Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I have been using the following Nioxin products:
shampoo, called cleanser for fine hair #2
conditioner, called, scalp therapy #2
follicle booster, twice a day
scalp activating treatment, its a foam, once a day #2
Not sure if it's helping, but I will try ALMOST anything as I found the hair loss absolutely devastating.
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Thank you for the info!
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Hi, I updated my avatar and hopefully I can post it. My hair started to grow back on Taxol (after Adriamycin/Cytoxin was finished), and I am on treatment #27 of 52 of Herceptin now, so officially14 weeks PFC. Hair originally translucent platinum, now roots are darker and top is still very soft and platinum. I use Redkin Rough Paste to spike it up a bit, and have had 2 real hair trims (so hard to do, but the hair grew better after the trims.)
Went "topless" when I returned to work mid-October (2 weeks PFC), and for me that was the best decision.
Happy New Year all
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I used 'Nioxin for Chemically Treated Hair' shampoo and conditioner on my scalp when I was doing chemo and didn't have any hair (but plenty of chemials!), and then switched to whatever the bottle is for plain normal hair once I was off chemo. After I had a nice head of hair, I gave the rest of the GIANT bottle I had bought to someone else who needed it, so can't tell you exactly what it is called. Sorry!
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Hello..I just updated my avatar pic...I am 26 weeks PFC and hopefully you can see my hair length in the pic. Like I said before, I want my bangs to grow! But I am happy that I finally have hair that I can do something with!
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I can't wait to have hair that needs a trim. It's growing, but not quite ready for it's debut..........
Thanks to everyone for posting pictures, it gives me something to look forward to.
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This is me 50 weeks PFC
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This is me in my bathroom mirror - take note of the decal on the bottom right EDIT TO ADD - I didn't realize the mirror was that dirty!
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Hey Jane - you look great and love the decal on your mirror! When one of my nephews was told I had bc, he told his mom..."Cancer picked the wrong person..Aunt Carol is going to kick its ass to the curb". So I agree with your decal... :-)
My head hair started coming back by the end of my fourth TC chemo which was Feb 17/09. Except for a couple of years I have always worn my hair short and it always was curly - so the short hair (once it came back) and the curl didn't phase me. I even considered not bothering with colouring it. However, decided Dec 19 that I would colour - see how I liked it and if I didn't well I could always let the colour grow out. I bought a product called Tints of Nature at Whole Foods - no smell at all. Well - once I coloured it I thought - OH NO...way to dark but it wasn't, it's just that I was used to my salt and pepper look. Anyway, after about 4 hours I was used to the colour.
So ladies hang in there and if you are looking for a more natural hair colour product - check out the Tints of Nature (no I don't work for the company). It is not cheap but I figured it was worth it because it is a more "natural" product. Not as harsh as other products out there.
Now if I could just get the darn eyebrows to grow!!!!
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revricki - your growth sounds about the same as mine was. I took off my scarf at 4 monts pfc
jane_m - you look wonderful!
I never used any special hair products and coloured my hair at 4 monts pfc with natural instincts.
Hope everyone is doing ok, I am sending the patience fairy your way : )
Hugs to you all, Judy xoxox
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Jane -- great pics and love the decal
Your hair looks great!Geri -- you also look terrific in your avatar!
I think I might have hair growing. It's very very very small but there is a sand-papery feeling all over my scalp and it's in places that were smooth as a cue ball.... I had my BF feel my head and he agrees it feels like hair. It must be flesh colored though cause I can't see it LOL. I am thinking I should actually use the bottle of Nioxin shampoo I have
Cheers,
Lilah
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Hi Ladies,
I am 18 days after my first TCH and just today the hair is starting to significantly come out. When you got your "buzz" cut, what number did you use - I hear guys talk about a "1" or "1.5" on the trimmer. Thanks for your input!
The hair loss is devastating. Those of you getting yours back - your photos look GREAT!
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I will be 10 weeks PFC tomorrow and have seen hair growth for about 2 weeks now. It started off really pale, transluscent but now looks as though I have a five oclock shadow. Looks dirty!! There is no length to speak of, but to touch, it feels like it is covering my whole head - almost like velvet.
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Lovetosail - my DIL buzzed my hair for me and started with a 3 (my hair was long and we were both nervous) but she ended up, after buzzing my hair two times that day, using a 1" and I was very happy with that length. It made it easier to clean up my pillow (I slept with a towel on my pillow everynight to catch the little hairs) and made it easier on the shower drain.
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Lovetosail - my hair started coming out Jan 1, 15 days after my first tx. You are so right, it is devastating and I am debating when to buzz it. I am trying to convince myself that this is a positive transformation (like a caterpiller to butterfly). Not having much luck.
Happy, healthy New Year to all.
Pam
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Hey Ladies
I'm 6 1/2 months PFC and my hair is growing. It started growing right after my first dosage of Taxotere. I finally went for a trim and color just before Xmas and it felt great! Still waiting on the brows though - getting really tired of drawing them on my face!
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Lovetosail - I got my hairdresser to do a No2 buzz - see my avatar for how it looked. Only half fell out and like Kim it started growing after the initial loss. Taxotere No2 didn't cause anymore loss at all. I now need another buzz I think, it's really fuzzy and almost twice the length it was.
BTW we had a nice holiday at the beach even though I couldn't walk down there (my knees have packed up).
Sue
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Lovetosail -- It IS devastating when it's happening, but luckily it doesn't fall out for long. I had a buzz cut just before my second TX (I had them every two weeks on Mondays)... by the Saturday following that second TX it was coming out in handfuls (even though short it was still horrible) in the shower. It took about a week to stop falling out in handfuls and after that, with very little left, it was just a hair here and there. I was left with about 10% hair (maybe less) and it was just this week that I noticed I actually have something growing (not quite enough for a 5 o-clock shadow but my head feels like sandpaper from all the tiny hairs poking up).
I think it would have been far more devastating to have handfuls of very long hair (which is what I had) falling out.
Lilah
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Hi Sue - glad your holiday at the beach was good!
I did get a short cut prior to my first treatment, so the handfuls coming out are short, thank goodness. Lilah, it sounds like you didn't do a buzz at all, right?
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Lovetosail - hi, and how are you doing? I am 5 months pfc and you can see from my pic that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I know that isn't much consolation to you at the moment.
I had mine cut very short after my first A-C treatment and it did not start growing back until about a month after my last Taxol.
It is devastating and we are all here for you whenever you need. Rest well and hang in there!
Hugs to all, Judy xoxox
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Lovetosail -- sorry I was not clear. I DID do a buzz cut -- probably was about 1/2 inch when all was said and done. I went to my hairdresser on the Friday before my second (always on a Monday) chemo treatment. My hair was long and wavy/curly and down my back to my shoulder blades. My hairdresser had actually had BC and so while she cut my hair we talked (she had told me of her story prior to this but this was the first she heard that I had it now). At first she cut it really cute -- about 3 - 4 inches in length -- which I was delighted to see actually did look nice! I have always had long hair so had no idea how cute short hair would look on me. After she did that (kinda getting my feet wet) I asked her: did you shave YOUR head when you were on chemo? Yes, she said, my husband did it. So I said: ok then -- shave it! I thought she was actually going to shave it but she used clippers and I don't remember the number but I would say when she was done my hair was about 1/2 an inch long and even that looked cute. I have to say it was a really empowering moment for me to take my hair away before cancer could. That said, a week later when it fell out it was still awful -- but I think a lot less awful than it would have been had I done nothing but stand there like a deer in the headlights.
Cheers,
Lilah
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Lilah thanks for clarifying - I think I'll probably go to about 1/2 inch myself later this week. How awesome that you found out that you looked good with the short hair - maybe I'll find that out too (fingers crossed!)
Ozma - I like the caterpiller/butterfly analogy - yeah I gotta work on seeing that positive transformation!
JudyNaomi Thanks for the words of support! Your hair looks great! I am doing well with my treatments, no SE's really other than the hair, so I'll keep reminding myself that the really important thing - beating cancer - is my main priority now and it's sad but necessary that the hair is sacrified
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Hi ladies, I see a few of you I already know. I am thrilled to see my new hair coming back in rather nicely, but confused as to what to do with it. It's to long to just cover up and to short to actually style. I've looked on youtube and only found stuff to do with hair that is at least 3 or 4 inches long. Mine is about 1 1/2 inches tall. I had my daughter cut the very back straight across so at least it looks like I've tried to do something with it.
Anyone have any great ideas with what to do with this in between stage? I tried glitter in it on New Years Eve. One very honest person told me it looked a little like a fuzzy disco ball. LOL Gotta love sons. He honestly was trying to complement me. Poor kid.
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Hi Pauldingmom - my hair is also tall, but I use a loreal anti frizz styling cream. I just rub my hands through it to keep it down and try and get some of it to go to the side. That is about as much styling as I can manage at the moment. I am not sure of the exact length, but it is not as much as 3 or 4 inches.
Lovetosail - good to hear that you are finding the treatment manageable!
Hugs to all, Judy xoxox
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All - I wanted to thank you for being so awesome and inspirational! I had my big debut today, no hat, no wig! I'll have to find the courage to update my pic on here once I have the courage to have someone take a pic. You guys gave me the strength though to do this today, to go out to the doc, and then to work. I feel so naked and ugly, and most people are so kind saying, "It's cute!", which helps but somehow only makes me feel.... worse.
I finished chemo Aug 3rd, '09, so am quite aways out PFC (I'm not counting), and I know a lot of you made your debut a lot quicker than me. It's so ironic, I was the one who swore I would never wear a wig in the first place, and have had the hardest time letting go! Ummm, maybe cuz it's like a hundred frickin below zero here???
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Mai605-good for you! Enjoy the new freedom!
Hugs, Judy xoxox
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Thank you Judy! YOU are amazing! ((((HUGS))))
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We are ALL amazing! Have a good evening!
Hugs to all, Judy x
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Diane, Good for you! It's so hard to "take the plunge"! If I hadn't had my DD #1 and my DIL encouraging me I would have never gone without my wig or hat until sometime this spring - I swear! With the advice and encouragement of the dear ladies on this thread, my DIL colored my hair this weekend and it looks so much thicker and I don't have the translucent/gray/white hairs anymore - I'll post a new picture sometime this week. Congratulations Diane!
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Finished in October and still not going out with out my security wig. Went out once with just a hat to the drive up window at bank. They made me send in my drivers license to prove who I was. Ugh, ran home and put my wig on. Now if someone is coming to the house, on my turf, then it's a different story. Take me as I am.
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