Come join others currently navigating treatment in our weekly Zoom Meetup! Register here: Tuesdays, 1pm ET.
Take our poll: Caregivers, what do you find most difficult about caregiving?
Weigh in: What are the best and worst gifts for people with breast cancer?

Hair Hair Hair - Another question

1…841842844846847…864

Comments

  • MHerzberg
    MHerzberg Member Posts: 4
    edited January 2018

    I just had my first Taxol (168 dose instead of 175) and Herceptin treatment yesterday. I have asked my MO and ON about the hair loss and have gotten differing answers. One says after about 3 weeks I will lose, and it one says that it will just really thin out. So I'm not sure what to do. I have shoulder length really thick curly hair and have debated on getting a longer pixie cut so it isn't so traumatizing seeing clumps come out. Just wondering how it's gonna go.

  • LisaCincy
    LisaCincy Member Posts: 316
    edited January 2018

    MHerzberg, I had 168 mg for my first 3 Taxols. I started getting neuropathy and they reduced it 25% to 126mg. Note that I'm 5'5" and weigh 188 pounds, so I'm quite a bit overweight, but that higher dosage was very difficult to tolerate.

    Anyway, my point is that my hair did not start coming in until several weeks after I was on the lower dose.


  • MamaOz
    MamaOz Member Posts: 239
    edited January 2018

    Leesa D.hoping your surgery goes well.. you look great!

    Mamaoz

  • leesad
    leesad Member Posts: 100
    edited January 2018
    MamaOz- thanks!! I've never looked forward to a surgery so much!! Hope all is well!!

    HersheyKiss and TriLady- Thank You so much!
  • orangedaisy
    orangedaisy Member Posts: 129
    edited January 2018

    Leesa, Good luck on your exchange. I see you had prophylactic ovary removal. Are you BRCA positive? I am BRCA2 and will have a prophylactic full hysterectomy this year, primarily to get the ovaries and Fallopian tubes. I am hoping to have fat grafting done at the same time to add some volume to my cancer side. I went direct to implant. I can't wait until I have hair to cut again!

  • leesad
    leesad Member Posts: 100
    edited January 2018
    Orangedaisy- Thank You! No I tested negative for BRCA. I wanted to go straight to AI's instead of Tamoxifen but I was still pre menopausal. I had gotten my last period day of first chemo treatment and was regular prior to that. Didn't get it again during chemo and when I finished I got monthly Zoladex shots to keep me suppressed until I finished rads and get the removal scheduled. I had ovaries and tubes removed in Nov. and glad I did. No more shots and didn't need them anymore anyway and can take the AI's which I started in Sept. Before you know it you will have hair to cut again. I had Taxotere/Cytoxan as well. I'm five months since last infusion and was able to cut quite a bit off to shape it and cut it to grow as my hair dresser said.
  • cbk
    cbk Member Posts: 323
    edited January 2018

    I was wondering if anyone has experienced eye irritation when eyelashes started to grow back in post taxol? I lost every single eyelash post taxol. It’s a very strange feeling and it’s hard to see what’s going on.

    I know I need to get to opthomologist, but input appreciated.

    Leesa-fantastic photo and wishing you luck on hopefully, your FINAL surgery. I just had prophylactic removal of my ovaries on Thursday. I will be starting Arimidex soon as well. Did you notice any hair changes after taking the Arimidex and after ovary surgery? Hope I’m not growing all this hair just to lose it all again!!

    VL22- Amazing hair only 4 weeks out. Mine looks about like that 7 weeks post chemo, except yours is a beautiful color, with NO GREY!!

  • peachyjeanne
    peachyjeanne Member Posts: 155
    edited January 2018

    This was taken today - 4 months after my last Taxol. Just started new treatment. I'm told it shouldn't fall out but may thin a bit. It's grown in pretty dense so hopefully a little thinning won't be so noticeable.

    image

  • leesad
    leesad Member Posts: 100
    edited January 2018
    PeachyJean- you look beautiful !!

    CBK- thank you! I haven't noticed any slow down in growth or any additional loss since starting anastrozole/ having my ovaries removed. It's still much shorter than how I usually wear it so as it grows I'll be able to tell the difference from before BC and post / continued meds.
  • Onyxgirl_24
    Onyxgirl_24 Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2018

    I lost all of my hair on Taxol. I started AC and have had two treatments so far. I have two more AC treatments to go and then I’m finished, but I see no hair growth. I was surprised to read that people had hair growth while on Taxol. I did 12 weeks of Taxol. I’m getting worried that my hair won’t grow back. Has anyone else had this experience

  • TWills
    TWills Member Posts: 509
    edited January 2018

    I had AC first and lost mine after 2nd treatment as expected. Mine did not start growing back until 4 weeks after Taxol ended. I've heard this from some others as well.

  • cbk
    cbk Member Posts: 323
    edited January 2018

    Leesa- Thanks for letting me know. I was worried with drop in estrogen, my much cherished 1/2 inch locks may disappear!!

    Onxygirl- You aren’t going to grow hair on Adriamycin, that chemo wipes everyones hair out. You will start growing after you finish those two treatments. Don’t worry!!

  • TWills
    TWills Member Posts: 509
    edited January 2018

    If you had chemo and you had chemo curls after treatment I'm wondering when or if it ever relaxed back to your normal? I've always have a good wave to my hair but my curls are no joke at this point. I'm 7 months PFC.

  • NotHerToo
    NotHerToo Member Posts: 18
    edited January 2018

    MHerzberg...I can only share my experience. At the 3 week mark it started falling out in a major way. I had my hairdresser give me a crew cut that night. It was all gone within the next couple of weeks, and I was very bald until about 6 weeks after the last taxol. Fuzz first, then hair. I ditched the wigs at about 15 weeks PFC..it was very short, but enough to look like a very bad pixie cut. It's been back to my normal short length for a few months now, and growing fast in spite of herceptin. Last Herceptin was last week, so another hurdle down. Wishing you few/no side effects....you've got this!!!

  • NotHerToo
    NotHerToo Member Posts: 18
    edited January 2018

    TWills, I had straight hair before chemo, and curls were crazy during initial growth. The curls are now gone and I miss them. I have a little bend left on the ends, and next trim they will be gone. I grew very fond of them and hoped they would stay. My friends dad had chemo years ago and his curls are here to stay...he hates them. We're all different I guess. It's quite an adventure with interesting surprises....

  • TWills
    TWills Member Posts: 509
    edited January 2018

    NotHerToo, Would you say several months you had the curls? Thanks:)




  • OCDAmy
    OCDAmy Member Posts: 289
    edited January 2018

    How long do you need to wait to color your hair? My hair is still fine and not long enough yet to go without a hat. It is so gray and just an ugly color. Someone told me if I colorbit now it might not take or could damage the fine hair.

  • NotHerToo
    NotHerToo Member Posts: 18
    edited January 2018

    I think a little over 5 months. The best was when it was about half and half...in December. I had a trim this month and there's just a bit left. The super curly hair was a bit much, but I really grew to like them and found curls so much easier to style than my usual course straight hair. I've been very discreet at work, and a few commented on my curls, but I just said I was using Noodle Head conditioner (which I was) but they still do not know that I had any health issues. I feel like an undercover agent, ha! The wigs were so much like my hair that no one noticed. I wear it short anyway so no one was the wiser...I teach at a college and two students were hairdressers and just commented that they liked the highlights (wigs were highlighted).

  • leesad
    leesad Member Posts: 100
    edited January 2018
    OCD Amy- I colored my hair as soon as I had enough hair to do so. I finished chemo July 17. Colored it Oct 18 and again first week of Dec. First time my hair was barely there but I could see the grey. My colorist used a gentler darker color than what I used to get. She said the hair wasn't ready for harsh blond chemicals. The color took and I was fine with it. We went a little lighter second time and now I'm ready for much lighter. My hair handled it fine and it was nice to not have the grey/white.
  • MamaOz
    MamaOz Member Posts: 239
    edited January 2018

    Deen

    yes you are almost there I started with patches of fuzz @4 weeks after but still wore my caps until 8 weeks , when I at least had fuzz all over with no bald spots

    Now 9 mo later its about 4 inches long..

    My hair came in salt and pepper, I colored it brown last month , I had very wavy hair before , now growing back it was straight but just the last few days getting curl

    Mama oz




  • OCDAmy
    OCDAmy Member Posts: 289
    edited January 2018

    Thanks for your response Leesa. I have got to do something before I go out without a hat! I thought I'd embrace the gray but I hate it

  • vl22
    vl22 Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2018

    I am 40 days post chemo. Very happy with head hair growth, but I’ve definitely lost more eyebrow hairs over the last month. Depressing.

    My eye lashes are slowing growing in - anyone else find this annoying? They are so hard.

    My hair is definitely growing back to front and I too have this one spot that is slow growing. I can’t wait until I have enough hair to color!

  • cbk
    cbk Member Posts: 323
    edited January 2018

    VL22- Don’t be discouraged. I lost all of my eyebrows and lashes late to post-taxol. I had one grey eyebrow hair that remained and zero lashes. Quite a sight!!

    I’m going to be 8 weeks post-taxol this week and yes, yes, yes I have eyebrows; I actually need to clean them up.

    Eyelashes I believe grow the slowest, mine are coming in every which way, straight and I think may be irritating my eyes. However, growing much slower than the brows. I’m just happy to have eyebrows back so I try not to get discouraged on eyelash growth.

    I’m not sure if coincidence or not, but when I started applying castor oil to brow and above lash-line, that’s when they started take off! There isn’t really any reasearch I can find that’s reliable on castor oil mixed with essential oils, but I’m convinced in my own mind!



  • scaligirl
    scaligirl Member Posts: 37
    edited January 2018

    Can I ask a stupid question? When you count the number of weeks or months PFC, do you do it from the actual last treatment day or something else? I had 3 week chemo cycles so am not sure if I should be counting from the infusion day, or start 3 weeks after that.

  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 233
    edited January 2018

    I am 1 month PFC. I just lost all my eyelashes but still have some eyebrows. I don't think I have grown any hair on my head. Some remained all thru chemo, but it doesn't seem I have any new growth at all. I have heard that sometimes the growth starts about a month out. I am hoping this is true!

    Rebekah

  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 233
    edited January 2018

    I am 1 month PFC. I just lost all my eyelashes but still have some eyebrows. I don't think I have grown any hair on my head. Some remained all thru chemo, but it doesn't seem I have any new growth at all. I have heard that sometimes the growth starts about a month out. I am hoping this is true!

    Rebekah

  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 1,951
    edited January 2018

    I went with DH to have his labs drawn the other day and they had just put up some posters. It said not to use any biotin products 24 hours prior to labs as it can effect the results of certain test. One was the CA125 marker test. Just thought I’d share this information

  • cbk
    cbk Member Posts: 323
    edited January 2018

    Scaligirl I'm counting my post-chemo from the day of my last infusion!! Cute photo there girl! Ha!!

    Rdeesides- I think it really depends greatly on what type of chemo you are on and hair results. I started sprouting head hair on taxol. But I was completely bald after A/C, not a thread on my head!! So when I started sprouting, I knew it! Maybe if you are sprouting some hair you just aren't seeing it yet because you already have some head cover? It's coming though, don't worry.


  • Jennifer522
    Jennifer522 Member Posts: 194
    edited January 2018

    I am getting taxol every 3 weeks, 6 times. #4 is next week.

    I have been getting fuzz growing on my head after being smooth Mr. Clean bald.

    My eyelashes are pretty much gone on the bottom, 3 or so hairs left. But I can see short little ones growing.

    My eyebrows are thinned in the inner section and only a few hairs hanging on in the outer section. Today I noticed growing hairs in the inner section, looks like hairs a few days after shaving.

    I am guessing all these "re-growth" hairs will fall out again before I truely start to grow some head hair, eyelashes and eyebrows back post chemo

  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 1,951
    edited January 2018

    Jennifer- I’ve done the bald thing three time now. The only thing that fell out multiple times were the eye lashes as they grow and fall out in cycles

Categories

Join Us on Zoom: Upcoming virtual meetups. Read more...
Give your account some personality! Add a profile photo.