Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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So there is hope for some color?? Fantastic!!! I am not ready to be gray yet!
I started using pantene for fast growing hair and I think it's really working! But I have alot of tingling going on with my scalp and it can get annoying at times.
When I was completely bald, I also used baby shampoo. Maybe it was just a comforting thing!was
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Pink - I just used my facial soap on my scalp while it was bald. Chemo made me break out, so I used a anti-acne facial scrub and that worked fine on my scalp as well. Now that my hair is about an inch or so long, I'm using baby shampoo. The new hairs seem very fine and soft like a baby's hair, so I guess that's what made me use the baby shampoo. It's probably an overreaction, but each of those little hairs are so precious to me now that I don't want to take any chances of damaging any one of them with anything harsher.
Like many others, it's coming in nice and thick and curly. I dyed it before so I have no idea how grey I was before, but it seems to be coming in a very nice salt and pepper.
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Baby shampoo here, too. My onco and her nurse both recommended it, when I broke out with folliculitis on my near-bald scalp on day 10 of chemo tx #2. I continued to use it daily, throughout and after chemo, even though I had no hair left by tx #4.
Somewhere around 10 or 12 wks after my last tx, I found that baby shampoo was making my hair too frizzy (wispy). What??? Didn't realize I had that much hair. So I switched back to my regular shampoo (Finesse), which I've used ever since.
otter
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I am going to do it. I mean go au natural no hat no scarf all week in the domincian with my family but don't worry I will use sunscreen. I am so fed up with waiting for more hair to grow.
Florik mine is comming in all grey and I am only 49 it sucks but thankgoodness for haircolour.
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I used baby shampoo on my bald head, but once it started growing back, I switched to Pantene, the one that makes your hair feel thicker. And I started swiping some of my daughter's special conditioner, for fuller, thicker hair. It has a nice minty scent.
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Thank You All for the Advise on different shampoo's. I cut off my hair yesterday to get ready for it to fall out. I think I lost 10#. I forgot how much Body I have to my hair when it is so short. My hair dresser was so excited to cut it off. He's been wanting to do it for years. Now I wait for it all to fall out but I think I will go wig shopping tom.
Thank You Again,
Jerri
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{{Jerri}} Enjoy the shopping, but remember to buy something YOU WANT to buy too. Don't just focus on the wig
Buy a very pretty, not on your budget set of earrings to help show of your pretty face or new makeup or shirt. Something that will make you smile Speaking of which. I am sure you ladies know about replacing your eye makeup if you get an eye infection, if it's older than 6 months and all that stuff, but remember to, to replace your brushes (makeup) and toothbrushes and so on when you get into chemo. Infections your body would normally fight will be easier now and you need to protect yourself at all costs!
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It's wonderful to read all the growing in hair reports. I miss my hair more than I ever imagined. I sweat so much; my head and face are constantly wet and I know my hair would help this awful situation.
When I get too hot to keep anything on my head, I have to discreetly take whatever is on my head off. Whenever I do that, I think about Samantha taking her wig off in Sex and The City, one of my favorite episodes, and one I have played since I was diagnosed. The anonymity of NYC really helps me hide in plain sight whenever I have to get some air and cool my noggin.
I am going to search for another scarf, to add to the one my dear mom helped me find, when she made me get up and clean out some of her personal stuff recently. If she were alive she would have given me such a lecture
Thanks for the site URL that sends hats and scarfs. My pea brain can't remember its name, but it was started by a wonderful 17 year old angel who plays football.
My hair, which grew in between my changing Oncologists and not having a treatment for more nearly four weeks, is coming in WHITE not grey, soft, and straight. Giving shout out here to my Hindu grandpa.
lol. My hair did stop coming back when I started my therapy again. I have Taxol/Taxatere to start next--it will probably make my hair leave me again--and then next Spring, Radiation.hugs and more hugs to everyone,
Mina
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{{Mina}} sorry your going to lose it again! I am hoping to NEVER have to lose again of course, but if that's the worse I lose, I think next time I will handle better...I hope anyway
Scarves can be bought most anywhere, mostly, it's just finding one long and wide enough to get the look we feel comfortable in
I'd say losing oneself in the big city life has to be better than being in this small town, where one is likely to run into more than one person who knows you, but isn't aware of the situation and approach you with those lovely things posted on the 'worst things someone has said to you' Just have to keep smiling and know we'll get through to the other side, right?Keep the chin up and prayers you have very few SE's from this round of treatments! Good Luck too!
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Just a word of warning for those planning to color their fresh, new hair. Do it well before you plan to ditch your wig. You may have unexpected color results even using your tried and true color of choice.
I'm going to stop wearing my wig in about a month. The plan is to go on my Christmas holiday break of about 12 days, and come back to the office in my own hair right after New Year's. So, in anticipation, I decided to color it this weekend and get to see a month's worth of growth very clearly-just out of curiosity.
Well, my usual Revlon Colorsilk Medium Auburn came out more like Bright Auburn. Maybe even brighter than Bright Auburn. It's definitely brighter than I would ever wear. So, I will try again with a slightly darker auburn in a few days to try to get the results I'm looking for.
If I had already stopped wearing my wig regularly, it would be an embarrassing few days as I walked around looking like I had a pumpkin helmet on my head. Even being a former natural redhead, and having the coloring that goes with it, this color is NOT complementary.
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Oh wow! Never thought of that! Hair that's been processed in the past would color differently than baby hair, hey? Hope you get it right this next time!
You'll have to post a pic. I thought of coloring and then got that lazy feeling of oh crap....then I have to continue it, so I chose for now to go all natural.....bits of grey, white, brown, blonde and what ever else is on there! I just try not look too often, it's a scary mess right now, between trims and growing out.. Messy is the only word I can find! 
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Good Grief! I never though hair color would be whacked out by "new" hair. One more thing... Thanks, Nancy, for letting us know...
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Well, I tried it with another brand, slightly darker going by the sample swatch at the store, but I still have bright red hair although a little darker. I look like one of the Weasley family from Harry Potter (LOL).
Today I purchased something more in the warm brown family. We'll see how that goes. Glad I still have my wig to wear.
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Could I suggest going to see your favorite hairdresser the first couple of times? The outcome will make you happier and will cost you less in the long run. Three failures adds up in the pocket book.Hairdressers deal with chemo all the time....at least I do.
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And I can attest to dd (or myself) having to pay out over $200 to get dd's hair repaired from too many close together home hair dyes! It can damage your hair
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Artsee, the $$ spent on 3 boxes of dye are a whole lot less than it costs to have it done around here (let's see, it STARTS at $100). So far, I've spent less than $30. And I don't have a regular hairdresser as I have been coloring and cutting my own hair for 30+ years. If this last choice doesn't do it, I may shave it down and let it all grow back au naturel. It's only hair, and it will grow.
Wish, I do understand the ramifications of recoloring too closely after the last. That's why I say, I'm glad I am still wearing my wig. I can wait the time I need to wait and not be walking around with a visible goof on my head. Also, I am not lightening my hair, I'm darkening it, so the amount of damaging chemicals is less with the darker colors (no bleaching involved). I'm also switching to a more natural product for this third attempt.
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I am 4 months out of chemo and have about an inch of hair. My question--it's starting to grow over my ears and the neckline is uneven--but I hate to give up a single centimeter of hair!!! Anybody else go get a trim at this point?
Sue
P.S. Color seems to be the same as it was, honey blonde with lots of grey--I don't care! I'm with you, wish, I don't want to color it--don't want to be that high-maintenance. Fine for others and not criticizing but it's just not me. I am also more comfortable with how I look than ever before--always hated myself for not being a size 8 anymore (about a 12 now) but now am just glad to have a body that functions and was strong enough to withstand cancer treatment--and now has NED!!!!!!!!!!
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Nancy I LOVE your Spunk!!! Can I ask when your last Chemo was?? Oh, I'm sorry I'm Jerri I don't think I've posted on this site but do read All yours! You have a Bright Smile Nancy!
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Sue, I think I was about at your stage when I went in an saw the girl that used to cut mine. Talked to her about how afraid I was to LOSE any hair to the scissors
Turned out her mother had been through BC, chemo and she was SO very considerate. Just nipped above the ears, trimmed the back a tiny bit and did NOT even charge me I went back about 6 weeks later and she trimmed more, but ever so slightly to keep it neater. I'm sure if you threaten their existence should they cut to much and explain it's chemo hair, they'll go easy and be scissor afraid rather than scissor happy like many would be It did look better after the trim.Welcome Jerri.
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Hey Sue - I'm 16 1/2 weeks out and I actually had my hair trimmed about 4 weeks ago. Just to even it up, get rid of some of the scraggly looking pieces and trimmed the neckline. OK...so perhaps she didn't have to sweep the floor after my trim but it did neaten it up. I'm actually thinking about going in for another trim shortly.
My dilemma is this darn face and neck hairs. I feel like a whooly mammoth. I hope this stuff falls out eventually. My dh took some scissors to some of the longer, furrier areas the other day but it just isn't enough. I appreciate that it isn't coarse like leg hair or mens facial hair but geez.
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Hi All,
I had long hair to my waist and so thick. I had it cut all off last week to get ready for it to fall out. I'm on Taxtotere and Cyt. so any day. I told my hair dresser to cut it like Mia Farrows's in Rosemary's Baby. I havent had short hair in so many years. Have lots of cute hats now. Will be eventually wig shopping soon. I wonder if our hair on our legs won't grow either??? It is so hard to think about losing the hair but just curious what will come back. Just want to feel and look like a female after losing it. My husband says why do you need a wig. He has hair.
Back to football. Stay warm all.
Jerri
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Jerri, you'll likely lose all your body hair. I kept one bang, hand full of hair below my knees, and some arm hair, plus my lashes and brows only thinned really well, but never lost them completely. Even the hair (down there, as they say) went south!
It gives you a whole new appreciation for body hair when you don't pee straight, have to fill in eyebrows and pluck facial hair! Then there is the runny nose from lack of hair there, itchy ears from none there and so on.It was really nice not having to shave the pits and legs for many months
And to be honest, most of mine didn't come back fully ,and I'm fine with that. The affected arm has about 1/2 of what it had pre-sx, and the legs, maybe several baby fine on each.Actually, Adrienne, I had the fuzzy stuff come in front of the ears and cheeks like but a facial scrub and/ or mask when you are through chemo may get rid of that. Some of mine came out just rubbing them so often I think
Ah yes, the men and their, it's only hair comments, look at us, getting thinned on top, we deal with it! UGH! Even my pcp agreed with dh at one appt! BOYS 0 -
Nancy....my point was that you could go on and on, not getting the right color and $100.00 comes quicker than anyone would want. As Wishiwere stated, 'corrective coloring' doesn't come cheap.The price triples when you have to get 'corrective coloring' because of the damage done at home. That's all...... 0
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Wishiwere-I laughed so hard when you stated about not peeing straight. Thanks I needed that!!! At least won't have to shave huh??? Men just don't understand I think. My husband keeps saying I look cute in hats but who wants to wear hats all the time!
Anyway Have a Wonderful Rest of Your Sunday,
Jerri
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Jerri, I had 4 rounds of Taxotere & Cytoxan, and, just as my onco predicted, I lost ALL my hair.
I lost every bit of it: scalp hair, leg hair, armpit hair, arm hair, nose hairs, and pubic hair went fairly quickly. The eyelashes and eyebrows took their sweet time, but eventually I lost almost all that hair, too--it just didn't happen until 6 weeks after I was finished with chemo.
The face hair that grows back 2 or 3 months after you finish chemo will eventually disappear. I shaved mine (aaack!) twice, and after the 2nd time, it did not return. I do have a low hairline on my neck that has needed trimming for many years (depending on my hairstyle); now, it's growing like crazy and I have to use a razor (carefully!) to keep it shaved back.
It is possible to look feminine even with no hair. Just take a look at some of those "before" and "after" pictures on the Look Good/Feel Better site. I never did figure out how to fake eyelashes, but I've got the brow thing down pretty well by now.
BTW, I lost a bunch of eyelashes just this morning--I was rubbing my eye, and noticed 3 lashes on my fingertip. So, I pinched my lid a bit, and there were 3 more on my fingertips. I'm 26-1/2 wks out from my last chemo, and my lashes and brows are still skipping out on me. <sigh>
otter
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Oh {{{OTTER}}} I've read on one of the threads some ladies that lost theirs every 3 months or somethign for a while. THAT SUX
Sorry for it. It must be the 'T's that cause that. I've not lost mine again, thank heavens.0 -
Actually, I like some of the before pictures. About to start treatment 3 of 6 and so far I still have eyelashes. Some on TCH have lost them near the end. I did take the class so I can draw them back on if I think I look too strange without them, but I may not.
I lost my hair while I was chairing a meeting for two and a half days - about 30 with one woman. It started coming out by the handful on Tuesday (day 16 after my first chemo). A lot more came out that night in my hotel room. By the end of the night there were some pretty bald spots so Wednesday morning I wore a hat to my meeting. They clean the hotel rooms every day and were good about de-hairing it but they didn't vacuum the meeting room so there was a pile on either side of my chair when I arrived Wed morning.
The guys were great - maybe it is the way they say things or maybe I'm pretty use to guy humor having worked in a mainly male environment for more than 30 years. A mostly bald buddy said, "Too bad you will only have this distinguished look temporarily while we get to have it for life." In the morning the hat was too hot so I switched to a scarf in the afternoon and did a double layer scarf look for the evening event. Monday I did my opening presentations with hair, and Thursday with a scarf but the important thing is that all my motions passed as usual and we made a lot of progress.
Of course the main thing the guys did was still treat me the same way as always and respect me controlling the meeting. They were supportive and understood whenI wasn't up for going out for dinner because I got tired in the evening but they expected me to still be me and competent as always during the day. They asked me how I was doing but let me control how long we talked about how treatment was going before moving on to the usual topics.
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i've been thinking about getting brows tattoed but have been worried about the horrible fake look. any other ladies out there who have pursued this??
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At 22 weeks post chemo, I finally did it - went without the wig on Thanksgiving Day since I didn't want to risk melting it around the oven. Then it was shopping the next day and church after that so by Monday I went to work "topless". I work in a different school/clinic every day of the week so it meant seeing 20 - 50 new faces each day but it wasn't as bad as I imagined. I have about 1 1/2 inches on most of my head although it's the shortest and thinnest at the crown. I'm a little self conscious about that but it feels good not to have to deal with the wig. I wear a mask for work and it's uncomfortable to fit in the glasses and the ear loops around the wig.
Re: coloring. My first attempt at home was a disaster. My hair was still mostly white at first and showed out from under the wig which was the color I used to dye my hair. It came out with a purplish tint. I tried once more but then went back to my hairdresser to bail me out. I haven't had any trims yet but think I'll need to the next visit. Like all of you, I hate to part with any of it yet.
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Bluedasher - you sound amazingly strong. I worked through chemo and went back a couple of weeks after each surgery, but when I lost my hair I just wanted to pull the covers over my head. It is good to hear about someone who handled that awful part of the bc journey with such grace.
Sue, I let my hair grow past that point without a trim - -I just did not want anyone getting near my head with scissors! OK, it's still a bit scraggly, but for the most part it looks intentional (and I even get compliments for my "haircut" - ha!). Although it may be getting onto a new stage of silliness very soon -- it is super curly and continues to grow UP and OUT instead of down, but I really don't want it styled at this length, I just want it to grow and grow.
"I am also more comfortable with how I look than ever before--always hated myself for not being a size 8 anymore (about a 12 now) but now am just glad to have a body that functions and was strong enough to withstand cancer treatment--and now has NED!!!!!!!!!! " Sue, I so wish I had your attitude. On a deeper level I feel blessed (and I'm not a religious person so it's a big deal for me to say this) to feel healthy and have NED at the moment -- but I can't help it, I just feel so unattractive these days. I feel so matronly with my dumpy body and short fuzzy hair, and with my smaller bust (one side reduced, the other a prosthesis - waiting for delayed recon) I hate how pudgy I look around the middle. I don't want to shop for clothes, I'd rather not have any pictures taken of me -- I never thought I was a particularly vain person, but maybe I am? I just didn't think of the long-term impact that bc would have on my appearance and self-image... which I guess is a good thing because I didn't need one more thing to worry about when I was going through treatment!
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, it is wonderful to have hair again and I'm taking steps to lose weight and get in shape... but it's a slow process and I'm tired of feeling like my outside doesn't match my inside.
Lauren
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