These images illustrate how brutal chemo can be, yet also highlight the resilience many display when facing cancer.
Health and wellbeing affect each of us in different ways. This is one person’s experience.
Maintaining a sense of normal life matters to many with cancer. For that reason, it’s understandable that the hair loss commonly caused by chemotherapy can be particularly upsetting.
Eileen Posner, a survivor who lost all her hair during chemo, kept a yearlong photographic diary documenting how her appearance changed as she recovered.
Posner, a 41-year-old mother of two, had long hair before being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. She became bald after receiving life-saving chemotherapy.
Between January and April 2017, she underwent six chemotherapy sessions, along with 28 radiation treatments and a double mastectomy to remove a mass from her left breast.
Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells but also harms hair follicle cells, which led to Posner losing the hair on her head as well as her eyelashes and eyebrows.
“I hoped I would be the one person who wouldn’t lose my hair, and it held on until after my second treatment — then it came out in clumps.”
“Losing my hair to chemo was far more traumatic than losing my breasts to cancer,” she recalls, adding that strangers would look at her with pity when she went out.
“Without hair, everyone knows what you’re going through. I got these pitying stares — people didn’t know how to talk to me anymore. That was the hardest part — being reduced to just my diagnosis,” Posner says.
About six weeks after her final chemo session, the first small patches of hair started to appear on her scalp.
She decided to track the regrowth of her hair during treatment and recovery by photographing the progress.
“I took my first photo one week post-chemo because it was crucial for me to record that year and show myself that I was improving — looking better,” she explains.
Although growth was slow at first, the photos show her brunette hair gradually becoming fuller each week. In the final image she displays a full head of hair.
She compiled the 52 photographs into a video montage to share her journey, hoping it will encourage others confronting the disease.
52 Pictures Document This Woman’s Victory Over Breast Cancer
Receiving the diagnosis
Eileen discovered she had breast cancer in November 2016 after her son, Declan, then 3, rolled onto her breast and she felt a sharp pain.
“My breasts were there to feed my babies — like elbows. I didn’t pay attention to them,” she says.
Posner, who says she’s fully recovered now, adds: “When I heard the words ‘breast cancer,’ the fear of death washed over me. All I could think about was leaving my children without a mother and my husband without a wife.”
She aims to offer hope to anyone in treatment or struggling with recovery. “I just hope anyone who is in the middle of treatment can watch this and see that things improve.”
Speaking about life after treatment, she says, “It won’t be exactly the same, but you do get better. You’re going to develop a renewed sense of who you are and perhaps even discover a new you.”
Frequently asked questions
Will my hair ever be thick again after chemo?
Following chemotherapy, hair typically begins to regrow within a few weeks. Note that the new hair might differ from your pre-chemo hair depending on genetic background — it may be straighter or curlier than before.
Everyone’s response varies widely, including changes in color and density. While your pre-chemo hair can return over time, there are no guarantees since each person’s body reacts differently to treatment.
Learn more: Hair regrowth after chemo: what to expect.
What does 3 months of hair growth look like after chemo?
By three months, you should notice hair starting to come back. Nevertheless, growth rates differ greatly among individuals, so it’s difficult to predict exactly when it will fully return or what it will look like post-chemotherapy.
What should I eat for hair growth after chemo?
To support healthier and potentially faster hair regrowth, increase protein in your diet and include nutrient-dense foods like eggs, leafy greens, and fatty fish, which may promote hair health. If you’re still on other cancer treatments this can be challenging, and lowering stress levels may also be beneficial.
Learn more: How to make your hair grow faster and stronger and the 13 best foods for hair growth.
What is the fastest way to grow hair after chemo?
Minoxidil (Rogaine) may speed up hair regrowth or reduce hair loss in people after chemotherapy. However, consult your physician first to ensure it’s safe and appropriate for you.
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