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Topic: Hair growth so slow this time

Forum: Moving Beyond Cancer: Time to Circle the Wagons — Getting on with the rest of your life, from rediscovering intimacy to coping with hot flashes for the Circle the Wagon group.

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Posted on: Mar 10, 2007 12:22 PM

phillyborn wrote:

Hi,
I'm a bit concerned, down as I finished chemo 12/22/06 and my hair is growing back oh so slowly. Also, my eyelashes fell out about 1 month ago and are just growing back. I had ovarian cancer 7 years ago and hair grew faster then. I had lumpectomy, stage 1 brca, chemotherapy, radiation which was all done Dec. 22, 2006. I know I'm 7 yrs. older but this seems like torture. There was a thread about throwing out the scarves, etc. but I can't find it and I've had pneumonia for about 1 month now so haven't posted. Any help?? Arlene Log in to post a reply

Posts 1 - 22 (22 total)

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Mar 10, 2007 12:31 PM SheriH wrote:

I had a similar situation. I had pnuemonia right after I finished treatment, too. It also seemed as if it took my hair forever to grow back. I finally had my first hair cut last week and it had been 2 years since i started chemo! It was fairly long when I did cut it, but it took some time.
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Mar 10, 2007 01:08 PM Yukon wrote:

Try using mane and tail shampoo & conditioner I started to use it about 2 weeks ago and I have noticed a big difference it really is coming in good and thick.

Good Luck
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Mar 10, 2007 01:26 PM BMD wrote:

I thought about using the mane and tail shampoo. I had heard it works really well even on non-chemo people. I finished chemo Dec 18 and have been waiting not so patiently for my hair to return. It is about 1/8" long now and does not cover my head.
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Mar 10, 2007 01:32 PM phillyborn wrote:

What is mane and tail shampoo. Is it for humans? Sorry, but I was just checking on minoxidil and came back and saw this. Can you buy it at the drug store?
will check it out now online.
Arlene
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Mar 10, 2007 01:34 PM chemosabi wrote:

Arlene: You are exactly where I was at last year. It seemed like it took so long for my hair to grow back. I thought I would be bald forever. My last chemo was 12-0-05 and I was able to spike my hair and go without a hat on 4-01-06.

Nicki
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Mar 10, 2007 01:38 PM phillyborn wrote:

Hi,
Thanks for the replies so far, Sherndon and Brenda. I think age must play into this also. 7 years ago I had ovarian cancer at age 49 and hair grew back quicker. Ages anyone?
I'm 56 and a proud survivor of breast and ovarian cancer with great doctors and G-d, lots of prayers from friends, co-workers. I'm just worried I'm at a standstill. The other interesting thread is about throwing away scarfs, etc. which I last posted on 2/14. Maybe it was all the antibiotics for about 3 weeks that affected my hair growth. I see my hem/oncologist this week for my 3 month check up and will ask him.
Hugs, Arlene
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Mar 10, 2007 01:44 PM gailb wrote:

Arlene, I and a lot of women on this site used nioxin shampoo its a little pricey and truthfully don;t know if anything really works but its seems to I am 6 months out of chemo and have a full head of thick curly hair. Good luck you truly are a survivor
gail
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Mar 10, 2007 01:46 PM SheriH wrote:

I'm 46 now. Congratulations on getting through both types of cancer
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Mar 10, 2007 03:03 PM chemosabi wrote:

56 here. My hair came back the same way it was before. I so wanted curly hair.

Nicki
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Mar 10, 2007 05:27 PM phillyborn wrote:

So some of you think using Nioxin shampoo may help. I was really going to buy it, try it but just hesitant when I read the possible side effects. I'll see. Thanks for the responses. Thanks girls but we're all survivors. I'm just very lucky. We never know what the future brings so carpe diem! My gyn/onc. used to always say that to me and now I'm his "favorite" and longest survivor of ovca which killed my mom. So hair, grow already! Arlene
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Mar 10, 2007 05:41 PM celia088 wrote:

Arleen, I PM'd you.

peace,
celia
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Mar 10, 2007 05:50 PM BMD wrote:

Mane and tail is for horses but I have seen it in the grocery store, Rite Aid and beauty supply store.

I am 45.
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Mar 10, 2007 08:27 PM DragonladyTina wrote:

Hi Arlene,

It is annoying waiting for that darn hair to grow isn't it? I finished chemo April 5th/05 and ditched the hat in August/05. I had very short hair but it fully covered my head. It looked kinda cute actually. It came back in very very curly, it is coming in straighter now but with a wave.

Best wishes, Tina
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Mar 11, 2007 07:20 AM SheriH wrote:

I used nioxin on my scalp before the hair really started coming in. It may have helped, but I really don't know. I'm sure it didn't hurt.
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Mar 11, 2007 12:08 PM Valerie_R wrote:

Hi there, I lost all of my hair in October 2006, and by January everything had grown back nicely. In late January of this year I lost half my hair and all of my eyelashes again from taking Arimidex. I have taken a break from Arimidex and now have quite a bit of hair, and all of my eyelashes.

I got a product by Jan Marini called Age Intervention Hair Revitalizing Conditioner, which is for thinning hair, and started using it in late January. I swear it has made such a difference in my hair growth and thickness - my hair is quite full and I have several inches now. Jan Marini also makes a product for thinnning eyelashes which several of my friends have used with great results.

Good luck!

Valerie R
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Mar 11, 2007 02:28 PM sjoc wrote:

Hi Arlene - I had seen your other post about "wigs and scarves" where you mentioned that you had had a haircut after about 4 months after your first round. I am 52, finished chemo almost 6 months ago and am still wearing scarves. My hair is growing, but ever so slowly. I asked my onc about it and he said that I might be stunting the growth on top because of always having my head covered (the back is growing much quicker than the top and sides, I have that "OLD MAN HAIRCUT" look!!) - I do live in upstate NY and it's COLD without something. I think age might have something to do with it - be patient, it'll come back, just not as quickly. Hope you are feeling better after the pneumonia. - Sandy
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Mar 21, 2007 05:58 PM newter wrote:

Are nioxin and Jane Marini easily found at hair salons. If not, where can I find them? Has anyone had any luck with the vitamin Biotin?

Last chemo was in October and still not ready to stop wearing wig. I have never been a short hair person but I am really sick of the wig but feel like I look too weird without it.
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Mar 23, 2007 06:39 AM chuckee1104 wrote:

Hi Arlene,

I finished chemo June 2005 and my hair is still growing back very slowly. It never has reached my neck and has still not changed back to the way that it was before. It is thinner and still very curly which can be frustrating. However, my hairsylist loves the texture.

I have been to the dermaologist, but didn't follow up because I had to wait 3 hours. I will follow up with another dermatologist to see if there something turned off inside. I do get it cut and colored, but as I said it is still pretty short. It works out that I have a face for short hair. One other thing is that I don't have nearly a much grey hair as I used to have. I guess I should count my blessings. At least I have hair. I'm 46 yo.
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Mar 23, 2007 09:56 AM Valerie_R wrote:

Here is the website for Jan Marini - you want the Age Intervention Hair Conditioner - www.janmarini.com

I just had my first hair cut yesterday and it looks really cute. My hair is super fine but I have lots of it, and the bald patches I got from Arimidex have all filled in again as has the male pattern baldness effect on the sides from Arimidex.

I have just gotten Jan Marini's eyelash product, which 5 of my friends have used for fabulous results, and am also putting it on the bare spots on my eyebrows.

Good luck to you, I swear by this stuff. I warn you, it isn't cheap, but perhaps you will get a break from the manufacturer as opposed to buying it in a salon.

Take care,

Valerie R

P.S. If you can't get it thru Jan Marini, I bought mine at Tre Balm on Sacramento Street in San Francisco - they have a website and will order for you.
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Mar 24, 2007 12:11 PM newter wrote:

Thanks for the info. I will check out the site. I am currently armed with Nioxin and Biotin and hopefully between them I can soon shed the wig. I had looked into getting hair extensions but it can hurt my current growth plus, with monthly upkeep, is quite expensive. Has anyone had any luck with hair extensions? Maybe I will start a thread about it.
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Mar 25, 2007 02:09 PM chemosabi wrote:

It takes time for the hair to grow back. But it will come back.

Nicki
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Mar 25, 2007 08:52 PM Odalys wrote:

It took me a long time for my hair to grow back. I finished chemo in March 2006 and had enough hair to go without a wig July 2006. It's thinning again now because of the hormone treatments. I started taking Nioxin about a month ago but haven't seen any changes yet.

Valerie - I looked at Jan Marini's website and noticed the following clause:

* Age Intervention Hair Revitalizing Conditioner is not intended to stop, prevent, cure, relieve, reverse or reduce hair loss or to promote the growth of hair.

Hmmm...

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