Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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Lisa - It seems like us TCH girls are a bit slower with regrowth. Believe me, my hair is not growing like a weed by any stretch of the imagination. It is about an inch long on the sides, back and rear/top. The very front by my forehead is only about 1/2 inch long because this was the last part to come in. When I say "trim" I mean she trimmed around my ears to clean it up and used the buzz cut thing to even out the sides. Then she uses the scissors to clip the straggly pieces on top. It is still thin on top and I am hoping that it will fill in eventually. I found that once the hairdresser was done, it actually seemed normal, but VERY short. You and I are on the same schedule, so my guess is that you are thin and short. I think that the Herceptin is slowing us down. Hang in there, Okay?
Chelev - I agree about the short hairstyle thing. I always had hair that was a little longer than shoulder length. When I think that this time last year I was stressing about whether or not to grow my bangs out.....oh boy did I get more than I bargained for. Two months is still early, so I guess you will have to sit back and wait a bit. I didn't realize how much my hair was progressing until I saw a picture of myself from April (2 months out) and I was all scalp back then. I am hoping that my top will thicken up to the point where you cannot see any scalp, but for now I am just happy to be the lady with the short, short hair.
Good luck.
Anne
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Bold: I am with ya!!! Cool Avatar!
Lisa: The longer hair in the back is hair that never fell out. I just kept it and it is now curly. Weird....
Hang in there.... I too was on TCH and am still on Herceptin through Dec. I had a lack of B through treatment and they put me on a vitamin B Complex. I hope the Biotin kicks it up a notch!
Chelev: It's comin' girl!
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Hey ladies. Glad to hear things are progressing with everyone. Boy I know about impatience.......I am the poster lady for that. lol
Bold,,,,,,,,,,You are a beautiful gal. I see you are in Glendale,,,,,,,,,I am in Orange County too. We are neighbors. lol
Question about Biotin., I've only been taking like 1000 mcg a day. Should I up it to 5000? Wouldnt do any harm right? Maybe that will help with the thinning hair? I go to see my GP on Tuesday as I have a few problems goin on,,,,,,,,,so will ask him if Biotin 5000 is ok to do. Boy o boy,,,,,,,,,,this getting older sucks big time. lol
Have a great week all.
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Losing my hair has been the worst part of this whole ordeal. I'm so self-conscious without my hair. People told me to just wear a "scarf" and to me that's the ultimate I HAVE CANCER symbol and said no i won't do that.
I do have a little tip for those of you quite bald and are wearing wigs. I live where the wind blows a lot. I used the double sided white sticky mounting tape to help keep my wigs on & in place. I cut a strip to go from front to back, and then some for the sides. Kinda looked like a helmet when i got done taping but it helped to keep my wig from sliding around or creeping up. It also gave a little space between my scalp and the wig so it didn't itch so bad.
It worked for me, if anybody is interested in giving it a try!
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Question for those who have dyed their brows. How did you do it? Just rub some on the brows & leave it on for the same amount of time as the hair? I want to try it, but I don't want to stain my face. - feel like I look bad enough without two big brown marks where my brows should be.
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Yes,,,,,,,,,,I also used to used the wig tape. Sure kept it in place. Works great. I didnt always use it,,,,,,,,but if I was gonna be outdoors when it was windy I would use it. About the dying the eyebrows,,,,,,,,,I wouldnt know about that. I have been penciling in my brows since I was about 17 as I plucked them about that time and plucked too much. Needless to say they never grew back. lol And that was wayyyyyyyyyy before chemo. Why I did that? whooooooooo knows. All I can say is they used to be very bushy,,,,,,,,,,so I started to pluck them and before I knew it,,,,,,,,I had plucked too many.
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Nodapearl - what my hair stylist used to do when she was putting color on my hair is to dab a little bit on each brow to cover the hairs (my brows were a little thicker, but the grays were taking over - had hardly any grays on my head, but they sure liked the brow hairs!) and leave it on for about the same time - she'd wipe it off with a damp rag and anything that might have stayed on my skin we hit with color remover. For doing it at home, what I'd do is something similar, but use toner or a little perioxide to wipe off any residue. Use a Q-tip to apply it to the brows, you'll get it closer to the hairs, and less on your face. What I do at home is leave it on just a little less time than the head, so I get it off first, and then rinse the color off. That way, you shouldn't end up with commas over your eyes.
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Chelev - thanks for the info. I think I'm going to give it a try tomorrow.
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Nodapearl, you can buy color that is made specifically for the brows and it is less likely to stain the skin. And if apply it with a clean mascara brush, you get as much on the skin. Good luck.
I want my hair back - now! I want to look like me again. I could deal with the aging effects of the chemo a lot better with hair.
How's that for a Monday morning whine?
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I'm there with you, Lisa. I could cry, except it might make more of them fall out - my beautiful, long thick lashes are almost gone!! I woke up yesterday and noticed a clump missing from each, and this morning there are less. This is almost if not more devasting than the hair loss. The Latisse - do I need to get a prescription from my dermatologist or can the oncologist do it? I am so depressed!!!
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Lisa - thanks for the mascara brush suggestion. I am going to do it tonight.
Chelev - The brow/lashes loss was worse for me than ANYTHING!!!! I got the latisse from my PS. It is expensive. I couldn't use it when I first lost my lashes because my eyes were so irritated. I just started using it last.week, so I haven't seen much results yet.
I could deal with this whole process better with hair. Its like every time I look in the mirror, it drives it home that I am sick. I am sick of the cancer girl look.
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I know!! I never really felt more like a cancer girl than I do now - the bald, hairless, scarred cancer girl. GRRRR!! Am on the phone with my dermatologist now.
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Since we seem to be bitching this morning
This is me just a year ago; healthy (I thought), thinner, long hair, without a clue as to how my world was about to be altered.
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Lisa1964 - i was looking at some photos from last year, and felt the same exact way. i keep telling myself that i didn't know i was "hatching" cancer. i may be fat and bald now, but at least i'm cancer-free.
i found the best product ever for eyebrows: Dalton, The Brow Fix Natural Look Brow Gel with Brush from QVC. i was using the anastacia brow kit, but this one is so much better. you just brush the gel on, you don't have to be exact, i'm actually quite sloppy with it, and then when you comb it thru with the brow brush, it looks totally natural. i got the blonde tint, and i'm so loving it, i may keep using it when my brows come back.
tip: you can't really use this is you have NO brows. i still have my natural arches, they're just patchy.
my hair's about half and inch all around now (my last chemo was 5/13). it's so soft, i love it! i can't tell if i have greys or not. still won't go out without my wig, but at least i'm comfy walking around topless at home now.
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Hey Lisa, Nice Butt!! Yeah its a trip when you figure we all had no idea what was brewing. But now one of our BIG and I do mean Big complaints is our hair. I am getting hair it is just not all over. its long ,short, gray, black and soft. (I was dark blond PreFC.) I hate the bald spots. Can anyone reassure me that my hair will most likely come back full again. I have seen pictures and it look to me that other peoples hair comes back in all over. HELP!!!! Isn't anything going right?
Hate to complain. I am much better emotionally than I was last week. Radiation is taking a bit of a toll on me. I call it my China Syndrome.
I got my gyger counter clicking.0 -
The good news with the eyelashes is that they come back really fast. The brows come back pretty fast, too, but mine had a mind of their own and grew back in every direction, so I had them waxed even before they were really full
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How long after chemo will the brows and lashes start to come back? I didn't loose mine until right before my last chemo. Such an awful surprise for an otherwise very happy time. I am about to start 7 wks of radiation, and after that I will get more Herceptin. Will this affect growth as well?
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Tennisgirl, my lashes came back pretty fast, the brows not so fast. For some of us, herceptin seems to slow hair growth.
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Bold, I am also a patchwork girl with hair growth. Some parts look like they are starting to grow and others, well, I don't know. No matter what is on the head, when I scratch my head, I still touch scalp all around. I'm trying not to be too bummed out because it does appear that it is moving in an upward/outward direction (Nioxin helping? Don't know). Brows are like some wild thing growing back in - long weird hairs, little hairs, clear and dark. Trying to tame them without plucking at least until I get enough to have a full brow!
Have an apppt. with the derm on Monday to go over the lashes, rather the rapid reduction of my lashes and to get started with Latisse. I am noticing my eyes watering a lot, don't know if its allergies or lack of lashes.
Decided not to wear a wig to work today, wearing a jaunty little hat, that while is cooler than the wig and not as itchy, I've decided now that I see it in the mirror at my desk, screams "cancer hat" because it's something I'd never wear normally. Oh well.
Have a hair-if-ic day, everyone!!
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Chelev - my eyes were itchy & watery with no lashes. The latisse seemed to make itching worse, that's why I waited until I had some regrowth before I started using it regularly. Now I don't have any problems with it. You can put it on your brows too. I have been using it for about a week, and it seems to be helping.
Bold - radiation is taking a toll on me too. I think its because everyone said how easy it is. I hate it!! I am ready to pull the plug on the whole thing. I am sitting and waiting on # 9 of 33 right now. I want to get up & run out of here.
Weird topic - nose hair. My nose dripped like a faucet until I got them back. Noticed a 5 o'clock nose shadow, and the snot dried right up. I guess I do have something to celebrate!0 -
Did everyone grow back their hair in unwanted places first ?? My hair is growing back but not on my head. I am going to have to start having my legs and bikini line again
I am sure the underarm hairs are not far behind. 0 -
Chelev: My eyes are watering all the time lately. I was thinking it was allergies or just the remains of chemo. You would think that the chemo should be out of our systems after 7 weeks. I do see little lashes coming in.
Bold and Nodapearl: I start radiation at the end of July. Is it the fatigue or what else should I expect?
Jaimieh: ( I love your name by the way!) My hair seems to be coming in all over at the same time. I am sure your head hair is coming!
Question....Do you all think that there is a difference between blonde and brunette hair growth?
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Kathleen, I am almost finished with radiation (24/33) and have only just noticed fatigue at the end of the day starting last week. Skin is very pink, but in good condition otherwise, and I am tender and a little swollen mostly on the side of the boob. Much easier than chemo!!
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Jamieh-My hair on my legs were the first to come back. I was shaving them 2 weeks after last chemo! T he... shall I say... southern-regions? were the slowest to come back, I actually thought that area was gone for good... but no luck;-) I also got a fair amount of white facial fuzz that I really do not like! But I was told to leave it alone and it will fall out. I sure hope so! But I have to say I think that if you are shaving your legs then the hair on your head is going to start to come in fast and furious... I am sure of it! Just hang in there!
Oh and my eyebrows are finally starting to fill in, my eyelashes not so much .... and my last chemo was March 13!!!
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Thanks Kathleen
I do think there is a difference I had blonde hair prior to losing it and even though I have some hair you can't see it unless you are close. I got a bottle of hair dye and I am really tempted even though I know I have a ways to go BUT my luck is I will dye my skull instead.
Susan I hope you are right because I am going to need some serious growth to cover my shiny head. My eyebrows are spotty but not too bad. My left eyebrow is missing more and my right eye lashes have holes in them. I sure hope they continue to go and come back like this a little at a time.
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Nodapearl, you cracked me up with the nose issues!!! I hate going to rads too. But I am 1/3 done so I will hang in and do the dos. We are doing all we can right?
I WANT HAIR NOW!!!! WAAAAAAAA! there my hissy fit is over for the day and now I will go about my business with dignity and grace. WAAAAAA
maybe not.0 -
you all crack me up!
sadly, i have to start shaving my legs again. my last chemo was 4/14 and i almost have coverage on my scalp. i think my last day of radiation (6/29) will be the day i celebrate and go out without a baseball cap!
now....i'm missing my "free" brazillian LOL! wondering if i should shave or wax to keep the "look". that hair is the itchiest coming back LOL!
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I have hair allllll over my body. Been shaving my leges for months. don't even want to talk about the fuzz on my face 0
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I have the white facial fuzz too. Nodapearl - Also dislike rads a lot (just the monotony of it and "exposure"), but know it is doable. Feel bad about that since all the techs and Dr. are very nice.0
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Bold, thanks for the compliment on the butt I used to have.
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