Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
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MamaV - thanks so much for the beautiful pictures - love the ponytail!
Shera - I think you have more hair 10 weeks PFC than I do at 15 weeks. My hair's just not thick enough to cover my scalp so I'm still not brave enough to go out topless. But you look great!
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My lack of hair growth is very depressing. I am 6 & 1/2 weeks PFC. I can not see anything but I can feel some stubble. The little hair that I can feel is sooo white that I can not see it. Is there any wash in color product that is safe and will not color my scalp just the tiny little hairs ? Oh I am starting to think I will never have hair again and I so HATE to wear this wig everyday..OMG when I think I might need to wear this wig another 6 months or longer I get very depressed and cry...
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Has anyone had hair growth start and then had it fall out again even when not taking chemo anymore? I have heard about eyebrows falling out again several times after chemo ends, but anyone have other hair fall out again?
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Jpmomof3, I still don't have armpit hair after almost 16 wks PFC. I have not heard of hair regrowth falling out. We worry so much about hair, I know. Please don't worry yourself as I am sure the head hair will stuck. As for the eyebrows they still haven't returned.
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You are right I need to stop freaking about it, that might make it more likely to lose more hair... Plus the fact that I am now tugging on what I do have to make sure that it isn't falling out... Arghhh!
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Jpmom. I wrote something yest about what is happening to me, I don't know if you saw it. The growth I got during taxol is starting to fall out. (I am getting taxol #8 in 2 days). I have been slowly losing armpit hair and I think I now have 2-3 left. a few other bare places are making a few tiny hairs and eyebrows are a jungle of mid length hairs.
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Sounds like everyone's hair regrowth is a bit different. My eyebrows and eye lashes came back pretty quick. But the eyelashes are getting a little sparse now. Im told that eyelashes grown in 3 month cycles so it makes sense that im losing some.
My head hair started out as white fuzz too. Im 4 1/2 months PFC and I have a full head of hair. Its short but its full and I even get hat head! I will never again complain about hair...never!
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Nkb, sorry I missed your post, there have been a lot but I went back. I think I am feeling a lot like you must be right now, it seems like things are getting better and then there is a setback. I know this is minor compared to a lot of aspects of BC but it is a symbol of me winning to have the hair come back. I know you must be feeling the same to some extent. Lots of people get growth on taxol but then again taxol taken alone can cause total hair loss. You are still in the middle of treatments and that is probably what happened with you, the nadir for taxol hits around 3 weeks and that is when the hair loss effect will likely show itself, it may have just caught up with you. But rest assured it will come back. As lots have said before it is unbelievably rare for the hair not to come back. I need to take my own advice here and take heart. The body and these medicines can be mysterious sometimes. I don't know why my eyebrows and eyelashes fell out suddenly just before my last treatment of taxol when they had hung on until then. Now my pits are bald again, they had been growing quite well for the last two months. It is a little set back (I don't really even want hair there of course) but it makes me afraid that I am going to be bald again after I have started to recover. I know it isn't that likely but I am paranoid... I ws hoping that other had this happen and that their hair had not fallen out again. This doesn't seem too common though. Nkb, I sympathize with your frustrations, we will both be hairy again sometime soon I hope!
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Eileenohio, take heart you are right on schedule, differ chemo affects hair differently. Most hair growth seems to be starting about 6-8 weeks after chemo, mine started about 8 weeks after I finished my last dose of Adriamycin and cytoxan. It started growing slowwwwly on taxol but taxol is variable with the hair stuff. That white stuff is the beginning. If you have it you will be growing nice soft baby hair soon... Hang in there you are at the beginning of recovery of nice hair!
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Eileen - nooooo worries! No even peach fuzz here for 8 weeks! Then started right away with 1/2" each month - and yes I measure it!
RE: lashes and brows I just finished my 3rd cycle of thinning and regrowth - every 3 months without fail!
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Jpmom, thanks I think you perfectly captured what I felt. When the hair started to grow I thought I was winning. ( have gone through many dark days about my mortality given my bilateral IIIC dx) I felt hopeful that my body was going to beat this BC. When all those little white hairs were found in my hat I felt invalidated and mortal again. I am already adjusting, it is out of my control and I will just hope for enough of them to stick around to make the wig more comfortable.
What does the nadir of taxol is 3 weeks mean?0 -
Eileenohio - echoing what others have said, hang in there, it will come. The hair issue was/is the worst one for me too. If you are really bothered, you might consider using women's Rogaine to speed up the process. A small trial showed that it decreased the time of baldness by about 50 days in women after chemo for breast cancer. I am using it twice a day (simple easy process when you have no hair). I was so worried that I also bought an expensive hand-held laser comb to speed up hair growth. I also use Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. Right now I am sporting the GI Jane look (at 6.5 wks PFC). However, I did only have 4 TC treatments so that also may have something to do with it as someone else mentioned. It is so hard being done with chemo and still be dealing with its after-effects. I have 6 fingernails that have started to lift and I don't know if the remaining 4 will be okay. Sometimes I'm okay, but sometimes I just get so frustrated about what we have to deal with. It is such a long, long process...0
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Nadir is when you blood counts reach their lowest point after the dose of chemo. It's when the inhibition of cell growth is at its strongest. That is also when hair falls out, because it stops growing.
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Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. I have to stop looking in the mirror 50 times a day..Last week at radiation I was joking with the tech ( a male ) about putting some magic in the radiation that would help my hair grow.. He said " 2 years ago when I had chemo I was bald but look at my hair now" .. Wow I was shocked .. I guess it just takes time and I will have to be patient,but it is hard!!!! Hugs to all Eileen
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Is there anyone from Canada knowing where to buy Nioxin and Rogaine for ladies. Shoppers did not carry either. I am getting very impatient:(. For me recovery starts when I can go outside without a wig. It has been 15 wks, pls, pls let's start recovery already!!!!!!
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Well, I am going out on the deck for some sun and breeze therapy for my hair, read the Sunday paper!
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It is very hard to be patient I agree! I look at myself in the mirror at least 50 times a day. Pet pet is it growing?
Whatashocker, Internet! I got my Nioxon from a beauty supply website. Can't remember the name at the moment but they even sell it on amazon. Rogaine is at any pharmacy or Costco etc here in the states but you should be able to order it from lots of places if not over the counter in Canada.
NKb, that was a bit of a cruel tease for you to have the white hairs start and then fall out. Would have been better if they never grew in the first place. But I bet that means your are a fast hair grower the faster your hair grows the more sensitive to chemo you will be but it will come back fast once the taxol fades from your system. Take heart. It's hard, I am having difficultly with these ups and downs myself today.0 -
Jpmom thanks for your response, i was so surprised when it started to grow during taxol, and then grew so attached to those little white fuzzies. I think my hair obsession has made my husband certifiably crazy! Thought I'd spend one day not talking about it ( he went backpacking which will make that a done deal!)
I do think that taking a photo once every week or two would help, so will do that.
Will you be doing radiation?0 -
Yes, I am going to do rads. I have surgery next week and expect to start rads 4 weeks after that. I find the weekly photo very helpful. I love looking through the past photos and seeing it grow... Today is my photo day. I am going to go home and take it now, I will update my avatar with the new one soon!
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My hair dresser recommended using foils to color as it wouldn't irritate the scalp so much. I still have a ways to go before I am at that point. I don't end chemo until the end of October. I am starting to get used to the wig. It is easier to take care of. Shampoo it once a week, steam it to get out the frizz, let it dry and curl with the curling iron and I am good to go for another week. I have lost about 70% of my hair and don't have the nerve to shave the rest. I keep hanging on to the thought that maybe I won't lose it all. It is still shedding though. BF gave me a kiss goodnight on the head and got a mouth full of hair the other night.
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My advice to others behind me is to not shave all your hair off. I did and I probably wouldn't do it again. I buzzed it first and then shaved it. You don't loss 100%, so buzz it but don't put the razor to it. I think it starts you off with a small base at the very least.
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Dianarose,
My wig is a frizzy mess, and the store where I purchased it mentioned something about having it steamed to get rid of the frizz.
How do you steam your wig? Do you do it at home or have it done professionally?
Whatashocker3....I agree with you about not shaving your hair off. I let mine fall out naturally, and was pleasantly surprised that I did not lose it all,
and even had a fair amount left toward the end of chemo that looked good sticking out from underneath when I wore hats.0 -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80700201@N04/sets/72157630593856928/
Okay - keeping up on the pictures. I posted the 12 week pictures - I was a bit of a sweaty mess, it usually looks alittle thicker.
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Whatashocker
I just purchased Nioxin at Sally's Beauty Supply this weekend. I also saw it at the salon where I brought my Mom to get her hair done as well.
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if anyone can tell me how to post pics i will post them. i have an iphone 4s and have the pics on it. tried copy and paste but cant get it to work.
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I lost virtually all of my hair. I shaved it because it was very distressing to see the few odd thin tufts that were left behind. Bald was much easier to deal with emotionally.
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Ella-117-to steam your wig you can use a hand held clothes steamer. After you wash it put it on the head and brush it with a round brush and brush it under while you steam it. I clip it up in sections. The steam won't hurt your wig. After that you can let it air dry or if yours is heat resistant you can dry it with a blow dryer on low and then curl with a curling iron no higher than medium. They do tend to get frizzy, but the steam will make it soft and silky again.
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Ella - depending on your wig - mine is polyester, my wig shop told me to use a flat iron. Mine was getting frizzy and thick at the end and looked like crap - after the flat iron it looked good as new. Now of course it is board straight and I need to curl it!
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There may be an easier way --- but to post picts, you need to upload them to another location -- like photobucket, or a blog, etc... and then copy/paste the image URL into the window that pops up when you click the "insert/edit image" icon.
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AEM: I am IMPRESSED--and excited about my hairgrowth.
jpmomof3: I am looking forward to seeing your new avatar. I, too, am taking weekly pics, but I just started last week, 1 week PFC. I can definitely see growth from last week.
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