Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I really enjoyed reading your stories.. I had my last chemo treatment on March 30th and I threw out the baseball caps in May and I only wear my wig twice I gave it away, I have a beautiful head of hair and its thick and 1/2 way over my ears and I know I will learn to work with the curls.. I will share with you what my hairdresser told me and it worked for me,, she told me to leave my head alone keep it bare as mush as I can and get as much sun on my head as I can the sun will make your hair grow faster I also went to a tanning salon. My self, family, friends and co-workers could not believe how fast my hair grew back in..I don't think I go a day without someone touching my hair at work , I work with a large group of people 200 and more I have worked with most of them for 30 years.0
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To anyone who has lost brows/lashes more than once: I think I am seeing some thinning in my lashes (it could be some paranoia though). Do they fall out completely the second time? Or just lose some of them? I don't know if I can take losing them again! I thought I was doing well, but this is giving me a complete melt down!
CristlC - My hair was always curly, and I hated it!! Once I realised not to fight the curl, but to work with it, it helps lots. Maybe if you encourage the curl with the right products, you can get it to look more like a style.
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ChristlC,
I'm right there with you. I got brave and went without my scarves for a couple of weeks. But, I really hated it. Everyone told me how cute my hair is, but deep down inside I wanted to cry. I tried the gel look, no gel look. Nothing looks good. So, I went back to covering it up. Not with my scarves though. I just wear the baseball caps now. People are giving me a hard time about it too, but I don't care. I feel so much better with my hair covered for now. At least, until it gets a little bit longer. I am 5 months PFC and have about 2 inches maybe? I know one thing for sure. I will never have chemo again. This hair growing thing is testing my patience.
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Good morning girls,
In about 10 days, I will be 11 months PFC. I thought I would post a pic of my curlz (which I hate).
The curly picture, my hair is still a little wet, so it doesn't show how frizzy it gets. CristlC, I can not manuver a flat iron, so what I use is a large barrel curling brush. I have had it cut twice. I don't much care for the style, but its the only thing I can do with it. When I go out, I think (in my mind) people are looking at me and thinking (about my hair style) "What was she thinking? Does she actually think that looks good!") When it was shorter, I used the smaller barrel curling brush. Gel before that, because I would burn my head trying to get the hair around the curling brush. Maybe you could go out somewhere quick and convenient. Like maybe just to get gas or something. Something where you don't have to be out in the "Public Eye" for long. You will see, that most people don't pay any mind to us and our hair, and that its all in OUR heads.
The headbands do provide a different look when its curly. I used them. I bought some soft cloth, stretchy ones. They had kind of a lacey pattern to them.
Hugs
Lori
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Lori - I think it looks wonderful!!!
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Lori,
Thanks for the picture,
My hair looks just like your hair, before chemo my hair style look something like the way you had your hair. I have been using different products on it ..
Do you know why our hair went curly ? Do you think our hair will ever be the same ?
Nan
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Goldie! You're nutz! It's flat out ADORABLE!!!! It's so cute on you. It makes your eyes really pop and looks GREAT! I'm not just telling you that either. It looks great on you.
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Lori - You look wonderful! I love it! I can't wait until I get to your length.
Nan - From others I have learned that after about a year you will eventually cut off all of the curls. They do not last forever. Unless you are like me, had curly hair before chemo.
Believe me, I know what you mean about not knowing what to do with it. Mine is still too short to try to straighten. I just gel and go for now. It is much cooler than wearing a cap.
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Lori, I love the curls! Tell me, when about did they start for you? I am 16 weeks PFC and noticing the very back, towards the nape of my neck, wanting to curl. Don't know if this is the start of curly hair or just humidity in Florida.
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I am about 10 weeks PFC and no curls for me yet. So hoping i don't get them.
I found a problem with taking Biotin - the hair on my legs grow three times as fast as they used to! I just so wish I could transfer those hairs to my head. By now I have shaven at least 1" or more of leg hair over the past 3 weeks.
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Nodapearl,
I lost my eyelashes a couple of weeks after I completed chemo. Then I just lost them again last month. They are back now. The second time they didn't all fall out ... but most did. They seemed to come back quicker than the first time though. I am hoping there isn't a third time.
Yes, this patience thing has become very important.
I tried to "fix" my hair tonight to go over to my boyfriends without the wig. Normally I wear it over there and then take it off. So it is a small step. :-)
Everyone have a relaxing Saturday night!
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Great CristlC! Baby Steps!!
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Jane, Maine, Nanner, Swest & Chelev. Thanks for the compliments, I appreciate it. Everyone here on BC.org is just the best. Although compliments are not what I am looking for, I just want to share the hair progress. Most of you are just a few months out, or just starting, and our hair just seems to be so important to us!
Chelev & Jancie, my curls were noticable at 5 months (20 wks) PFC. I was able to start styling about 8 months (32 wks). I really thought that at this point, I would have had more hair than I do!
I have kept a picture journal of my hair. Taking a picture every month. For those of you that have missed it, here it is. Only providing a link, because of the size, and it would take up too much space on the page. It is not updated, I have not added my pictures yet of the last 2 months, but from the last one on here and the one above, you can see there isn't too much difference.
Jancie, looks like the hair fairy has made a mistake. (Putting the hair on your legs instead of on your head!) We need to have Bold send her another letter. She seems to have connections with her!
Good girl CristleC, you are getting there!
I do not know why our hair gets curly, must be something that chemo does. And from what I understand, not everyone gets the curls! Same with the eyelashes falling out, once mine came in, they stayed. I have not lost them again. Or the finger and toenails falling off. I know CristlC had that problem real bad. And then there is the foliculitis (sp). Just so much extra crap the we have to endure.....as if having the cancer isn't enough! I better stop......I see the makings of a RANT!
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii319/goldie0827/Allofme4-1.jpg
Lori
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Lori just came to this site--finished chemo 7/27/09 so I know I have a long way before any hair starts coming in but have to tell you I think your hair is so cute!! and thank you so much for posting all your pics--it helps to make us more patient and know what to exptect--hope you are feeling well and staying strong--I have radiation coming up in a couple of weeks --so hope this all passes quickly--Thanks again Laura
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Lori - My last chemo was 1/19/09 and I look like you did at 4 months PFC. I'm thinking maybe it's the Femara.
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I had my last treatment the middle of June and I have a full head of hair now, it is just barely starting to creep over the top of my ears. I wore a baseball cap all the time and just this past weekend I went all weekend without it. I have already colored it as well and it is very short but I just couldn't take the grey anymore. It did just fine and now I have my dark hair back. I haven't noticed any curls yet but have been told it is not quite long enough to tell. I didn't completely go bald but had bald spots so I shaved it down several times through treatment. I was worried about the top coming back in at first but it has done great. I will be glad when it gets long enough to look like a trendy haircut, I still get those strange looks and double takes. It has only been 2 months since treatment though and I do have a full head of dark hair now so I think that is very good! It will grow, I just think chemo effects everyone differently. Hang in there!
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CristlC - I am hoping that if I do lose the lashes, it will be quicker and easier this time. I am 15 weeks PFC, and my hair seems like it is starting to curl............I guess that's better than no hair though.
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I also had my last tx the middle of June and so far nothing much is happening with hair. I'm starting to see a couple of baby sprouts come up but I'm very discouraged. I just started Arimidex in the past week so I can't blame it for the slow hair growth. This is my second chemo - had the first 3 1/2 years ago. I'm worried that doing this twice is the problem. I think it grew back faster the first time.
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Hey Ladies!
Just checking in and hoping everyone is having a good day!
I can't believe I am already one year out from dx. Today is exactly one year since I had the dreaded mammo.
Well almost 6 months PFC... time is flying by.... and here is my hair update. I still have to pound it down with mousse. Hoping that a trim in a month or so will calm it down a bit and some nicer hair will start to grow in. I highlighted it over the weekend, not sure if you can tell or not. The mousse makes the color look a little darker.
23 weeks PFC
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susan13 -- your hair looks great, thanks for sharing the picture!!
I'm ~9 weeks PFC and no longer can see my scalp, but still too short for me to go without a wig. I just started walking around my house wigless because my 11 yr old son was a bit freaked out by the baldness. At least it isn't too hot here in northern New England (well, it is today -- 96!--but usually it isn't).
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Everyone looks great! Susan, I can see the highlights, it looks great!
Here is a photo of my hair, now 11 weeks PFC....the hair color I used...although permanent...is already gone, and I am gray again! It is getting thicker, no evidence of curling yet...I don't use mascara anymore....it always looks like I already have some on, my lashes came back so long and thick, it's crazy:
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Looking good Judy! I think you need to wait a little longer for the color to stay in a while. I did mine at 12 weeks PFC and it didn't really hold the color much. I am jealous of your eyelashes and brows! I still really don't have much in the way of either..... well not like I used to anyway.
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Well, okay, since everyone is posting pictures, here I am at 17 weeks PFC, almost to the 4 month mark:
" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="left" />
" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />I did use permanent color - I know we're not supposed to, but it wasn't "sticking" with the natural stuff. My only wish is that it were thicker on top of my head and the bangs a little longer, but I guess it's getting there.
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Chelev: your hair looks great! It's really growing in now. I like the color....hmm...I think I'll need to try coloring mine again!
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Yeah chelev! You go girl!
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Thanks, ladies! I am SO excited - I just received a call from the American Cancer Society - their Look Good Feel Better program coordinator - I am one of 5 winners who entered their "Women of Hope Is Beautiful" contest earlier this summer! They are flying me to NYC in late September for a professional makeover (YES!!!!) and publicity and we will attend their ball at the Waldorf Astoria. Plus, my sister lives in NY and I haven't seen her since before dx, so I was able to get them to extend my flight by a few days so I can stay with her and have some fun in the city. The hair should be in a more style-able length then, and it is just so cool. I didn't think my entry was anything super special, and there were hundreds of winners, but yay!! A makeover. I really really wanted one!!
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gcpommom - this is pretty close to my natural color - it's a medium brown, neutral. I think a level 5. I'm really bad at remembering the exact product, so I keep a box top in my bathroom drawer so I can refer to it before I buy more. I didn't really think it had grown that much, because you know, I look at it every 5 minutes in the mirror, but I guess it has when just a couple of weeks ago it was really really more sparse.
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Chelev: How cool!! Professional makeover would be awesome! Be sure to take before and after pictures. I'm loving your hair. Are you wigless and hatless? I'm at 10 weeks pfc and have begun taking the hat off. We live in a marina neighborhood in Tampa and went "without" to a small gathering on the boats Saturday. Still haven't been able to venture outside the community hatless, but it's coming.
I was in the doc's office today and read an article that Sept. 8 is National Real Hair Day...never knew there was such a thing, but I think that's my cue to loss the hat forever. 3 weeks more growth should be just enough. I'm circling 9/8 on my calendar!
Susan, your hair is awesome. That's the style I would like to get to and then keep it there!
-Maggie
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Maggie, thanks for the compliment! It's nice to hear that it's not looking too scary, because it's very hard to judge for yourself what it really looks like. I will make sure we get some before and after pics - i'm sure they will do that for publicity's sake (I know I would).
Yes, I am wigless and hatless - I started going wigless towards the middle of June at work, didn't really wear them out - you live in Florida, so you know how hot it gets - and was wearing bandanas and scarves until about 3 or so weeks ago. Now, I make sure it's covered if I am going to be out in the sun for a long time, because you can still see scalp on the very top (my boss is fixated on that spot, it's so funny, he keeps glancing at it as we talk - he gets very squeamish about anything medical, and especially anything girly-medical, so it's actually pretty funny). Another funny thing is our CEO came to our office this week, and he hasn't seen me in a few months, and must have forgotten I had chemo. He walks up to me, gives me a hug and we are chatting and then he says, "wow, you are sure wearing your hair short these days." I replied, "uh, yeah, because it's growing in." He and I got a good laugh when he realized he'd forgotten and said, that was good, because otherwise he was going to recommend I fire my stylist!
Go for it on 9/8!!!!
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WOW...........look at all that hair going on. I love it when you gals post pictures!
Susan, Chelev and gcpommom......way to go! You all look great.
My natural color appeared at about 6 months PFC.
I have been hangin around this thread a long time, I hope some of you will too, to share your hair!
HUGS!
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