Hair Hair Hair - Another question
Comments
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Stellina I had a different chemo than you. I had chemo and herceptin all at the same time then continued herceptin after chemo to complete the full year. My hair normally grows quickly so just a bit slower on Herceptin. Wish it grew slower now. Need to get cut/color more often when it's short
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Lago, I'm sure you just enjoy your pretty hair and have as much fun as possible with it.
My hair has never been coloured before and I don't intend to reach for the colour bottle very soon, but if it will be necessary, I'll do it. For the moment, I change my hair colour with my wigs, I have them in various colours and cuts, it's fun. But if I'll have to deal with them a whole year, I'll sort of get fed up with this kind of fun.
I'm just anxious about having coverage, even though there are other issues to be considered with Herceptin as well. I'll just have to experience and see.
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Stellina, tears don't mean you're weak, they mean you're human. I think that it's interesting that so many of us are more affected by the loss of our hair than of our breasts. Maybe because it's so much more obvious? I'm not taking Herceptin (seems to be about the only thing I'm not getting) but wishing you the best for regrowth with it. I take the Hair, Skin, Nails supplement--Nature's Way--and so far my hair and nails are holding up pretty well, FWIW.
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Warrior, you know what I think about hair loss vs breast loss? It could be because since the breast could host a structure that unfortunately takes a life, you sort of don't miss it, since it was a source of such suffering and danger. But the hair, well, it just is sacrificed because the breast hosted the tumor. It's sort of a collateral and innocent victim. It is more touching.
Nah... It's because we are from a culture that associates women with (long) hair. Hair in a women is an ornament, I think it's in the Old Testament. And as you say, it's a very obvious thing, not easy to conceal. When our health causes us problems, we prefer discretion, yet a shaven head is like a huge neon sign pointing out our health issue.
You know, a century ago medicine for typhoid fever or measels made the hair fall out... I found this when reading about the last tsar of Russia. Of his five children, daugther Tatiana lost her hair when she was curing from fever, there are photos of her with very short hair...
And here is a link with a picture of the five children of the tsar after they were shaven since they had lost their hair when treated of the measels.
http://www.freewebs.com/moonlight_tsarina/otmaa191...
And here's one with the daughters of the tsar from the same period:
http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc331/Tina_1812...
Nowadays medicine has evolved. I know not all chemo medicine makes the hair fall out, but hopefully research will progress to the point where chemo will no longer make the hair fall out.
Well, I'll know soon enough how my hair will behave. What's important is that I get this medicine to help me in my fight.
And thank you very much for the hint with Nature's way, I hope I can find it, I'll memtion it to my onc, maybe she knows where and how I can get it. I already do scalp massages and started eating green fruit and vegetables... I just want the pixie head in spring!
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Very interesting post Stellina! Hair does equal health in people's minds, now that I think of it. Very thoughtful...thank you.
Are you near a Target? They sell the Nature's Way supplements there.
Best wishes to you and may you HAVE that pixie head in spring!
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I'd say about a year out. My hair is thinner than before unfortunately.
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Hi Ladies, thought I would post what the hair growth has looked like for me. It's coming in, but never fast enough!
Haven't decided if I'll keep the grey/white and the curls are out of control, especially in the back. Start at the bottom! P.S. Sorry for the sideways pics. Don't know how to fix that.Now, six months
Five months
4.5 months
Four months, come on hair.....grow!
Three months with my beautiful daughter
Two months with friend Mona
Wig, which I hardly ever wore, it was summer and hot
Chemo is done
Before chemo
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Donnabelle. You look awesome. Thanks so much for sharing your progress. It gives me hope
I have one treatment to go and cannot wait to have hair again!0 -
Donnabelle, your hair is beautiful! Congratulations; I am very happy for you. I am 29 weeks PFC (almost 7 months!) and I am still struggling with hair. I just get my lab results and everything used to check hair issues is normal: thyroid, testosterone, zinc, vitamin D, iron. I've been using Rogaine. Do you have any advise for us slow pokes?
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Just need someplace to bitch so thanks for listening. It's partly a hair story anyway.
Yesterday I lost all my right eyelashes. I'd been using Latisse since last April when chemo started. I kept lashes & brows all through Taxotere/Carbo/Herceptin & Perjeta that ended 8/7, as well as a couple of stand alone Herceptin/Perjeta. Then surgery the end of September. Then the tumors hadn't shrunk enough so more chemo in November - Adriamycin & Cytocan. I fell so crappy the month of December that I didn't use the Latisse. The third AC was 12/11 and the fourth one cancelled due to SEs. I started Latisse again the first of the year, but obviously too late. Left eyelashes are still great. Eyebrows are still fairly thick. Weird. And it makes me angry at myself for not following through.
Then today I lost 3/4 of my left middle fingernail. Looks truly horrible. Again - I'd iced during Taxotere (which ended the first of August) and had no problems. This nail always had a split going towards cuticle so I had a nail shop repair the tip w/super glue & put on a light coat of clear acrylic last November. It had grown out at least 1/2 way and was doing OK but started turning bruised colors about a week ago. So yes - AC did hit the nails too. Double damn. The other nails are still a bit weak & brittle & peel back some, but are growing nicely.
As for the head - I've been so cold that I haven't really taken a look under my various caps for awhile. Hair had started growing back before the 2nd chemo - then I just gave up & lost it again. I already have a light fuzzy burr on top. Too little to see much but you can feel it.
Guess I need to get on Biotin. 5000 mcg per day, right? Can you take that during radiation?
Thanks again for letting me vent.
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thank you Sue and Jumpy. I am lucky that I have always had good thick hair and it seems to be coming back that way, but very curly, which is new. I have been taking Biotin, 5000 mg each morning. Hard to tell if it's helping since I don't know what would have happened without it. My fingernails have some small issues, but my toenails look black and awful.
Hang in there Minus Two. Sometimes it seems to take forever for things to work out. This is a challenging journey, no doubt.
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My fingernails were a mess from the Taxotere, but they recovered nicely; they are back to normal now. I just lost the nail on my right big toe, but it is growing out slowly. I had a few toenails get black and ugly. And, I still have one toenail that hasn't grown since chemo. The rest are growing back healthy. I also had thick hair that used to grow fast. I don't know what the problem is. It took me 10-12 weeks to get canny hair back. Since then it is growing at about 1/2" every 4 weeks. But, the top is sparse. UGH!
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stellina, thank you for that very interesting history lesson :-) I hear so much about the progress of chemotherapy becoming oral medicine (pills) instead of IV treatment at the hospital, I just hope one day not only will it be as simple as a pill but they will have figured out a way to avoid the hair issue.
I think what you are saying about our attachment to our hair is profoundly true, even though you mean it as a joke: there is this idea of the breast being the traitor, and the hair the victim. For me too, the hair loss was much harder than the breast loss, and I think that among all the reasons given (cultural, etc), this could be one of the answers.
I want to say thank you to Donnabelle and all those very brave women who shared their hair progress; I remember looking at Lago's pictures for months, praying I'll get there. Well, here I am, still with my hair short (and I HATE it) but they're growing. I can finally see (some of!) them falling in the shower strainer: icky but so wonderful.
Someone talked of scalp massages: I did that a lot and I think it helped (the scalp's vascularization is stimulated this way); I used those head massagers:
I also used (and still am using) castor oil on the eyebrows and eyelashes: first, it's great for make up removal; second, it's supposed to stimulate the regrowth (RevitaLash has castor oil in it, and I'm a green freak so I just used castor oil and no extra chemicals products). I left some on my eyelashes before going to bed, to let it "act" during my sleep. It's a bit slimy but as soft as almond oil: I had no irritation of any sorts (but do check on your hand before trying it around your eyes)
All my love and courage girls. Keep looking in the mirror 'cause you're gonna see yourself back in there, and it's going to feel amazing. Patience and strength!
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Hello, girls,
Today I'll keep it short and simple, I just had my first herceptin treatment and I'm slightly drowsy afetr one hour walk home. But I'm so happy about this walk, the sun was shining and a yoing couple was kissing, amd the air was silky soft... Oh, I can't explain it, but I just thought today is fantastic.
I just wanted to share my onc's - the patient one - view about hair growth during herceptin - and it might help any lady impatient to have her head covered with hair.
She told me that most of the patients had normal hair growth during herceptin, but a slowing down of the growth is however conceivable. She said that chemo and targeted treatment is after all a supplementary effort for our body and then its functions suffer its consequences. She said that treatments affect our system in general, but since oyher treatments don't affect hair this way, we tend to not to pay attention so much to the speed of hair growth.
But, in a nutshell, I should not worry, my hair will grow back before I know it.
Here I can't say anything, even taking off my wig was enough to surprise me that there is change from yesterday to today.
@ Donnabelle: your hair is wonderful, I can't wait to sport a head like that! My birthday is in July, maybe I'll be able to party with a head of hair like that! And I love how you always smile!
@ Jumpy: did they let you keep your hands and feet in some coolers during taxotere-chemo? I saw on the wikipedia page of the drug how the lady on the picture was equipped with such coolers to keep her nails from eventually being affected by taxotere... That's why I ask. I'm glad to read your nails are restoring!
@ littlecalico: thanks, I love history... And there are several more history celebs that sported bald heads as a consequence of health conditions or silly experiments.
Well, I too hope that cancer-fighting drugs will develop to be more targeted, more discriminating and causing less collateral - maybe even none - damage. And I'm sure it will happen, medicine and science progress as we speak.
Scalp massages are an excellent suggestion, I started them as soon as the hercpetin request was approved about two weeks ago. I think I'll continue even when the hair is longer, it's pleasant and useful. I massage with the fingers and palms.
Oh, I just saw we have the same diagnosis... Are you on herceptin alone, without the chemo?
Ah, finally I ended up writing a novel again...
Hugs and courage, girls, may the force be with us!
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Maybe my constant fuzz-petting is massaging my scalp. I can actually pinch a few hairs now between my thumb and my index finger, and the scalp coverage is getting thicker. Hopefully it keeps up....
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donnabelle,
Your short look is fabby! Really accentuates your pretty eyes
. Very "Jamie Lee Curtis" 
I'm 6 weeks PFC today, & am developing a very slight 5 o'clock shadow on top. I had been hoping for brunette as a nice change from mousy brown, but am reliably informed what is appearing is more white/grey.
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Thanks JennieWren1. I will say one thing for the short hair, it is easy to take care of in the morning! I remember blow drying and straightening and how much time it took. I know I will probably get back to that eventually.
Does anyone remember how a "bad hair day" could ruin your mood? Well, I've had about 180 bad hair days now! And I don't care. Maybe people are just being kind, but I'm getting lots of compliments.
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Hahaha yes Donnabelle, for sure I remember the bad hair days...I shall never complain...or at least I won't let it ruin my day !
stellina, I did chemo too, my entire profile was not public for some reason (it is now)
I just finished Herceptin (last month). My oncologist also told me Herceptin was not about the hair, and that some women felt their hair was growing faster after Herceptin, but it's only because the time after Herceptin is a time further away from the chemo so that obviously, your see your hair grow back more. Something to keep in mind while you're on Herceptin :-)
Lago (with an L, right?) I agree, fingers are as good as the cooking robot! Fingers that can be ours or someone else's! At the end of Herceptin I felt like I needed a treat, so for Christmas I asked for a full body massage (feet, legs, back, head) at a massage institute near my home. It was great and I am sure my scalp says thank you.
Warrior70: yes it will keep up. So keep petting and loving them!
Another good thing is to try cold water on the scalp at the end of the shower: same idea as the massage, it stimulates the regrowth by waking up the blood vessels. I also remember trying everything that had vitamin B (i think) in it, because it is good for hair (the vitamin letter I am not sure about): it involved eating a lot of berries and fruits in general. I remember that for some reason, although I suffered from diarrhea after the chemo (and still does a little), for those two months PFC of berries-eating and vitamin-searching, I had almost none. I think my body understood I wanted my hair back ad said: "ok, I'll help you...and when you have some hair on your scalp, back to digestion problems!" Was nice of him. ;-)
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Well I can finally see the little hair growth without holding my head under the light. I have little fine spike. I washed and massaged my scalp and it felt sooo good. I too remember all the bad hair days and all the money I spent at the saloon. I used to get my hair done every 2 weeks, wish I would have put that money aside to treat myself once this is all over.
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Hi ladies-
I had my last Taxol treatment on Dec 11, so I am 4 weeks post final chemo. Here is a hair pic. It is really growing:) I use the 3 step Nioxin and take the Biotin supplement every day. I return to teaching after taking the semester off for chemotherapy, and I am going wigless. I wear a lot of headbands these days! I feel 100% back to normal. I juice almost everyday and work out for 45 minutes to 1 hour and I swear it helps.
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Wow Nicole, your hair is growing quickly! Looks great!
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DXat32, saw you in the Taxol thread...looking GREAT! What are you juicing? So good to hear that you feel 100%.
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Donnabelle, so true about the bad hair days. For years I used my hair to hide behind and now I just don't care. I'm going to continue to let my hair grow out but it's definitely easier having short hair.
Your hair looks great and so do you. I love the photo with your daughter.
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DXat32 - your hair looks great.. really coming in nicely.
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Nichole, you look great! Are you thinking of keeping it short because it really suites you, from what we can see lol
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Nichole: great pics. Thanks for sharing. My last chemo ws on December 12 and I could only wish my hair were as long as yours (at least on top). Pray, click your heels 3 times, wish upon a star, or whatever it takes to send me good vibes for hair growth.:) Glad your feeling so well too. Very encouraging. Good luck back at school, takes a ton of energy to be a teacher!! I regulary work out too and I also think it helps with fatigue etc. God bless!0 -
Haha girlstrong! When I Click my heels I will say: "There's nothing like NED. There's nothing like NED..."
If any of you are interested, please PM me...my Facebook page has a "weekly fuzz update." Chemo hair porn...irresistable, I know! I have Taxol #10 today and will post a photo tonight. Don't hesitate...the more the merrier!
Wishing you all love,
Michelle(Warrior 70)
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Warrior70 - it's so great to keep hearing your fuzz updates! I am sure it's more like regular hair instead of just fuzz now. It's very encouraging for those of us just starting taxol. Congratulations on finishing #10 today! Two more too! I will have #2 tomorrow. My countdown has begun - stills seems like a long way to go but I sometimes can see the light at the end of this tunnel. I am hoping my hair fuzz starts growing soon.
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I was 35 and had long hair at diagnosis. Lost every hair on every inch of my body. My hair didn't start coming back in for about 2 months after finishing dose dense ACT. It was a good 4 months out before there was enough hair to go without my wig in my sales job...and even then people were a bit shocked. It was about an inch long and the color of a grey mouse. The thing I really didn't expect was that my eyelashes and brows didn't really return until about 6 months out. BUT...now I am four years out and my hair is long again, falls past my shoulder blades
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