Cold Caps Users Past and Present, to Save Hair
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just took a shower and it was like my first shed all over again
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I purchased set of scarves on Amazon. They come in package of different colors for about $12. I thought will use them to manage messy hair. Just sharing with you ladies...
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Hi all - quick question, I've been through 4 rounds to TC-HP, #5 is in 2 days. I'm using Penguin Cold Caps and keeping (most) of my hair, I'm so happy!
However, the hair I do have is in pretty bad shape - thin and damaged. Does the hair that I do have improve after chemo, or do I have to wait for it to grow out?
Many thanks!
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phaila- thank you. I really needed to hear that. I feel like I look terrible. I have minimal eyebrows although they are coming in better but I've lost almost all my lashes now. I think I have 5 on my right eye. It's like this crap never ends! I did get 3 inches of troll hair cut 3 weeks ago so that's probably why it looks healthier. I also do a deep conditioning mask on it almost everytime I wash it. I'm getting impatient with all the rules and have been using a brush and hairdryer. And more hair is breaking or falling out so I guess I need to stop. I just want to look like I did before! My crown is so thin- I hope once I have 2 inches of growth it will look thicker.
This was the day before chemo. I'll never criticize those eyebrows ever again.
And here is now. Steroid puffy face and very thin, penciled in brows. And I'm still anemic and pale.I feel like I look 10 years older!
Here is my "just in case" wig that I never needed to wear. Looks better than my real hair! 😂
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Runner, I think you look great! I don't really see much difference and swollen face now.
Btw, how do you feel? Do you run a lot now? I remember you complained about steroid big belly...Is it gone?
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FInished my last TC on Tuesday - washed my hair today - BIG shed. So much scalp, so little hair - I look like Larry from the Three Stooges from behind! I guess it's just a race now - to see if I can make it through the next (8?) weeks with enough hair to "pass." My headbands and scarves are getting wider, just hoping for some encouraging signs of regrowth before too long. Grateful that chemo is over - and now will try to regain as much of myself in the weeks and months ahead. I'm just so weak and depleted. Those of you running and spinning , etc, are a marvel and I tip my (many) hats to you all.
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hi Victory,
I'm not really running but it's more because of the extremely hot weather than anything else. I'm spinning a lot. My endurance is terrible. But I keep having to remind myself I'm anemic. My biggest problem is how much muscle and joint pain I still have. It's really bad. I have to will myself to get out of bed. I never imagined this would happen. I can't imagine how bad it would be if I did 6 chemos. My belly got better. It isn't great but it's better. My face is still swollen. I'm taking diuretics so I don't know what else to do! I guess it all just takes time. I'm thinking about getting a small pink ribbon tattooed on my inner wrist. It's kind of funny because I'm not into all the "pink for breast cancer awareness" stuff.
Aimless- I started growing hair back pretty quick. I wasn't ever really worried but it is nice to know I'm not one of the few who never get their hair back. You'll start seeing stubble in a month, maybe less.
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I must be a late bloomer, my bald spots are still very smooth. I am exactly 2 months post final chemo. Crossing my fingers. I have been growing *some leg hair back but that's it. armpits and bikini still bare. I have been taking liquid silica for about 4 months. anyway, i'm staying positive!!
so grateful to all of you for sharing the highs, lows, and in betweens!
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hi runner- so wouldn't it be funny if when your hair on your crownstarts growing back it grows straight up sort of like an 80's mullet? 😜😜
So funny story- my friend made the new movie "Trolls" I wrote to her today to tell her that I saw the trailer for it last night. I told her that it's funny because for the last 2 months I've looked like a troll because of my chemo hair. She told me she would send me a troll wig and was sending good vibes. She said it's actually a good vibe movie to make you happy❤️😊😊 I was going to tell her not to send the wig but then I decided it might actually be funny to wear that around
Hopefully it'll be rainbow or rockin purple!Ps. Hair still shedding like a mofo! Ihave about a thimble thickness of hair left. It's very pathetic. I see no new growth. Me thinks that me is screwed
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Sarahrae-I'm 8 weeks post chemo on the 20th. I never lost my arm hair. My leg hair slowed but didn't disappear. My eyebrows half fell out but just grew back in last week FAST and overnight. Never lost eyelashes. Girly hair was the first to go and is still not back, just stubble
And I've decided that I would NEVER want a Brazilian!
My hair on head is STILL shedding and it's really thin as shit and getting thinner every day. I see zero zilch nada hair regrowth anywhere on my head... Maybe it's a TC thing. Everyone else seems to have had regrowth during treatment. Not me.
Here's to hair growing back "someday"
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Phaila we finished the same week. I think I was just an early bloomer on the hair. I still don't have girlie hair either but that is testosterone driven so I doubt it will come back anytime soon. It can stay gone for all I care. I had to start shaving my legs 2 weeks ago. I was sad about that part.
My oncologist thought my complaints about looking like a troll were funny so at my last chemo I gave her a little troll doll for her office- and some wine so she could celebrate my being done with chemo. I guess someone else pestering her will take my place. It's the cycle of life, right?
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You should be careful with givingpresents to your MO or they'll secretly wish you don't stop coming:)
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Haha! No kidding.
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oh and I have maybe 5 lashes left on both sides with no sign of regrowth. They waited until the end of chemo to fall out...the final insult I guess. I use lash grower but I don't think it's helping. One Lashcommits suicide just about every day.
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thanks for the reports Phaila and others, they help so much.
Got a wig topper today, seems to be pretty gentle on my hair/follicles which is a pleasant surprise. Maybe able to wear a little more often than I originally thought. love that you are getting that troll wig Phaila, that is too funny!
I'm hanging strong(in spite of the crazy rad fatigue) hoping that my head and brows will fill in soon!
love to all y'all!!
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here is a video I found. It's sort of what my hairs like now. I'm still shedding although I wouldn't call it that anymore. My hair is falling out.
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phaila, you also have sleepless nights? Even after treatment is over?
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Phalia - my hair actually looks worse than that video
But I found it really encouraging that her hair was growing back! Even if it was different lengths and didn't look great. Honestly, my biggest fear is that what I lost won't grow back due to Taxotere. If I have enough regrowth post-chemo, I will be so happy I won't even care if I need a cut to even it out or if it looks weird for a few months.
Currently a week out from round #3 of 6. Shedding is much less than before (no more fist-size "nests" of hair coming out), but continues daily. No new hairs.
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Vik-it might be due to the tamoxifen or just worry about life... I fall asleep then wake up and can't fall back to sleep for like 1 to 2 hour
Elise- I hadn't even thought about that before. Maybe that's what's happening to mine, because I see no regrowth at all ANYWHERE
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phaila,
When was your last chemo? Have you had any other surgery recently? I have heard that anesthesia can also cause enough stress to the body so that shedding may increase. I noticed when my port was removed that I shed more but it slowed back down pretty soon.
Hugs to everyone currently dealing with chemo and hair issues!
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hi wildflower-My last chemo date was May 20th
No more surgeries yet
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phaila, I also don't sleep nights:( but for me an addition to all horrible night sweats...
As for video , I think short haircut for that woman looks great. I think it is better have it short then no hair at all.So cold caps do work at least someway....
I have a short hairstyle that it's a mess now . it looks more like I try to grow my hair with bang curling up:( they shed.. And thined but still hair. If someone doesn't know they would not guess I go through chemo. Just some not taken care hair . .I am going to Taxol # 11 today. Terrified of more shedding. If I don't loose all hair by the end of treatment I think I will go for at least for bangs haircut a week after #12. I can't wait another 3 month.....
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Phaila,
That's kind of soon to be seeing new growth - I think I was around 11 or 12 weeks before I could definitely confirm any new growth on my head. It has to start forming from the follicle outward - the first signs of growth will be tiny little black dots on your scalp which is the hairs forming. And unfortunately, the girly hair will come back first. You'll probably see that starting any day now 😐
One thing that really helped me minimize the troll hair was getting a nice trim to get rid of the dry straggly ends. Just doing that made my hair look better - thicker and healthier. You're far enough pfc where it would probably be OK to trim it if you want.
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Victoryak,
Yay! Number 11, one more to go! The finish line is in sight!
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Hey All,
I am 18 days post my first TC. I am cold capping. I have lost my body hair 'down below' and am losing patches of leg hair. So my question is, when is the hair on top of the head expected to start going? Although I'm cold capping, I've been told to expect some kind of 'big shed', but here I am on day 18 with only 4 or 5 hairs that have comes lose in the past couple of days. Am I just a slow starter and the worst is yet to come?0 -
wildflower- question; do you think the hair falling out is being pushed by new hair growth? It's just that it seems much worse now then at any other time other then initial sheds:(((
So you're thinking week 11? I just keep reading about people having hair growth while in treatment and that wasn't me
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revnet- expect it any time between now and day 21. Most first sheds last for like 20 days
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Phaila - thanks for sharing the video. Even though I am getting new growth now, I think I'll end up needing a shorter than normal haircut too. Even with new hairs growing in I still have a shiny bald spot on top. I'm going to look ridiculous trying to rock a weird mohawk once the new hair gets to any length. It's entirely possible that some of the shed you're having now is part of your normal hair cycle and you'll see baby hairs very soon. Hang in there; at least we have hair and I have to believe it will get better.
Revnet - everyone is different, but most likely you'll start shedding pretty consistently 3 weeks after your first treatment. I shed pretty heavily for almost two moths during my A/C treatments and then it tapered off.
Victoryak - congratulations, 1 more to go! I'm right behind you; I finished #10 today. I'll be interested to hear how trimming your bangs goes. Mine are long and uglyand scraggly and I've been considering trimming them early too.
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I saw that video and her short hair is cute. It would take over a year for her to have that cut if she hadn't cold capped so I would call her a success. She also didn't say what her chemo drugs were and how many treatments she did.
Phaila- I think my success might be an anomaly. My oncologist said she's never seen anyone have as good of a result as mine. So don't stress out that I have tons of hair coming back and you don't. And I do still have hair coming out or breaking. Besides, you somehow kept your hormone function during chemo and I still have zero hormone function so I'm jealous of you. I'm also having debilitating muscle and joint pain and you don't seem to be, so who came out the real winner here? Lol. And I have a troll belly.
I feel the need to gently point out that losing hair from anesthesia is a myth. I've seen it a lot on the message boards and it isn't true. I'm an anesthesiologist and have not ever read in the literature that it makes hair fall out. It just doesn't. The overall stress of surgery could I suppose but I think with cancer, there are just too many other more probable factors at play here that could cause it.
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hi runner- my back and joint pain during chemo was debilitating. It might have started to slow down about 4 weeks after chemo. My horrific swelling was constant until, maybe, last week. It still comes back and I have no idea why. It has caused bruising on my tops of feet. I'm also bruising much easier now. Whenever I do a body scan I see all these bruises and I'm like wth? Trust me I'm not jealous of you! I'm VERY happy for you!!!!! You look so great and I'm sure it helps with all this horribleness so much:). 😊😊😊😊😊😊👍 I hope that everyone who uses this treatment has success.
My scalp still is doing that weird tingly thing and it has to have something to do with chemo because it's just like what chemo head felt like. Just weird!
My hair doesn't look at bad as That woman's hair but mine is also much longer which might be helping it to not "look" as bad. But when she grabbed the thickness, that's EXACTLY how much I have when I do that. But almost all the hair I still have is like gray. I have no idea why it's changed like that. It might be trauma. I remember once when I was in a really bad car accident, when I was in the hospital afterwards, I was pulling out massive amounts of black hair. My hair was a very light blond, I had no black hair. My hair was shocked into black. Now that was super odd!!
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