Cold Caps Users Past and Present, to Save Hair
Comments
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I used Brianjosephs.com brow gel on my eyelashes and brows.
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Hi, Kim.
It is SO awesome that your not sick from the A/C.
OMG! I had a hard time with that one. I was ready to end it, but my MO asked if I wanted to live.
Okay, so he got me there. He dropped the dosage down, but it was still hard.
Thank God, the Taxol wasn't hard on me.
You must be a tough one :-)
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hey JoeyJames - I'm doing 4 rounds of Taxotere & Cytoxan. I believe your meds are tough. I wanna feel like I'm being tough but you're giving me too much credit lol
thnx Leslie AGAIN for hair tips & eyebrow tips. YYou have been a life saver. ♡ Kim0 -
Glad you hear you are doing well Kim.
My assessment of regimens based upon reactions I've read over the years on here is that Adriamycin is called the Red Devil for a reason...tough stuff.
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I used Brian Joseph's for my brows and Smart Lash from Dermastore for lashes. I kept enough to manage to get by.
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anyone use RapidLash serum for both eyelashes & eyebrows?? If not, I'll buy both recommendations from Warriorwoman
thnx. Still tired Zzzzzzzzzz feel like I can't snap out of this. ... I know one day at a time. Ugh. Kim0 -
I kept most of my lashes and brows during my 4 TC treatments, but lost all of them shortly after chemo ended :-(
They grew back fast though - I treated myself to latisse and lashes are better than ever.
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Raindew, how long after chemo ended did you start the Latisse?
It's hard to tell if the brow gel worked because not everyone loses their eyebrows and lashes, but so far mine have stayed in. It's only been a week since my final TC, tho
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I used latisse throughout treatment and kept my lashes. Then when I ran out a month ago, I stupidly switched to generic Latisse- Careprost. Now my lashes are falling out. I already see growth but I'm so upset. Maybe it was switching formulas that causes the loss or they were going to fall out 8 weeks after chemo anyway. I ordered brand Latisse and pray my leaves return to their former glory. I know I should count my blessings for keeping hair but I just look weird . Maybe because it's a reminder of chemo is why it bothers me so.
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Yeah it kind of sucked losing lashes - bothered me more than brows which were easier to draw in (I never lost all of them, they just got thin, so was more about filling between the dots, easy)
I started latisse a few weeks after chemo - maybe 3 or 4? Lashes are amazing now, waaaay better than before :-) I will probably keep buying this stuff...it's like crack for eyelashes.
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RainDew! - Ha ha!! I guess I'll be asking my MO for a prescription
crazy. Trying to hang onto every little strand of hair now I worry about looking like a freak with no eyelashes & brows. Hopefully they'll just thin. Don't even know how to pencil them in if they would fall out. Ahhhh. This cancer stuff really sucks :-/ 0 -
Hi all...I'm a newbie on the forums, but have gained a LOT of insight through this thread. I'm really trying to stay positive but I'm officially 1/2 way through treatments & lost a lot of hair, definitely over half of my long thick curly/wavy length. However, I have okay scalp coverage, mainly little balding above both ears...which my hair covers, and one or two inch breakage in some parts, so enough to cover the scalp. Had a big loss @ day 24 for about a week & then it slowed, but stayed consistent lighter to medium shedding?... I'm doing the PCC w/ dry ice. I did 8 wks/4 does of A/C surprisingly w/ NO side effects (woo hoo! other than lil weight gain 12ish lbs...I think comfort eating!) & now have completed 4 out of 12 wks of taxol. I wonder if the caps are/were not being put on tight enough initially? My mom & mother-in-law have been total angels to commit to doing this for me while at the hospital for the 2 hours. It's a short drive... I time it so when I drive home, hubby is just getting home from work & takes the extra 4 & 1/2 hour shift after & I notice he puts the caps on a lot tighter than they do
I am doing everything Frank said, silk pillow case, babying the hair, taking silica, no hats,...I just bought biotin vitamins & hope it helps a lil....I am grateful & not trying to complain, just feeling a little down that's all...I have my 14 month old FT at home since I'm off work & feel awful every time I sweep or swifter, she still finds a way to try to floss w/ a newly found piece of my hair, yuck!....One of my nurses said taxol won't cause hair loss, just thinning....not sure if anyone else has heard this....? Any advice is helpful? Keep on fighting ladies 0 -
Quick question for people … I got some spotty CC coverage during my first treatment along the nape of the neck and I think (sadly) possibly a little further up on one side. Has anyone tried adding the PCC bands on the second treatment or later with any success? Is there any point to giving it a whirl? (It's not the end of the world, but I'll try it if people feel like it helped.)
GPK, I went down the rabbit hole three days after treatment and I'm coming out four days later. Third day into SE was the most uncomfortable. Now on the fourth by afternoon I'm feeling much better. Hang in. Get some fresh air if you can. I found going for a walk really helped. And drink lots and lots of water. That helped enormously. (I mix mine with cranberry juice and ice.)
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gpk, sorry, forgot most important thing: take awesome naps. the water and the air are for in-between the naps.
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Well 4/4 finished today. I was so happy we rushed right to UPS to send them back! Officially done! But nervous. I didn't have a lot of shedding during my treatment (I had Taxotere/Cytoxin) but I'm hoping I don't get the bad shedding afterward. Guess I'll have to wait and see. As of now I look totally normal!0 -
Curly, I don't know if you knew that cold caps are not always successful with the harsher AC chemo regimen, but it actually sounds like you're doing OK. Hair loss at the nape of the neck and around the ears is common with any chemo regimen. You made it through the tough AC part with hair and you shouldn't lose much more while on taxol. I obviously can't tell if the caps are on tight enough but you can sort of check with your fingers to make sure there's contact with your head all over. You can also try kneading the caps while on your head.
Congratulations, jennjdance!
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jc254, Thanks...I did read a little into how the AC can be quite harsh in general as well as for cold capping for some...I'm still happy to have what hair I have & be half way done w/ treatments! I will try kneading caps while on my head also
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HammettHaus - Use dry cornstarch on your mats when your hair is dry to help detangle them. It is very powdery and silky and will not harm your hair. It can be found in the baking aisle of every market for about two dollars. I used it to get out my mats when I was shedding.
Sprinkle it on the mats generously and work it through them gently with your fingers. You will be amazed by how slippery a dry substance can be and you will feel the hairs begin to slide over each other. Comb the mats out painlessly by starting at the bottom of any size tangle, working at it patiently, a bit at a time. Use a comb, the leading edge of a dry wet-brush or your fingers to pull the lowest hairs apart, whatever works best for you - always working from the bottom of every mat. As you free the bottom parts, you keep working higher.
If you have long hair, try to hold the hair above the tangle with one hand while you work on it from the bottom with the other to minimize pulling on the roots of your hair. You will end up losing any hairs that have already come out of the follicles, but you will not lose any extra hairs as long as you do not pull on the roots of them.
I learned this cornstarch grooming trick from, of all people, a top dog handler when I was showing a long haired dog that easily got major tangles. Corn starch works miracles. Just this spring I used it to get a gigantic, thick mat out of a friend's hair after she had been in the hospital for five days with no one combing out her hair. Everyone thought her hair was going to have to be cut off, but it wasn't necessary. Corn starch got the 3" thick mat out.
Good luck!
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Jennjdance, congrats on finishing chemo! Another cold cap success! There is another topic to talk about Life After Cold Caps. Join us!
I lost some my eyebrow and eyelashes, but not much.
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Congratulations Jennjdance!! That is awesome you're done!!! So happy for you. THNX Pch .... Feeling REALLY good today. Even vacuumed the house. Woot woot. Washed my hair. Went well. Of course, not shedding yet ( only 5 days out) but still nervous. I never let my hair dry naturally so probably going to hate it. The only time was when I was vacationing in the islands
if I could only go there now!! HockeyCat - thnx for reassuring me I MAY not lose all my brows & lashes!! Enjoy the beautiful day ♡ Kim0 -
I hate the way my hair dries naturally but I guess I should just be glad I have hair! I can't wait for my first trim.
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kim, private messaging overload on bc site. topped out for the day. but wanted to let you know something. paulacooper33@hotmail.com
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Thanks to everyone who helped my friend from Phila who is doing TC and was interested in the caps! She is going to try them!
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Well, I'm 11 wks PFC and still shedding
It's slowed down but if I touch my hair 5 hairs will drop... My hair looks absolutely awful!!! Dry, stringy and unkept looking....so I wear a ponytail...but then worry I am just putting stress on the follicle. Don't know what to do with my hair to make it look ok since I can't use a blow dryer.I would say I have lost 35% of my hair, but it is almost entirely underneath. I have complete coverage....and still no one who didn't know me would know that I am without so much hair. As much as I hate the way I look, I am still grateful I haven't had to wear a wig and see gigantic clumps of hair on my pillow. Though my sweaters are covered with my hairs!!!
I will say for those doing cold caps...prepare yourself that significant hair loss after chemo might very well happen. I have to say, I wasn't prepared for it. I thought it's over....and boy oh boy post chemo has been soooo much harder on me regarding appearance.... Hair and skin. I lost my eyelashes and 70% of my brows during the last weeks of chemo and PFC!! Happy to say they are both mostly back. They fall out and grow back within 2 months. I also have dark circles under my eyes that I didn't have pre-chemo. People also say that my face is thinner...like chemo ate up all the collagen in my face.
Reading posts from those 7 + months and longer PFC stating that their hair has returned to normal is comforting! Thank you!!!
Now I need to figure how to make my hair look presentable without a pontytail, hairbrush or hair dryer.
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Ughhh, worried reading these posts about post chemo shedding. I just finished chemo two days ago with minimal shedding. I guess I'll probably have the post shedding. Wonder if there are any ladies who had consistent shedding the whole time. Well at least I have my hair, that's all that matters right? I just feel so gross from the chemo. I'm gaining weight, eating like crap (all I want is hangover food the week of my chemo), my hair is greasy and graying from the roots, and the only clothes I'm comfortable in are my sweats. I just don't feel like myself0 -
Ladies -
I felt like CRAP after chemo and looked like crap, too - I was tired and pale/sallow with dark circles and felt like I had aged YEARS in just a few short months. It is TEMPORARY. I would say I started feeling much better about 6 weeks post chemo but truly didn't feel 100% back to "myself" until about 6 months post (that was when my red count finally crept back to just barely normal).
You WILL feel and look more like yourself - it just takes TIME for your body to recover.
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JennJdance, congrats on being done! Hope you don't get much post shedding, but 35% is not bad at all. I think I'm one of those that DID have consistent shedding throughout thus far, all after the big shed on day 24. I've done 9 doses & 7 to go...I'll post first day & pic from 1/12/15. Started out w/ lotta thick hair, but the hardest part is all the little balding spots above the ears (though I know its normal) more on the left side, it's slowly getting really bad, but I strategically put my hair over to cover it. Also wish I would have trimmed a good 4 or inches before starting CC, but know it was against the rules to do a big chop. I'm just happy to have coverage through this journey...I also hear ya on the sweats, own 7 pairs of cozy leggings now, one for each day of week since I can't fit into my old pants yet
been working out a lot tho lately! (hear head sweating during workouts doesn't help? But try to put cold water after..it's inevitable I'll sweat) Good luck w/ post CC experience. 
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I am still convinced that we each are predetermined to lose a certain amount of hair and for some the shedding comes earlier than for others. I lost about 50% and that is about the most a person doing TC will lose. ACT has mixed results. I looked and felt like crap. I had to wear my hair up in a twist with a clip or in a cute tiny braid.
Here's the good news - Your hair will start to fill in quickly and when it does, good-bye bald spots. I'm now 9 mos. PFC and back to wearing my hair down with about 5 inches of regrowth. I also wear ponytails and they have thickened from what they were. I never had the trauma of looking in the mirror and seeing myself bald. The bad news is that my colleagues still hold high expectations of me because so few know what I went through. I'd enjoy a little slack if I could get it.
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Hey girls- I'm officially one week out from my first treatment. SE are not nearly as bad as I anticipated. Nothing really except totally exhausted for the first week. Feelin really good today. My hair, however, is already U.G.L.Y. it's greasy and I'm still not used to it being dark. Ugh. When should I expect to start shedding? Day 20ish (I'm on T/C)?? I know a few suggested light weight baseball caps. Def need to get some. Thnx again for all the tips ♡ Kim
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thanks for sending me here. I have curly hair nearly shoulder length,which I have always had a hard time managing. Actually it helped me camouflage any loss I had doing the CMF in '90. I started going to a special stylist for curly hair last year and so I'm already doing most of what you guys are suggesting. I use Deva products for curly hair, no poo etc, so I shall see how they help. Going to do a cold cap also since I'm getting TH. The irony here is that after chemo in 1990 I loved my short hair so much that I kept it in what friends used to call my chemo cut for 24 years and it looked great! The one damn time I grow it out again....
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