Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
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Carrol, I asked that question about biotin and or Nioxin of a roomful (about 25 women) when I went to my one and only support group meeting around the time that I finished chemo. They unanimously said "no, don't waste your money." I figured that if I used it and my hair started to grow that I'd figure the Biotin/Nioxin was working. But my hair was going to grow back anyway.
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Carol: Would love to know. Someone recommended peppermint and also almond oil and I have tried both but can't say it's working. My hair is still really short on top.
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I tried Horsetail and rosemary oil, nada. I honestly think if something worked really consistently, the oncology nurses would let us know. I think it's so individual, hard to say. Patience seems to be the best medicine! Mine took 4 months to look half-way decent. It was such a long and difficult slog,but I'm happy to report that I am starting to look more normal week-by-week.
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ECT IF I get brave enough I will post. The problem is 1. I take a TERRIBLE picture 2. With no highlights in my hair it looks like a football on my head. I totally glammed myself up...eyebrows and all took a million pics with my new do and they all made me look like that picture we all have where we gave ourselves our first haircut. It I will try again tomorrow.
Diane
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carrol - I am taking folic acid. I have no idea if it really works or not, but a lot of my friends swear that when they took it (I think people take it when pregnant or something like that) their hair grew much faster. I have heard that for years, not just since BC/chemo.
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Hi Carrol! I feel ya!! My onc said there really isn't anything he would recommend to speed hair growth. Told him I was taking Biotin, he said it couldn't hurt but he didn't have factual data to confirm it promotes hair growth, he felt the same about special shampoos. The nurses felt the same way, they said no magic potion or pills, just patience (easier said than done
). I'm post 5 months and have about an inch, hair is growing slow but it's growing. I didn't have real growth until about 2 months after my last treatment. I had super straight hair, now I have super wavy flips everywhere. A friend describes it best....I have toddler hair....lol! 0 -
Carrol2 and Elaineg I know I had heard somewhere that hair really doesn't start growing untill about two months after finishing chemo. I think that was true for me. So hang in there.
I went "topless" to my follow-up ONC visit this afternoon. I knew he would ask if my hair was growing back so I figured I should just save his breath and let him see for himself. Everybody in the office had to come by and congratulate me in my new "do". It definitely looks like chemo collateral and not a chic hair style but I am ready to go with it most places.
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OMG Joan you just cracked me up with your chemo collateral comment. I feel the same way. I am so over the wig, Im kinda nervous to go back to the office with this "new" darker do. (I had blond hair for the last 6 years so wig was blonde.) Oh well I will be blonde by summer...my daily chant.
DIane
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Carrol - I have heard zinc works for hair growth. Zinc is found in dandruff shampoos (like Head and Shoulders). Don't know if it works or not, but at least it would be an inexpensive thing to try and it wouldn't be harmful.
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Monday is my first day without hats at work... My hair is verrrry short, but have had a few compliments that made me feel great. I work as a receptionist in a Neurologists offfice, so we see lots of people many of them are return patients, so we'll see what they think... Last day of chemo was sept. 15 and I have about one inch of hair.
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I am using the nioxin for about a week now. I guess i will get the biotin if they have it at CVS. I have been taking folic acid for a long time now because my gyno said it prevents HPV.
Thanks for all the input. Guess I will jsut be patient. or try to anyway.
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Kittycat it looks like you have nice coverage and the start of some curl in your photo. I totally thought of Mia Farrow.
I agree with others - hair growth is totally a personal thing regardless of what shampoo and supplements are used.
When my hair started to grow it grew all over in abundance but now I hardly have any hair under my arms and legs and all the "extra" hair that grew on my face is gone.
Thanks for posting that photo Joan. I like the idea of having hair goals and reasonable styles that we can work towards.
The hair on my head continues to grow and curl like mad. I'll have to look around for a photo for my next hair goal.
I'm actually due for a hair cut and will probably go natural curl for a bit while I recover from my exchange surgery. Even now my arm gets tired trying to pull out the curl when I blow dry and I don't think I'll be able to lift either arm after surgery.
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Hey Carol - I asked my enodcrinologist last week about Biotin. He said it could'nt hurt me but he didn't think it would help much. I'm 5 months out from chemo and three from radiation and I still have less than two inches. It's just very slow. Most people like the very short style -- I think because many would love to try to cut their hair this short but don't have the nerve. We just happen to have been forced into it. Thank goodness it's a popular style right now. People tend to think we actually did this on purpose.
Didel - I understand totally the difficulty of taking a good picture. I tried several and they came out so dark. I was a blonde - always, (even if it came out of a bottle most of the time), and I'm longing for the highlights. I wore a blonde wig all of last year (much like my own style and color before chemo) and someone told me the other day it was taking her awhile to get used to the new me as it was such a contrast. Me too!!!! She didn't even know I had been wearing a wig. LOL Oh well -- on we go........
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For those of you wondering about Biotin, Nioxin, etc. Only my hairstylist says it works--doctors and nurses don't see their patients regarding hair like the person who cuts it. Personally, biotin makes my hair stronger and my nails much stronger! Nioxin and 183 Topical Solution by Xenna help me keep the hair on top of my head. For those of you in chemopause (like me) or who have to take estrogen killing drugs, one of the side effects can be hair loss. These products have totally helped me, although it may take a couple months to see results! You do have to use them faithfully and daily according to instructions. They won't make your hair grow any faster, though
, just stronger and more resistant to fallout.0 -
BTW: I have no personal ties to these companies--They have just worked for me!
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ok I gave in and bought a bottle of biotin at CVS. They had a buy one get one get one free sale. I needed more folic acid so got one of each. The biotin is $9.49 for 60 5000mcg pills. The directions say take one a day. So my folic acid was $5.49 and that was free.
I had a hairdresser once years ago, tell me to use something called nuhair and i notice it has b complex, biotin, and folic acid in it. So there might be something to it.
I took pics yesterday of my tales of the crypt head so I can compare as time goes on and see if i see progress.
Going on a road trip monday and I will be gone 17 days i hope to see progress when i get back but that will be about 7 weeks PFC so might take a while longer. Seems like most peope said tehy saw stubble after 8 weeks.
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Hello to all us ladies in hair distress. I am another who always kept my blonde hair highlighted prior to chemo and my wig matches my prior color and style. So this new "do" is also very different for me. Now that I am going wigless most of the time, I am getting plenty of nice comments, but I do think that it's just because it is such a switch for me, that everyone feels compelled to say "something" so, of course, they are not going to say, "that is some ugly thing you have going on with your hair"! It is now long enough to notice that I am getting the same darn colic back right in the center front of my bangs. Oh, joy.
I have been taking 1000mg Biotin daily in addition to what is in my multi vitamin. The biggest gain I see there is that my nails are really starting to look great. Not sure that it has done much for my hair. I have tried Biotin shampoos, Nioxin and Head&Shoulders. Not a very controlled study by any means, just a desparate to attempt at growing hair. So I can't say what, if anything, is helping me. Maybe I should just quit checking the mirror every two hours!
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joan: Lol! I so know how you feel! It is almost impossible to tell what Biotin does for hair, but the nails are obviously better. I think my hair is stronger over all. Thicker, too, but that could be chemo. Again, hard to tell. I am all cowlicks now.
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I went "topless" today at work for the first time!!! No scarves, no wigs, no hats, just my very, very short hair!!! I felt it was a rather brave move, and I don't think it looks all that great, but I was pretty comfortable baring all!
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Flat iron arrived in the mail today. I tested a few pieces and it just came out straight and frizzy. Maybe I don't know how to do it properly, never had a flat iron before because I never had curly hair before.
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Fearless one.... gosh, I do hope that my hair continues to come in straight. If i have to go buy a flat iron, I would have to have some curly head friend show me how to use it.
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My DH and I finally colored my hair last night. It's a 3N, very dark brown (almost black). My DH was a little shocked by the color. He's so funny. He wears a pair of disposable gloves to apply my hair. He missed a spot on my crown, so I had to retouch it. I like the color. Since I had to use flash, you can't tell in these pics how dark it is. I am most proud of my lashes. They're growing back - YAHOO!!!
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Someone hand me a flat iron! LOL! Actually, I have one! I just haven't used it yet. I'm trying to keep my hair as healthy as possible (another good excuse to wear the wigs)!
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Kittycat I can not believe how much hair you have for 8 weeks PFC. Thats pretty amazing. Mine didn't really start getting thick and curly like yours until 12 weeks for sure but then it started pouring in. I bought a 1/2 inch wide cheapy flat iron and the smallest round brush they had from Sallys. I can blow dry the curls out and I can flat iron it but it is still completely unmanageable. It's impossible to shape. I took my old hair for granted...it did whatever I wanted it to.
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kittycat: Look at all that curly hair. Mine actually still looks like that when I wake up! I like the color on you--makes your eyes pop!
FearlessOne: Get yourself to a Sally Beauty Supply and they sell Ion Flat Iron spray. You will need to use straighteners for the flat iron to work best and this product is Vegan and has No Parabens!!!
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I've been following this thread for over a year now, and have found many great tips. Thanks to all of you!
I am 13 months pfc and have a very curly mullet. My hair was curly and long before chemo, but this is much more difficult to tame. It took me a full year to grow the bangs to my eyebrows. My next goal is a ponytail - hopefully by spring. I wore my wig to work up until early November. I've had some interesting comments. A couple people actually asked me "What made you do it?" They did not know I had gone through bc treatments. I just said, "For a change". I was not expecting this question.
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Kittycat, love Your color and curls.
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Fearlessone - you need to use some product with the flat iron. Maybe even more than one product. Like MBJ said, it would help a lot.
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vanessa99 - my sister went through chemo a little over a year before me. She said her hair started to look like a mullet, so she had it cut and styled. Her hair is now down to her chin and she finished chemo in May 09. She was on dose dense Taxol, so it took a little while for her hair to grow in. Then it grew like crazy. Here's a pic of her from September:
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Wow, Kittycat, you are both such beautiful women! Her hair is so gorgeous--I would love to have my hair look this good.
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