I’m an 83-year-old cancer survivor – everyone said to shave my head but I refused, my tips made my hair grow back fast
A FIT 83-year-old woman refused to shave her head following her cancer diagnosis, even as others urged her to lop it off during chemotherapy.
Pilates guru Joan Breibart survived stage four lymphoma and revealed the methods she used to grow her locks back quickly.
Joan Breibart is the president of the PhysicalMind Institute and is known for popularizing Pilates in the 1990s.
She recently survived stage four lymphoma.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, she shared the tricks she used to grow back the hair she lost while undergoing chemo.
BEST PRACTICE
Breibart admitted that she “made mistakes” in her regrowth path so that is why she has “plenty to say.”
“The best thing I did was resist shaving off all my hair,” she said.
She added that “everyone including the wig guy said to do it,” but she refused.
She said she believes “women are herded into this action” because they are told wigs will fit better, when “it is easier for the wig person.”
“Even my good friend and tennis partner said to do it so I don’t have to see my hair falling out on the floor. I said ‘I would rather Swiffer and vacuum than do it,'” she added.
In the end, Breibart only lost 40% of her hair and didn’t have to shave it off at all.
She would never have found this out if she listened to what others told her to do.
Breibart thinks many wigs look bad because they have “too much hair. “
“No scalp has as much as a chemo wig which are different than other ones. The first thing is to get the hair thinned,” she advised.
HOLY GRAIL HELP
The product that made the biggest difference in growing back her hair was Rogaine Minoxidil Solution, $33 on Amazon, and she used “lots” of it.
The product instructions may say not to use it during chemotherapy, but she said she personally knows the inventor, Dr. Paul Grant, who told her otherwise.
“I am positive that my very fast hair growth and its thickness is the result of Rogaine,” she said.
She joked that at the moment she looks like a Dalmation because of her salt and pepper hair color that is “still emerging.”
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SHAMPOO DON’T DO
Washing her hair twice a week was also helpful, she insisted.
“Everyone overwashes their hair,” she said.
She also only used shampoo once a week and didn’t use conditioner.
“Don’t stay in the shower and wet it too much just because it feels good,” she added.
When it comes to her choice of shampoo, she didn’t have a preference because they are “really all the same” in her eyes.
She suggested going the budget-friendly route because there was “no point in spending a lot on them.”
PRODUCT PICKS
Breibart also tried hair growth supplements like Nutrofol and Olly but was unsure how much they worked.
She suggested taking hair gummies that contain 2,500 milligrams of Biotin.