer in 1999. It was a particularly nasty fast-growing sort, and unusually susceptible to chemo. I chose the most cytotoxic chemo, because it had the best odds of survival. Too many people loved me to let vanity call the shots. I lost every hair I owned for 6 months. I learned that the hairs in your nose keeps the snot from running out the front and that I needed to walk bent over so I wouldn't ruin my shoes. Originally straight flaxen blonde, when my hair grew back, it was red and curly like Little Orphan Annie!

I have a theory on how/why it happened... In cosmetology school I learned that whether a hair is straight or curly has everything to do with the shape of the shaft of the hair follicle. A cylindrical shaft exudes straight hair. Wavy hair comes from a kidney shaped shaft. Flat hair shafts produce curly hair. While hair is actively in its growth cycle, no matter how close one shaves, the stubble remains in the shaft retaining its shape. As the hair continues to grow, it's business as usual. Chemo interrupts the growth entirely, allowing all of the empty follicle shafts to collapse and flatten. Later, as the new fine hairs are replaced, they curl along the flattened shafts. Over the course of several years, my own hair tamed into softer looser curls and waves as my medium textured hair proved dominant over follicle shaft structure.

AGAIN, this is my best guess explanation. However, my theory is further supported by the tendency for long-term habitual hat wearers to have a strip of curlier hair where their hat band usually sits. Most likely due to the prolonged pressure from the hat band flattening out the shafts of follicles as they are in the resting phase in the "in-between" of the natural 5-7 year individual hair lifecycle. That would also explain the tiny patches of wild curly hair directly above the ears where frames sit for the bespectacled. Also, hair tends to become curlier on the side the elderly, infirm, or otherwise bed-ridden favor for sleep. With that in mind, if one is plagued by asymmetrical waviness It might just be a matter of sleeping on one's other side for a few years, to alter it.

[BeansGalaxy]

Hank actually retired, this is just the 3rd Green Brother

[seto]

Hank got that tenured professor look with his new hair

[sxt]

I’m African American and my aunt is a breast cancer survivor. After chemotherapy, her hair became a much looser texture and was nearly straight. We were so glad her hair grew back at all, we didn’t even think much of it!

[jortand]

the chasing down of a reference line and finding it to come from some random source that no person has read for the last 30-40 years, is so real.

[scottjackson]

My grandfather developed alopecia in his 40s, so I only ever knew him bald. Before he passed at 82, he came down with leukemia and had to go on chemo and steroids. He actually ended up growing hair! Mostly facial hair, but a little bit of whispy hair all over. Honestly, at his age and after 40 years of being hairless, he thoroughly enjoyed it. This was around the time I had my own awkward first teenage goatee and there's a picture of the two of us with our patchy facial hair somewhere out there that I've been bugging my family to find.

[alexisnicholson]

I love that Hank's approach has been "how can I use my experience of having cancer as an education opportunity?" Truly the best of us <3

[TigerLillysz]

"I think it's better, but it's much more work!"

Truer words have never been said

[LyallaTime]

I have Chemo Curls!! I'm a 20 year cancer survivor, and I've had it 9 times, 4 different kinds of chemo! My hair is STILL 80's style curly; I was born with blonde straight hair and now it's brown and big bushy Bob Ross curls!! I recommend a good curl definer so it doesn't get poofy, and be mindful that Curly Hair is THIRSTY! Lots of moisturizers--And I'm SO GLAD to see you looking well!

[valeriegregoire]

As a former hairdresser, I have definitely noticed change of texture in clients who had chemo. I have been told by clients that a pregnancy or menopause have changed hair texture aswell, maybe theres a correlation to make? Super informative and interesting video!

[PhilRable]

OMG, my wife not long ago went through 12 months of ray and chemo cancer treatment. Prior to chemo, her hair was very thick and absolutely dead straight. We couldn’t believe how curly she was after chemo was finished and her hair grew back. Now, after a few cuts (she normally keeps it very short) it’s give back to normal straight. Never thought it was a common chemo side effect.

[azurithdetwilight]

I'm not sure if you'll see this, but my husband was just diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma yesterday. I'm admittedly terrified because cancer is a very scary word. But honestly seeing your struggle and what you went through, and came back on the other side helps. So I want to say thank you for putting this all out there, and not shying away from the truth of it all good, bad and humorous.

[kibbs]

Hank lost his iconic haircut, and gained some stylish curls.

Hank: 2
Cancer: 0

[towhee]

My best friend in HS had to get low dose chemo for a benign brain tumor near the back-base of the skull, too close to anything vital to risk surgery. One of her biggest anxieties was her hair growing back different bc it was such a large part of her identity. Thankfully the only difference if any is some added waviness she enjoys, but i remember us having many tearful conversations over it bc there was so LITTLE for her to look up in terms of research to ease those fears.

With how many cancer/chemo patients are out there, I'm shocked there hasn't been more research done!

[clwbchbabycakes]

Chemo curls, yes - but the opposite is also true. I learned this from a cancer patient. If your hair started out curly and you lose it from chemo, it will grow back straight. I am a licensed braider in the state of Florida. I was doing braids on a little girl from England (I lived in a very touristy area). Her Aunt had brought her to my shop for her braids. To this very day, she has the thickest hair I have ever worked on. I kept remarking how amazingly thick her hair was. I was really in awe of it. After making several comments, with tears in her eyes, her Aunt said that was the best thing this girl could ever hear. She had cancer and had done chemo and had lost all of her hair. Her Aunt shaved her head and kept it clean shaven until her nieces hair grew back. This head full of braids was her celebration of beating cancer and growing back such healthy hair. The little girl sat there smiling from ear to ear the entire time. This was over 20 years ago and I will always remember them. 💜

[qjenkpm]

My mother had chemo too some 12 years ago, lost all her hair. It didn't grow back curly, but the chemo healed a 30-years old scar she had by her collar bone.
Also, congratulations Hank, you are a hero!

[larrywalsh]

While I'm relieved that Hank is a cancer survivor, I have to admit, I think I'm even more relieved that Hank is DEFINITELY still Hank - he hasn't let this change him, he's unbeaten, he appears to have come sailing through this the same man as he was when he went into it - I admire and appreciate him!

[remlezar]

It's such a relief to see you doing so well. I was genuinely so sad hearing about the diagnosis because I grew up on this channel. I had a really rough childhood, and my siblings and I basically had zero education before getting out of it. This helped me so much in catching up, and I doubt I'd be the man I am today without it. Thank you for everything

Sincerely, the 12 year old kid who had to play catch-up and made it to 24 just fine