Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I am 10 weeks PFC and my hair is growing in well. I am still trying to figure out how grey I am going to be and what the dark color will look like (I was dk brown). I had lots of white fuzz on my head and so the new hair is blended with the fuzz so the jury is out on what it will look like. I am OK with waiting which surprises me.
My question is about the "fuzz" that is ALL over my body (arms, stomach, FACE!). I heard about the face fuzz but didn't expect it all over. Will it eventually go away? I am tempted to shave my face but I can't shave my entire body. Probably no one will notice the fuzz but me. I physically feel good but am bugged by the hair and my finger nails breaking off half way down the nail bed. The gift that keeps on giving!!
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buccaneersdj: you look great! I am 7 1/2 months PFC, very close to you, and have also colored my hair (twice) blond.
Mine is really curly and today I finally used a flat iron to get rid of the curls. It is a travel size flat iron, perfect for short hair. I was so glad to see myself with straight hair, I feel a bit more like myself again.
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My chemo hair, which grew after I shaved everything off, looks very interesting. They are more than 1/2 an inch long, and I can clearly see sections that indicate chemo, because those sections are transparent!! So it's color-transparent-color-transparent, etc. etc. I think that is what gives the hair a "no color" look.
My last chemo was 5/19 so I'm just 6 weeks out. Definitely growth but not enough yet to label me not bald yet.
Happy July 4th everyone!
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Faithfulc I finished my Chemo May 17th!! I stare in the 10X magnifying mirror every day looking for a new sprout! I never shaved it I just couldn't I have like white fuzz on my head almost all through chemo and then black roots now the fuzz is pretty much gone and in the last week i noticed the black coming in strong! I can still see my scalp so like you I still feel bald. I am going to the beach this weekend and don't know what to do, toohot for the wig but don't wanna wear a scarf and look like a cancer patient on the beach...although I do have a giant straw hat and big sunglasses to go incognito.
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!!! Happy 4TH!
Diane
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Issymom try Nailtiques protein polish for your nails. It's great! i used it all through chemo and my nails look amazing! except for the white lines in the nail bed but nice and strong and healthy.0
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faithfulc - yeah I had that color-transparent-color thing going on with my early growth too! I'm 12 weeks out now, and it's all coming in dark like before (whew)
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Thanks for your post, lovetosail. My goal is to get rid of the wig by the end of the year.
DiDel, I hope you are having fun at the beach!
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Taxotere is notorious for messing up your hair. Some women never grow their hair back at all after Taxotere. I had 6 rounds and then started right away with Tamoxifen. I'm on a little break from the tamox. and my hair is thickening up. Almost twice what I had about 6 weeks ago. The new stuff is about 1/2 long where the older hair is about 1 1/2 inches long. It's still less than 1/2 of the volume of hair pre chemo.
All my hair feels very straw like and brittle. It looks healthy and shiny but it feels terrible.
By the way, it's coming in straight and light brown. I have blond streaks at the corners of my forehead. It's a nice look that I wouldn't have thought to do on my own.
Janny, I don't remember how long it took the stubble falls out. I just remember one day realizing there was nothing left.
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My daughter and I used some Lush hair color last night and it worked wonderfully! It's henna-based, so it has a definite red tint, but there are no chemicals and my 6 month-post-chemo hair looks very healthy and feels softer than before. I think they offer it in four colors, all varying shades of brown and red. It's messy and time-consuming, but I'll take it over chemical dyes!
I used the color Caca (for real!) Rouge and my hair came out bronze-ish. Very nice!
E
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The taxotere messed up my hair. I'm 1 year post chemo and my hair has not grown back to anywhere close to what it was. I had very very thick and very curly hair with lots of body. Now my hair is very thin and my scalp shows through all over. The hair on my crown is very straw like - no body, no curl. My hairdresser puts dark eyeshadow all over my scalp to keep it from showing through. I've had only 1 little trim and that was just about 6 weeks ago because the growth is so slow. It's probably only about 2 - 3 inches long at the best. The hair on my arms and legs has also not grown back. I had a different chemo 5 years ago and my hair grew back very quickly after that one. At this point - it's a year and I'm totally discouraged.
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hrf, I saw on another thread that you were on Arimidex. Are you still taking an AI?
The reason I'm asking is because I had 4 rounds of Taxotere & Cytoxan two years ago (finishing in June 2008), and my hair was coming back just fine until the Arimidex kicked in. I started Arimidex 3 weeks after my last chemo infusion.
It took awhile to see the first real hair growth -- I don't think I had a 5 o'clock shadow until 8 weeks or so after that last dose of chemo -- but, by 4 months, I had a respectable buzz-cut. No sign of curls at that point, though. By 6 months, my hair was thick in back, at the crown, and in front, and getting very wavy. Two months later (February 2009) I had soft, thick, curly-curls galore! My first trim was in March '09, to get rid of the wispy, colorless tips. I was left with a thick head of curly hair that was pretty much the same color as pre-chemo.
I am now 2 years out from chemo, and my hair is not nearly as thick as it was 18 months ago. It's also flat, and very, very straight. I think the hairs themselves (the hair shafts) are just like before, but the hair density (hairs per square inch?) is less. I asked my med onco about this, and she said it's a known SE of Arimidex but it hasn't been studied in clinical trials. "Alopecia" is listed among the miscellaneous SE's of Arimidex on the package insert, along with everything else we could imagine.
My eyelashes and eyebrows have also been affected. My lashes are about half as long as they were pre-chemo and not nearly as thick; and my brows are lighter-colored and patchy. I use eyebrow pencil now, something I never did pre-chemo. I've even thought about getting a script for Latisse, but I don't like the SE's it causes.
I know there seems to be a small percentage of women who got Taxotere and never re-grew their pre-chemo hair. I wonder, though, how much of the blame should be on Taxotere, and how much is due to other factors, like post-chemo treatments with estrogen-suppressing drugs. Just take a look around a room full of elderly ladies (mid-80's or so) -- there's an awful lot of bare scalp visible, and most of the hair is thin and wispy. What we're seeing there is a combination of age and low estrogen.
It's very discouraging, I know. I can't imagine what it would be like to have no hair post-chemo, or for it to be so thin that I felt I needed to cover it up. It's bad enough just to have thinner hair, like I do. I would like to try some different hairstyles, but I don't think I can tolerate the grow-out phase; and I don't think I'll end up with enough hair to be able to wear it like I did pre-chemo. It appears I'm stuck with this longish pixie-cut, which dh hates. <sigh>
otter
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I want to apologize for my previous post. I'm going to leave it there, because I think it says some things I've wanted to say. But I hope what I've said isn't too discouraging to those of you who are just seeing the start of that wonderful post-chemo hair growth.
I don't mind the patchy eyebrows, 'cause I've figured out what to do about it and I actually like how eyebrow pencil makes my eyes more noticeable. I'm not fond of the shorter lashes; but some women have lived all their lives with lashes as short as mine are right now. What I'm having trouble with is deciding what on earth to do with my pixie hair. My hairdresser is no help -- I went to her for a trim last month, and she scalped me. I need her to tidy things up, but I'm gun-shy about going back.
So, I guess I'm just having a bad hair day today. I suppose I should be glad that I have enough hair to worry about, considering that 2 years ago I was completely bald!
otter
P.S.: I've posted this pic before, but I'll put it here just to encourage the rest of you. This was what my hair looked like 8 months post-chemo, before my first trim:
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Otter - you hair looks great in that pic! I am almost 10 weeks PFC and my hair is about an inch long all over, fairly thick, except at the crown. I'm happy with the regrowth, but a little dismayed by the grey colour. I agree with you about the AIs - I'm trip negative, so not on them, but my sister is, and her hair is noticeably thinner than it was pre-chemo.
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My eyebrows haven't come back after 18 months and my lashes are very short and thin. I just use a lash enhancer liner and a little mascara and that's good enough for me. The brows, I'm thinking of getting tattooed. I'm not sure yet. I just can't seem to get them on even. I've certainly had enough practice, but I'm not getting better at it.
Otter, I don't think your post will discourage people. Some of us do have trouble getting our hair back, but most don't. I think it helps for people who are slow growers or on AIs to know they aren't alone.
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Issymom - about the fuzz. Everyone says it falls out, and some on this site said they shaved it, and it never came back. However, I am 14 months PFC, and I still have hairs that come in where I don't want them. I have plucked, and they keep coming back. Lots did fall out and not return, but I still have lots that are still here. Especially on my face and stomach. And now, they are not just fuzz, but actual hair with pigment (it is fine, thin hair, but hair all the same). That is why I stopped taking Biotin. I thought it was helping my hair growth on my head, but also everywhere else. I would rather have my hair grow a little slower than encourage these other hairs in random places. A doctor assured me that the Biotin would not help these unwanted hairs grow, but I am not taking any chances.
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Nodapearl - thanks. The interesting thing about this fuzz is that right now it is sticking straight out of my arms, legs (upper), and stomach. The fuzz on my face is a little longer and lays down. I wondered if I should use something like Nair on the stuff. At least the hair on my head is growing. I am completely covered with hair but it's not even 1/2 inch long. I am taking Biotin, hum. I had a few dark colored hairs on my upper lip and chin before chemo so I imagine that will come back.
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Issymom That fuzz is so disturbing. I used my DH hair trimmer to take it off my face. I was looking like Dog Woman. It didn't come back for almost a year. Now I'm noticing a little bit (very short) is back. Last time I went to the hairdresser she said I was about ready for some waxing. I didn't have it anywhere but on my face tho. And yes, those pesky upper lip hairs will be back. Sometimes I think it was so nice to just be hairless. So much less grooming to do.
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Nodapearl and Issymom:
I am now 8 months post Chemo. I also had hair growth on my face-- kind of like cotton candy post Chemo and read posts that women had shaved it off and it didn't come back..... Well (LOL) not in my case... I find myself having to shave my face once a week!!! However-- I would rather have to shave now then to have cotton candy on my face.....
As far as the hair on my head--- I have had 4 trims and wear my hair very short due to the fact that it came in very curly. I think the Tamoxifen is also drying out my hair? This time, I believe my hair is coming back with a litte more of a wave then curls-- so maybe soon my hair will grow back the way it use to?
Until then-- so Thankful to have Hair!
Loretta
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I'm now 10 weeks PFC. I check my hair growth each day, and I have 3/4" fine, fine thick hair that clings tightly in waves to my head. I also have MUCH more gray than before the chemo. After I finished all my treatments (last rads June 10), I decided that I didn't want to wear the scarves & turbans anymore because it continued to cause people to ask, "Oh, how are you doing?" And quite frankly, I was tired of talking about it. So I wear my short, rather stylish wig to my full-time job every day. Now the Femara has brought back the hot flashes, and I become so uncomfortable under that darned wig that I can't wait to get home and get it off!!
So, ladies, I am tempted to just go out and face the world topless!! Maybe take more time with my makeup and put on some classy earrings each work day. Do I have the courage, I wonder? How are the rest of you doing - and did anyone just do it???
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Dear Emejean,
I finished radiation the same week you did. However, I think you have a bit more hair. I found a critical step was covering the whole lot with some hair color as it looked like "pelt of dead rodent" prior to my doing that. Got a plastic cup and used one third of the box.
I did the deed a week ago when I had a dentist appointment and saw no reason she should work around the wig. I was cold until yesterday when it finally warmed up in Seattle, but again, thought it was time to move forward and not feel like an "imposter" any more. Plus, I have interviews and meetings coming up and I wanted to be in my new look sooner rather than later.
Make up is important, and you will find that different earrings look right as proportions will be different. On my list is to get a makeover at Nordstrom so that someone professional helps me with the ultra-short look as I will be wearing it for at least several months.
I suspect hair will be a work in process over something like the next 18 months. So nice to have hair again and be able to go swimming w/o worrying. Just have to watch sun on the back of my neck.
Good luck with your new look. I think the key is to get a fab color and then rock the ultra short. You will be amazed at what color does at this point. - Claire
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Claire: Never thought about coloring what hair I now have. Maybe that would make it easier to bare my head! Good thoughts. Thanks for your post.0
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Emegram: I went topless for the first time 8 1/2 weeks post-chemo. I was out of town at a play where I was pretty sure I wouldn't run into anyone I knew - lol. It felt wonderful to feel the wind through my hair!
My hair has come in pretty thick, and is now a good inch long 10 weeks PFC. My problem, like Claire, is with the colour. It is gray, gray, gray. I dress up with makeup and dangly earrings (to de-emphasize my big forehead) and a lot of people have said it looks stylish. But it is so not me. I am going to consult with my hairdresser next week about a gentle colour rinse - then I am sure I will feel less self-conscious. Even so, today I went to the local grocery store topless and thought, to hell with it - this is who I am -- and besides I'm kinda proud of getting through chemo.
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Hi Everyone!
I am a week past my first treatment and can already feel the difference in my hair. Did anyone else experience extremely greasy hair before it started to come out.
Thanks, Jenn
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Otter, I think your hair looks great. I would be thrilled if mine was that thick. After chemo I did rads which took over 5 weeks and I did not start the Arimidex until the rads were over. In all that time I don't think even 1 hair grew on my head. I was astounded. It took about 3 months until there was even any little bit of fuzz on my head. I have no doubt that the Arimidex is playing a role in all of this but I at least expected the growth to begin once chemo was over. Whether it's the taxotere alone or the combination of the two, my hair is terrible.
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My hair took forever to make an appearance too. I finished chemo in March 09 and still had little more than stubble when my niece got married in Aug. 09. (about 1/8 inch) That was the first time I went "topless". I figured it was all family so what the heck. I've been pretty much topless since. I have worn a pixi wig that's really cute a few times. Mostly on windy days and if it's raining.
I'm now 16 months PFC and my hair is about 2 1/2 inches long. I get the tips cut off, 1/4 inch or so) every 6 weeks coz it just starts splitting. So dry and lifeless.
I do have to say, that every woman I know personally that has had chemo, grew back beautiful hair in no time.
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I'm anxiously reading these posts ... I'm 7 weeks PFC and nothing. Ok .. I did notice a FEW new little sprouts ... but maybe I'm just being optimistic!!? Maybe they were left over from before? I could probably count the hairs on my head. No fuzz, cotton candy, NADA. I was on taxotere as well. (TCx6 DD plus now tamoxifen) Eyebrows and eyelashes are barely there ... <sigh> I guess I am in for the long haul.
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Charley - I was just like you. Checking the mirror 20 times a day to see if anything was happening on my head! It seemed to take forever, and at 20 weeks PFC, my hair was only about 1/2 inch long. It's tough to be patient, especially when we hear about others' faster growth rate.
Thinking of you! (And I'm still holding out hope for hrf
)Linda
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Charley: Are you taking the Biotin? I've been taking it since I finished chemo, and I really think that it helps with hair/nail growth. I'm out and about today with just a head band. Yeah!!! Feels really LIBERATING!!!!!!!0
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Bev - I am taking Biotin, daily multi, using nioxin and latisse and have been since about 3 weeks PFC. Anything else I need to get this going? I want to liberation too!
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Charley: Sounds like you are doing everything you can do for your hair. I am just a few weeks ahead of you in finishing the chemo, and mine is only about 3/4" in most areas of my head. Very thick on top, but extremely thin on the sides. Give yourself 3-4 more weeks, and if your head is semi-filled in with hair, try going out in just a headband. I'm sure it won't look too badly!!! Just hang in there, OK?
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