Jennifer's Dramatic Before and After!

I love this transformation! Such a dramatic change!

Jennifer came to me after going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. And the results are nothing but stunning! Chemo Girls, Hair Extensions after Chemo were able to give her the hair back that cancer took away. I really do love what I do. There is no better feeling than helping someone on this journey.

Timeline to Get Chemo Girls Extensions after Chemo and Hair Prep

Today I want to talk about hair preparation for your Chemo Girls, Hair Extensions after Chemo.

Following your last chemo treatment, it usually takes a month to start seeing the growth process.  It usually starts with a peach fuzz that I refer to as burnt ends.

The following month you will start to see a short Chia pet type look. This usually covers the entire scalp. But the front of your hair line is always the last to come in. It’s always the shortest part of your hair growth. That's usually the way hair grows after chemo treatments.

After the 3rd month of growth, the hair should be about an inch. That's the time women start to get restless. They start searching for solutions. Wigs are getting old and fuzzy, unless you’ve spent thousands of dollars on one.

Right at that 1.5-inch mark, the hair is at that sweet spot for Chemo Girls Extensions. That's where I can personally do them. The rest of my team needs about 2 inches and some need 3 inches. 

Now let’s talk about vitamins. This is what I have learned over the years on how vitamins work with the body, and how to achieve the most absorption in the body. I used to work with a company that taught me carbohydrates are the door keeper to your cells. First you need to take vitamins with carbohydrates. Prenatal Vitamins are really good. But be sure to ask your Oncologist if they’re okay to take. 

 Drinking juice is a great source for carbohydrates, or something on that line, to make sure you’re getting all your nutrients. Taking just water doesn't work. Years ago, I read a book called Fit for Life.  In it the book’s author talks about when he bought a cabin. When they took out the outhouse and put in a septic system, at the bottom of the outhouse were hundreds of One-A-Day vitamins. It's not that One-A-Day vitamins don’t work, but they took them with just water, so the vitamins went through with no results.  So essentially carbohydrates are good for your system to receive the most absorption. But again, please always check with your doctor about what kind of vitamins or nutrients you are allowed after chemo treatments. 

 Thank you, Chemo Girls!

'Life at the speed of Grace'

 

Chemo Curl

 

Today I'd like to talk about Chemo Curl. What exactly is Chemo Curl? Chemo Curl is a remnant from going through chemotherapy. It's caused by trauma to the hair follicle. So, it alters growth patterns.

What happens when a Cancer patient has chemo going through their blood to try saving their life from Cancer? The follicle goes into turmoil. What I mean by turmoil is, whatever you put in your body it's in your hair follicle in 7-10 days. The rumor is that's why Brittany Spears shaved her whole body. She was worried they would have found drugs in her DNA.

 There is a Chemo treatment called the “Red Devil” that when it hits the blood stream, it runs havoc through your body. And like all kinds of Chemo, the hair follicle is changed. It essentially wilts. Normally, the blood vessels provide nourishment to the follicle, but because of the Chemo, it is compromised. It causes the hair to bend, like a plant not getting water. Thus, it takes on its new form. Curly hair!  Eventually, and hopefully, the follicle goes back to its original state and structure. But in the meantime, you are stuck with curly hair.

 For today's client I am removing all her extensions and relaxing her hair, to smooth out all her crazy curls. At the beginning of the hair growth, we really can't determine whether the hair is going to come back in curly or not. You have about a 50/50 chance it’s going to go curly.

After all the hair is removed and relaxing, I can put the extensions back on, approximately 400 bonds. It's a process that takes about 10 hours to do. Not an easy task, but so worth it. That's why I do this for our Chemo Girls. It's a labor of love ❤️

 I hope you learned something today.

 "Life at the speed of grace"

 

Nancy's Story - Transition Man

 

If you haven't read Nancy's story, you need to. It gives you insight into what a woman who's lost her hair to cancer goes through and what getting her hair back means. Thank you, Nancy, for allowing me to be part of your story. Click on the link to read...

https://stoneydegeyter.com/blog/transition-man-by-nancy-brier/?fbclid=IwAR1SjX6zohrNMFXVHP3yRmrEptzk94fyiPnLfoula6HI7wm3idufES8oULw

Brittney

Its Sunday morning…4:30.

On my way to work.

My fourth chemo girl in a row out of sixth.

And it’s all in the family as they say.

Brittney and her mom had come in four months prior for extensions.

Both overcoming cancer. BOTH.

This is Brittney’s maintenance visit.

She’s only 29 years old.

Married and from West Virginia.

And it’s a chilly day in Minneapolis. It’s January and only 5 degrees.

It’s 8 am, she arrives at the salon.

It’s cold…she’s wearing a stocking hat for warmth. 

“Dang, it’s cold here, Jon!”

 “I need coffee.”

“Lots of it. Please!”

So, has getting her hair back changed her life?

In her words? 

Oh my gosh, yes!! 

The minute she left the salon.

Change!

Not only with her hair, but how she felt about herself.

At the hotel, the man at the counter didn’t even recognize them.

Can I help you? Ummmmmm…they had already checked in. 

Wow! It’s Brittney? Remember me?

No.

Were you here for business? Family? Did you live here? 

Nope. 

Was he flirting?

Should we tell him?

We came in last night.

He had checked us in!

“We’re the chemo girls!!!”

What? Wait…

You’re the daughter?

Yes!

“You are soooo beautiful” 

Amazing! 

What hair does to a person!

Again, wow! 

Since having the extensions, Brittney now feels once again more like herself! No longer the center of attention. Now feeling more like everyone else, no longer standing out. She was so angry before…with her husband, her family,  everyone and everything. Now she’s a whole lot calmer…a whole lot happier.

But sadder news has come upon her since then. Her mom, and her sister have both been diagnosed with cancer. Her mom, brain cancer (third bout of cancer), and her sister, breast. Horrifying. So many are affected by some form of this deathly disease. Lord Jesus, have mercy.

But I am so very blessed and honored to be able to help these women transition back to their former selves. And I guess that’s why they call me that …

The Transition Guy…