Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
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Do curls ever go away? Yes, if you cut them. If you let your hair grow the curls will relax most likely. It also depends on your hair texture. I never cut my hair so I still have my curls but they are looser. It looks like a perm growing out.
I am 2 years 2 months PFC. My hair before bc was very straight and I kept it very short. I am fifty years old so I need hair color to cover the grays. I will probably wait another year before I get a haircut. I do baby my hair. I blow dry my bangs on a low heat setting, the rest I just let it air dry.
I know how hard it is to be patient when going through those awkward hair stages. Those days when nothing looks good, no matter what you do. Just give it a little more time...
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FriendGwen I am one of the few here that ditched the color bottle. My beautician even told me to leave it. It came in with a lot of white (not gray) around my face with darker hair interspersed. I really like it.
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Hi Everyone...I am sure there must be a post here somewhere, but I am admitting that I am too lazy to go back and read posts from "way back when." I finished Herceptin last November and that is when my hair started growing more quickly. I have finally had to ditch my wig because I couldn't stuff all of the hair in the back into the wig. The reason I kept wearing it so long (and am tempted to put it back on) is because the front of my head has hair that looks like it has been fried and is very thing. The bang and areas of the side are very hard to manage and the top of my hair is very thin. I am wondering if anyone has had issues with certain areas that are in much worse shape than others? I am so hoping that it will grow out with the dry and frizzy look and feel gone. I went to Ulta today and checked out the Nioxin, but don't know if that would even help. I would so appreciate any input from those who have had similar hair issues. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Linda
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islandmom - your hair looks great!
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linnyhopp are you on an AI like Anastrozole? My hair came in really well but then started to recede at the crown. Granted I had some of this before chemo. The lack of estrogen is causing this, as well as the thinning eyebrows. They came in fine initially. But your hair texture does take some time to get back to normal. Mine started to get better about 1 year PFC but took at least 18 months.
Also, where you on Taxotere? That can cause a type of alopecia where the hair doesn't grow or if it does grows only a few inches usually on the top of your head. It's rare SE though.
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Thanks, Lago. Yes, I do take anastrozole and I did take taxotere. Your info makes perfect sense as the crown is the main area with sparse growth and the hair is also very "fried and frizzy." The area also is only a few inches long, it seems to be growing , but definitely not as quickly as the rest of my hair. I am 13 months pfc, so I guess it is a wait and see situation. I know it is crazy, but I loved my wig and the style was perfect for me. I also LOVED how much less time it took to get ready. That being said, I also missed my hair. I am hoping to find out if the Nioxin would help. I guess I will have to do some research on that. If anyone has any info, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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IamNancy Thank you. I forgot to mention that when I started taking Biotin 5mg (about 1 year PFC) I really noticed faster growth. I do not know if this is proven but it seemed that way.
How is your hair coming along?
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I am 2 months out of chemo and I have 5 o'clock shadow all over my head - too short to measure but it looks dark..In about 2 weeks, I'll be starting on Anastrozole, and reading what Lago and linnyhopp wrote I feel nervous - I don't want anything to stop the hair growth I am seeing.. I really haven't read too much about the meds so I guess I don't know what to expect or what SE I might have...just have to wait and see - an hope for the best!
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linnyhopp I do use women's minoxidil (generic from walgreens). That might help. I've never tried Nioxin but I do believe it does have some minoxidil in it.
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IamNancy:I have been on anastrazole since July 2012. My hair has come in extremely thick I ditched the wig at about 10 weeks. It was really short, but I didn't care...I hated that wig. I get my hair cut about every 4 weeks, colored it again for the first time abut 9 weeks pfc. It's super curly..I was taking 5,000 mcg. Biotin, but gave that up in December. It's still growing like a weed. The reason I am telling you this is because I want you to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Island: Love your hair; you are beautiful!
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Hi Ladies, I have a question about eyebrows. I am almost 8 weeks out of chemo and like Nancy have the 5:00 shadow and poodle feeling on my head but I never hear anyone talk about eyebrows or eyelashes. Did anyone lose them and how long til they came back? My eyebrows have been falling out very slowly and are almost gone, thankfully my lashes are still hanging on. I've been taking 1000 mcg of biotin but my MO said it wont do anything but lots of ladies use it and speak highly of it.
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Well my hair started falling out in earnest, itching and finally pain. So I knew all along what I needed to do. I had my hubby cut it all with the buzzers to 1/2 an inch cause many gals recommended it on this board. I got a little emotional but then we started having fun with it. Now what do I do? I now have 1/2 inch pieces of hair everywhere! like if I had just gotten a hair cut every 5 minutes. I am itchy (from having little hairs on neck and chest). I did run a lint roll on my hair (ouch!) and it did get a lot but..it keeps going.....what else can i do? love and thanks
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kjiberty - thank you for telling me about your hair - very encouraging.
melody - my eyebrows are still falling out (2 mths out of chemo)-its like they take so long to fall all the way out - it looks freaky but I am just waiting for them to come back in..
ggtexs - shave your head - it'll feel better.
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ggtexs- keep using the sticky lint roller. You can shave but be really careful. Make sure your head is properly lubed with shaving cream and try not to cut yourself. I had my DH shave mine about a week or so after we buzzed it.
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Hey Skigirl! Is the hair coming back in yet? I'm 4 weeks pfc and i have fuzzy baby bird hair with pricklies all over...i assume that's "real hair". And the vast majority is coming back in blonde...or white...i can't tell!!! How's yours doing? Although your head looks fab bald (I hear that all the time and HATE IT!) i bet you can't WAIT to NOT be bald! 2013- the summer of HAIR!!! xoxox
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last taxol today! I have some peach fuzz!!!
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Kjiberty you are so sweet, Thank You! You made me think about discontinuing Biotin, then maybe I will not have to color my hair so often.
IamNancy, melody 5 o'clock shadow is a good thing, also they say about hair grows faster in the summer. About the eyebrows and eyelashes for some reason they fall much later than the hair but the good thing is they come back a lot faster. In general my eyebrows are thinner than they used to be. Even if I am not wearing other makeup I have to use a brow podwer. I am not sure if it was chemo or just getting old.
Skigirl, smethot baby bird hair and peach fuzz will be turning into real hair in the next few months. The first hairs I got were the gray ones, they grew faster and were thicker than the rest.
Some Hair Facts:
- Average number of hairs on the head: 100,000 - Red hair: 90,000 - Black hair: 110,000 - Blond hair: 140,000
- It is normal to lose 100 hairs per day from the scalp.
- 90% of scalp hairs are growing and 10% are resting.
- You must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs before it is apparent to anyone.
- Forty percent of women by the time they reach menopause will have female pattern (hereditary) hair loss.
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My last Chemo treatment was Jan 9, 2013. My eyebrows and eyelashes are coming out again. This is about the sixth time. Hair is growing back slowly and is about at one inch now.
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Finally updated my avatar and finally have something resembling a hairstyle 14 months PFC.
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Linnyhop,
Regarding your question about anyone whose hair is coming in unevenly, I would have to say, "I'm afraid, but I hope not!" My hair has JUST started coming in, still too thin to call a "cover" at all, but in the front (perhaps where I had a headband, possibly just for no reason) it's taking MUCH longer to show itself. Making me nervous. What if it never comes in in the front? (I really shouldn't complain, because - for religious reasons - I always cover my hair anyway. This is really just for myself. But STILL!!) I'm looking for reassurance that it will all eventually fill in.
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ablydec
I have found that the top and bangs are taking longer to grow vs back. That's why I cut it recently to avoid having a mullet! Hang
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I am at the hairdresser right now getting the "mullet" cut off the back. I had foils done about 3 months ago, so it's really easy to see the regrowth. The bangs and top grew about an inch in 3 mths, and the back grew more than 2 inches! My hairdresser also told me my natural color has changed from a warm light brown to a lighter ashy brown (with much more gray!). I am 14 mths PFC and the fun keeps coming!
Also lost my lashes several times after chemo but they seem to be hanging in there now...finally!0 -
Ablydec ~ I can certainly understand that you want your hair back for "you." I know I would feel the same way. I hope you see results and hope it happens really soon!
My hair stylist's sister has BC and warned me that the bangs would be the slowest to actually look normal. It's really true because as she had said, it takes a long time to grow over your forehead! As I posted earlier, the hair on my crown and the bangs look very dried out and "fried." Everyone keeps telling me how good it looks, but that's probably because of two things...1st - they love/like me...2nd - their hair doesn't look that way. But, I have to say that I do feel lucky since some women never have regrowth. But, I still hope as time goes on my hair gets a better texture! My husband told me last night that only I see it that way and told me to get over it...you can only imagine what I was thinking, but I managed to try and be humble.
Lago ~ I did go to Walgreens and looked at the generic product you mentioned. The label said it would have to be used all the time to keep regrowth happening. Do you use it on a regular basis?
I am glad so many of you are seeing progress on the regrowth. It seems like it takes forever, but it will happen eventually...both eyebrows and hair. The only bad part is that when it does return you will have to shave under your arms and your legs, but I can tell you it's something I am grateful for. Take care all and happy hair!
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Fresh from the hairdresser...mullet gone! Finally, at 60 weeks PFC, I feel like I have a "normal" hair style. In fact, I'm pretty sure I have had this style a few times before in my life. For anyone debating whether to trim, if you have a great hairdresser you trust my vote is JUST DO IT. If I had known how good this would feel - how symbolic - I would have done it a month ago. I didn't want to lose any of the growth, but in reality the growth wasn't flattering at all. For the first time since I lost my hair 16 months ago, I feel like me again
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linnyhopp Yes I use the Minoxodil daily. I only use it once a day but I'm just using it to keep my hair from falling out. The directions say twice.
You gals are looking great!
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islandmom you look great. I am about the same PFC as you. I also have those little bit of curls at the ends cause I only cut my hair twice and I also take biotin.
melody i think there are products you can use on your brows and lashes that make them stronger and help them grow back. SOme people use latisse you need a script for it. I use mary kay lash and brow serum pm me if you want some. It wont make them grow but makes the ones you have stronger.
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Carrol2 Thanks. Yes, we are the from the same "PFC Class". Your look great with dark hair. Your hair looks a little longer and straighter than mine. My curls on the front are more relaxed than the ones on the back. I have to use a hair serum or it gets tangled, which may be a sign that a trim is needed.
I have a question: Do you loose a lot hair when you wash it? Last year I had this problem, it seemed to get better but I am seeing a lot of hair on the shower drain again.
myleftboob, crazyride nice 'Mullet Free' hairstyles. Looking good!!
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islandmom i alwys had a little hair come out in the shower i think its the same as before. my hair looks straighter cause i have always had kind thin hair and i blow it all out every day.
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Hey ladies, you all look great. Thanks so much for sharing your pictures and experiences. I have a question about swim caps for those of you who have used them. I am 5 weeks PFC and have no hair re-growth to speak of. I live in Texas and have small kids so avoiding the pool this summer just because I have one boob and no hair is not an option. My question is there any difference between regular swim caps and those marketed as chemo caps or hair loss caps....other than the price? I think in most cases, I'll just wear a baseball type cap. It's not like I'm swimming laps or anything, just keeping my kids from drowning. But I do want to get a cap for the water park at least. Thanks so much for any advice you all have.
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DiZZyMom: As I understand it, the "chemo cap" or "hair loss" cap is to use during the treatments & may prevent hair loss. Sounds like you're past that. I'm in Texas too and I'm just using ball caps since the rubber/latex swim caps are HOT in the direct sun.
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