Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
-
Susan, my fateful mammogram was that same day and I'm 6 months post chemo now too. Mine is about that length too. In the last couple of weeks it has started looking like me in the mirror. I had the opposite problem as most - my hair was naturally curly before chemo but with a wave rather than a tight curl. When it started growing in after chemo, it seemed pretty straight and I was worried that I wouldn't know what to do with straight hair. Now it is getting long enough to show the wave and it is pretty much the same wave I'm use to.
Goldie, I think your hair is cute. It is hard going from the straight hair in your photo to curly hair now. It took years to learn how to work with my wave when I started wearing my hair short ages ago so I'm glad it has come back to that. All those who are use to straight hair and having to adjust to curly have my sympathies. There is a learning curve to managing it and because it doesn't look like you in the mirror, it doesn't look cute to you even though others can see that it looks nice.
The growth rate seems to have picked up a bit in the last month. I've got about 1 and a half to 2 inches (the top is a bit shorter than the rest) for 6 months from chemo.
I appreciate the pictures you have posted which helped me with what to expect in hair growing back. I'm sorry to say this, but I prefer to retain at least a shred of anonymity here and don't post any pictures of myself. We post such personal details of how we are feeling, how our stomachs are reacting, etc. that I would prefer someone who knows me not stumble across this site and immediately know "that's _____".
Chelev, I have run into acquaintances who either didn't know about the cancer or forgot and mentioned how short I'd cut my hair.
0 -
Thanks for the pics ladies! I am 6 weeks PFC and can't wait to have as much hair as all of you do!!
0 -
I think everyone's hair looks great!. And Chelev, winning that contest....how cool is that?!! I would be excited also....not only getting a makeover, but going to NY ( one of my very favorite cities) and getting to see your sister too!!
All I have is white fuzz, sort of feels like fur in the back because it is thicker there. Note others have said the top grows slower....why is that? How long for eyelashes and brows to come back. Is it normal to lose them after treatments have stopped?
I would post a pic, but so far have been unable to do it. Downloaded fliker which was one they suggested on this website, but neither my husband or I could get it to post any pics. Again you all look great with your short dos.,
0 -
Hi all--this is a great site --I love seeing everyones hair--you all look great --it makes me very emotional!!(Of course seems lately everything does) Congrats Chelev!!that is just wonderful--keep us posted on all the events--and before and after pics!!!I am only 3 weeks out from chemo so no growth yet and of course my eyebrows are now gone--you all are inspirational!! going for rads in 2 weeks not looking forward to that --but it is what it is--hope everyone stays strong--Laura
0 -
Okay....I had my last TC treatment today. So.....tomorrow will be 1 day PFC???? You are all very inspiring. I wonder since there is such a different growth rate if it grows in at the same rate as it did when we were babies? Something to think about...or not! Patti
0 -
I am almost 16 weeks PFC. Any time I try to "style" my hair, it looks like a mohawk or conehead or something. Is that a normal part of growing it out? Or am I doing something wrong?
0 -
ccbaby - have faith - I didn't have much faith in how much it really does grow until I compared photos of just 2 months ago with today!! Take a picture every week or every other week and you'll be amazed!!
marybe - I think that was the absolute worst for me - when the brows and especially the lashes went, after the hair started growing, about 2 months PFC! They did come back fairly quickly - if you look at earlier posts, I put up a photo at 2 months PFC, with brows drawn in and the very start of the fuzz of them - I had gotten that fuzz shaped. The lashes took a little longer, but I am very happy to report that they are as thick as before, and getting longer. Yay!
lollys - oh, the emotional rollercoaster - I am still riding it every now and then. It seems to be worse once chemo is finished and you are sitting there, bald with no hair on your head or face or anywhere and you just get so worked up. Know that we have all been there and understand!!! What really helped me was to color, even with semi permanent or natural color, to see the fuzz and feel like it was actually growing in.
Patti - YES, you are PFC now!!! What helped me, I believe, was using follicle booster from Nioxin. Lots of scalp massages (DH loves that part - I make him massage my head at least twice a week) and . . . I am the worst one about this part . . . patience!!!
Nodapearl - I hear ya, sister!! I can only "style" mine one way, the old man's combover!! I am hoping by the time I get to NYC for the makeover, I have enough for them to do something with, besides color! I don't think you are doing anything wrong at all! I get the rooster spikes off the back of the crown, try to smooth those down, and now the bottom of the nape of my neck is becoming curly / frizzy. Nice. . ..
0 -
CONGRATULATIONS PAP!!!!!! YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know you still have to deal with the SE's but at least you can celebrate the end being in sight! Take care and rest!
0 -
chelev-How awesome you won the contest! Definitely take lots of pics for us!
Patti-Congratulations on finishing chemo! The next few months are going to fly by and you are going to start to live your life again !!!
lollys-your hair will start to grow quickly at about 6 wks PFC so just hang in there! And rads are going to go by so quickly! you'll see!
Nodapearl-there's definitely an awkward stage in growing your hair out!
Ladies-I used, and still am, "biotin shampoo". I think it helped. My hair is super thick. Maybe I should use it on my eyebrows?
)0 -
Sitting here with hair color on my head.....last time I used light blonde, and it didn't really work...this time I'm using medium blonde, and it looks darker. It will look different once rinsed and dry of course. I'll post a pic tomorrow
0 -
Mine started about 4 weeks out - very thin at first but now I am 19 mos out and I have a ton of hair! Came back better than ever - thick and wavy - before was fine and straight. I have so much I even had to have it thinned last time cut. I used Nioxin (can buy at a lot of salons) to get it rolling. It is used for thinning hair and seemed to make a difference. My hair on top is the longest - maybe 4-5 inches
0 -
Mine started about 4 weeks out - very thin at first but now I am 19 mos out and I have a ton of hair! Came back better than ever - thick and wavy - before was fine and straight. I have so much I even had to have it thinned last time cut. I used Nioxin (can buy at a lot of salons) to get it rolling. It is used for thinning hair and seemed to make a difference. My hair on top is the longest - maybe 4-5 inches
0 -
I'm 5 months PFC and have an inch of curly hair. My eyelashes are thinning or on some regrowth cycle. I had lost them completely in March and the replacements were long and curly. I swear even the hair on my arms is different!
0 -
Laura, I am also 3 weeks out. I still have some lashes and eyebrows. I have lots of stubble on my head but not really thick and it sticks straight up. Alot of gray but some dark hair too. I tried to wear wigs in the beginning, but just couldn't take it. I have scarves I wear. I really miss my hair.. I would always fuss about my hair because it was thick and wavy and I was never satisfied. Now, I take out pictures and think "Wow, I had great hair". But, with fall and cooler weather coming, if i don't have enough length to be comfortable, I will find some really cute covers to wear.
Thanks to all who share and help the rest of us find our way through this journey. My dh likes to rub my head and he has always made me feel just as attractive to him as I was before I lost my hair. By the way, when it started coming out, he was the one that shaved it for me and he did a great job. It was a ceremony of sorts.
0 -
Hi ladies,
I'm new on this thread and this question has probably been addressed before but I hope you will bear with me. My last T/C was May 27th. My hair is about a quarter of an inch long or a little longer. I'm glad it's finally beginning to come back in but I look like a skunk! Is it safe to dye your hair this soon? I know it's probably vanity but now that I'm going without my head gear I would like to have at least one color of hair. Thanks for any replies.
Nancy
0 -
NANCY - I finished chemo on 7/20 and my onc let me dye mine after 3 weeks, it took the color fine. Good luck - HUGS, Dawn
0 -
Well it took 8 months but I finally ditched the wig. My hair is only about 1 1/2 inches (Arimidex and Herceptin). Everyone says it's cute but it's not me so I'm still not comfortable with it. However, it is much cooler than the wig! My hair is just as thin and straight as it was before Chemo. I'm jealous of all of you who have hair that is growing fast and thick.
0 -
Dawn, thank you for your swift reply! I was going back and forth to the bathroom looking at the box of hair dye but decided to wait for a sign. Well, you were it. I'm off to see the wizard. Wish me luck.
Muito Hugs,
Nancy
0 -
Dawn, okay, lady - where's the pictures??????? How are you?
0 -
Nancy - How did the color turn out? We are waiting.......
0 -
Hi my dear bc sisters - I've been MIA since last weekend, since I was feeling so great after my exchange surgery that I took the week to try and give my kids some of the summer that had been lacking for us. We had some fun days at our neighborhood pool and they had friends over for sleepovers. We leave for the beach a week from today and I wanted to try to get some of our "new normal" back for them before school starts on the 8th.
CHELEV - I know I owe you guys a picture, I didn't get to it this past week and now I'm going to have it colored darker on Monday, so I promise I'll get it up next week after I get the new color on. Hope you are doing well! I went topless at my son's soccer tournament last weekend, it felt so good. I love your picture, you look wonderful!
SUSAN & GOLDIE - I'm still so jealous to get to your point with my hair, you look great!
NANCY - Hope the hair color went well for you!
All you other great ladies waiting for hair - I'm right there with ya! Still waiting for more brows and lashes, I can barely see them! HUGS to ya all, Dawn
0 -
Dawn-I finished chemo 7/27 cant believe you already have enough hair to dye--my eyebrows are just about gone and eyelashes still sparse --I know the chemo is still there because my blood counts are still on the low side after 4 weeks which really surprised me-- havent sent in any pics maybe i will do that this weekend--waiting to see if i get any growth but as of now just a very fine feeling of fuzz!! hope everyone has a good weekend--Laura
0 -
LAURA - I think it depends on the chemo drugs you have as to what your hair growth is. I had DD 4AC & 4Taxol. I started seeing peach fuzz between my 6th and 7th treatments so I have had it for about a month and a half. I have about a 3/4 of an inch and it's starting to lay down some on the top. It was a version of "clear" and I couldn't stand it and so I asked my onc and she said I could color it after 3 weeks PFC. It felt so much better to have the color on it and it looked like so much more hair. Where in CA are you? I'm from San Diego but have been in VA for about 20 years! HUGS, Dawn
0 -
Hey everybody, New to this thread. A question for all. I am done with my A/C DD start taxotere on Wednesday. I have stubble on my head. Feels like a brillo pad. Do I shave it or let it go. I have heard that hair comes back on this drug. i just want my hair back , maye I am just wishing or hurrying it along. Thanks Dianne
0 -
Dianne - there have been a two schools of thought on this - some ladies shaved the fuzz off and felt it helped with the growth, the other of us left it all to grow because we couldn't part with a single strand of it! I will tell you, at coming up on 18 weeks PFC (4 months), my fuzz is starting to lay down more as the hair begins to thicken up. If you look back to posts from earlier this week, you can see my growth. The only thing I've cut so far are the really straggly pieces at the very bottom on my neck, to make it a little more even.
You are now part of the "we're trying to have patience, not look in the mirror every 5 seconds and wish it would grow faster" club!!
0 -
Hi Diane, I had stubbles left on my head when I started Taxol but they all eventually fell out. Then the new fuzzies started coming in. Regardless of what everyone told me, my hair didn't really start growing until after I finished the 4 rounds of Taxol. It does seem very slow at the time but it will grow! My last chemo was March 12. Last night I had my 3rd haircut and it's styled now to actually look like I cut it this way. I'm so happy though that I don't have much hair to mess with right now during these nasty hot days of summer.
0 -
Hi Dawn, and swest,
My color turned out fantastic. I chose to go real light because I am tired of dark hair and it isn't natural on someone my age. When it grows longer (and I intend to keep dyeing it) it will look as though I have light hair and highlighted it. Thank you so much for the courage!
Nancy
0 -
Hi Dawn--i did DD A/C taxol 4 and 4 also -- just will try not to look at my hair so much--especially in the magnifying mirror!!! I live in San Jose--but love San Diego!!! do you miss it there?? hope this finds you well-- Laura
0 -
NANCY - YIPEE on the color, glad it turned out well for you. Now just sit back and watch it grow!
LAURA - I don't really miss SD too much, I love it here as I get to see the seasons and I never saw them as a kid. My parents moved here too and I'm an only child so glad to have them close. I do miss being so close to the beach tho'. I first could just barely see some peach fuzz in the bright light and with a magnifying mirror, does that tell you how badly I wanted it back LOL. Look really closely and I'll bet you'll be able to see some. It was really light in color, I called it clear. It will come soon, keep hanging in there.
DIANNE - I didn't shave my fuzz, just let it keep growing, I'm going to try and post a pic next week.
CHELEV - Hey girl, how are you???
0 -
Nancy - would love to see a picture!
I was a natural blonde, my hair is coming in dark. I am going to color it the end of September when I meet the BCO sisters in Las Vegas. Ok, I am not personally going to color it, but Estepp has agreed to do it for me as I have no clue as to what to do.
I am disappointed that I don't have more hair. I was so hoping to have 2" in 4 months but I am not getting there. The Hair Fairy needs to take the hair off my legs and southern region and put it on my head instead!
Thankfully at least I have my eyebrows and eyelashes back.
Has anybody tried putting Aloe Vera on their hair? I was thinking CCBaby? might have mentioned it but I didn't see an update or really what the process was. Do you do it before you shower and if so how long before, or do you do it after you shower?
0
