Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I was just getting my hair back, just a shadow on my head and I was out in the yard with nothing on my head. My neighbor came over to check on me coz he knew I had been ill and he had seen a strange man in my yard. I answered the door with my fuzzy head and the look on his face was priceless. He was so embarrassed but I was actually touched that this older man was prepared to confront a strange man on my behalf.
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Firni: That story is priceless! I never ventured from my house while bald, but it was still pretty cold out and I would have froze to death. I am sure I would have been mistaken for a man except that I increased the amount of makeup I wore and went overboard trying to look "girly" just in case anyone would want to question whether I was a woman or not.
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Jenn1975 - What did you decide to do about your facial peach fuzz? I have it, too, but not on my forehead. It seems like it starts at my cheekbones down my cheeks and to my hair line. I'm reluctant to shave it if it's going to go away in a few weeks. I really don't like the fuzzy face look so I'm not sure what to do. I don't notice it when I'm wearing makeup but I sure see it at night after I've washed my face. Gina0
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GINADMC- I havent done anything yet.... I am too playing the waiting game. I think I might try that smooth away thing that they have the infomercials for.
Jenn
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hi i haven't been on in a long time but i saw your post on facial hair just wanted to let you know patience ,it will go back to normal on its own i did nothing and it went away. have a good day
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Here I am at 19 weeks post-chemo. I finished Taxotere on March 31, and then 33 rads on June 10. I've been going "topless" for several weeks, and it is so LIBERATING!! My hair is extremely curly (like a bad perm), but my hubby tells me I look just fine! In fact, most people seldom give me a second look in my little corner of the world. Except for some joint pain from Femara, which I try to manage with yoga and just walking, I really do feel great!
Bev
Diagnosis: 10/13/2009, IDC, 1cm, Stage IIa, Grade 1, 1/11 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-0 -
soaplady1950 - thanks for your post! I'm happy to know it will go away. I think I'll ignore it for the time being.
jenn1975 - I've thought about that, too but didn't pursue it. I'm glad that it's not permanent because I don't want to look like Teen Wolf's mom forever! I'm exaggerating ~~~ at least it's not dark.
GIna
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emegram, you look fantastic. I have no doubt that people don't give you a second glance any more. Even tho it's big change from what you had before, your hair looks like a normal person's hair. You have more hair 19 weeks PFC than I do 16 MONTHS PFC. I can imagine the curls would be hard to manage. Mine came back stick straight.
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can smeone please explain to me how to post a picture on here??????
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Jenn, you need to post your photos online first (outside of bc.org) and then link to that. There are of sites where you can create a free account -- www.flickr.com, www.photobucket.com are a couple of options. For speed in uploading, you might want to reduce your photo size first.
Once you have a photo saved on one of those sites, right-click the photo and copy the URL (in photobucket use the direct link), then click the picture link (tree icon) in your message, paste the URL ... that's pretty much it. Preview your picture and if you think it's too big, right click, go to image properties and halve the dimensions.
Emegram: your hair looks great. How I wish I had that amount of color. I have a bad perm look in white. Well more like a perm growing out.
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I've been looking in the mirror the last couple of weeks and this crazy old lady is looking back at me. It's been six and a half months since I finished chemo and apart from clipping the area in front of the ears a couple of times, I haven't done anything with it.
I made an attempt to go to my usual hairdresser only to find while I was busy dealing with bc, she went off and had twins so won't be back for a while.
So this morning I took the Wahl hairtrimmer to my noggin. The last time I used it was to shave myself bald. I don't think it's so bad from the side and it's a lot cooler than that thick scruffy stuff. But from the front all you can see is a white halo.
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MaryNYI very much like the style your hairdresser gave you this morning. She has tamed your chemo-curls and given it a nice shape - to be honest its taken 10 years off your 'old lady perm' photo (I do realise that wasn't your style by choice!) I've battled curly hair all my life - I'm now bald and desperately hoping that when mine grows back it will be straight!You look lovely in your recent photo0
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Thanks Isla. I hope you get the hair you want. Such a little thing to ask for, the hairfairy should oblige. I really liked the curls in the beginning as they gave some style to my hair as it started to grow back. I though they looked great about four months after chemo. Then they started to become very unruly as my hair grew. Someone said that most people's hair returns to its original texture about two years after chemo. I'm not sure if that is true or not.
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So glad to have found this group - my hair is just starting back in and is about 1 1/4". My real hair was very fine but with some body but absolutely no curls. Now it is coming in thicker, white (and I mean white too - startlingly white), and with lots of tiny ringlets (& don't have a clue as to what to do with it). First question, are there any hair products that will help it to relax or go back to normal more quickly? Second question, how long does it take to return to normal?
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Mary;
I can't believe you cut your own hair and with the WAHL trimmer. Gutsy move!!
It looks fantastic!!! I only hope my hair looks that good in 6 months. I have male patterned baldness right now....dark around the sides and back of my head and very white and sparse on the top. NOT A GREAT LOOK!
Heather
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LilyLou...my understanding is that it can take up to two years for your hair to go back to what was normal for you. I have always had curly hair and when my hair came back it was even curlier. It is now 18 months post TC for me and my hair is pretty much back to the curl that I had before treatment.
Hang in there.
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Hi Ladies,
I'm back. I was out for my hysterectomy/oophorectomy. I had it done four days ago and yesterday my DH took me Christmas shopping. This surgery went very well for me compared with the others I have had in the past. I'm sore and tired and my belly is a bit swollen and bruised, but I can't believe how quick my recovery has been. I'm finally finished all of my invasive treatments! Now I must battle fear of recurrance, Arimidex, lymphedema and CHEMO CURL!
My hair has definitely got a mind of its own! These curls are impossible. My hair doesn't curl under like some, but rather it curls up on the sides and back on the top. It's incredibly difficult to manage. I've spent a fortune on hair products. At least it's coming in thick. I've only known straight hair before, so this is a major change for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for hair at this point. It's a little over an inch and a quarter. I can't wait until it gets as long as Mary's.0 -
Hi Rocket - Mine is about 1 1/4" too & like you, can't control these curls going all the wrong directions! And to make matters worse, I have a really odd shaped head - that the curls are clinging to
I am a twin and I swear my sister must have been laying on my head - blame her for the odd shape anyway. On the bright side, I am glad, so very glad, to be at the stage I am in this whole cancer experience. I'll deal with Chemo Hair any day compared to all the other.
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I can't believe that a WAHL trimmer could give you such a great cut!!! I refuse to cut anything off of mine, no matter how out of control it gets. I measured mine yesterday and it's now 2 1/2" long and I am considering, if it still looks like curly top hell when I hit 4", getting an extension weave until it grows long enough to at least give it a style. I have to idea what to do with kinky hair. I just use tons of product and cross my fingers for having a good hair day.
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Happy Hair Growing to All!
Someone told me that the warmth and sunshine of summer will make your hair and nails grow faster. Don't know if that's true about my hair but my nails sure are growing fast!
I've had a few trims - not much off the top which is 2 1/2 inches long right now - mostly the sides and back to make it "styled".
MaryNY your new haircut looks fantastic! What a difference! I can't believe you did it yourself - what a brave woman you are!
Are you going to colour it or keep it gray? I'm still on the fence about that but I have to admit having it this short and my natural colour sure is easy.
Although I get hit on by seniors all the time - it's kind of sweet but come on I'm only 48 not 70!
Enjoy the sunshine wherever you are!
Marie
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MaryNY - Lovely cut! But I liked your hair in both photos.
PurpleMe - 1 1/2 to 2 year ...hmmm - will have to learn to deal with curls - might be fun once it gets out long enough to play with
I'm with MBJ - not cutting anything off, at least not yet.
I colored mine last week. My normal color is very light brown or dark blonde and when mine came back it was the whitest I have ever seen - shockingly white! The sideburns and bangs are in enough that they were peeking out from under my wig which is a streaked blonde color and the white screamed "wearing a wig". Not that it mattered to anyone but me but have found pleasing me is what is important when it comes to my hair. Also will be able to SEE how much growth there is - would never have thought I could so look forward to seeing roots!
For nail, skin, & hair health - take Biotin which is a B vitamin and it most definitely is a good thing for all three. My fingernails are growing unusually fast but my hair seems to be sluggish. Still taking Herceptin since I was HER2+ so maybe that is the reason. ??
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Can some of you ladies give me advice on hair products to tame the frizz. I've never used anything in my life beyond shampoo and conditioner. I've stood in the haircare aisle at CVS and pondered the wide variety of gels, mousses, etc. but I really wouldn't know what to get. My hair was always greasy and straight. Now it's extremely dry and the top is kind of frizzy. Now that I took the Wahl to it, I need something to give it more structure. It didn't look too bad yesterday but after sleeping on it, it was all flat this morning.
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Mary: First, I don't use shampoo except maybe once every week or so before bleaching it, I only wash it with a conditioner. First, I use Frizz Ease smoothing cream then I use a Paul Mitchell straightening gel product and I also like to spike mine a bit so I add bit of Schwartzkoff Spike It Gel to just the tips to finish and if it's humid out I use a strong hold hairspray. I can comb it flat or spike it on top and the sides but the back is just kinky & curly, sigh!
Nancy: I had my last chemo 3/1/10 and trimmed my hair all the way back down to a 1/4 of an inch from about an inch because I had very badly damaged white fuzz after about 4-6 weeks. Now I have grown it out to about 2 1/2".
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Mary: I use 3 products - Garnier Fructis Brilliantine Shine, Garnier Curl Shaping Gel and Garnier Fiber Gum Putty. My hair was very silky and straight prior to chemo. Now it is curling in all different directions. These products have made it look more like a deliberate style, but it's only around an inch and a quarter long. Yours look wonderful! I can't wait until mine gets that long.
Nancy: I had my last chemo on 4/15/10. It took about six weeks before I saw hair growing. It grew on the top and down the back first and then finally began growing on the sides. I was worried I'd have a permanent mohawk!
Now I am 17 weeks PFC and have over an inch. It is extremely curly and has a mind of its own, but at least it's mine and I'm grateful. I would think that you will see hair growing by November, but it seems that it does also depends on what type of chemo you receive. Some seem to be harder on hair than others. I was given Taxotere and Cytoxan as well as Adriamycin and I think my hair grew back slowly. I stopped wearing my wig when it got to be about 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch long. The wig was hot and felt like it was going to slip off my head once my hair started growing in.LilyLou: LOL. I have a flat spot on the back, top of my head, but I don't have a twin to blame it on. My coworker measures my hair every week or so. I'm fortunate to have such supportive friends at work. They always tell me how great I look. It feels good to get some positive reinforcement.
After my hysterectomy five days ago, my mom said, "Now you're an IT." At first I wasn't sure what she was talking about and then I realized that she meant that since I no longer have breasts or a uterus or ovaries, that she considered me gender neutral! How's that coming from one's own mother?! I was absolutely speechless!
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Rocket: Wow, that's pretty hard to hear from one's own mother! Cancer takes so much from us, but we are still who we are, no matter how much of our lives it robs from us. I hope you are healing up well.
Hugs!
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Hi MBJ, Yes I'm healing very well thanks. I walked my neighborhood the day after the surgery and went Christmas shopping on day 3 for four hours. I feel terrific with respect to the surgery. With respect to my mom, I forgive her. I was just shocked by her comment. Thanks for caring!
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Hello,
I am 37 weeks PFC, never got a trim. My hair used to be straight but it is growing back, like many of you, very curly.
My curls are finally "long" enough so that they are easier to manage/straighten. But it is still very curly... Even after straightening my hair, people tell me "you have curly hair!" and all I want to say is "are you kidding me? I just spent 15 minutes straightening those!"
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Hi everyone!
Bev - you look wonderful in the photo!
MaryNY - also wonderful, pre and post trim! My hair is starting to look like your first photo but I desperately want my long hair back so I am going to put up with this 'awkward phase' of unruly curls for the next few months - lots of clips and bands!
Marion - mine sounds very like yours, but I really wouldnt have the patience to try straightening the curls, they are just too tight!!
Nancy - I finished TC x 4 last Dec 30th, hair started coming in Mid-Feb, and I had a full head of hair by end March, v.short!! If you are like me, that would mean you would be going 'topless' for Xmas! Best of luck with the rest of your chemo
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I just realized what my hair reminds me of, it looks like the curly fur on a stuffed animal! I just can't wait until it grows out some more.
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TreadSoftly: Thank you for your kind comment about my pix. I am grateful just to have hair again. My husband brushed his hand back and forth across the top of my head, and the curl is SO tight, it didn't even get messed up!!!!
Rocket: Someone a while back on this thread said her hair post-chemo looks like a "dead animal pelt." I had to laugh because mine isn't far from that!!
I have my very first hair appointment this year on Saturday. (Just think how many $$$ we've saved through all this, girls??) My hairdresser is going to try to apply a color to cover my gray before we take a long-awaited vacation cruise. She thinks the color may make the tight curl relax a bit before our trip. Anybody see improvement after color??
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