Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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A couple of months ago while I was still completely bald, I got really hot running errands and decided to ditch the wig--no one I knew would have been in the area. So I went into a store without it. Wow, the way I was treated was so different! Store employees were SOOOOOOO solicitous, offering to carry my stuff to the car for me, etc. Since I was feeling perfectly healthy, this just made me laugh a little, though of course I thanked them for being so nice. In the long run, I decided that I wasn't ready to be "outed" just yet; I'll wait until I have enough hair that people might think it's that short by choice!
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Goldie - I have always said I would have done chemo and rads twice if i could have kept my hair (and brows & lashes)!
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Ghostie: that is so funny. I've noticed an attitude change since I've been going out and about in my newly gray hair. In stores, as well as the bonus of automatically getting a senior discount, I find staff treat me more solicitiously too. They even seem to talk to me more slowly and be more patient with me - it might be an ageism thing, but it means that we gray-haired ladies are getting better customer service
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Another gas station incident with me......coming home from the airport (which by the way is a 4 hr drive) and having those lovely hot flashes, I would take my wig off while driving. Stopped for gas, and as I was pumping I hear a man say "hey, I like your hair style". I feel the top on my head, no wig! I look over towards him only to see that he was bald! LOL, anyways he told me his wife had had cancer and he understood and then said that when she was bald, their grand daughter wanted to take her to school for show and tell! As he walked away, he said he would add me to the prayer list at his church
Hoping this can bring a smile! Make it a good day~
Lori
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Love the show and tell. Kids are so innocently honest.
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Mary, Nodopearl and Sherri; Thx for your input. My hair is definitely growing. I just finished my 5th of 12 weekly Taxol. How quickly did you eyebrows and eyelashes come in? I seem to be getting some growth on my eyebrows but not much. And, has anyone tried any of the eyelash growth products? Thx so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions. Heather
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Well, I did it! I took my wig off at work for the first time. My hair is very short, 1/4 to 1/2 inch? It is so weird and I am very self-conscious but that wig was driving me crazy! So itchy and hot. Now I just feel naked... I work in a very large company (approx 900 employees). I don't want to put it back on because really, who cares that I have extremely short hair? Right? What a strange mix of emotions! I keep wondering if I'd look better if I change my makeup or earrings. Silly, that's not going to make my hair grow!! Ugh...
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Heather, my eyelashes and brows just thinned through chem and then they finally fell out at 8 weeks post chemo. They grew back right away. Now, three months later the bottom ones are now starting to shed because new ones are coming in. I think this will happen for awhile until they get on a cycle pattern.
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thanks to all who have posted pics. it gives us hope for whats to come. I'm 11 wks out from 6 rounds of TC and I have a slight hair covering on my head more on the back and sides. I keep telling everyone that I'm going to wind up with a loppe side revers mohaw because of the way it's comeing in. It's still to short to tell if it's curly, which is what I had before so I'm use to the brillo look if I let it get to long.lol It's mostly gray/silver. I'll just have to wait and see.
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Oh my gosh I love the stories!! Thanks Goldie and Ghostie too funny. I am 6 weeks PFC and have mostly hair in the back little little little bit on top esp in my bang area, I will not be going topless anytime soon. I have gotten to the point though were I will workout with a baseball hat on sans scarf. which is a big deal for me cause I feel so very self conscious. I will say when I go to the grocery store with a scarf on (and during chemo I wore gloves in the store) and people were for sure nicer. I felt half guilty today when my electrician came over (and I was wearing a scarf) to give me a quote on a repair. i could tell he completely took pitty on me and I am fine with that! I am drowning in medical bills so a break on a repair would be nice.
I was very happy to have 5 OClock shadow on my eyebrows last Wednesday and today I have lots of growth on my brows so they grew back pretty fast. Mine also held on until after chemo it was so discouraging. My eyelashes continue to fall out. I have no bottom lashes. My PS would NOT give me Latisse for eyelash growth. He said it can change the color of your eyes (unless you already have dark brown) and that as soon as you stop taking it they go back to where they were. He also said it would be and ENTIRE YEAR before my eyelashes were as full and long as before chemo and to just be patient UGH. But I will say once I mastered the application of false eyelashes I've had a lot of fun playing around with all the different styles.
Have a good evening, getting late on the East coast...good night!
Diane
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Hi girls...I haven't posted on here for a couple of months. I have been living my life and trying not to think about my bc as much. I posted pics of my hair growth process a few pages back and thought I would post a recent pic for encouragement. I never thought my bangs would grow down to my eyebrows, but they are finally there! Woo-hoo! Don't give up hope...I am a little over a year PFC...
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I now have fuzz on my head! Almost 10 weeks PFC! And I actually had to pluck my brows (since they are growing in only the wrong places) Eyelashes are falling out STILL. Hope that turns around soon. I can tell you Diane from personal experience latisse will not work if your eyelashes aren't ready to grow. I used it faithfully for 4 weeks starting about 2 PFC and they were still falling out ... only 2 little lashes grew and promptly stopped. They are so short I can't even put mascara on them.
Laurie - I know what you mean about hair pattern. Mine still has a large bald spot on the top but is slowly filling in.
Christy - Thanks for the encouragement. Your hair looks great! Beautiful color.
Charley
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ccbaby - looking good girl! Isn't is nice to finally get to a point where you don't feel like you look like cancer patient! Did you color your hair? That style looks cute on you, and it doesn't look like you got the chemo curls. I don't post much here either, but I always check to see who has posted pictures! I love seeing them. The bangs are the worst! Just doesn't seem like they will ever get there.
I think the different chemo cocktails make a dif on hair growth, and everyone is different with eyelashes continuing to fall out every few months. I was one of the fortunate ones, mine never fell out after they came in. And the facial hair, I left alone and did not shave and it eventually went away as well.
Hang in there girls...it will come........EVENTUALLY! Just seems to take forever, especially for those that had and want long hair. I was one of those. I just got a cut today, anxious to see what it looks like when I try to style it.
Goldie/Lori
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I don't know how to post pictures here. Anyone willing to give a lesson to someone who's not computer literit?
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Thanks Goldie....No, I didn't get the curls. My hair grew in exactly as it was before...same color, texture. Yes, I highlight my hair.
Laurie...there are a couple of different ways you can post pics..... Either upload a pic onto Photobucket and then copy the html code and click Insert/add image to paste it onto here. OR, if you have a Facebook or Myspace page or possibly even photobucket again, you can copy your pic from there and paste it onto here. I hope this helps!
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I just wanted you guys to see what happening with my hait. I can seem to get the photo pasted but gor the site up. Go figure. Hope your weekends fun.
in peace Rita,
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ccbaby - Your hair looks Great!! Consider yourself lucky for not getting the curls. They are very difficult to deal with and style. My hair is so curly.....when wet, my bangs are over an inch below my eyes; when dry they shrink to the point that they are still a little short. I am almost 15 months PFC and I also don't post much, but I love seeing the pics. Thanks for the update!
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ccbaby - you look just great!
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Hi Ladies...I am sure that there is a topic or post somewhere (can't seem to find it though) that talks about the eyebrows.
I am 17 months post TC chemo and while my hair has come back, my eyebrows are practically non-existent. Is anyone else in the same boat? I have been powdering in my eyebrows and to be honest I am considering the eyebrow feather tattoo technique because I am getting tired of the powder thing. I will be perfectly honest, the no eyebrow thing bothers me more than the no hair on the head thing. Of course, maybe if the eyebrows came back and the hair on the head didn't I'd be singing a different tune.
My questions...first - has anyone done the eyebrow tattoo thing and if you have does it look as good as the powdering? would you do it again? My other question is - has anyone tried anything (supplements for example) that has helped with the eyebrows?
Any help will be most gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
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Hi PurpleMe - we're neighbours...I"m in Mississauga (Meadowvale). I used to work with a woman who had the eyebrow tatooing done. She didn't have cancer but had it done because her natural brows were thin. Her brows looked really natural and nice after she had it done. She was from Hamilton so I assume she had it done there. As far as supplements, perhaps Biotin that many take for hair growth would also help your brows. You might want to check into that.
Sherri
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Awesome Sherri..thanks so much neighbour!! I've been trying the Biotin which doesn't seem to be helping, although maybe I have not been taking enough. I found someone in Oakville who does the feather technique for eyebrows, she works with a number of plastic surgeons ..it helps to know that someone who had their eyebrows done is happy and that they look natural. Thanks again!
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I am 8 weeks pfc and have some hair growing in-YEAH. but, a lot of it is grey. Anyone color their hair this early? Anyone heard if you shouldn't color it this early and if so, what was the reason.
Thanks for your help.
V
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I've heard that hair color won't take on early hair but I don't know that for a fact. I'm sure someone here can answer that positively for you. Alot of mine is gray too (almost 10 weeks PFC) but at this point I'm glad to have ANY hair. 0
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Hi, I coloured my hair at exactly 12 weeks PFC and the colour took fine. That was on May 7th. My hairdresser did a demi that deposited colour. It was very gentle. Then, six weeks later, I had my roots done. I'm now coming up to the six week mark again but am trying to stretch it a few more weeks. I'm very happy with the results.
Sherri
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I did my hair about 10 weeks PFC. I had to as it looked like "pelt of deceased rodent". I used my old color, Feria Natural Black, but only a small part of the kit. Mixed it up in a plastic cup.
I have to reapply frequently as my hair is growing in rapidly and roots do show.
But NO WAY am I going w/o color.
I would say that it looks a bit severe the first day, but fades into something attractive. This will work just fine for the moment.
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Hi Everyone! I am new to this thread and I recognize a couple of you here!
Claire: LOL!! That pretty much sums up what my hair looked like at 1". I did my last chemo on March 1st and it's about 1 1/2" long but very kinky, very frizzy, and forget a style. I had fine, wavy brown hair with bit of grey and after 6 x T/C it came in thick and grey with a bit of black. No way was I going to go out looking like that, so I had my stylist bleach the heck out of it for fun until I could decide just what to do with it.
PurpleMe: I know exactly how you feel. I use a generic Rogaine on my head from Target (cheap!) 2 x a day (I started out using the men's and then switched to women's in June), I take Biotin 5000 mcg 1 x a day, I am part of a Latisse double blind study. 4 weeks after my last chemo I started using it and I have to say my top eylashes are coming in great! I had plenty before chemo, but now they are a bit longer then before. I don't know if I would recommend it for those of you with light eyes, but mine are brown so it wasn't a concern. Also, it can create a thin line of darker pigmentation along the top lashline. I dind't know that there was a generic! How is your diet? Do you eat lots of protein? I have heard that long after chemo and other treatments, we still need to up our nutrients and protein. I hear that if you find a great tattoo artist, then it can look very natural--I have part of my right eyebrow that I now have to draw on because it never grew in there. Really weird looking without anything.
I will post a new picture soon, as my avatar picture is about 3 weeks new (my hair is wet so it doesn't look curly here-wish it would stay that way!)
Eyebrows: I have used Smashbox and Anastacia brow products and thought they were a bit messy and expensive and I hate using a pencil. I love Clinique's Brow Powder & Brush Kit! I has a perfect, angled brush with a good choice of colors (I use Wheat & Taupe together) and it only costs $15. It has better staying power then the other two and I have really oily skin, so the wax is extra oil on me. If my brows are really unruly, I use an old, brown mascara wand that's been wiped of for jjust a touch of control.
Sugar: You hair is coming in great! Nice and thick, but you can have my curly, kinky hair. Just what does one do with it? I try spiking it, it curls, I try a headband and it kinks. I would love to have your hair!
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MBJ: I love the Clinique Brow Powder and Brush Kit also. I was using one of those prior to all the chemo stuff. However, for the low eyebrow weeks, the Anastasia kit worked really well. I got the Anastasia kit at a Look Good Feel Better program at my local hospital. I would never have bought it for myself. They also showed us how to use it. I sailed through chemo with brows intact and then they fell out afterwards. The Anastasia Brow Ex-press Kit was a lifesaver. When used properly you can get a nice, soft natural look. I'm now back to using the Clinique.
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MaryNY: I have used the Clinique for years, too. Once, when they were temporarily out of it, I tried the other two, but they just come off because of my oily skin. Since I have been filling mine in for years, it wasn't a big deal for me, but for those who are more new to doing eyebrows, the stencils are great!
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When my hair started growing in I used Rapid Lash on my eyebrows and it evened out the patchy regrowth. They filled in better than before chemo!
Before they started growing in (during and after the falling out stage) I used an Anastasia brow marker that I picked up at Sephora and it was nice and easy to apply.
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Hi All,
My hair started coming in black with patches of gray near the front (forehead and temples). I decided at 12 weeks PFC to color it with a permanent color from a box I got at the store. My haircolor was light brown before chemo, so I decided to go a little darker than my natural haircolor. I chose a medium brown, and it looked as Claire described only mine was "pelt of deceased mink".
My DH stated that he preferred the gray and black! Anyway, after a couple of days it started to look better. Now I'm 15 weeks PFC and the gray is peeking through again. I haven't decided what I'm going to do. I may go to my hairdresser and have her color it and add a few highlights. My hair didn't fall out or get damaged from the color, but I think coloring it made it curlier, if that's possible. Like MBJ, I'm struggling to figure out what to do with these stubborn curls and frizz as I've always had straight hair prior to chemo. I've tried a lot of products (pomade, gel, mousse, shaping cream, hair putty), but none seem to work well as my hair has a mind of its own and wants to go in several different directions. Any suggestions on what to use would be greatly appreciated. I look like a Kewpie doll or like I'm trying to achieve a faux hawk. 0
