Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I've been on Arimidex since March 2011. I have receded a bit but my hair is actually better than pre-chemo. I think it's because I've been using women's minoxidil since 3 weeks PFC. I truly believe it's helped me keep my hair. It can take 3-6 months to notice a difference. I only use it once a day but you are supposed to use it 2x a day.
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Thanks ladies!!! My hair started growing mid Feb during weekly Taxol tx. My eyelashes and eyebrows did not grow and I've lost them twice since. Hopefully they are here to stay!!!
This was taken 5 mths pfc.
Today...7 1/2 mths pfc. or 9 mths after first sprout
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Kelly, You and your hair style look great!
kjiberty, I'm with CAYH would love to see a pic of the "curly hot mess"!
CAYH, not sure what your hair style or color was pre tx but you look amazing! Us TN's have no targeted therapy after tx, not sure if that is good or not......
Lago, I may keep my hair short too, it is so easy.
Ladies keep the pictures and videos coming...we are getting through this with the help of each other!!
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wow sandlake - you have a lot of hair and I love the style! beautiful!
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btrflynaia, I bought it at a wig shop in my area. It is called the Shilo and it is made by Noriko. My color was chocolate swirl and it was dark brown with red and blonde streaks. I believe there are other color combos and I have seen it on-line if you goggle it. I recall I needed to have it thinned a bit since there was so much hair, but I loved the darn thing. It made me feel sexy and if there is one thing we need while going though cancer treatment is to feel sexy.
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onvacation, thank you...my hair does seem like it's coming in thicker which gives me the Kramer look. I am very thankful for my little flat iron. My pre chemo hair was curly so I know how to tame the beast
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After 6 rounds of chemo, I've been taking Arimidex for a year. My hair seems to have more volume, is the tiniest bit thicker and holds curl easily. I take some vitamins; calcium, D, multi vitamin, omega 3 fish oil, not sure if that has something to do with the slight improved changes in my hairl
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I had curly wild long hair before this all happened. Now I am 5 mos PFC with hair about 1 1/4 inches long. Curly on top, tuft-y on the sides (similar to before.) Wigless at home, NOT ready to go be school principal with this straight/curly mishmash of short hair... still quite short in front. Time will tell. My Paula Young wig(s) the best $40 I ever spent, though I am darn tired of them too.
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Sandlake, thanks for the great photos. I'm 9 months PFC, but my hair came in curly as all get out. I look like a poodle. I've never had anything but straight hair. What do you ladies use to straighten curly locks?? brands ? Sizes? How to use??
This is so weird. I never imagined regrowing hair would be so hard and emotional. I was naive and assumed my hair would just reappear as it was before chemo. It came back gray, too, so I look like an 80-year-old who just got a tight prem!!!0 -
WaveWhisperer, I read about a 1/2" flat iron on these boards. I bought it that very day at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $20. It's a Conair. Using a little Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil, I was able to tame my curls as they grew out. I eventually ended up with waves and now my hair is just about to my shoulders in the back. I'm 1 year PFC tomorrow!
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wavewhisperer I am almost 2 years PFC and my hair is very much like it was now and it does kind of seem like it just reappeared now. Remember what your going through is temporary soon to become a distant memory.
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sandlake - thanks! I think your hair looks beautiful! Even at 5 months it had style!
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WaveWhisper, I use a 1/2" Ion Titanium Platinum flat iron I bought at Sally's, love it!! When my hair is wet I put in the Biolage Deep Smoothing leave in cream "it controls unruly, frizzy hair", I then piece my hair when it is dry with Bed Head Manipulator. It works for me
Sometimes I can go 3 days without doing my hair. I am prepared for all the stages of growing hair out, some not so great. I am thankful for what I have!
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Glad to see others posting tamoxifen related hair loss experiences. I have also lost quite a bit of hair since starting tamoxifen. However, I know I have a genetic predisposition to hair loss (brother bald at 20-something and mom with hair thinner than mine) so I suspect that nkb is on the right track when she suggests that the tamoxifen is just 'facilitating' the hair loss that we might have experienced more gradually otherwise. Minoxidil didn't work for me, but that may be genetic too. It didn't work for my brother either (or husband for that matter). I'm still not brave enough to go get my hairpiece styled and to actually wear it. I spent a small fortune on real hair, so I'm a little surprised that it sounds like most folks here are happier with the synthetics (as far as holding the style and washing). I probably wouldn't wear it a home, but glad I read the warnings about cooking and dishwashers before I buy a synthetic--yikes. I've started wearing scarves to cover the thinning, but I have such thin hair that they tend to slip and slide. I will continue to experiment. I love the photos!
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zsterling I use generic from Walgreens. It does take at least 3-6 months
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I have hair...not enough to quit the wig or hat. My hair was mostly white before. The front is very white, but the back is much darker..I may look like a skunk when it gets longer. My eyebrows are back and are going to need professional help, they are too thick. Lashes are coming back in.
I had my last radiation treatment today and am dealing with skin problems and general fatigue. So glad that is over. Thanksgiving will give me the chance to look back at how much help and support I have had.
I hope all of you will be able to count your blessings as well.
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OK this is me today. Wearing a shwl to cover up the cones on my new nips. Anyhoo it's 2 years PFC in December.
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TNN - woohoo for last radiation! The energy came back for me after a couple weeks! Take care of yourself!
Carol - great photo - you look wonderful!
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TNN --- Congrats for being done from rads.
Carrol -- Wow very pretty love your hair. I can't wait to use a brush again and have long hair like that.
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I can't wait till I can "part" my hair! LOL
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You're very pretty Carol.
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TNN, Congrats on finishing rads! I too am counting my blessings, I've been a bit emotional this week!
Carol, You look so great, beautiful hair!! I never even thought about wearing cones to protect nips after surgery...I have to make a decision sometime after Feb about tattoo's or nips.
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zsterling- I began using the minoxidil about 20 years ago. I have the male balding gene too, as I have a bald brother and one of my sons is bald. When the generic became available I started using it (the cost is 12.00 for a month, so considerably cheaper). It took about 4 months for me to see any benefit years ago when I first started.........fast forward to my diagnosis. Within 3 to 4 months on tamoxifen I started losing an incredible amount of hair, even though I was still using the minoxidil. I would say it took 6 to 8 months to see new hair growing. I used scarves to hide the loss, not the silky kind but the non slippery materials in the store. I bought long oblong ones and wound it around my head twice before I tied it in the back. That way I could kind of spread out the scarf to cover more of the thin areas on the top on my head. So now my hair is growing in but ever so slow. I color my hair so it is easy to see that in 4 weeks the back and sides have considerable gray at the roots but the top, well, each month the top grows maybe 1/16 of an inch. I have two years and one more month to go before I am done with the tamoxifen and I am hoping it will grow the same rate as the rest of my hair when I am off this medication. At least the extreme hair loss stopped. I hope you find something that works for you.
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Carrol, im soooo envious! I cant wait for a hair like yours. Im just 8 weeks pfc and still on herceptin. Still a lot of waiting to do. If only i look a bit like Sandlake at this point, then i wouldnt mind.
Lago, thanks for the Biotin dosage. I bought only the 500mcg last week. Guess i have to take ten a day? I saw the 5 mg caps, too, but i wasnt aware of the right dose then. I'll just consume this bottle and buy 5mg next.0 -
5000mcg is 5mg
Carrol, hot & sexy as always
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Looking great Carol! Thanks for hanging around with us - you are our hope!
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Thanks for the compliments ladies. Remember this is only temporary. I barely remember having chemo or being bald at all now.
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Carol: I find that hard to fathom. How could you possibly not remember? I can see it becoming a blip in my life - but not remember.... I doubt it.
Lago - I'm taking 5000mcg... hope I'm not ODing on it!
I started a brand new job two weeks ago. Wore my week for the first week and two days into the next one and then decided that I just couldn't wear a wig for the next few months, so now I'm just wearing my hats. Must say I feel like my old self in the hat, and an imposter in a wig! LOL ~ Hope my hair fills in soon... it's getting cold around these parts. (although the hots flashes might help with that!) :-|
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Juneaubugg you are correct. I dropped a "0 " but all fixed now.
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gentianviol, Thanks so much for the great advice! I'll try the double wrap scarf thing right away! And I'll look for more scarves with elastic. I did use the generic women's version of minoxidil for more than a year and it may have prevented some hair loss, but didn't seem all that effective at the time. I even tried the mens version thinking the dose might be higher. I think I was only using it once a day though (are there versions that only require once a day?). I wasn't sure about restarting but I may try again. I'm only at about 4 months with tamoxifen, so I am concerned. I'm also wondering if a little bit of length might help hold a scarf in place. I used to think I'd be happy with the idea of experimenting with wigs, so I'm not sure why this option is so scary for me. A big part of the problem may be that my hair has been so thin for so long that I don't feel like myself when I'm wearing a thick, stylish head of hair.
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