Hair Hair Hair - Another question
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Hi, everyone. This thread has been really informative. Thank you everyone for being so generous with your stories. I just had my first session on dose dense A/C a week ago. Three more sessions to go. Then on to Taxol/Carboplatin.
My oncology nurse told me to expect to lose my hair around about 10 days from now, so I'm going in for a pixie cut tomorrow (my hair is past my shoulders regularly.) I plan on wearing a wig or headscarves as soon as my hair starts looking very thin.
Would anyone who was on A/C share with me when they started losing significant amounts of hair, or when they were fully smooth headed?
Sort of a dumb question, but would I use a gentle shampoo on my bare head/scalp? Or use the same moisturizing body wash I use all over? Gentle facial cleanser?
I'm also really curious about eye brows and lashes. When did those go on A/C? Was anyone fortunate enough to keep them? I'm considering microblading the brows (oncologist gave me the okay for that.) Has anyone tried that?
Thanks for entertaining all these questions!
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hi Agatha
I had dose dense AC followed by DD Taxol too. As far as I can remember my hair started falling out after the 2nd ac dose, and each day then as I brushed it it would just keep in coming as long as I brushed it. I was sorry I didn't do what you're doing, get a pixie. Its much easier than having long hairs on your pillow, floor etc. I think I was fully bald then, bar a few hairs that didn't go within about a week or so. I did get a buzz cut when it was 3/4 gone, it was great, didn't mind the rest of it falling out then as it was so short anyway. I used a gentle tiny bit of shampoo, a no sulfate one, not sure if it made a diff but I had no problems with my scalp anyway.
My eyelashes and eyebrows stayed all the way through treatment until 1 month after last taxol, when they did all go. But they did grow back very quickly. It wasn't long until there was a "five o'clock shadow" kind of as eyebrows! Was weird. I found the website eyelineher.com very good for showing how to to "tight lining" to disguise no eyelashes, and she also shows how to draw on eyebrows very well.
Best of luck anyway, hope the treatment goes smoothly for you.
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Hi Agatha, I was on the same regime as Hopeful, and my hair story was also the same. I did, though, get the short pixie cut first. I, too, thought it was better to lose short hair than long hairs. Eyebrows and lashes stayed until chemo was over, which i thought was odd, but they did grow in quickly! My head was not itchy or sensitive, - just felt chilly when bare!
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I had really long hair, almost to my waist. I got a pixie cut just before my port surgery. Before it really started coming out, my scalp hurt. It was similar to how it feels after having my hair in a too tight ponytail all day. It started falling out a couple of days before my second dose dense AC infusion, and came out pretty quickly. I buzzed it off after a few days of heavy shedding. I had a lot of hair, and couldn't stand the feeling of it coming out by the handful in the shower. I also used a lint roller on it every day to speed the shedding up.
My brows and lashes hung on through AC and came out about halfway through DD taxol. I finished about six weeks ago and now have fuzz on my head, my brows are coming back, and I have stubby eyelashes
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AgathaNYC
My chemo treatment was different. I did buzz my hair and I asked a barber to do it. I think barbers are better dealing with short hair. And most everyone in a barber shop get shorter cuts so there is no one to stare at you or at least no one stared at me. My DH used gel caps so I only lost (maybe) 40%.
My lashes went three times and the first was early January 2017 when I was over chemo and on Herceptin. I lost them three times but they returned fairly quickly. I did use Latisse to help with the growth. The first two times the lashes came back the hair felt funny (too fine, wrinkled ...).
As for my brows, last week I stopped filling them end. The gaps have finally closed. My brows are better than ever. I doubt that I ever wax again! I finally have girly shaped brows and not my Daddy's brows.
Coach Vicky
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My hair started falling out just after my second AC treatment. I had cut it short a few weeks before. Eyelashes hung on until AC was over. It all started growing back around my 6th taxol treatment. Funny story... my husband was going to buzz it for me with his clippers. We got all set up and he started but we neglected to charge the clippers and it died halfway through. Just added insult to injury. I had to wait a few hours for it to charge to finish shaving my head. My teenage son was just dumbfounded when he came home from school and saw my half shaved head. He tried to be so polite thinking I did it on purpose. It was rather funny though
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Agatha ...I lost my hair around day #14 after first AC. At first it was a lump of hair when i brushed it. Then it would fall out by the clumps in the shower for the next 3 days. Then I thought I was looking like Gollum from the Lord of the rings so I buzzed it off. The hair itself actually did hurt when I would touch it, having a ponytail in too long describes it best. So when I shaved it, I felt so much better! The eyelashes and eyebrows managed to stay on until last AC was over. I started Taxol with no brows or lashes. Good news is I'm on week #5 of Taxol and I have hair stubble on my head!!! It's coming back. As for what to use on your bald head when cleaning, I wash my face with Dove and then just keeping rubbing all of head! No shampoo. Same with my facial moisturizer, I do all of my head. Good luck! But remember whatever you decide to do, it's ok. Do what's right for you, none of us on here are the same, what works for me may or may not work for you!
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I was on different medication, but my hair/scalp hurt and I had my husband buzz my head and it was actually a relief because it stopped hurting.
My daughter does permanent make-up and she micro-bladed my eyebrows before I started the chemo and I think it was great for me. She does really nice work and I don't think I could have drawn them on straight myself. I probably would have looked like a cartoon character everyday, but it would have been fun to draw them on to match my mood of the day - LOL
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I wish I had known about microblading before I started chemo. I would have done it. Losing my eyebrows was actually more traumatic for me than losing my hair. I feel like having no eyebrows makes me look sick, and I don't think I could do a passable job of drawing them on, so I've just been without eyebrows since early August.
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To Agathanyc
I was on FEC for the first four treatments, and my hair began to fall out day 21 - three weeks after my first treatment. (I had buzz cut it by my hairdresser - we both cried!)
I did not lose my eyebrows or eyelashes until I started docetaxel (final four infusions) - but then lost them all.
I am almost 15 post final chemo - my eyelashes are coming back (but are very, very fine) but my eyebrows aren't yet... there is small fuzz but that hasn't seemed to change for weeks.
Wishing I had done micro-blading for eyebrows! If they don't come back - eyebrows are the least of my worries since there are wonderful ways for tattooing them on permanently if necessary.
CoachVickey.... when did your eyebrows start to come back PFC?
Re: shampoos... I just used a small dab of regular shampoo (no conditioner, fragrance etc.) and soaped up my scalp... no issues with drying/itching scalp.
Hoping this helped.
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Canadian G,
Last week was the first time I didn't fill in brows. Whatever is left on the Latisse brush I put on my brows. My last Herceptin was 14 Aug.
Coach Vicky
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I'm just about to start my journey - 1st round of chemo either this Wednesday or Thursday (AC every 21 days for 4 cycles, followed by Paclitaxel with Herceptin weekly for 12 weeks,then continuing Herceptin weekly to complete 52 weeks).
At the moment I'm choosing to look on the bright side:
- I'll save a bundle on hair care products & haircuts
- Will be freeing up space in my bathroom cabinets by boxing up hair care products, brushes, blow dryer & curling iron until I need them again (hopefully by this time next year)
- Once I get my wig(s), I'll never have to deal with another bad hair day for the next year
I'm attending a Look Good, Feel Better workshop Monday morning and then going to a salon that offers free/low-cost wigs for chemo patients for a wig consult Monday afternoon.
Of course, we'll see how that attitude holds up once I actually start losing it (my hair, hopefully not my mind). But at least it gives me some sense of control for the time being.
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You have a great attitude Tab! Best of luck to you. I'd add that you get the chance to wear colorful scarves on your head. I've been surprised at how much I have liked headscarves!
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I have been following this thread for the last month or so. I am 1 week PFC from 4 cycles of the TC regimen. I started losing my hair on day 10 after my first infusion. I lost about 80% of my eyebrows after infusion #3 and still waiting for growth. My eyelashes are intact so just waiting to see if they will fall out.
I had a short bob before I started losing my hair and didn't shave it for about a month after it started falling out. I didn't cold cap and lost about 90% of my hair. When I finally got my head shaved, I asked my brother to leave a peach fuzz amount of what was left since I didn't want to deal with any irritation. I haven't seen any growth yet but am hopeful based on some of the experiences here. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences. I bet I will end up buzzing my hair, too, once the fall out is significant.
Hopeful17 and AnotherNYCgirl - That's great that you didn't have too much scalp pain and that your brows started to regrow soon. It makes me feel so much better to hear that.
Also Hopeful17 (I love that screen name) - and thanks for that blog recommendation. I remember seeing her in Vogue :-)
lovepugs77 - Congrats on the stubble
CoachVicky - congrats on the fantastic new brows and thanks for the suggestion of Latisse.
LegoMaster - your son sounds great :-)
Susie - thanks for the support and advice. I hadn't really thought about moisturizer, too.
MistyEyes - How great to have a make up artist daughter! did you also to eyeliner to help with the look of your lashes?
CanadianGirl58 - I cried with my stylist, too, on Friday. I didn't think I would, but as soon as I sat in the chair, boom, waterworks. She said she's had to do this far too often with clients. I left smiling, though.
TabzIsMyAngel - you have a great attitude. It's so true about saving money and space on hair products. I have a big box of stuff ready to give my friends. Right before I was diagnosed I bought a nice heated straightening brush (smh!) Good luck with the treatments!
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AgathaNYC- I was really kind of afraid to do the eyeliner, sometimes I wish I had it done. I still am not sure I can have someone coming to my eye like that. lol
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Hair update on the "Hair, Hair, Hair" thread.
I am 15 weeks PFC. I have 'something' - a lot of fluff - over all my head - but very, very thin on top and on crown - and temples.
My eyelashes appear to be growing in nicely, although they are very thin & transparent at the moment. Eyebrows.. not coming in but can always tattoo them. I had been on docetaxel for my final 4 chemo sessions.
Below are pictures I took yesterday of the very little hair I have (although this is a big improvement since when finishing chemo I was as bald as a billiard ball - shiny skin only). It is only within the security of this forum would I ever share these pictures. It also includes a shot of me the morning of my very first chemo treatment - Feb 7, 2017 - when I had hair.
Can anyone relate to my very slow growth and thin patches? If so, does it grow into normal hair eventually and, if so, how long did it take? Will the very thin patches fill in and, if so, how long does it take? Is my experience normal? Thanking people in advance.
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Hi All
I have a friend that needs a wig. She lives in Montvale NJ. Any recommendations?
Thanks all
Babs
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To HapB.... glad to know you're getting some growth... mine first started around the bottom of my head (fuzz at 7 weeks PFC) and then minute hairs (barely discernible) at top of head at 9 weeks PFC... white then turning to gray/white. Good luck! I know you've been worried but it looks like yours is starting now.
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Hi, Babs. Would your friend come in to the city? If so I can recommend Helena's on West 31st. It's really not much to look at from the outside, but their work is really good.
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Hi Babs,
If you google "free wigs for cancer patients", there are various resources such as the American Cancer Society, Lolly's Locks (need to show financial inability), Friends are by your Side, E Beauty Community, Susan G. Komen, Cancer Care (free wigs and/or financial assistance). Just google all these resources for details.
The cancer center at some hospitals have a "wig bank" that lends wigs. Also, maybe a bit too far away, but BCRC (the Breast Cancer Resource Center, which is part of the Princeton YWCA) has wigs to lend. Maybe a Y in your friend's area has this cancer resource too. Some do. Also you or your friend should try posting the request on the "NJ/NY/CT/PA ladies" thread here on Breast Cancer.org. Maybe someone from the Montvale area has other ideas about local resources.
GoodWishesScarves.org offers a free head cover (scarf/wrap). HopeScarves does the same if you google them.
Has your friend checked with her health insurance? Many insurance companies cover a wig if an oncologist writes a prescription for a "hair prosthesis" (I think that is the term they use, but it could be a slightly different term).
Hope this will lead to something.
Regards,
Carol
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Canadiangirl- I think your hair coming in looks pretty good. It looks evenly dispersed. I am glad you took a picture, looking at it everyday you don't always see the growth but in the pictures you will see the difference. Mine grew in faster/thicker in some areas faster than others. One side still seems thinner and slower. Maybe my hair is just thinner on that side of my head.
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Thanks mistyeyes. I remember when you had offered that advice. At the time I actually tried.... but the miniscule hair didn't even show up in the picture yet! Re: your hair growth... did yours did eventually fill in pretty well? Enough so as not to have to wear a wig?
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Thank you all! My friend is not a cancer patient so I doubt insurance will pay anything. She is a young woman who has severe hair loss. poor thing! At least ours dies grow back after chemo ends.
Bab
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CanadianGirl - My head is covered with hair and it is quite thick, but still very short. I have been going with my wig or head coverings to the stores, I have been wearing my wig only to work. I have a Herceptin treatment in the morning, so I am only working half a day tomorrow, I decided that I will stop wearing my wig tomorrow to work. Its still short, but there is a girl that works here that keeps her hair short like that, and its the in-thing in Hollywood right now. LOL (and the wig is really driving me crazy). My hair is long enough to have bed-head in the morning. I remember how excited I was when I woke up one morning and had messy hair! I have to wet it or put some hair product on it to lay it down.
You have a good start! It will fill in to cover your scalp.
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Sending you positive thoughts on you going without your wig tomorrow! A milestone landmark in our personal journeys! And thank you for your response.
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Canadagirl, it's coming! How frustrating that the progress is slow.
Hap, I'm so glad to hear you have some shadows on the side.That's your beautiful hair fighting like hell to poke through! Hang in there!
Mistyeyes, your bedhead comment cracks me up. It IS so strange to wake up and have hair ready to go! (and by "ready" I mean my 2mm long strands don't budge). I look forward to having hair long enough to have to deal with bedhead.
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Hi my hair didn't grow back well. I have big bald spots all over the top of my head. 5 years after cancer treatment. I still wear my wigs but I am getting tired of them. I don't know what to do. Can anyone relate to this?
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I'm 65, did 7 taxotere, H&P and then have been on H and P for 3 years. You can see how thin my hair is in front and not the same length as the rest. It is pretty much shoulder length but grows very slowly which I believe in part due to age and continuing treatment. I have only had snips off the ends, never a true cut. The back is very thick and full compared to the front. I'm planning on layers in December. I want to keep it all long enough to pull up when I'm hot! Please Excuse The Poorphito...its 3 Am.
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To Beatmon - thanks for posting your picture... your hair looks great even if it's not up to what your previous standards/expectations had been. You'll love your layers I am sure.
And thank you T-Sue for your encouragement.
Best to all!
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