Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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Elizabeth: it definitely happens more gradually that that. Your scalp may start to feel tight, itchy or sore about now and you will probably notice a very few hairs come out more than usual when you run your fingers thru it. It's true.... the anxiety about losing it is worse than the reality. It is sort of a relief when it is finally gone. Did your onc tell you you will lose the hair? If he did, you will. Stick with this board and others. We are all hair crazy and happy to discuss every detail. Good luck.By the way, do you have a wig, and or scarves or cap ready to go? Get them. It makes it easier.
Keep us posted.
Susan
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Elizabeth, what type of chemo are you getting? That may affect how much hair you lose. Some chemo regimens, like CMF (Cytoxan, Methotrexate, & Fluorouracil), cause "thinning" rather than complete loss. Others, like TC (Taxotere & Cytoxan) and AC (Adriamycin & Cytoxan), and combinations of those drugs, usually cause total hair loss. As my oncologist told me, "On Taxotere & Cytoxan, you will lose all your hair."
Susan pointed out that the hair loss does not occur overnight, despite our nightmares. (Another nightmare is that it all falls out into the pot of home-made chicken soup, just before the dinner guests arrive.) The loss is pretty abrupt with some chemo regimens, though.
Mine started coming out around day 14, and was seriously AWOL by day 20, of my first round of Taxotere & Cytoxan. There were still a few stragglers hanging on through my 2nd round, but most of the top of my head was totally bald. I just kept trimming back the hair that was still there, until there was nothing left but a very thin fuzz of 1-inch, pale blonde hair covering my shiny-bald head.
I did not buy a wig, and I do not regret that decision. (I figured I could always buy one later if I changed my mind.) I get by comfortably with scarves, bandannas, and caps, and just going bald-bald around the house.
My best "find" was a whole bunch of cotton baseball-type caps but without logos, that I discovered at both K-Mart and WalMart. They came in a variety of colors (navy, light blue, tan, black, red, yellow, and of course pink), and they were just $2.00 each. They are soft and comfortable, easily adjusted for head size, and they seem to cover more of my head than most ball caps (my husband confirmed this). I also try on caps everywhere I go (Bass Pro Shop, Cabela's, Dick's Sporting Goods, tourist stops, gas stations, etc.), in a constant search to expand my wardrobe. This drives my dh nuts: "Don't you have enough caps???".
The other thing I did was purchase 1-yard pieces of lightweight cotton fabric in a variety of colors. The plan was to cut and hem them into 35 x 35-inch scarves. I didn't get that far yet, because I was given some nice scarves by the ladies at the American Cancer Society office near where I'm being treated. I am also lazy.
The hair loss is a shock, even though we know it's coming. It is also very sad and frustrating, as well as embarrassing. It is strange, though--baldness sort of becomes part of daily life and we just move on.
otter
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Elizabeth - relax, your hair will come out gradually. My first treatment of TAC was on July 2. On day 13, last Monday, I noticed more hair than normal on my hands/fingers while fixing my hair in the morning. Each day there was a little more to come out. It was like a general "thinning" of my hair, not bald patches. By Friday, it was getting real thin and every time I touched my hair I would get more and more. So... the DH and I had a few drinks and we "hand combed" my hair until all that remained was some very fine almost white hairs left. I then had him buzz my head. Yes, it was sad and yes I shed some tears, but I am moving on. I, like Otter, did not buy a wig. I am using my do-rags and scarves. When my hair started to come out , my scalp did not hurt or get tight, it just kind of had an itch to it more than anything. Remember, it's only hair and it WILL grow back. Just think of it as a temporary battle wound in the war against bc.
Donna 1st TAC - July 2; 2nd TAC - July 24
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It's been just over a year since I finished chemo A/C. It took over six weeks to start seeing new growth. Has anyone mentioned taking Biotin (the vitamin) to help with hair growth? Lots of us took it last year when we were going through all this.
Now, one year later, it's hotter than heck outside and my hair is so long and thick I am suffering greatly. Cannot find it in myself to complain too loudly, though.............am waiting for the cooler fall weather now.
Don't forget to look into the Biotin!
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Speaking of nightmares about hair loss. I actually had a dream that I had my hair again. In the dream I was looking in the bathroom mirror and saw myself with a full head of hair. I was staring at myself in disbelief and thinking, "this must be a dream."
Unfortunately, it was
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Hm-m, I'm looking at the mirror this morning at my fluffy head, and I suddenly felt like a duckling. Yep, that's what it's like, duckling down. Getting longer, slightly thicker, but still can see too much of my scalp for my comfort level to be at the topless stage.
When can we color it? I heard somewhere six months. Six months from when...end of chemo? End of radiation?
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Nancy - duckling down is a great description. My sides and back are long enough to go topless but the white fuzzy duck down scattered over the top of my head is not the most attractive yet. I too have areas where the scalp still shows through.
I was going to be brave and post a picture - however the top "duck down" is so white that it didn't even show up in the photo! Could have been the glare on the camera as I didn't pick the best location. Guess I won't be posting my pic!
Deb
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Otter, you and I finished our T/C at the same time. And your descriptions sound exactly like what I'm seeing... or should I say... what I'm not seeing!
At 6 1/2 weeks since my last tx on June 5, the lashes and brows have continued to thin, but I still have enough lashes to very carefully apply mascara to make what's left look presentable. And not that I care about this very much, but I found it odd to see hair in "the private area" leave so abruptly a few weeks after the 4th tx. There's not much left down there at all now. But my scalp is just how you describe yours. I keep checking it, but all I see is a bunch of sparse stubble on top and some very light fuzz or fine hair on the rest of my head. Unlike you, though, I did get a wig and I'm quite used to wearing it now. I got one of those gel headbands from the TLC catalog which makes the wig much more comfortable. Still, it will be SO NICE when I can finally put it in a box and throw it in the back of my closet. I'm guessing I have about 3 more months of the wig. Is that too optimistic?
Sue K.
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Hi All,
Been reading all the posts over the weeks but this is my first time posting here. I wanted to say that contrary to what many of you have experienced my hair did all fall out at the same time, on day 21 of my first TC tx. I had experienced a bit of thinning on the day or so prior but it really did all just come out at once on day 21. I was left with approx 1% of my normal hair on my head which has continued to come out over the last couple of weeks. In a way it was a relief to have it all fall out at once so that the anxiety about it finally stopped.
I have been wearing wigs and hats with "hair fringe" and have been feeling good about the overall "look". I have also ampped up the eye makeup so that I do not have that "chemo" look.
I am feeling optimistic about the hair regrow...thanks for all the great pictures!
Valerie
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Hi everyone--I hear ya on the whole hair loss thing. I'm 5 wks out from my last chemo treatment and only have a small bit of white fuzz on top of my head and I still have some eyelashes and thin brows, and now after reading all of your wonderful posts, I'm planning on loosing them all eventially
....Does anyone know if one day our eyelashes and brows will be just as they once were?? before bc??We all need to hang in there....and it's okay to loose it
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Tiff,
it might or might not happen.
But you are almost there.....white fuzz is the precusor
In two weeks you will possibly starting to put mousse in you hair.
My last eye lash went 6 weeks post chemo on the day I got my hysterctomy done (the tape thingy they put over your eye took my LAST one).
But then when the lashes came, they looked so good, short, lots of mascara, almost better than before, definetly mascara!!!!! made all the difference.
Hang though girl....You are almost there!
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Thank you Calico!! I can't imagine putting gel in my hair, I'm not sure I remember how to use hair products
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I did it - I went to dinner and errands tonight without a scarf! It felt soooo good to go without my scarf. Yesterday I went to see my daughter and her family - hadn't seen them in 5 days. When I walked in their door, both my daughter and son in law said "wow has your hair grown". It was so good to hear those words. I knew it had been filling in and looked better but to hear it from someone elses opinion was huge. The front is a little thinner yet but I officially have a hairline.
Today when I went for rads I saw 2 gals with hair the same length as mine. I decided if they can do it, so can I.
I didn't get the stares I expected. Not sure I am quite ready to go to work without a scarf - but I guess I will wait to see what tomorrow brings.
More of my lashes have decided to leave - just enough left to put some mascara on and feel OK about it.
Deb
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Tiff, just wanted to say that I never lost all my eyebrows and eyelashes. They probably reached their thinnest point 4-5 weeks after my last chemo and then started growing back. Brows grew back like crazy, although the color was weird at first (some gray and white) and I ended up needing to wax them 2 months post-chemo. Lashes got very thin, especially on the bottom. Now they are shorter than before but thick (10 weeks post-chemo) -- I won't be surprised if some of them fall out again but since I never lost them all, I hope that they are staggered in their cycle!
So, I've been going to work TOPLESS this week!
I still hate the way I look and feel without MY hair -- this super-short odd-colored fuzz just isn't ME. But everyone has been so complimentary and positive about it, and that makes it easier. One friend at work said that watching it grow in was going to be fun. This comment didn't offend me at all -- her sister is a bc survivor so she understands what I am going through better than most. OK, I'm going to try to post some pics. (Can anyone tell me how to make these smaller???)
The first two are me with HAIR -- it's funny, I hated these photos pre-chemo, I look so tired and unkempt, but now I love looking at my HAIR. The third is about 4 weeks post-chemo, with very thin eyebrows. The last two are this week, about 10 weeks post-chemo.
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Wow, Lauren, you look fantastic for week 10!!!!! Whoo hooo!!! Thanks so much for posting your pics. I know how difficult losing it was for you. So, more power to you for putting these up. I think with the big earring look that you've got going that you look great.
I have the same non-color thing. I'm guessing that's pretty normal from what others have said. I'm inspired by you going topless. Next week I'm at week 10 - maybe I'll pluck up the same courage.
Will post another pic before I do and see if I can get a concensus.
Happy growing everyone.
D.
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btw - to make a pic smaller: in the insert box (tree above?), there is an option to alter the dimensions. I made mine 150x150.
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Thanks Deen! A lot of people have told me that I look good, but I'm just not a short-hair person inside. I keep thinking of the song from HAIR ("longest I can grow it") and that may be me in a couple of years....
I dreamed about my hair growing faster last night. I was soooo excited to discover that it had grown about 4 inches in about a day. Then I woke up.
At least it made me laugh (and not cry) when I remembered.How is the hair growth going for the rest of you???
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I'd say I was a couple of weeks behind you, Lauren. I'm not as filled in, and I think I have more white, which may make it look thinner overall. But here are no bald spots.
One thing I've noticed is that some of the hair is swirling in a pattern up front...like I will have a cowlick. I wonder if I had that as a baby? Anyone else noticing new growth patterns?
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You look great for 10 weeks post! I need to get a new picture in as it was a month ago that I had that other one taken. I have colored my hair which makes a huge difference, makes you feel younger and shows more how much hair you have instead of just being white or grey and dark brown like mine. I still have two sort of thinish spots on either side of my head.... my husband says maybe that was there before but you didn't notice because you had so much hair everywhere else.
Hair growth patterns??? Well it's wierd to see my crown and the swirly pattern it grows in that's for sure.
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I've just ordered a couple more wigs. I figure I will probabaly lose what I've grown when I finish up my chemo in the next month (I was on a break for my surgery). I'm playing around with these now; ordered two in the same color, but different lengths so it will look like my hair is growing, then I can go get a "haircut" and switch back to the shorter one. LOL.
I figure, since I won't be done with the chemo untill the end of August, I will be back to where I am now about Halloween. And maybe by Thanksgiving I will look like someone who just likes really short hair, and by Christmas, I might have enough hair to color and go without a wig!
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Lorena-You look absolutely great! The short hair really shows off your pretty features. Congrats on finally going Topless. I'm 5 wks out from last chemo, just have the tiny white fuzz coming in so far....
Kimbly-At what point did you start coloring your hair? Did you color yourself or have at a salon? I know that I'll be about 50/50 brown/gray when its starts growing and really anxious to color it!
Thanks to everyone for all your support!
Tiff
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Nancy D, Hate to be the tider of bad news. Had 4 1/2 mos of taxotere, finished in March. Surgery May 15 then on to A/C first of June. Was just beginning to have enough hair to "rub". Middle of June, it all came out again. So sorry. Hope you have better luck. Read you are having a remarkable recovery from your surgery. I have begun to believe I would rather have two masts over one A/C.Recovery was very easy for me also. All of that worry and dread for nothing. Aren't we lucky. Good luck to you on your next. round. Make those men in your life pick up after themselves and keep time to rest for yourself. God bless.
Joy
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I finished DD AC and Taxol on December 3rd... see my avatar to see current growth. I've been wig-less since April.
Growth starts slow - and only about one month or two after the last dose. You see, the last dose is in fact the last cycle... so it will be wreacking havoc in your body for at least one month. if you cound the end from there, you will see it makes sense.
After one month you see peach fuzz, then more and more every day.
Lashes sometimes DO fall out only after the end. but they are also fast to grow, and they amost grow overnight! ok, not quite... rather within a week.
I didn't loose them all at once - but it is true that about 2 months after, I noticed lots of lashes falling out, became a BIT sparse again - now it is all normal again.
Hang in there!
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Nancy D - I too have the swirling on top of my head.
Today is my "official no more scarves day". My head is covered all over with hair - some dark some gray -front a little thinner than sides and back. But I have had enough of the scarves. Even though my hair is short (really short) I feel good about it and feel a sense of freedom and moving on.
A few eyelashes fall out each day - but still maintaining enough to put mascara on and look halfway decent.
Take care all - have a good weekend.
Deb
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My hair started falling out around day 14 and the following day I went to where I had purchased a wig and they shaved me and trimmed the wig. When my husband got home from work I looked just like when he left but now I had highlights. I just finished my last TC and am looking forward to when it starts to grow back. I will have to ask how long until I can color it - I am almost completely gray and I am only 47. I am not a short hair person so I will probably be wearing my wig for a while. Yesterday the oncologist asked where I got my wig - she said it was the best one she has ever seen. She probably says that to everyone. haha
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I dream of myself with hair nightly....I had REALLY great hair before I had it sheared off on May 29, a week after I started AC-T (I didn't want to deal with it falling out so I sheared it on the day of my final wig fitting). Funny tho, that in the dreams my hair is black (in 'real life' it's blond...with the help of my hairdresser)....I finish chemo labor day weekend so I'm hoping to have enough to color and to go to work without my wig in November (I go to the gym and the grocery bald or with a hat just for sun protection)....hope springs eternal!!!!
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Week 7 out of tx and my eyelashes are going fast. The fuzz on my head, however, is being joined by some stubble. And I'll need to shave my legs before church tomorrow. I'm hoping to have an "edgy" hairstyle by Labor Day.
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Hi Ladies,
Just spent the last 2 hours reading all about your "hair" or lack of stories and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is great that everyone can laugh about it. I am 10 days from my last chemo, had 6 TC, kept a little fuzz the whole time, but am now actively starting to look for signs of regrowth. I loved the eyebrow and lash stories, as for me this was my fear, loosing my eyebrows, have managed to hang on to most of them, but have noticed little gaps appearing! I feel sure that positive thinking will help each and every one of those hairs hang on tight. Otter how did the visit with your mother go?
Christine
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Chris, it's still going. We'll be here another week, most likely. My mom is making pancakes for breakfast at the moment. (Cooking/food has always a major means of self-expression for her, and the Food Network hasn't diminished that need.)
I wish to announce that I have peach fuzz on my head! You'd have to look really, really closely, but there are zillions of tiny hairs on my scalp. I didn't notice them until about 3 days ago. They look more like dryer lint than hair, but they're sticking up and they don't come off with a lint roller. (Ha ha--haven't actually tried that, for fear they would come off!)
Thanks to Rock's inspiring avatar, I bought some eyeliner yesterday and I'm experimenting with it. They make eyeliner that is a soft pencil-type, and you can make a line and/or you can smear it like shadow. I didn't want an extreme, sharp line like the kind you get with liquid eyeliner, so I'm thinking this pencil might work. I have never liked applying make-up, and I've always been a minimalist in that area. My newly found interest in types of make-up and their use is very un-like me. Go figure.
Someone just said the pancakes are ready. Gotta go. I'll be back later.
otter
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Hey Elizabeth,
My first chemo was March 11 and my hair didn't fall out until the 30th. It took 19 days. I woke up on the 14th day expecting to be bald. For me it started to shed a little more before it fell completely out. Hang in there, sweetie.
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