Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
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thanks ladies for the sites - I will look them over.. I did last the whole day with my wig, much to my own surprise
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I wore chemobeanies. They were cute and pre-tied. I gave my wig away to a total stranger I met at J Jill on Black Friday while visiting my family in the Detroit area. She was starting chemo. Sent her everything--from the buffs, to the chemobeanies, wigs, shampoo, EVERYTHING!
SHORE1, Let me know what kind of treatment you got and if you liked it. I am intrigued.
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Kjiberty, that was so thoughtful of you to give all your stuff to someone who needed it. I will def let you know what its called & if its worth the money!
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Hi ladies. My hair is no where long enough to color but I was looking up some homemade ways to color or highlight hair. Like lemon juice, chamomille tea amdperoxide. LOL. I wish they made professional hair color for short hair. If I was to buy a box now I would only use like 5% of it. Oh well I am so happy to have any hair that I really dont care if it is grey at 43. However, I promised myself if I made it thru all of the treatment then I would go platinum blond. At least one time. I told my mother this week that I was going to buy a baby bow with the velcro clip on it just so I can say I put a barrette in. Lol. I have to find the humor in it somewhere. I am going back to work this Saturday and would love to do something funny like that. My co-workers would get a kick out of it. If you have any crazy ideas that dont include a wig I would love it. Hugs to all.
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Deirdre aka Speedy4,
You asked why I decided against using cold caps. After reading what I could find online from Penguin Cold Caps and here on the discussion boards, I decided they would not work for me, my lifestyle, and how I desired to go through treatment.
In no particular order:
The length of my chemo regimen and number of treatments: from 2/23 through 7/11 - 4 dose dense treatments over 8 weeks, a three week break, and then 12 weekly treatments.
I'm a runner. And I'm a sweater. My hair is almost always soaking wet with sweat after a run - even in the Winter. And I'm okay with that :-) Because I sweat so much, I wear a bandana 'sweat band' or a regular sweat band or a baseball cap when it's warm/hot. When it's cold out I wear a baseball cap. (I have to keep the sweat out of my eyes - not just keep my hair back.) And I wear a very tight pony tail - there's just no way that a loose braid or a scrunchy would hold my hair back while running for an hour or two. And there was no way that washing my hair twice a week would work with my running. There are times that I ran before, during, and after chemo, and now twice a day. For me .... my running was so much more important than attempting to hang on to my hair.
I didn't want to go through months of daily worrying about my hair. I could not imagine spending the time and mental energy that I was reading about. Worrying about hair getting caught in zippers ... worrying about children touching or pulling on hair (taught two year olds and had contact with babies during treatment) .... not allowing my husband to run his fingers through my hair and or touch my scalp ... for all those months ... not taking hard flow showers that included my head ... washing my hair only (at the most) twice a week ... worrying about 'shedding' ... possibly getting frostbite on my scalp ...
Chemotherapy infusion takeover. This wasn't for me. I had a great outlook going into chemo and through chemo, but would not have wanted my experience to be mainly about my hair - before, during, and after the infusions.
During my first chemo (AC), we decided that we would not only make the drive down to Florida for my nephew's wedding, but also go on a five day cruise with my husband's side of the family. After my 4th infusion, we jumped in the car and drove to Kentucky the first night. I'm thankful that I was not bound to carting a cooler full of dry ice and stopping to change caps. I can only imagine how we might have missed out on a great adventure if I had been.
And the cruise - was incredible. And I was so free. LOL. I wouldn't trade that experience sans hair for anything. It was incredibly liberating to participate in any activity - not worry about my hair (or lack thereof) and know that I could clean up and be ready in minutes.
The statistics quoted at the time that I was researching were not great enough to sway me that the cold caps had a high success rate with my particular chemo regimen.
There seemed and still seems to be conflicting information given from the manufacturer and from some of the gals who have done PCC and from one of the self-described PCC helpers as to the best protocols to follow when using the caps. And there was and still appears to be difficulty for women receiving their full order of caps and bands and straps, etc.
I'm sure I'm leaving something out right now. And you might get the impression that I am anti-cold caps. I still follow the threads and read what is shared. I realize that permanent hair loss is a real side effect for some chemo patients and a risk that some women would prefer to lessen or lower or negate with PCC.
I guess for me there was never this idea that I didn't look like me because my hair was gone. Or that I "looked like a cancer patient" - whatever that is supposed to mean ... which seems to be a great fear for some. Maybe it has to do with my husband already losing his hair when I met him, or with one of my sons experiencing a receding hairline at a young age. Maybe it has to do with one of the boys in our congregation and one of the young men on campus where my husband works both having alopecia. Maybe it goes further because my husband and son share a congenital trait/anomaly. Maybe it's because I don't have a mental picture in my head that a certain look on anyone equates to anything in particular.
This is not to suggest that I did not have any days of missing my hair. And I did have a particularly yucky exchange with someone about my hair at a vulnerable point in my last weeks of chemo. But I also had some wonderfully uplifting and funny exchanges too. But overall, it just was a non-issue. If you want to talk about the scale going up like crazy despite running 25-30 miles a week during my Taxol treatments ... now that's a different story ;-)
Whatever you decide to do ... make certain it's your decision and that you're comfortable with it. There are some great gals on the PCC threads so pick their brains and read all the suggestions.
Hugs!
Diana
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Thank you HVV. I will look that up.
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The Dominican blowout is not a chemical treatment unlike the Brazilian. It is a method of blowing curly or frizzy hair dry with minimal damage from the constant use of heating implements. Hair is washed, conditioned, etc. and then rollers/curlers as large as the hair can manage are used all over the head. You go under the hard bonnet dryer for about 20 minutes with sort hair to 1 hour with very long thick hair (that used to be me) and when your hair is dry, a round brush and blow dryer are used to smooth out each individual section that was on a curler. The result is smooth soft hair that generally lasts 3 to 5 days depending on the weather and your lifestyle. With hair as short as my own, I think it may be 3 to 4 inches max (chemo ended late July) I get it done only once a month to check on the length of my hair as I am enjoying the curls for a change. Once you've seen it done, you can then buy the supplies and do it yourself so that you can manage this a couple of times a week at home.
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HVV, thanks for that explanation.
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Hi Ladies! I've been reading up on some of the posts. I was intrigued to find out what could be learned from this thread thanks to my dear friend LeeA.
I'm just halfway through chemo, so quite a while before I can think about real hair. From what I've read so far it seems there is a lot of sharing for dealing with the no-hair thing too. I'm looking forward to learning more, and sharing where I can. Like some of you have posted, I have opted to go with just scarves and buffs. I bought an expensive wig and wore it for a total of one hour . . . two months ago. It sits on my dresser still not to be touched (other than for my 11 yo DD to ask once just to check it out on me). She was even looking at it again and shaking her head in disagreement. LOLHVV and Ulightup, not sure how different the method is, but when I use to blow my hair out I used the super large velcro rollers to help in the process. You can buy them just about anywhere for cheap. Ulightup, you can section out your hair over the velcro rollers while you go about doing makeup or whateer else your morning routine entails, then dry out section by section with a round brush. It makes the process go much "smoother".
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Thank you skimommi ! Any good hair products?
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skimommi I laugh when everyone talks about those big curlers. I can't help stop thinking about the soup commercial where the gal uses them every where in her home including a big curler.
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Ulightup there are so many straightening products out there nowadays. I think Aveda has a good one, and I love got2be products. Those are inexpensive and you can get them at Walmart. Many moons ago I swore by John Frieda. Those products are really good for keeping the frizz at bay.
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kjiberty - I had the treatment today. It is called Prevana, and is a keratin-like treatment that does not have formaldehyde in it. It was $200, but that included a special shampoo and conditioner I have to use until it grows out. It may last 12-16 weeks, depending on how fast it grows. I was at the salon for 3 hours, but I also had it colored - there are no restrictions on coloring the same day as the treatment. The true test of results will be how it looks when I do it myself, and how long it lasts - I'm hoping I can get at least 3 months out of it. It feels much lighter and smoother - it was very coarse, curly and frizzy, but is a noticeably better texture now (not as puffy and dense).I had a teeny tiny trim of the very ends, and had alittle texture cut into it, but I'm trying to get it long, so didn't cut much length at all - this was my first trim since chemo. I'm not 13 months pfc. I'll let you know how it goes and if I still think its worth the $$ in a month or so!
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shore1 sounds like you have found something that might work for you. Does your hair look straight now? After you wash what do you have to do? Keep us updated.
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Islandmom, It's a keratin-treatment that they put on, blow dry in and flat iron. Then they wash it out with a special shampoo and conditioner, and blow dry as usual. It is straigter, but not pin straight. It still has good body to it, but the texture is better - smoother an dless bulky/puffy looking. I always had curly thick hair, but the short post-chemo length has been aproblem for me because it's too short to blow it out, and if I let it go curly, it was just looking frizzy. This treatment was pricey, but I think it made the texture much more manageable while I wait for the length to grow out more.
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dltnhm - I agree 100%! The only thing you left out was the cost. I'd rather spend that money on a weekend trip or new wardrobe. I couldn't imagine spending so much time and energy trying to 'save' my hair. My wig was great and not one person every knew I was a cancer patient unless I told them. My wig even fooled a fellow chemo patient sitting with me in the waiting room. She asked me how I managed to keep my hair while going through AC tx followed by Taxol. LOL!
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A week after I stopped wearing my wig, I had a Japanese Hair Straightening or Thermal Reconditioning treatment. If you color your hair you can only have a single process hair color and you have to wait a week after the color is done before you can have the straightening treatment. I have mixed feelings about having the straightening done.
The good news - it was 100% free of formaldehyde and formaldehyde derivatives, will last at least 3 months, and it makes my hair look much longer.
The bad news - it ended up costing me around $500 (I live in a large city), made the ends of my hair look split or crinkly, and it took about 4 hours to complete.
The super bad news is that I've had to have my hair trimmed 3 times since the straightening. But the super good news is that I have hair that is 1.5 inches below my ear lobes.
I stopped wearing my wig at the end of Dec 2012. It was a very well made wig and still looked new, so I brought it and all its related accessories to a very large cancer center so they could give it to another women. I was apprehensive about giving it away as I feared that doing so would lead me to have cancer again. But I wanted to start 2013 fresh and have no cancer related items in my home. So each, and every possession associated with going through chemo/radiation etc was given away or tossed before Jan 1 2013 (cancer books and clothes worn during treatments were donated, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, false lashes were tossed.) I also tossed all leftover meds. The only thing I still have that is associated with breast cancer is a red folder with all the insurance statements and my medical records. I hope I made the right decision giving my wig away - I am a triple negative BC person.
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Shore1: Keep me posted. Also, please post of pic!
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Deen,
You are so nearly there. By week 6 you will have substantial coverage and thickness and then a week or so after that it seems like it really takes of and its just a matter of going with a "hairstyle" that you like until you get your desired length. Its coming very soon.
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shore1 how long is your hair?
About what timeframe did everyone start feeling the need to trip the fuzz that grew in after chemo? Did you trip the new growth pretty quick and on a regular basis so it came in even?
Also, for those that sport scarves more than anything. What was your favorite thing to wear under your scarf, if you opted for anything at all. I've been wearing a three seam turban, but have seen another product by TLC specifically for giving padding and guidance (so the scarf doesn't slip). Just wondering if it is worth looking into or if I'm better off remaining with the turban.
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Hi all it's been a while since I have posted. I am 8 months PFC now. My hair is about 4 inches long and moppy looking. I had a 1/2 inch or so of the clear ends cut off 4-5 months ago but otherwise haven't had it cut or styled. I want to eventually grow it out long enough to out in a pony tail but its going through a difficult phase. Wen did you all start getting you hair trimmed or styled if you are at that point in this journey? I will update my avatar, soon the one now is from quite a while ago,
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I am coming up on 12 months PFC finished herceptin in December I had 1 trim and mine is very uneven the gray parts grow faster than the rest....yesterday i had my hairdressers cut it short to match the front and hopefully it will continue to grow evenly! I looked like Luciell Ball with puffs of curl here and there on my head! I am taking Bioten every day now maybe that will help!
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thanks! i noticed the grays grow faster too, i wouldnt have thought that would be the case but my grays are about 1/2 inch longer than the rest...
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jp, I wish I could tell you the awkward stage gets better quickly, but for me it just gets more "moppy". I'm at 45 weeks PFC, about 10.5 months. Ironically, I liked my hair much better when it was more like a pixie cut (like my avatar), but I am determined to grow it to pony tail length like you. More versatile. Picture below was taken a week ago. I have had two trims, mainly thinning out the back so I didn't end up with too much of a mullet as the top grew in. I haven't touched the bangs or top "layers" at all because they seem to be growing so much more slowly. My hairdresser says growing out short hair over the ears is the hardest part. Once that hair growns down to a short bob length, then everything should start looking more like a style. I hope she's right, and I think I have a few more months before I'm there although i can now tuck my hair behind my ears which is a start! I am going back next week for some jazzy color. I figure if I'm going to have a not very stylish mop for a few more months, it should at least be a fabulous color!
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Thanks! i guess i just need to be patient. its a good place to be though!
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crazyride - I think your hair looks great
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Thanks a bunch IamNancy
jp, I agree patience is key and it's nice to see we are rocking pretty much the same style! My husband calls it my 80's feather cut. I watched the movie "Love Actually" again last week, and realized that my hair looks pretty similar to the style Emma Thompson had at the time. That made me feel a tiny bit better? Most days, I am truly grateful just to have hair again!0 -
Wow your hair looks great! That's a lot of hair to some of us here. I don't understand the trimming part, but maybe I will understand if mine ever grows! Right now I can't imagine ever wanting to cut off any length!!
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Hi,
I'm 21 weeks PFC and my hair is growing but it's very thin. I'm starting to worry that it's going to remain this way. I'm only 37 years old. BTW, I'm still on Herceptin.
GCE0 -
Just wondering if any if you ladies that are getting regrowth had light colored hair with some grays before the chemo, What color grew back?
Thanks for the encouragement that someday it will come back!0
