Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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Hi to all, I'm finishing up my taxotere after my next ct scan or 1 more taxotere treatment. I have extremely,extremely thin hair about 1/2 in. Long. My question is should I shave of this hair and start again with a fresh bald head or just let it alone. I thought I read somewhere that this hair would fall out when the new hair growth restarts. Hopefully, I will get to stay off of chemo long enough to grow some hair.
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lago - what if my nodes were clear? What are the chances of developing mets when I had clear margins/nodes?
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noonrider you need to ask your onc to get the specifics for you. It's a combination of things including tumor size, grade, age, family history. My MO says even though I don't have nodes I'm high risk for recurrence if I don't do the hormone therapy because of the size of my tumor. Lymph nodes are the typical way the cancer cells can escape but they don't know everything about this disease. There are women that do get mets but never had any node involvement (according to our current methods of testing).
Highest risk for recurrence is in the first 2 years. After that your risk drops and continues to drop as you get further out. I have read that low grade can recur years later more often than high grade but I don't know how big the study was.
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I have a hairline I haven't had since my 20's, hair seems to be growing everywhere! I have the fuzz on my face and in front of my ears it is actually dark. I may have to get one of those little shavers. I know others have had this, does it go away eventually??
I also have what looks like a bare spot in the front just above my forehead. It is where the seem in the wig hits. Looks like there is white hair there but I'm not 100% sure that there is as much white hair there as the rest of my head. I have to figure out how to get my pictures in here so they aren't upside down!
On the Arimidex issue, my MO said any of the AL's can cause thinning, including Tamoxin. She said it is a low occurance and if it happens to me they will put my on something else. Definitely worth trying.
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Homemom, I had a fuzzy face around the 2 mo mark, when I shaved it off. I'm 4 mo out now and it hasn't come back. YAY!
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Puffin - I love that you are posting weekly pics - this thread got lots and lots of looks from me over the last 7 months - mostly for pictures! They are inspiring.
Noonrider - the benefits of Zometa for you seem a bit confusing, maybe your oncologist can give a better analysis of the reasoning. I seriously had to meditate/psych my self up days in advance of chemo because of the severe Neulasta side effects - not sure if I could sign myself up to do that again unless the benefit was HUGE. The hair thing, mine is coming in pretty think too and it would be hard to lose again - is Armidex a guarantee of hair loss? I might try and see what happens with the side effects & determine from there. I am on Tamoxifen for the time being, 1 month in & no se's except for the very detailed vivid dreams of doing normal tasks (bummer!) & then not remembering if I did task in real life.
Jaimieh you are beautiful and that hair, is it red? Mine has definitely started thickening at 12 weeks and now seems to be getting thicker but not longer, hang in there!
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I have been on Arimidex since mid-March. My hair looks great - no loss or thinning. Don't be afraid of trying this drug because of concerns about hair.
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Bow: My understanding from my MO's explanation, is the Arimidex causes bone loss, the Zometa is to combat that.
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Minus Two - Regarding your post below. My MO suggested Zometa to prevent bone mets. However, the studies that point to the effectiveness for preventing bone mets are for post menopausal women (I'm 67). I'm not certain if it would apply to those who have gone through menopause early because of bc TX. There is a separate Zometa thread (which is not very active). Some experience SEs, and many, like me, do not. Some Stage IV ladies are on it monthly and seem to be doing fine.
Before Zometa, I had a follow up bone density from two years ago. I expected that 5 months of chemo would have damaged my bones. Not so! I've had osteopenia for years, but not osteoporosis. Of the 3 things they measure on bone density, hip, etc.., only one of the 3 went down one tiny tick. The other two things actually improved a tick. Go figure! My MO's office warned me that because I do not have osteoporosis, I may have to pay for my infusions myself. At most, insurance would have covered one of the two yearly visits, since there are only successful clinical trials on the effectiveness for it as a bc recurrence preventative. In my Northern VA office, the cost to me will be $350. I'm told it adds 3% against recurrence. I will gladly pay that out of pocket if need be.
"MinusTwo 4 years ago my MO's plan was to put me on Zometa (already had osteopenia) once I finished chemo because there were studies that said it prevented bone mets… then at a conference another study said it didn't so she then decided against it. 6 months later a bigger study came out and proved it did but we never revisited the issue."
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Thanks MomMom. I'm 70 so well past menopause and I had mild osteopenia before chemo & rads. My spine is fine & stayed the same through treatment but my hip dropped several points. My Mo thought maybe Evista, but I don't want the SE of possible stroke & blood clots. I'll look for the studies on Zometa & I've made a note to discuss with new MO and with Gyn before they set a date for removing my port.
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I am 4 months PFC, and actually got my hair trimmed last week because it was so uneven - 2" on the sides and back & 1 1/2" on top. I followed my hair stylist's recommendations for in-home coloring. Got Sally's brand demi permanent hair color in very light blonde with gold. She told me it would cover my gray and leave the darker hair the same color. I could have left it on for 30-40 minutes, and choose to leave on only 30 as my hair is so short, but if I do it next time, I'll leave on for the full 40, as the gray on the sides is not blonde enough for me - still looks grayish. You can't see it too well in this pic, but some of my hair that sticks up on the top has grayish tips and darker roots - now the tips are sort of blonde.
It looks quite punky. Lol. Still not up to going topless outside my family. Hair curly (for the first time) on the top center of my head, straight on sides and slight wave in back. So weird - but I'm happy to being growing hair!!
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Mommom, yours is about the same length as mine. (I'm also 4 months PFC) And my hair is about the same color! mine is starting to kind of curl on the top when its wet, but as soon as it dries it is back to stick straight. ODD!
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Noon, Your hair looks pretty consistently the same length, but mine was so uneven, it was nice to get it trimmed.0 -
MomMom - you look stylish ... I like your hair - don't cover it .. I actually think it looks good and by not covering it, I think it'll grow faster.
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Thank you Nancy! I'm just hesitant to go without my wig where people have only seen me with it throughout treatment. When it gets about twice as long as it is now I'll be more comfortable. On the other hand my gym friends have only seen me in cotton skull caps, so I'm ready to go topless there.
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MomMom - your hair looks great! You are 1 month ahead of me. I had my husband measure my hair yesterday! LOL It measures 1 1/8". My hairdresser was probably right when I saw him last month. He said in a few months it will look like a nice short haircut. That will put me at 4 months PFC! I have the same issue - people have seen me only in my wig. I'll have to tell them that I got it cut super short to cut the color out.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Marie
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Mommom - looks great!
I am 9 weeks pfc, and still just fuzz, - and kind of sparse 
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This week's hair progress, last chemo on Sep 18:
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Sort of taking a poll ... with so much talk about wearing wigs and head coverings, have any of you gone al'naturale?
I saw someone out at the store the other day who was completely bald and she looked great. I knew instantly (or assumed, rather) what she was dealing with in her life but it didn't strike me as too odd. If anything, I felt intrugued by her bravery to take the situation at face value and not try to cover up (again, assuming the situation).
I had my husband shave my head this morning and am really contemplating how I feel about going out in public like this. I sat with a wig consultant and even have one on order, have bought a bunch of new hats and scarves & a friend gave me her hat-hair to borrow ... but neither of which is comfortable for me, especially the full blown wig. It's just not me - but neither is a bald head. Then again, all my firends & family know my situation and should I care what strangers think?? I am fortunate to be staying at home w/my young kids right now so don't have clients or other office-related situations that might suggest wanting/needing to cover up. That said, I do woryy some about other young children - kids friends, etc - who I inevitably will cross paths with. They have a harder time understanding why "so & so's" mom is bald.
Anyway, I was just curious about why so many feel the need to cover up and for those who don't, why they decided not to. And I will add ... so many of you who post pics, esp. of hair growing in ... you all look great and from a strangers point of view, I wouldn't have knownthe difference.
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MidLife - Bought a wig but only wore it a couple of times. I stayed covered up with Buffs most of the time because my head was so cold. Now my hair is just over 3" but my ears & neck are still cold. I've been going au naturele since I had 1/4" of hair, but always carried a buff for warmth.
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I found a wig (which I'm wearing in my profile photo) that looked so much like my original real hair that my friends are amazed when they learn it isn't. My partner was comfortable with my going bald or wearing scarves or my wig around the house, whatever I wanted. I've either gone natural or scarves around the house. I did not feel at all comfortable going out in public with my bald head, I either wore my scarves, my wig, or my hair "ring" under a cap which made it look like I had bangs, hair by my ears and hair along my neckline which was nice this summer for picnics and outdoor activities. My 87 year old father was having a tough enough time with all this, I always wore either my wig or a scarf or my hat with my hair ring when we visited him, for his comfort.
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I have a nice wig, - but it gives me a headache =/
I agree with you, Midlife, that my friends and family know I dont have my own hair, so a wig seems silly to me!
I do sometimes wear it going out for 'occasions' (my daughter's wedding was 2 weeks after I lost my hair!), but I usually wear bandanas, or caps. My head is cold without anything on now that the temperatures have dropped!
I am 4 days behind you, Puffin, - last chemo was 9/22, - but dont have nearly as much hair yet!!
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I wore a wig to work (teacher). Most of my students knew I was being treated, but I didn't want my bald head to be a constant reminder for them. Most thought I kept my hair. Even my coworkers were fooled by my wig. I had a weekend wig and a work wig. It was kind of fun switching the 'look' a bit. I went without once I was home. However, since I was bald during the winter, I often wore a little cap to keep warm. As soon as I had reasonable coverage, I ditched the wigs and enjoyed a very short hairstyle. Fortunately, it was mid-summer by the time I could go without.I think some woman can really pull-off the bald look. During radiation, I met a young woman who was beautiful with or without hair. She looked great! Unfortunately, my head was not so attractive with it's bumps and bulges.
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I wear a wig to work, but at home I'm primarily wearing hats and scarves. I wear the wig to work because I don't want people who don't know me to feel uncomfortable or ask questions. I wear hats and such at home for warmth, and because I don't think that I am particularly attractive bald. Maybe if I lost 75 lbs. I'd look cute bald, but not now. I also don't want my teenage son to be uncomfortable.
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MidLifeCrisis- I was 36 y.o. and I went all bald. My friends got me dangling earrings to wear. I showcased them. I had a wig, but the chemo hot flashes were horrible. So I figured it was better to go bald or remove a hat then take off my wig at the table in a resturant. When I started getting my fuzz back I still just let it happen.
I use to have straight fine hair, now I have some Curly Fro'. I'm 10 months post chemo. The curls are thick. My oncology surgeon has assured me that this hair will fall out and I will get another type of hair. I'm starting to embrace the curls and had to by shampoo for them, but I miss my other hair.
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I never wore a wig. I bought one, and I bought several different hats only to find I have a tiny head. And it was summer and I was SO HOT!!!! My head sweat constantly! I just went bald all the time. I felt it oddly empowering.
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I bought a wig and a halo, but I've only worn the halo once and never the wig. My head gets cold, so I wear a hat when I'm out, but at home I don't wear anything unless I'm cold. I have yet to go out in public without a hat or scarf, though. I'm not sure why. Probably because with my very sparse hair that's left (which I refuse to cut now, lol), my head just looks weird.
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I also think some people look good bald ... I didn't have the confidence to go without a wig or scarf/cap... but once my hair came back, I took off the wig .. I didn't mind having supershort hair and once people got the first look, they seemed ok with it also.. I did have to learn more about using makeup and wearing bigger earrings.
BosumBlues - don't give up hope - my wonderful thick chemo curly hair changed back to my "regular" hair at about the 14 month mark after treatments were done (except the anastrozole) and I do think the meds are thinning my hair some but it is definetly my regular normal hair ... just saying you may still get your thick testured hair back...
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Hello all and thank you for the compliments - much appreciated. Puffin, your hair is growing really fast.It never occurred to me to not buy a wig. When a friend in my book club first joined, I recall her looking so pretty and thought her blonde hair was beautiful. I had no idea until much later that she was going through chemo (same chemo as me) and that it was a wig. She had cancer 13 years ago and had such a wonderful attitude. She was one of the first people I contacted when I was diagnosed and knew I'd be losing my hair. Hers was an expensive natural hair wig, and I knew immediately that's where I wanted to get my wig - cost be damned. The experienced stylist there took a brown wig and highlighted it with several colors to look almost identical to my hair before chemo. Most people at my church never knew that I was going through bc treatment because my wig looks so close to the way my hair used to look. I long for my old hair, but realize it will probably be two years before I get it back to the way it was (if ever). Meanwhile, I'm glad to be getting back any hair and am trying to do the best I can with it. The only thing good about it is that it certainly is maintenance free:-)!!
Another thing about this lovely friend from book club. Her attitude was the greatest. She (and another friend - 23 years out from bc) both had the same ACT I did, and both of them tolerated it very well. They were my shining role models. I never wanted to come to these threads until I was well in to my chemo, honestly because I didn't want to read of anyone else's bad experiences. And when I did come to the threads and if someone was about to undergo chemo, fearful of the outcome, I told them of my positive experience. I know everyone has a different story when it comes to chemo, and no one goes completely unscathed from it, but knowing of just one other person who did well is an amazing booster.
Back to the hair...I got my hair buzz cut 2 weeks to the day from first chemo and it didn't fall out until about 10 days after that. It was empowering to loose my hair on my own terms. When I was bald, it was winter and cold in the house. I never walked around in the house without a cotton cap on and slept in a very lightweight cotton sleep cap. If I went out, I wore my wig. I have two very cute cotton stylish caps that I wore to chemo treatments and the like - places where I felt comfortable going without the wig. I exercised nearly every day during treatment, sweated profusely, and wore cotton "skull" caps to the gym. Today on the elliptical I was so darn hot even with the fan blowing on me, and I ripped that sucker off. Felt great! My regular gym friends are SO supportive, I don't care if they see me without the hat. However, I don't want others who have only seen me with the wig without it until I'm completely comfortable with my new hair. It will be awhile before I'm there - maybe another month or two. The difference is drastic.
I've noticed that younger women feel more free to go without the wig or hat. I met a late 40's woman who decided to go bald throughout her treatment. She had very short hair when I met her, but I knew she had gone through chemo. She told me later that every trip to the grocery store took longer because she would have about 5 people approaching her in the store and telling her they'd be praying for her. Lol. Needless to say, she's an awesome approachable person.
Bottomline, everyone is different and should do whatever makes her feel most comfortable. All that said, I cannot wait until I no longer have to wear the wig all the time. It looks great, but I'm SO tired of wearing it, and the first thing I do when I come is take it off.
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