Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I like hats now even though i can go without anything I still like the way they look. Got myself a few straw fedoras for summer.
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Oooh, scarves. People can be weird...
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The last day for students at the school I'm at was yesterday. It was a half day so, after the kids left, I took my hat off and kept it off until I left for rads. It felt really good to just finally do it. We didn't have a lot of teachers coming through the library, but several people saw me without the hat. I felt self-conscious at first, since my hair is (mostly) no longer than about 1/4", but I was starting to get used to it by the time I left. It felt really good to just say "WTH" and do it. Not sure that I'm ready to do this in the wider world, but at least at school for the next week of in-service meetings and work days, I know I can just be me. It helps to work with a great group of people, for sure.
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Go, JulieH!0
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Today is our 28th Anniversary, and my husband and I are doing a very low key stay at a casino resort for the night an hour up the road. They have a great pool, so tonight when I take a dip it will be the first time I will be "topless" in public. It will be interesting to see how people react, I hope I don't get sympathy looks. I hate that.
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Happy Memorial Day weekend, girls!!!!0
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You go, Julie H! Nice to see another librarian? I'm at a public library.
And Hi to IowaSue44. I am originally from Iowa, hence my moniker.
Jane
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Best wishes to all who are going topless or sporting head scarves. I skipped the wig entirely and too off the scrves when I had a quater inch of hair. I work in an elementary school and the kids would occaisionally ask me why I had no hair. I would tell them I got sick and took a medicine that made my hair fall out. They seemed to take it in stride. Sometimes they would ask a follow up question. The two most common were what did I look like under the scarf and could I take the scarf off if I wanted to or was it attached to my head ! The adults all told me I looked great bald. I know they were lying. But, I accept any compliment that comes my way.
Now I have about two inches of hair that is very curly and just looks odd. It does not respond well to the blow dryer yet. I was wondering if anyone can give me names of products they like to use to tame their curls.
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Ladies, everyone else seems to be getting hair all over their head at the same time. I am really getting down because I haven't seen anyone with hair growing back like mine is. I finished chemo on March 23 so I am about 9 weeks out. I have hair on the sides and around the back but am nearly totally bald on top. I have that typical old man do as my hair is nearly completely white.
I take 2,000 mg of Biotin daily, shampoo and condition with Nioxin and my oncologist told me to buy the extra strength men's Rogaine. I am about halfway through my second bottle so I have been using that for about 6 weeks. Please, please tell me I am not the only one who is bald on top!!
Susan
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SAMayoFL My hair started growing in just like yours… Friar Tuck. It took a while for the top/front to fill in granted your's is taking a tad longer… but it will happen. My hair always grew pretty quickly. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of myself during that period.
1 note about Minoxidil (Rogaine) It can take 3-6 months of using it before you can see results. Be careful with the men's stuff. I have been using Minoxidil 4 years prior to chemo because my hair started to receded. The men's stuff had me growing hair on my face! I ended up only using the women's stuff once a day (bottle says twice) to keep the facial hair away. BTW I use generic.
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Yay to the topless gals. You will find as it grows in people will tell you they love your "hair cut". Got another one of those again today in the elevator. I think I'm going to design business cards for my onc with the title "senior stylist"
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My hair is really coming out....it's all over the keyboard, on the shoulders of whatever I am wearing, on the car seats and all over the pillows....I woke up blowing my lips to get the hair off of them and wiping at my face. I should get it cut I guess, but I figured it was short enough and am trying to go without scarves for as long as possible. I still don't look like I am really missing any hair, but at the rate it is falling out, it probably won't be much longer. I think maybe I will go over my head with the shop vac.
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Marybe I did cut my hair short (about your length) when my hair started to fall out but never shaved it. I vacuumed my bathroom and pillow daily. I highly recommend a lint roller. If it's windy outside go for a walk. It will get rid of a lot of strays.
I don't remember if I told you this story but last October we had this 40mph warm day in Chicago. I went for a walk with my friend. It was about 2 weeks after my hair started to fall out. Lets just say when I came back my part in my hair was about 1 inch wide!
I think I scared the doorman when I came back. Ironically 2 weeks before when I cut it short he was complimenting me on my haircut. 0 -
Marybe - I cut my hair short before tx and afterwards had my DH buzz my head after a bunch of hair fell into my morning coffee, that was just crossing the line!
SAMayoFL - My top was a little thinner than the sides, but the back of my head took FOREVER to fill in. You know how the little babies are always bald on the back of their heads??? That was me. Obviously lying around too much
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Go for it, AimeeMac! And happy anniversary!
Jane: Always good to meet another librarian!
I was hoping to make the move to the public library (had my applications in then got called for an interview and got my diagnosis in the same week and realized that now was not the time for a change . . .), but think I'll be at my middle school for at least another couple of years.JFV: Good to hear another story of school kids who handled it so well. I know I won't have a full head of hair by the time school starts back up in August, and I really don't want to be covering my head by then. The students at my school know I went through treatment for cancer, so it shouldn't be too much of a shock for them.
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Lago - I have a question for you about the Rogaine for women. I went to Walmart and found the generic and was about to purchase it when I began to wonder about why they have a separate version for men and women. I asked the pharmacist about it, explaining that I am on estrogen suppressants and was concerned about using it if it in any way interacted with this. He went in the back to see if he could find any info; when he returned he said he didn't have anything definitive to tell me, but that he had read that the product might alter a woman's menstrual cycle while using, and that if it did she should consult her doctor. That worried me because it sounded like there could be hormonal link so I didn't purchase it. However, I would love to be able to use it for hair growth. I know you do a great deal of research and was hoping you might have some insight into this that might put my mind at ease?
Thanks,
Tara
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Hi Ladies I was off this discussion for a bit I had my bi lt DIEP. As for my hair it seams to be growing faster everywhere else but my bangs, 5 months out and still no bangs.
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Lago, your doorman story had me laughing and crying at the same time. I should be starting Chemo in about 2 weeks and now all of a sudden I'm starting to have extreme anxiety of losing my hair. I've got my wigs ready, I have a couple of scarfs that I tied to cover my head for around the house, why am I so freaked now?
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Lago - your story cracked me up! Someone else wrote something about going out on a boat, and coming back bald. People don't know what to make of us, I guess! Well, at least we can find ways to amuse ourselves with the shock factor.
I am giving up on trying to patiently wait out the curl. At 8 months PFC, my hair at the roots is coming in straight with a slight wave, I think. But the corkscrew curls all over my head are covering that up, so it still just looks curly all over. I have an appointment with my hair stylist next week to see what he thinks about it. I'm going to try to find out if cutting off the intense curls on the ends will get rid of it once and for all, or if when they're gone, what's underneath will just be free to go "sproing!" and it's twisty curly again. If that's the case, I'll keep waiting. Boy, I just hope he knows the answer and doesn't BS me if he doesn't. I'm so tired of waiting, waiting, waiting for everything!
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tlundy I use generic (walgreen's) Minoxidil. I've been using it since 2004. It never altered my menstrual cycle back then. Since I now am in chemo-pause I don't have a cycle any way.
The difference between men's and women's is women's is 2% and men's is 5%. It warns right on the package that if you use men's you could have an issue with growing some facial hair. I tried men's and that started to happen (although the hairs where blond in color). I switched to women's. I only use it once a day although it says twice. I would not use 5% unless you are directed to by your doctor ( preferably a dermatologist).
My NP knows I'm using it again. I stopped using it when I was on chemo.
But you should run it past your onc before trying.
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mccrimmon324 - In my opinion the anxiety comes from yet another facet of this disease that is out of our control. I went through the same thing, and when I started chemo I woke up every morning looking for signs that my hair was coming out (had wigs, scarves, etc., ready - everythong ready except me). When it started it was a few strands here and there that increased over the next several days. Didn't take me long to get tired of this new morning ritual, and when I had to stand about three feet away from the range while trying to cook breakfast for fear of hair falling into something I had had enough. My DH offered to shave it for me but I refused; for some weird reason I wanted to go through this part by myself. I did let him drive me to the salon but made him wait in the truck until I was done. I didn't know anyone there; it was just the closest place, but the lady that shaved me was gracious but not condescending. Anyway, I found it empowering to take control of the situation when I chose to. After I got shaved I went for a while only wearing wigs, then I got very comfortable with scarves. Now I walk around with whatever I want and DH has been calling me GI Jane
. I promise you it will get better! Take care!Tara
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Thanks Lago! I will run it past him. I already have some blond peach fuzz on the sides of my face; it's my understanding I can thank Femara for this
but have been told it goes away eventually - would really like a more definitive timeframe than that but oh well....0 -
When my hair began to fall out I got a butch haircut, then used a lint brush on my head daily. The funny thing I realized was the lint brush was pink and the sticky tape had the pink breast cancer symbols on the edges. I had bought a package of these at Costco a couple years prior to being diagnosed.
Today I am 3 months post chemo and my hair is about 1/2 inch long. My brows and eyelashes fell out after my last Taxol treatment as well. I haven't had nerve to go out in public yet without my head covered. Hair loss was the hardest for me.
Good luck to all!!
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Tlundy the peach fuzz is from chemo. They tell me it will eventually go away too. I have peach fuzz on the side of my face, neck even the outside of my ears all of a sudden.
I dealt with the hair thing better than most women. My NP warned me that people with hair like mine have the hardest time. I was actually ticked off she said that. I knew I was going to be fine. I was concerned about losing the eyebrows. I purchased stuff for my eyebrows before my surgery!
I pulled off the scarf bit no problem. My biggest fear was having some kind of pain that would never go away. I was also worried about middle age spread once I went into chemo-pause. What I didn't realize is I already had my middle age spread
. I only have a few clothes that don't fit and that's because of these stripper boobs I have with these TEs. I'm not keep those thank goodness. 0 -
Hi Ladies!
Have a great mem day weekend!
I am 4 wks 1 day PFC. Definitely have some (all white! and kinda creepy looking) peach fuzz on my head. Hoping it turns into real hair at some point.Congrats to all our women going commando
I'm jealous. This heat is killing me--it's about 90 with high humidity, and my chemo-pause is not helping matters.
on that note, Lago--I'm in a chemo pause too...is this permanent? I'm 38. I wasn't quite ready for chemo pause, but I literally cannot tolerate these hot flashes and gallons of sweat coming off my head. I wear scarves to work (and oh by the way, Lago, i have some really uncomfortable people at work too...and I am ITA w you, a "hello" would be nice!) ha ha, but the scarves are like, super hot these days. What's a bald 38 year old chemo-pause woman to do in the summer?Take care everyone, have a great weekend!
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slcst12 we are pretty sure my chemopause is permanent. I was 49 on chemo. Turn 50 three weeks after chemo ended. I was already peri. Believe it or not my hot flashes have stopped for the most part except when I eat my chili. Guess hot banana peppers is my trigger… or at least I think I had a hot flash last night.
You should talk to your onc about this. There is a chance at your age that your cycle could come back. From what I read it could be a year or 2. The closer you are to menopausal age the more likely it will be permanent. Under 40 I think you have a good chance yours will be back.
My hot flashes (night only when I had them) where really not too bad. I never really got sweaty. Just warm. I would talk to your onc about this too. They have a drug for that too if it's really out of control. Also I found cotton scarves to be a lot cooler than other fabrics.
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Lago......
Has anyone every told you how funny you are ? The story about the windy day in Chicago & the doorman topped my day. Then you turn around your middle age spread & your stripper boobs. You really should be in a comedy club preforming, really !!!!
Will answer your PM tomorrow. Got to get the grandson to bed which happens to be the same room my computer is in. Dang it............a good reason to get a new laptop, don't you think !!
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Marybe.....
I have had you in my thoughts & prayers. Noticed you weren't posting as often. Sorry about the hair but I am certain Lago has put a smile on your face. How is everything going? You can PM me if you want to vent or "talk".
Hang in there gal...........Someone told me when I was in chemo that the alternative wasn't an option.
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Oh Marybe........
I forgot to tell you I have the pleasure of going to the onco doc next Thursday for the results of my blood work. He & I have agreed to continue doing the workups, but unless it really bad, meaning the CA27.29 is steadily climbing or it has tremendously spiked, we won't talk about it. In agreement that I don't need that anxiety. I'll take my envelope to put the copy in, seal it and be on my way !!!
Take care & have a restful weekend. Get out & enjoy some sunshine.
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Ooops! Don't know where the message went I typed with the picture. Was just including to show some ways I have had fun with the scarves (I prefer the cotton gauze ones - especially being in Florida). This was at "Tea & Crumpets" our social time after church. My DM, DS's and I were the hostesses and since it was Mother's Day and the weekend of William & Kate's wedding we did a royal theme and wore fascinators - everyone loved it! I'm the one....nevermind - you can tell which is me 0
