Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
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Kate, I'm fighting that poof, too! I'm 7 months PFC, and mine is just a little longer and I'm not so sure it's EVER going to start growing down instead of out! I'm afraid I'm going to end up with a 12-inch 'fro!
I put some hair product on damp hair that's supposed to straighten it, flattened it as much as possible, put one of those wig caps on and left it on for 4 hours while it dried. Took it off and my hair practically made a "BOING" sound as it sprung from it's shackles!
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i think mine is coming in straight... the way it was before. but it is coming in black! yay!!!
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The Matrix sleek products were good on my non-chemo-induced curly hair. I didn't care for the smell though. Garnier Fructris also had decent products, and they also had some treatment that lasted a few weeks. It's been a while so I don't remember what it was called. CHI really also worked for me, but my hair was greasy or some condition I didn't care for after using it. Maybe knotty.
I used to dry my hair using a round brush, then I used a flatiron. Get a good one (sedu, fhi) that gets nice and hot, and you can beat the humidity. Use a barrier product like the Redken liquid silk stuff to protect your hair, or you can burn it easily. I have a dryer that has a round brush attached to it. I'm thinking if you can figure out what I'm talking about, that might be a good tool for you curly haired girls to try.
If you are embracing your curls, try Curls Rock products in turquoise bottles.
On another positive hair note, I cut myself shaving my legs today, LOL! What memories!!! Hurt like hell, but at least I'm growing hair!
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Kate....I think your hair looks great!
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Thank you all so much for your input. For me, the most traumatic thing of getting chemo was losing my hair. Thanks for the suggestion of using generic rogaine. Think I will try it.
After reading all your posts, I do feel better
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Kate your hair is longer than mine. I was diagnosed on 6/3/2010 and had my last chemo on 11/8/2010. I have had it shaped up twice and go again today for color and shaping. I just wish my bangs would grow in.
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Thanks so much ladies!!
Carrol2 - This is my natural color but I do use Clairol Natural Instincts semi-permanent hair dye to cover up the bit of gray I have.
heartnsoul76 - Lol! I'm worried about the mega-fro too.
I've always had curly hair so that part isn't new but I'm not used to having it so short! Hopefully it grows quickly and the awkward growing out phase isn't too horrible. And in the big scheme of things it's so not a big deal. I'm alive!!! 0 -
hdangelbaby my hair so far is very straight and also came in black (and more gray) including my eyebrows! I had dark brown before.
paintedlady the generic Walgreens brand was on sale last week in the store. 5$ off on the 3 month supply. It seems to go on sale often. I actually like it better than the brand name Rogaine. I only use it once a day so it lasts me 6 months.
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first time going to work without the wig, boy was i nervous. i too am all gray. i tried to dye it over the weekend but it didn't take. i am a bundle of nerves today, my exchange is tomorrow. everyone at work has been so kind with my new hairdo. lets hope tomorrow goes as well
peg
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Peg - Good luck with your exchange surgery tomorrow...I am sure all will go well...sending hugs your way.
Thanks to everyone for posting your updates and sharing such great tips. I too am dealing with the curls and hair that is longer in the back than on the top. It is always great to know we are all in this together!
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Kate...I am about a month behind you and my hair is MUCH shorter! Your hair looks great. People have noticed that my hair is growing in faster and thicker now but it is taking its time! I am taking the biotin but that is it. I do need to find a good product to put in my hair to give sone shape. Currently I am using my sons gel and it just isn't great! Any recommendations?
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Kate - you are right, of course. I was thinking this is just that hard, awkward in-between part when you are trying to let your hair grow out from a short haircut. AND, good news! I took a hard look at my hair this morning (I usually just glance at it and skim over it with a big comb) and my ears are almost covered - so it IS growing down, not just out. I think it's just the top that is defying gravity! But I'm sure with a little more length and weight up there, and maybe in the not-too-distant future, the top will lose the fight!
Before chemo, I had a haircut I really liked where I could wear it straight or curly, but the curl would never hold. Bwa ha ha! NOW it will! It just has to reach shoulder-length and I have to learn to be more patient. Two big orders!
Before I got out of bed this morning, I thought, "Boy, my hair IS a big deal to me. Maybe I shouldn't have done chemo." But, then I thought no, it's not THAT big of a deal in the overall scheme of things! Besides, not too many women can say they've been bald!
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I am also noticing how important my hair was to me. I always hated it, it was flat, and over highlighted. I did not think I would miss it so much.
Just got back from the salon where i had them cover the grey with a semipermanent color that is supposed to wash out in 6 weeks. All I thought of when I saw it was that I still hate it. Oh well at least i am not grey anymore. I will put up some pics of it tomorrow.
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Go figure I always thought I had great hair and dealt with losing it just fine. Granted I'm enjoying not having to put on my scarf. One less thing to coordinate color/patterns.
So far I'm glad it's coming back straight like before. Just wish the shine would come back. I had nice shiny hair… but not shiny like that wig in my avatar thank goodness.
I guess I'm at a length that people who don't know me actually think I had it cut this way. It's fun. I always wanted to cut it really short short again but never had the guts. Now I know what it looks like. I'm really enjoying this wash and wear convenience.
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lago I wish I could say that.... I hate my hair it is gray and black and sticks straight up in the air.... I loved my hair it made me feel pretty.
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Hey y'all,
Any tips for getting the rest to fall out? I am in the chair tomorrow for 3/4 TC and got a buzz cut right before #2 three weeks ago. It seems to be coming out in hunks again, hard to tell from what I can get a hold of though. I have used a lint roller without much success. Should I just leave it as a buzz? Will it all fall out? So far my eyebrows/eyelashes/hair "down there" has not fallen out...crossing my fingers!
My head itches like crazy! I'm washing with baby wash, using benedryl cream, argan oil, have tried it all. Any suggestions on that would be great, too.
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My hair has been coming out for almost a week now, and it is very thin. I have had three weekly chemo treatments (Cytoxan and Abraxane for week one, and then just Abraxane for weeks two and three.) I haven't gotten it buzzed because I am holding out hope that it will not all go away. It itches a little but not too bad. I didn't even cry when I found out I had cancer, but I have shed tears over losing my hair! Go figure. At least I am not alone. Thanks to all for this discussion and support.
Jane
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tracie I didn't like the salt and pepper either. That's why the day I went topless I called my hair dresser and had it colored the next day. I like it a whole lot better. I didn't recognize the older lady in the mirror. I had gray but chemo gave me more… we can fix that!
As far as it sticking up, product baby product.
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Thanks Lago...
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SuperSally: For the itchy head, switch to Cetaphil cleanser. And do rub (and rinseoff) hair conditioner on the dome as if you actually had hair. That worked for me.
When I started loosing the head hair, I immediately had my hubby buzz it really, really close. I also had him use his electric shaver. Then one day in the shower, those small hairs (shorter than an eyelash) started coming off. I stayed in the shower and just rubbed & rubbed to get them off the head & down the drain. The shower-rubbing process took about 2-3 days and those little short hairs that were going to leave had left. Not every hair left, but, at least they stopped coming off in the shower.
All the other hairy things did their own method of departure. The "down under" hair and the hair on my arms & legs never did grow back as thick as it was before chemo.
What I really hated to lose was the eyelashes. I could paint on eyebrows, but glueing on false lashes was beyond my abilities. My last chemo was late in Feb 2005 and three weeks later we had my daughter's wedding of 250 people. I had no eyelashes, my painted on eyebrows and my "shake-n-bake" wig. So for the next 25 years, I get to look at all those lovely wedding pictures where I look like a freak. Pisses me off. But, I'm still here above ground, still fighting the fight.
I was lucky in that I lost my hair during the winter and had polar fleece caps to wear and my "shake-n-bake" wig. Keeping the dome warm was a challenge. When the hair started growing, it a) was gray and b) was curly which was all new to me. I let it grow for a month or two before I did anything to it. All the hairs don't grow at the same speed, so it all wasn't real even in length. After it was a couple of inches and looked rather scragly is when I went to my hair dresser to have him clip it into a more recognizable but very short style.
For those of you that will be out in the sun with zipity-do-dah for hair, be sure to use sunscreen up there & on top of your ears & on the back of your neck.
It's tough loosing the hair on the head. Our self esteem takes such a hit and then we have to try & go to work looking somewhat normal with zero hair or a scarf tied to our head or a fuzzy cap or some goofy wig. But like I told my daughter during the wedding, what we see as a problem others doen't know or see it. If you smile & keep going, other people don't know that it's a wig. Other people see a scarf on your head and think it's a "fashion" thing. Other people see a fuzzy cap and that's normal winter wear. Other people see a ball cap during the summer & think you are just cutting the sun off off your face.
Good luck to you all.
bonny
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I'll try to post some photos - although many of you know how bad I am at this. Hope it works. Sorry if the photos are huge or tiny!
My hair came in straight at first too. And then it gradually curled up to it's crazy curly state. Today was a little wet and humid here in Michigan, so I got a little taste of how nutty it will be this summer.
4 months PFC - Here is a pic of me (from behind) in December - my first time topless with my family during the holidays - I had just started using the natural hair color to cover the salt and pepper:
5 months PFC - And here is how it was getting curly at the end of January - hadn't yet really taken the leap into products or styling:
7 months PFC - And here it is when I started straightening it and colored it darker in mid March - and this was when I started going topless everywhere all the time:
8 months PFC - And here it is now, growing in a little bit and needing lots of ironing and paste and wax and goo to keep it from poofing and curling:
And just for fun, here is me pre cancer. I really did complain about my oh-so-boring hair all the time back then. Man, do I want the boring straight hair back again. Not embracing this curly stuff yet. Hoping that when its a little bit longer I can let it go curly and maybe wear a headband or clip or something...
Sara
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Sara, Who cares about your hair, you have a beautiful smile!! Oh, and really nice hair too...
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First I "came out" on Facebook, then I went "officially" topless for the first time on Easter - I agree with Lago, it's nice to just go and not worry about coordinating your headwear. I had lots of compliments and comments that the salt n pepper colour was going to look very chic when it fills in, but I'm really not convinced....
Tracie - I bet you look great...we are all our own worst critics!!
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So true about how much easier it is to wear our own hair and not have to match a scarf or hat, or put up with the uncomfortable wig! I need to remember that and be more grateful about where I am.
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Sara, you look beautiful!!
I was also lucky and did chemo over the winter. I work knit caps around the house and to bed and have several pretty wigs. I'm lucky and work from home. I have maybe 1" of hair and am going topless at home now that it's warm, and have been wearing do rags at like the grocery store, but still wear wigs if I go "out".
Bonny, that would piss me off too, but you're right. People who don't know probably didn't know the difference. Especially men!
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Sara I think you look awesome. I have a feeling my hair could do the same as yours. Looks like our hair has the same texture before and after chemo. Of course I'm still straight at 14 weeks.
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I am so jealous... I feel like Uncle Fester.
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Betsy, it comes pretty fast once it starts
Not really fast enough, but enough to see a change. I always thought I looked like Mr Clean. My ears are pierced 3x and I usually wear gold hoops 0 -
Sara you are beautiful. I love your hair now! Thanks for sharing your progress pics. I am at 5 months so far looks pretty straight except the back curls up a bit. DId you get trims to your hair at all as it came in? I finally let them trim the back because it was winging up. I figure I will have to trim it until the rest grows in. I also got color for the first time today. I will try to post pics tomorrow.0
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Oh, you beautiful women with your fabulous new hair coming in so nicely... I want some too!!
Had a little trim yesterday as the back had some patches longer than the top and it was growing low onto my neck (never had that before).
take good care, all of you
Teklya
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