Hi Betty,

I hope some of our forum community will reply with their personal experiences. I found the following information at Cancer.org, which is part of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Their answer on how long to wait before coloring is 3 months.

From their webpage: https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/side-effects/hair-loss-or-alopecia

"Caring for regrown hair. When your hair begins to grow back, it will be much thinner and more easily damaged than your original hair. It may also grow back a different texture or color than your original hair. The following tips may be helpful in caring for regrown hair:

• Limit washing your hair to twice a week.
• Massage your scalp to remove dry skin and flakes.
• Use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush for your hair. When styling your hair, limit the amount of pinning, curling, or blow-drying with high heat.
• Avoid curling or straightening your hair with chemical products such as permanent wave solutions until your hair has regrown. Some people may need to wait up to a year before they can chemically curl or straighten their hair. Before trying chemical products again, test a small patch of hair to see how it reacts. You can also ask your hairdresser for suggestions.
• Avoid permanent or semi-permanent hair coloring for at least 3 months after treatment."

My friends who have lost their hair to chemotherapy had radically different regrowth (curly, when they never had a curl in their lives or much darker than before), but in time, their hair returned to baseline. I wish you well as you learn how to care for your new hair!

Kathy