Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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I'm 5 months PFC. Like you, shopgal, I'm not sure if I should color. I decided to keep it grey until it grows out for 1 year, then I can decide. But, I'm older than you (51). For me, this might be an easy way to transition without that awkward roots stage. Also, ladies, notice how thick my hair got! Yay!
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it's called Brian Joseph's. They make products for chemo hair loss. I'm hoping that I wont lose the brows in a few weeks. Wonder why they would come out after treatment is over
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Not really sure . But I would think a non tear baby shampoo would be gentle. I would think you could call any hair salon and they would tell you.
I had 4 cycles (every other week) of adriamycin and cytoxan. My hair started getting very thin after the second cycle.
It did not come out in clumps. By the 3erd day of thinning I figured I would have to call a plumber or see my hair dresser.
After a good cry I chose the hair dresser. of my 12 weeks of taxol I could only do 6. I am 6 weeks done and my hair is coming back pretty fast. And about the same color it was. A nice salt and pepper and very soft.
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I dyed my hair and it came out fine. Can anyone tell me why MO's are saying don't use permanent dye? I see EVERYONE saying they are afraid to use it but no one says WHY.
The good news to you ladies who have just lost your brows is that usually when they start coming in.
I have a question. I am 5 months PFC and I still wear my wig because the curl in my hair is so tight. Is anyone else still wearing a wig and if so, how are you dealing with your hair beneath it? Do you wear a net to keep it under?
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I also kept by brows and lashes a long time after final chemo (oct16) and then about 5 weeks ago I had to start using a brow pencil to fill in the brows as the few long ones I had were very fair and unless you looked close you couldn't see them. I've kept the majority of my top lashes but the bottom ones were few and far between. I started using mascara last week and I have lots of new little ones on the bottom. In regard to the hair my final chemo was Oct 16 but I had a job interview on Oct 26 so I shaved my head that morning to ensure there were no scraggly hairs around. I have about 3/4 inch of hair now, and two distinct bald spots, one of which I never knew I had on the crown. It's about the size of a quarter and is not filling in but hopefully when the hair comes in longer I can comb it over. I have my first haircut set for Wednesday to even it up since the sides are longer than the back and front, AND one side is longer than the other :-)
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Tessio, I hear you on the after spring break thing! I've been slowly pushing the beanies farther back on my head, but still no great reveal. . . . Soon.
Shopgal, your hair looks like my hair!
Sloan, your hair looks awesome.
Molliefish, you have two bald spots? WTH?
Re: eyelashes/brows: I never lost all of either one, but only in the last week or so have I been comfortable not penciling in my brows. They're actually coming back great. I never lost all of my lashes, but I think I lost more than I was aware of at the time, because they're nice and thick again now.
I've got the flu, so I'm heading back to bed. Of all the things in the world. . . I survived chemo and 3/4 of rads, and now the flu has me flat on my ass!
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Here's my hair one year apart. The first photo is about 9-10 weeks PFC, and the second one is one year later. My hair before chemo was thick and basically the same color, but it didn't have any curl to it. I'm curious to see what it does over the next year!
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Allison, I'm 5 1/2 months PFC, also still wearing a wig. I've always had longish hair, either just above or just below my shoulders. I just can't bring myself (yet) to go out in public with short hair. Maybe when it gets hot out; we'll see.
As for the logistics, I wear a net over my hair, which is about 2 or 2 1/2 inches long. I'm on Herceptin, so it's growing slowly. Over the net, I wear a band that I got from the guy who sold me the wig. It's some sort of velvet fabric and fastens with velcro in the back. It's not unlike an old-fashioned hairband, and that's where I position it, right at the hairline. Then the wig goes over that.
That makes it sound complicated or uncomfortable, but it's really not. The only issue I've had is that since the weather has been cold, I've been wearing hats outside. When I take the hat off, I have to be VERY careful that the wig doesn't come with it!
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I actually started ever-so-slightly thinning out my eyebrows during TC treatment by plucking some of the hairs nearest to my nose. My thought was to make my eyebrows on different cycles so that I would have at least some eyebrows grow in faster if I lost them all.
I'm not sure if it worked - my eyebrows did thin out a lot after treatment, but they never fully disappeared. Also, they grew back pretty quickly too and with eyebrow pencil, it was barely noticeable.
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Cathy- I survived 4 rounds TCHP and didn't lose lashes or brows. I applied Brian Joseph's lash and conditioning gel. You can order it online. It really worked!! I applied it 2x a day.
PMR53
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PMR53...Thanks for the suggestion. Just ordered some
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Southerncharm...my hair is growing back at about the same rate as yours. Tomorrow will be my 10th week PFC. I did not have Herceptin, so I can't comment on that part. It's just hard to practice patience at this point, isn't it?0
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I'm almost 14 weeks PFC, my hair has come in so nicely and I am loving it. I'll try to post an updated picture later. I do have some greys peeking through but it's mostly dark. I personally don't plan on coloring mine for a while. My MO suggested that I treat it like newborn baby hair which made sense plus I had gotten into such a never ending cycle of highlighting my hair it's kinda nice to start fresh!
I might go in soon and have my gal shape it up a bit because the curlies around the ears are getting pretty long. Oh and don't get me started on what happens during a hot flash. My hair gets sweaty and curls like crazy!
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Southern Charm. I finished Herceptin in December. My hair really has grown faster since completion. I took Biotin before and after
Cassie- my hair has exact same "curly" like yours. It only had a slight curl before.
Patty
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Here is my hair after 2nd trim. It looks like a haircut! The texture is soft and far less steel wool with the end off. It is mouse gray...needs highlights. Still no brows. First mammogram tomorrow...it has been a year since this hell started. Very terrified.
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Tjh, your hair looks great! I hear you on that anniversary thing. Already dreading it, and for no logical reason!
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well, confession time: I am 16 weeks PFC and I had said I was going to go hatless on March 1...but I didn't feel ready this am. I will post pics later, but I feel like my growth is slowing down...So, wore a hat to work....I was out hiking yesterday, and the hat was hot, and I took it off, and wasn't bothered when folks passed us on the trail...but somehow work, where everyone knows me, is different. Maybe two more weeks? It is hard to be brave...
Octogirl
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Octogirl, you are awesome. Life happens one day at a time, and that's how we should take it. One day at a time. Today, Tomorrow, Friday.... when you are there, you're there.
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Thanks molliefish, I appreciate the support!
Anyway, here are photos, taken today, as I said, 16 weeks PFC. While I think it has slowed down, it is growing...a bit more grey than it was before (I had almost none before dx). I don't mind the grey.... but I do wish it was a little longer!
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One more....
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Octogirl...it is looking good. It looks nice and thick. Mine is all gray, it was dark brown with a few grays before....Whenever you are ready to go without the hat will be the right time!
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Octo- your hair is coming in beautiful!! Nice and thick. If your not ready it's okay. You will know. I wore my wig for almost 8 months! By the end of Summer you will have a beautiful pixie. It helps to get tiny trims and shape it as it comes in.
Patty
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Octo, that's a LOT more hair than the last pictures you posted! Very thick and full.
Wear a hat until you're ready not to. Anyway, spring is around the corner.
I've started on biotin. It is pretty clear to me now that the Herceptin is really slowing things down. For instance, in the past, I never went three days without shaving legs; now six or seven is fine. I realize my nails are short not because they're growing in badly, i.e. they look healthy, no ridges, but because they're growing slowly and the ends get tattered. And it's finally clear to me that the hair on my head is just coming in more slowly than it should. So we'll see what the biotin does. I figure it can't hurt.
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Trvler--I am still wearing my wig too (at 9 mo PFC!!) and I've been wondering the same thing! My hair is peeking out at the temples. Which would be ok if it was dark, but not grey! I just cannot bring myself to put the wig up just yet. Maybe another month or two and I'll go for a cut and color and see what can be done. Right now I'm at a loss. Every once in a while I'll get out my hair dryer and round brush and see if I can tame the beast, but not yet. But then again, it's so nice to be able to "do my hair" in 10 seconds!!
Rainnyc—when you say "net" is that like the little stocking cap that looks like panty hose? I have one of those that came with my wig, I'll have to find it. I just finished Herceptin last month—anxious to see if I can tell a difference in the rate of growth.
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I have had mine trimmed twice, it looks like super short pixie. I am going to have white highlights put in next month to brighten up.....
Mammogram today was clear! 1 year out, no cancer!
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Hi Ladies:
I am about 3 months post chemo. I had a second mastectomy about 5 weeks ago and am going back to work this Saturday. I was wearing a wig to work throughout chemo because I thought being bald would be distracting to my clients. I am a veterinarian and I didn't want pet owners thinking about me and my situation instead of focusing on their pet's health and the information I was trying to give them during the appointment. I am debating about continuing to wear a wig versus going to work with very short (and sewer rat looking
)hair. Mine is about the length of Sloan15's avatar (I don't know how to post a picture). I have to say, I am self-conscious about it. Throughout my baldness I never went out in public without a wig or scarf. However, I am just sick and tired of wearing them. The elastic would give me a headache when I wore a wig all day at work. When at home, I don't wear anything. I got my courage up and started driving without any head covering this week. I used to have very long hair, however, I am very athletic and not a girlie girl (minimal makeup, no sense of clothing (according to my friends and coworkers)). Frankly, I had long hair because I was terrible at styling it and it was really easy to just put in a ponytail! Anyway, I'm just not sure I'm ready to embrace the really short hairstyle and the public knowledge of my cancer. I'm not shy about friends and acquaintances knowing about it or having open discussions with people, but strangers at the grocery store, I'm not so sure... Some of the clients at work are almost like family and they know why I have taken so much leave and we openly discuss how I am doing at appointments; however, I do worry that the conversations become more about me instead of the pet. I asked my husband if my hair just looks like a short haircut and he said that I look still like a cancer patient (just being honest). I feel like this is such a dumb thing to be worried about!!0 -
TJH- Thank God. Your clear!! Happy Dance. In a way I wish I would have gotten bilateral MX. I will have my Mamo in Sept.
Lorie- Aren't you ready for a pixie ? I did at 8.5 months and colored it. Everyone thought I just went short.
Rainny. I swear by Biotin. It works! Herceptin did slow my growth
This was 8.5 months at Christmas. It Grows!
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Laura, I asked my partner to let me know when I didn't look cancery anymore without a hat.
That time came last week and, today, I'm at work with no hat. It was terrifying at first, but now I can kiss them goodbye (other than when it's cold outside)!
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Tjh, Doing a Happy Dance for you!!!!
Octogirl, I wore my wig for 7 months. Not any more and I am feeling more comfortable. I am mostly white headed and am trying to decide whether to color or just get lowlights.
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PMR--yes, one would THINK at 9 months I'd be ready for a pixie!!! LOL And if my hair even looked like yours a tiny bit, I would!
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