Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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Hey MBJ - You've been such an encouragement here. I find your suggestions very helpful. My hair isn't as long as yours, but I too would describe it as thick and bushy. It is finally long enough that it looks like I just have a very daring hair style and it looks intentional. Mine also has grown in longer on the very top and down the back. The other day I went out shopping with my sister and she remarked how curly my hair was at the bottom edge in the back. That's where I didn't use any hair product - AAACK! Now I try to remember to distribute it evenly. I think when mine gets a bit longer the Marc Anthony Instant Straightener will work even better. Thanks again for the suggestion.
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Rocket: I am so glad that this has worked for you! I have been so grateful to have BCO, that whenever I find something that works I just have to pay it forward and share my find!! We go through so much, it's the least we can do is help each other. I had my entire head shaped on Saturday, and now it's too short but it also isn't curling as much. Hoping it isn't temporary!
Just found a couple more brow hairs
. Hope I don't lose as much this go around.0 -
I just had T/C #5 a week ago and I now have a layer of fuzz all over my head. I still have one more T/C in 2 weeks. Is this fuzz my hair actually starting to grow back while I am still in treatment or is it just a false alarm that will fall out soon?
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wellesly: I remember my hair doing that, too. I think the fuzz fell out again after my last chemo, but for the life of me I can't remember. Chemo brain
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wellsey, I had three cycles of T, and my hair did the same thing between #2 and #3, and it didn't fall out. I am three weeks pfc, and my husband commented that I might have to comb it soon. The fuzz is being replaced by real hair, with real colour to it, at least the ones that aren't grey.0
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My lashes and brows came out 6 months to the day of my first TCH but had immediate new growth on both. Left eyelashes have no curl though - just growing straight out!! Now they are thinning again which is the 2nd time. Am still taking Herceptin and that is causing real, real slow return of hair. 22 wks from last chemo and only have 1 1/2" growth ..thick and unruly with numerous cowlicks in very odd locations. Am also noticing that the color is somewhat dull. I had always had really shiny hair so this looks even more odd to me. Anyone else noticing this?
Haven't bought Marc Anthony Instant Straightener yet since I think I need a little more length yet. Is that something I can get at beauty supply places?
Rocket - Who did you order the Rapid Lash from on Amazon? I did a search and found it offered but didn't know for sure who to order from. Price I was finding was about $60 - is that about right?
Nails are still crumbling at the ends but keep adding a coat of Sally Hansen's Tuflon each day - figure sooner or later they will start keeping the length.
What I'm missing most are my bangs - If I could just get some growth there I'd be thrilled.
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Lilylou: I bought Marc Anthony at RiteAide! And, yes, my hair is duller than dull. I had the healthiest, shiniest hair prior to chemo. My nails are doing much better though. I only have two left that are still growing out. I always had the cowlicks though. Really wish my bangs would come in faster, too. Do you take Biotin? I decided to double up on it a couple days ago to see if it helped any.
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I got Rapid Lash at Bed Bath and Beyond in Ohio. It cost $50, but they had a 20% off coupon. That's the cheapest I have found it. I really didn't think it helped much though.
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Hi LilyLou,
I ordered the RapidLash from Amazon at a price of roughly $28. I haven't received it yet. I'm 20 wks PFC and have just over an inch and a half. I didn't need Herceptin though. My hair is also drier and duller than it used to be. I really like the Brilliantine drops from Garnier. They add shine and gloss but don't feel greasy on my hair. I miss my bangs as well.
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Hi ladies.
I joined a couple a days ago but has been following this forum during my whole treatment. I have had 3 rounds of FEC and 3 rounds of Taxotere, the last one was last January 8th. My hair started to come out when I began with taxotere and now I have a head full of curls. I am eager for my hair to get longer, had it long before chemo. I still have 7 rounds of Herceptin left and will finish that in January. I feel great and I am working fulltime again. This whole process was hard but I was always positive and that helped. hang in there!!!!
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I found 2 sites that reviewed the eyelash enhancers
www.beautyviewpoints.com/LashEnhancer
Rapid Lash was in both. If you do a search you can find it several places for $28
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I'm curious to know what your oncologists say about using Rapid Lash? I always seem to forget to ask him when I'm there. Thx Heather
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I asked my onc about Latisse. He looked it up and said he had no problem if I wanted to try it and gave me a prescription. I called the company and they said they had done no trials with chemo patients so they had no information on Latisse with chemo patients. When I found out the Rx would cost me $113 a month I decided it wasn't worth it so I never got the Rx filled. Then I heard about Rapid Lash. I am more willing to give it a try for $28.
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Wellsey66: Rapid Lash was sued by Latisse and Latisse won, so Rapid Lash no longer has the ingredient that makes Latisse work so well. Rapid Lash claims that they replaced it with an ingredient that does still work. I am part of a study specifically with cancer patients 4 weeks done with chemo. It is a double blind where only one third for the first 6 months don't receive the real deal and then the last 6 months everyone does. For me, I notice that my lashes seem a bit longer, though not as thick as they were prior to chemo. I believe I am one of the ones who received the actual product.
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I shaved my legs today!!
When I mentioned this to my family, they all looked at me like I was an alien, so I thought I would share the news with people who really understand how important this was.
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dutchgirl: Yay for you!!! It's crazy how the hair comes back so quickly in all of the places we would rather not have it and on the top of our heads and eyelashes and brows last. It's such a relief to have it grow.
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dutchgirl6-who would have thought we were ever be rejoicing over shaving legs!!!
As for me, prior to shaving my head, I told my husband that I looked like BeetleJuice! I seriously did. Now, that I have a little over 1/2 an inch, i colored it. I colored it with what my natural color was, at least I think it was what my natural color was-it's been years. When I first got out of the shower Eddie Munster is what came to my mind. I guess I am just grateful to have hair and can't wait for it to get a little long so my widow's peak isn't so pronounced and I can say good-bye to Eddie Munster!
Ya gotta laugh.Hope everyone is doing well!
V
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Dutch, congrats on the hairy legs!!! Seems like that was the first place I noticed hair. When my leg and underarm hair started coming back, it was so fine, I couldn't even feel it. It just appeared when I was in bright light. Surprise.
Luckily, the hair that I do have on my head, came back my natural color (light brown) with streaks of blond framing my face. Kind of tames down my widows peak.
I finally broke down and got some of that hair powder that more or less colors your scalp and it clings to your hair to make it look thicker. Works pretty good. As long as I keep wearing my hair in a boy cut it does make the comb-over look much better.
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Just put on my first application of Rapid Lash!! :-) We'll see. MBJ - Interesting info on Rapid Lash & Latisse. Hmmm... Will be really curious to see what results I get, if any.
vmarie - I had never really paid much attention to my hair line before - who does? But now I am freaked out by the odd pattern my hair line takes. I remind myself of one of those actors in an old version of Caesar.. don't remember which movie or who the actor was or the character he was playing but every time I look in the mirror, that character comes to mind!! Yikes!
dutchgirl6 - know exactly what you mean! No one was particularly interested that I needed to shave my legs either but I was estatic. Now rather than rushing through an annoying task, I truly take my time and enjoy shaving my legs.
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Hi all!! Hope everyone is having a good week!
I have officially begun CHEMO CURL! It's nasty...now I know why MBJ is desperately searching for a straightening method. I can only imagine how attractive it will look as it grows out more.
I have a bit of a dilemma...sort of a rant...I met with my PS Friday to discuss all my pre op stuff for my exchange surgery. The hospital I am going to will not "allow" me to wear my wig during surgery. I know it's stupid but my hair is so ugly..it's bad enough I have 1/2 and eyebrow and 1/3 of the lashes I used to...I've gained probably 5 lbs and I just couldn't feel more self conscious about how I look. I know I shouldn't care going into surgery, but I just feel so ugly its embarrassing. Well, I completely melted down to my doctor. My friend is a surgical nurse at Johns Hopkins and they allow patients to wear their wigs into surgery. I mean they put a stupid cap on you during the procedure. So now I totally don't even want to go, I am completely dreading this day. I know no one cares how I look but me but for GOD sake its all I got...one gorgeous blond wig! I feel so depressed about this and again,,I know it's stupid but I just can't help how I feel. I may try to color my hair before surgery with a semi to see if it at least covers the greys I will feel a little better. Any product suggestions? I am almost 4 months PFC
Sorry for the rant, thanks for listening.
Diane
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Diane, you go right ahead and rant - did your PS say they'd ask for you? Really, as long as you've washed the wig the day ahead, I can't see the clinical reason for stopping you wearing it. The bacterial load would be the same as if you had your normal full head of hair, and no doubt you will still have one of the silly caps on top of it anyway. Hospitals have lots of "rules" which often can be negotiated as long as they don't compromise your or others safety,so see if your PS will do some negotiating on your behalf.
good luck,
Lisa
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didel: I wore my wig up to th moment they were going to wheel me in for surgery. For my exchange I had bleach my hair blond. Now I have gone back to brown. They sell natural hair color at Whole Foods or you can go to an Aveda salon, and that is all natural. I know exactly how you feel! Hugs.
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Didel,
I just colored my hair and I am glad that i did. I had so much grey coming in. the color really helped and it also made me look like i had more hair than i did.
Hang in there. I am amazed at how many things really upset me during this past year. The things that logically I knew were dumb, emotionally make me a wreck-just sucked. The things that I thought would not be a big deal ended up be a Ginormous deal. I just never knew what would really end up bothering me.
V
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Thanks all for the support and encouraging words! I will try Whole Foods today.
My PS told me to just wear it and not tell them i have one on but I am afraid they're gonna rip it off my head the second I go under so I wanna color the grey too. UGH I used to love love love my hair. I was every color under the sun and now...grey/black and FUZZ. It stupid stuff like this that just sends me over the edge. TWO MORE WEEKS I can't believe how fast the last 10 months have gone.
Hope everyone is having a good day! Thanks again!!!
You're all the best!
Diane
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Didel: It's my one last thing I cling to: my vanity. If I wanted to have grey hair, I wouldn't have been dying it all of these years. I am like you: blonde, brunette, redhead, tri-color hair--anything but grey. I am thinking of going black now to match my black mood about my hair LOL!
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Didel: they told me no makeup for surgery. I was hell bent I was going to wear at least macara! But be sure to ask your doc WHY you can't wear the wig; there could be a good reason for it. Before my surgery a nurse heard me tell my hubby to hand me some chapstick out of my purse and she said NO and brought me some other kind of lip balm. I asked "what's the big deal" and she said there is something in chapstick that could be flammable if they had to use oxygen on me. So, as silly as it sounds to us, there are sometimes reasons for all these stupid rules. Hang in there!
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Oh my PS said they get concerned about if something has metal in it because the machine he uses to cauterize the incision will electrocute me if there is metal on my body. I reassured him that the clips were plastic and I promised not to secure it to my head with bobby pins. Although I did threaten to super glue it to my head so no one could take it off LOL
MBJ I am thinking about going back to black too! Suites my mood!
Diane
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DiDel: Now, don't go gettin' yourself electrocuted! LOL! Yep, back in black is my mood these days, too. I will be channeling Joan Jett in the 70's!
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Hey Didel,
I asked my gynecologist if I could wear my wig for my hyst/ooph and he said that it was fine with him. I was 17 wks. pfc on the day of my surgery, and I decided to forego the wig because I had colored my hair and like others have mentioned, it did make it look as if I had more hair. The nurse noticied my lymphedema alert bracelet which had a metal snap on it and she put gauze and tape over it to prevent me from being electrocuted with the cauterizing tool as well.
My vanity has also taken a huge hit. I used to love my previous straight, silky bob with long bangs. Now I have ridiculous chemo curl and the longer it gets, the more it curls. AAACK! I'm now 20 wks. pfc and my scalp no longer shows. YAY! I'm getting used to the crazy hair, but it will be interesting to see what it looks like when it gets longer.
While losing my hair was difficult, I didn't cry the day I shaved my head which really surprised me. My major meltdown occured when I was in my closet trying to find something to wear with the hideous mastectomy bra that I was fitted with to hold my prosthetics. I had a lot of low, v-neck tops and none would work with that bra that looked like something my mother would wear (no offense intended Mom). I just cried and cried and cried. I even called the pharmacy that fitted me for it crying. I spoke with the girl that helped me and told her I just couldn't handle that bra. She told me to come in the next day and ordered me some really nice ones that looked like they were similar to something you would find in Victoria's Secret. Needless to say, there are so many things we BC survivors go through and I'm continually surprised by all of it.
I rubbed one of my eyes at work yesterday as my contact lens was bothering me. When I went into work today to complete the paperwork I'd started yesterday, I noticed eyelashes all over the paper. Here we go again - losing eyelashes again. This is the third time!!! Will it ever end? My Rapidlash should be arriving any day now. I'm ready to go hunt down the UPS guy!
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I wore foundation and eye brows to every surgery. I've had 8. It was never a problem. One time in recovery, the nurse told my I had really good color. She didn't know it was makeup. I also had minimal hair for surgeries. I just wore a tight knitted cap and I was able to keep it on. They just put the surgical cap over it. They were more worried about whether I had panties on or not in case there was an emergency in the OR.
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