‘What’s Happening Here’: ‘Children of the Corn’ Star Crystal Lowe, 45, Says Her Hair Regrowth After Chemo Has Been “Insane” as She Continues Her Cancer Journey

Actress Crystal Lowe, 45, best known for “Children of the Corn,” is eight months out from her last chemotherapy session and still stunned by how quickly her hair has come back after losing most of it during treatment.

“What is happening here? Do I need to go for a cut, you guys?” she joked to her Instagram followers, comparing her fast‑growing hair to a porcupine. “My hair is crazy right now.”

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A post shared by Crystal Lowe (@officialcrystallowe)

Lowe, a mother of two, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after discovering a large mass in her right breast.

Stage three breast cancer typically refers to a relatively large tumor that may have invaded nearby skin or muscle tissue. It may also mean that lymph nodes near your breast and/or under your armpit are involved. In most cases, stage three breast cancers will need chemotherapy. If the cancer is also hormone receptor-positive, aggressive hormonal therapy may be offered as well.

At first, she assumed she’d strained a muscle while working out, but when the lump persisted — and her nipple became inverted — her doctor delivered sobering words: “Honey, I can’t be sure, but this feels like cancer.” Days later, the diagnosis was confirmed.

WATCH: Stage 3 Breast Cancer Explained.

After chemotherapy, Lowe underwent a double mastectomy and began breast reconstruction.

Breast reconstruction can be done with implants or with a patient’s own tissue (a flap procedure). Flap surgeries often create a more natural look and feel, but aren’t suitable for everyone. Implant reconstruction is more straightforward with a quicker recovery, though implants don’t change with the body over time and may eventually need replacement.

Patients choosing implants must also decide between saline and silicone. Saline implants are filled with sterile saltwater and make leaks easy to detect. Silicone implants tend to look and feel more natural but require periodic MRI monitoring.

Timing also matters when it comes to breast reconstruction. Immediate reconstruction — done during the mastectomy — can offer better cosmetic results but involves a longer initial surgery and recovery.

“Delayed reconstruction has fewer complications than immediate reconstruction,” Dr. Terry Myckatyn, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, tells SurvivorNet.

Another emerging focus in reconstruction is restoring breast sensation. Surgeons are increasingly working to preserve sensory nerves during mastectomy and reconnect them during reconstruction — a technique called breast reinnervation.

WATCH: Restoring Sensation After a Mastectomy

When discussing surgical options, oncologist Dr. Ann Partridge notes that decisions depend on tumor size, features, and personal history. Some women may be candidates for breast‑conserving surgery (lumpectomy), while others require mastectomy. After surgery, additional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy may be recommended.

Ultimately, reconstruction is a deeply personal decision.

“It’s a shared decision‑making process between the patient and the physician,” says plastic surgeon Dr. Myckatyn. “The patient needs to advocate for herself and make her goals clear.”

Lowe shared with fans that she’s currently in the tissue‑expander phase — a process that gradually stretches the skin to prepare for permanent implants. Plastic surgeons note that expanders can be placed during the mastectomy or later, and while effective, they can be uncomfortable as they’re slowly filled over time.

For Lowe, sharing her journey — from diagnosis to chemo to reconstruction — has helped her stay grounded. And now, with her hair growing back “insanely” fast, she’s celebrating a small but meaningful milestone on the road forward.

Coping with Hair Loss in Cancer Care: Practical Advice & Emotional Support

Hair loss can be one of the more emotionally challenging parts of a cancer journey. For many patients, it’s not just about appearance—it’s about identity, control, and coping with change. SurvivorNet offers guidance and resources to help you navigate this side effect with confidence and care.

“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. The dread alone can lead to sleepless nights and heightened anxiety,” says Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author.

WATCH: What is a scalp-cooling device?

While chemotherapy is a common cause of hair loss, radiation can also lead to thinning or baldness—especially when the treatment area includes the scalp. For instance, radiation targeting a brain tumor may result in hair loss on the head.

The good news? Hair typically begins to regrow within four to six weeks after treatment ends. According to Dr. James Taylor, a radiation oncologist at GenesisCare, “Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.” Still, regrowth may come with changes in texture or color.

One promising option for minimizing hair loss during chemotherapy is cold capping, also known as scalp cooling therapy. These FDA-approved devices—initially for breast cancer and now used for other cancers—are worn before, during, and after chemo sessions. The helmet-style caps are filled with gel coolant chilled to between -15°F and -40°F.

“Cold caps work by causing vasoconstriction, or narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the scalp,” explains Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington.

This reduced blood flow limits the amount of chemotherapy that reaches hair follicles, helping protect them from damage. The cold also slows down follicle activity, making them less vulnerable to the effects of treatment.

If hair loss is a concern, know that you have options—from wigs and wraps to hats and scarves—that can help you feel more like yourself during treatment.

Coping With Chemotherapy Side Effects for Breast Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy is an effective tool for oncologists to help treat cancer by stopping cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. Chemo works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, healthy cells are also impacted in the process, leading to side effects.

Patients almost universally experience fatigue, often alongside gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea. Doctors have many effective medications to combat chemo-induced nausea. “But mitigating that fatigue often depends on the patient,” Dr. Urban said.

“Neuropathy is probably one of the most challenging side effects,” says Dr. Urban. Neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nerves. It usually resolves after chemotherapy treatment, but sometimes symptoms can persist. While it’s typically characterized by numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in the hands and feet, neuropathy can have several different symptoms, including:

• Weakness in the hands or feet
• Stabbing or burning pain in the hands or feet
• Difficulty gripping, such as when holding a fork
• Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning a shirt

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy. When chemotherapy affects the rapidly dividing cells in the lining of the stomach, the resulting cellular havoc in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to side effects such as nausea and vomiting. However, doctors can help patients mitigate the hit with various medications before, during, and after treatment.

“Part of the chemotherapy prescription includes a set regimen of anti-nausea medications,” says Dr. Urban. “We also ensure that patients have medications at home that they can use should they develop nausea after treatment.”

Hair loss is another side effect of chemotherapy.

WATCH: Coping with hair loss.

“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.

It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.

Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible that when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.

Tips for Navigating Chemo Side Effects

When dealing with fatigue, doctors don’t have an arsenal of weapons to combat fatigue in terms of prescription medications. However, you can do several things to help minimize the hit and restore your energy.

• Exercise: While it may be counterintuitive, physical activity can help alleviate side effects, especially fatigue. “Although ovarian cancer is not common, we often draw upon the experience of patients with breast cancer and colon cancer, who have shown that physical activity can not only improve quality of life but may also have beneficial impacts on cancer outcomes,” Dr. Urban says.
• Eat well: Even though nausea may interfere with your ability to eat a healthy diet, it’s essential to ensure you’re eating appropriately, getting enough protein, and not losing weight. Not only will nourishing your body support your recovery, but it may also help you feel more energized.
• Sleep: Want to mitigate fatigue? Be sure to maintain your regular sleep-wake cycle while on treatment. Sticking to a set sleep schedule helps reduce fatigue by ensuring enough hours for your body to heal and restore itself each night. It may also help you recover more quickly by keeping energy levels high during the daytime.

Treating Neuropathy Symptoms

Doctors have several strategies for helping patients deal with this side effect. Once a patient begins experiencing the symptoms of neuropathy, they’ll be carefully monitored to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Before each chemotherapy infusion, the attending oncologist will assess whether the symptoms have progressed. If the symptoms worsen, they may adjust the dose or delay treatment. They may also try switching to another chemotherapy drug.

How to Get a Handle on Nausea

Most of these anti-nausea medications last for more than eight hours. One of the infusions commonly used reduces the degree of nausea for up to three days.

Complementary approaches may also be helpful. A few favorites:

• Ginger: Studies consistently show that ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea. The powerful herb appears to have an anti-spasmodic effect on the gut. Not a fan of raw ginger? Suck on ginger candy, sip ginger ale, or make a steaming cup of ginger tea.
• Pressure bracelets: At your local pharmacy, these bracelets provide consistent pressure on a particular acupressure point on the wrist to reduce nausea.
• Deep breathing: Moving air in and out of your lungs with a few deep breaths can help relieve nausea, particularly if you pair deep breathing exercises with meditation. It can also help you relax and release stress and anxiety.

WATCH: Managing chemo side effects.

Coping with Hair Loss

If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.

Another option that can minimize hair loss is cryotherapy, “just a fancy way of saying cold therapy,” says Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Cryotherapy involves wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment.

Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams

Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally, so when something unusual, like a lump, does form, it can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.

For some women, that means going to their doctor and walking through what a self-breast exam looks like, so they know what normal breast tissue feels like, so if they do feel something abnormal, whether it’s a lump or discharge from the nipple, they know what to ask and what to look for.

Below are common symptoms to look out for:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast
• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• Skin dimpling or peeling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple turning inward
• Redness or scaliness of the breast or nipple skin
• Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding

When to Screen for Breast Cancer

The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.

The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

WATCH: When you’re getting a mammogram, ask about dense breasts.

Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.

Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.

Questions For Your Doctor

• What stage is my cancer, and how does that affect my treatment plan?
• What are the recommended chemotherapy options for triple-negative breast cancer, and what side effects should I expect?
• Are there any clinical trials or emerging treatments I should consider?
• How will treatment affect my fertility, physical activity, or ability to work?
• What follow-up care and monitoring will I need?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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