Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I dyed my hair as soon as I had enough to dye. even while on chemo. My hair came back all white and I hated it at first, it was foreign to me. I kept dying it because it did not take color well and new growth showed white, so my hair looked even thinner. I then opted to just let it go white and I used a platinum blonde to get rid of the other colors. I am now almost 7 months pfc. It has filled in a lot, can't see scalp anymore. But still shorter at top near bangs, then back and sides. I am still on Herceptin (makes hair grow slower I am told) and just began arimedex, 2 weeks ago (so waiting to see if any loss from that)
I want to add, that total strangers have stopped me and complimented me on the color and style. I left it messy today with a hair band a new look I discovered at the beach. I feel now like its a "normal" short hair style, not just post chemo hair. I'm liking the platinum blonde look. Need to learn how to coordinate make up and clothes colors for it, I have been a brunette all my life.
I like my hair now, and it makes me feel better....I pray arimedex leaves it alone.
Happy Hair !!!
Vivian
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I acually went for a haircut today !
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naiviv and jb, share pictures please! Naiviv, your hair sounds nice. I've decided to leave mine white also but it seems to be darkening up some. I'd rather it be white than salt and pepper but I keep saying at least it's hair. I hated my bald days but loving this short style. I like how you said it looks like a normal short hairstyle and not chemo hair. I like the white/platinum look like yours jb.
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Lisa, This was taken this weekend at the beach. I discovered the leave it wild and wear a headband look.
The color is platinum blond extreme from Feria. It adds a blond tint to hair. If you have dark hair it will lighten it. (I seem to have a stripe of darker hair/roots coming in the top center of my head only.) Maybe my color will return???. I think it's interesting that my eyebrows/lashes came back their natural color as well as my arm, leg and other body hairs which I lost all completely. So why did the head hair come back white?
A couple of pages back I posted a hair story from my long hair to the white new growth.
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naviv- beautiful!
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Thanks Kite.I appreciate you reaching out to me. I know that there's always good and bad reviews, I had just read that noonrider was in some sort of
trial and thought maybe she learned something there and I could have more of a (definite maybe ) that it could help.
Fake reviews are unfair!!!!!!I'm new to these boards and I'm not sure if she was getting a bit bothered with my question or not? I'm usually
too uncomfortable to reach out to anyone. It took me over a year to decide to take a chance on this forum. I'm proud of myself for trying.
I might try Surge. I had my last chemo Oct 31st so it's been around ten months. I've read where a lot of women at 9 to 10 months have about 6
inches of hair! Wow, that would be wonderful. I've had a cough lately and I guess I'm focusing on my hair to try and avoid what could be wrong??!
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Oh don't ever worry about bugging me! I takes a lot for me to be either offended OR bothered! I'm a mom to a lot of people, I get questions all day long. LOL
All this talk about really short hairstyles that are really post-chemo hair, made me remember something and now I feel really bad. Or maybe its good?
About 18 months ago I was in an international airport here in the US and stopped at a coffee shop. The gal who served me was in her mid 20's with an ultra-short hairstyle that was just ADORABLE. It was also very very blonde. ( I would say almost white.) I loved her hair. I complimented her on her hair, it was so adorable. Now, looking back, I bet it was post-chemo hair. I'm glad I stepped out of my shell and complimented her. I hope it made her feel good about herself.
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Lexie,
I think cough may be a side effect of arimedex. I was reading about it in the posts on that thread.
V
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naiviv, I love it! And I also have a darker strip down the center of my head. Initially I called it my racing stripe. Mine is curly and getting longer than my avatar but cropped and close to my head. Can't make it stick up. Just curls in little curlicues!
Noonrider, the first compliment I got about my post chemo hair was 2 weeks ago. I told this story I think. This pretty waitress said she loved my haircut! I said thank you then when she left I got teary because she complimented me on my hair when I felt it was still so obvious chemo hair but she didn't know. My husband was so confused, I said they were happy tears. I looked normal I guess!! It felt soooo good. Now I'm so aware of women's hair (almost obsessed, looking at color and all short "styles") and will make sure I compliment women on their short hair because maybe that's just what they need, maybe it's chemo hair!
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Lexie - Don't despair. I'm 9 months PFC and have barely 2" of hair. I do think Biotin has really helped. My hair is very frizzy & curly where before I had just a touch of wave. Also it's dark brown and most of my pre-chemo hair was grey. Tomorrow I'm going to have it shaped a bit in the back - gulp. I sure hate to cut off what I worked so hard to grow but the curls in the back of my neck are soooo unruly. I love the pixie cuts but not sure my hair will be straight enough to sustain the style.
Thanks ladies for all you hints & helps.
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OMG... It's really hard to read how long it takes to get your hair back. I'm only 1 month out and started Arimidex 4 days ago. I am so tired of being bald, having no eyebrows or lashes. I'm not all that to begin with and now, I feeel like I look lile a freak. I know it's vain of me, but enough is enough. I feel ugly all the time, that I don't hardly ever go out. And now I'm worried that the Arimidex will delay my hair growth. I have heard and read about Biotin, and Hair Surge and even coconut oil. Do they really work or is it just a crock of bs, And is giving false hope? I don't know. Sorry for being so negative, I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know what I mean? Thanks0 -
Laurais: I do swear by the Biotin. I started taking it after I finished chemo & radiation. But I do know some of my slow growth is because of the ongoing Herceptin infusions.
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Thanks Minus Two, I did try and get some Biotin today at my local Rite Aid and they didn't have it, so I will look for it over the weekend.0 -
Don't feel bad.......I feel like a freak too.......
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Hi Laurais50,
I've been taking Arimidex since March now. I finished my chemo this past Halloween. I know what you mean about feeling ugly. I'm not
even being negative. I just feel boyish, fat, bloated, sweaty, and so not at all who I use to be !
Hang in there though, sadly youare not alone. It sucks.....
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Lexie- no worries! I don't think noonrider has any issues with your comments. We are all pretty laid back here. This is my favorite thread by far. A lot of the ones I follow along with I don't speak up on very much. Some I have in the past and felt shut down. Thanks for reaching out though and giving us a try! Big hugs.
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I'm sorry ladies. It's just what I thought Oh well, it is what it is, I guess we have to try and live with it. Goodnight, thank you all for being here...
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Laura, I totally know what you mean. I was so vain that I picked the chemo based on whether I would lose my hair r not, finally got the red devil and lost it all. it is growing back but looks like crap, curly and I hate it, guess should be grateful that I have hair not but not really, can't wait to dye it for now it is purple, dyed it that way bright purple, where I don't have to look at the gray...Hang in there it will happen, maybe not as you want, but it will come back...My hair was always my identity, I had beautiful long blonde hair for my whole life, now it is fugly....sandy aka blondiex46
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Yep, Losing hair is such an insult when you already feel lousy, demoralized and stressed. I have to wrestle with that feeling regularly, then I get some interest in wigs, caps, scarves, etc, until the next little tantrum. Kind of a pattern. I have definitely had hide in the house days, as well as get out there and be with people days. The cooler weather sure helps with all this, for northern North Americans, anyway. If I lose hair again from chemo and its summertime, I will try to get a little tanned. I was too grumpy to bother this summer, but it would have helped my self image, I think. Hugs all around!
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Bosum that is exactly how we need to look at the changes. Accepting change was what helped me the most in this ordeal. I had very straight hair prior. I will most likely never have straight hair again, but who is to say that wavy or curly hair cannot be beautiful. In the last 3.5 years I have never straightened my hair not even once, except when it was very short because it was "wild".
Getting used to my new boob size after reconstruction took about a year. In the beginning, I felt huge. I had had large breast in the past, but they fluctuated with my weight. This time I was very thin, so they were very noticeable. Once I accepted my new shape, it all started to feel normal.
When people give us a compliment they are seeing beauty, maybe we should too.
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Thanks Kite, As the days go on and I post a bit more I'm finding so many kind women that
seem to say just the right thing
I really don't have too many friends to reach out to about this.I asked my surgeon if she knew of anyone at our hospital that needed some help. When I first
found out about my breast cancer I saw a few women who seemed to be all alone and it really
bothered me. When I asked the surgeon on the first day I met her (it was actually a breast
clinic for women who just found out) she told me helping is wonderful but for me to wait til I was
done with my treatment and had more strength. That made sense to me.... This forum is sort of
helping me in a way that I haven't really had along the way. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR
BEING ONE OF THOSE WOMEN!
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islandmom I have had curly wavy hair my entire life. Now there are those wonderful flat irons and anti frizz hair spray. You can have the best of both worlds now!
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I know that each case is individual, but the women I know who lost their hair and it came back different (curly if it had been straight before), eventually got back their original hair after a year or more. Are there some women out there who never got back their prior hair texture?? I can understand color changing though.0 -
So I'm going the rogaine route to help fill in the bald areas on top in the front and back, fingers crossed!!
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I discussed the hormone blocker with my MO today. She is going to test my blood in three weeks for the hormones since I am really on the cusp of being menopausal. My last period was the end of June 13' but started chemo in May of this year. Chemo put me in a "chemical menopause". She said I could go with the arimidex - I said I hear women can have issues losing hair again on that. She did say it was a small percentage and then she mentioned the two other hormone blockers for post menopausal women. I have been fighting to get my hair back for 5 years, I dont' need another issue keeping me from going back to my healthy hair
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MomMom - about a yr after all treatment except the meds, my hair has gone back to its original hair - much to my disappointment .. my chemo hair was way nicer than my real hair.. chemo hair was dark, curly, thick..my real hair is still dark but with gray mixed in, straight and no body..
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I posted a question awhile back about chemo hair because my hair came back wavy in back and more fuzzy on top. It was super straight pre chemo and I really don't know what to do with it. I really hope mine goes back straight. I am 7 months post chemo now and have a lot of hair but it is pretty wild. I hate to complain because any hair is better than no hair but if you know any way to tame this wild hair I would love to hear it.
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I'm with you pamelapugh.. Same for me. I guess I'm focusing on my hair because that's one thing at least
that could make me feel somewhat familiar. (if I can get it to look a bit like before this nightmare) I will
pray for both our heads! LOL
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Thanks, I can use all the prayers I can get. Maybe in a few months it will change for the better.0 -
Well, I went for my first shaping 8-1/2 months PFC with hair 2 to 2-/12 inches. I really just wanted the side "wings" on my neck at collar level blended in. The lady who's been cutting my long, straight hair for 15 years obviously isn't a curly guru & now I'm short & curly. Sigh. The side that I could make stay down now pokes out. Yet to be determined if the side that was pokey no matter what I did is now straighter. I like the curls but will have to find & break in a new hairdresser. I love the pixie look but I don't think it will work w/the curls & waves and actually I'm afraid to cut anything more just yet. Honestly if I just wash my hair & towel dry I have a pretty good 1970's 'fro' going.
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