Cold Caps Users Past and Present, to Save Hair
Comments
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luvmyys, that sounds hard. If you do decide to get a wig, i wonder if it might help to pre-shop, then take your kids with you to the wig store to shop for one and let them be a part of helping you choose. It might be a gentler way for them to begin seeing you differently, having some say in it and being there with you. (I'm not saying let them pick, just maybe let them feel like they are helping in this fun thing you are trying out for a while.) I bet there could be some laughs together! Pls let us know how it goes and what you decide. This will be helpful for others facing the same crossroads.
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kae after i wrote that i got them on amazon i took a look and didn't see any for sale there, on ebay, or on the southwest technology website! this is not good. i didn't see them on the icewraps.com website either! what is going on here? last few that i saw that were sold on ebay were in january. ug.
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kea md99-I have never gotten sick or even gotten a headache and I'm a migraine machine! It does hurt my jaw the tight cap straps.I'm having some problems with emotional flashbacks to the caping. I associate the caps with nausea but it's really the AC chemo that is making me nauseas. It's all in my head. I'm not good with redirecting my thoughts.
How many chemos and what type do you have to do? My capping was fine emotionally the first time, then by the fourth round of AC I started to fall apart emotionally every time I though of chemo and capping.....plus the hair is not being saved the way I originally pictured it...it's stressful to be seeing the shedding all the time and now I have bald patches underneath...I'm still happy I'm not bald but capping is hard. It is an added hair fight! I would still do it all over again because I believe I'm saving my hair follicles.
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Luvmyys, I'm so sorry about your hair loss battle..I'm know I'm in for the same...I'm also sure yours is going to grow gangbusters when it finally does start growing back.. I'm using silk bandannas now. I feel like they are not hurting my hair at all. My hair stopped shedding for the moment. But, still four DD taxol to go. I love tunegirls suggestion about taking the kids to the wig shop...I hope you figure out a good way to cope with the hair thing.
Hugs e
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Hello again... so I will share some photos after wash.
What would you do? Thanks Tunegrrl that is a great idea. Elastogelgirl thank you for theencouragement. All the pictures that you all have shared with your results (Runner, Kshorten, Tunegrrl, Janetsam) I would have been so happy with my hair if it looked that good..
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Hi Ladies, I haven't been posting, but following along when I get a chance. I thought I would chime in on the cold capping. I'm starting #4 Taxol Friday, previously did AC, and I have not had good luck with the capping. I am using the Paxman, which is easy breezy to use, but I knew going in AC is hard on the hair. I've taken biotin and silica all the way through too. I had fairly good results up until after my 3rd AC, and I would say my hair has not stopped shedding since. I went in early January and bought a real hair wig that is actually amazing, and I was also given a "hair fall" that is worn under hats for free from a donation program where I got the wig....I am just happy to have hair and find the real ones feel much nicer and it's going to be a long time before I have nice real hair again. Yes, I spent a fortune on it, but I feel pretty normal wearing and I just don't want to look like a chemo patient. I have a daughter that just turned 9, and she did not like the synthetic wig I bought initially....she said I didn't look like myself and would get very upset. She is perfectly ok with the real hair wig and the hair fall, and when I ask her which one looks better she says either one is good. So far I have eyelashes, but the brows are thin. I am considering getting the microbladding done soon?
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luv i would keep some hair and wear a bandana because showing some hair is way better than having the bald look. i had a halo wig made from my own hair and it was so itchy i gave up and settled on a cotton bandana (walmart 1.00 lol) and wished i had saved the money i spent on that wig. the cotton bandana was the most comfortable and was a look i could live with for the 4 or so months i had no hair. before you know it you'll have hair covering those areas! i might post some pics of my hair growing back.
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Luvmyys - I broke the roles as far as wigs go. I actually have 3 that I wore for awhile and might wear again. I honestly don't think that wearing them effected my hair loss. I already had the bald spot from my second treatment in November when the caps weren't put on correctly. So I say get a wig if it makes you feel better when you go out. We can't follow the rules all the time.
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first pic is me with my dearly departed hair (am mourning a bit as i look at it now) second pic is me with wig made from my hair. third pic is 10 weeks post third chemo after no caps. got a mop of curls now.
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Luvmyys well I totally get what your saying ...it's not your normal beautiful hair or anywhere close to what you want it to look like. I'm hopeful I have as much at the end! it's not bald you still have enough hair for something..it looks like what I have now and I don't want the top of mine to show......I feel very secure under my scarves.. Now about that blotchy skin of mine argh! Miss the oil of Olay! Chemo is making me super spotty! Have itchy red spots! on my arms and legs too.
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Luvmyys sweetheart, your hair doesn't look anywhere near as bad as you described. Before shelling out for a wig, how about try some heavier conditioner and some toppik along your part first? You do have a strong ombré going on there, and that reminds me of those natural, peroxide-free hair colour products that wash out over time. Maybe if you make the colour more unified you'd feel better about it?
I really think it looks like you are doing well.
Perhaps also a bit of smoothing serum? I think your hair can totally be saved. It might not be what you are used to seeing on yourself, but still within the "normal" range. Are you using the Acure hydrating shampoo and conditioner so many of us love? Good for silky shine and suppleness. Apologies for all the unsolicited advice. You are just being too hard on yourself.
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Elastogelgirl, you also have way better hair than you realise. Not your normal hair, but still looking good to the other people! Your first picture back on page 594 looks completely unremarkable. In a good way.
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tunegirl you are so thoughtful! Always! I deleted my post I thought perhaps I might not be saying what I wanted in the right way.
Luvmyys listen to tunegirl she is absolutely right
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Kshorten: Glad you're treating yourself to a trip. I have planned a trip to Cabo with some great friends to celebrate my tretment ending, two high school graduations and my friends 60th birthday! I'll be about 3 months PFC. I have to decide if I want to schedule my TE exchange for May 1 or wait until after my trip. I'd rather do the exchange so that I can sleep! I hate the TE's!
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Really, you guys are the best... I have been using the Acure conditioner. I switched shampoos to a natural Argan Oil shampoo that promotes growth. I can use a smoothing serum but once I sleep on it, it's a piecey curled up rats nest and no longer smooth. So I can have ok hair for one day but the other 6 days I am home bound. There is no "fixing" I can do to make it presentable. Funny, the color doesn't bother me and it really should..
If looking in on my hair you can see all the way to my scalp all over my head.. I really don't have any bald spots just extreme thinning all over.. also I am not done shedding I still get handfuls everyday. So by the time I'm done there won't be much left. I am only 7 days PFC.
Well I couldn't go to physical therapy, kid issues, so any wig hunting will be delayed for today.
Tunegrrl, thank you all for your advice. Never too much and always appreciated.
Janetsam - you are/were adorable. With your growth you'll be back to long hair soon...0 -
janetsam, yes, i could not find any elastogel caps caps in amazon,ebay or website.tunegrrl,did you rent your dignicap cooling system?
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Kae - you can rent from Penguin Cold Caps. I think the DigniCap is unique to certain infusion centers and looking at the Rapunzel website doesn't look like there is one near Vista. Good luck.0
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luvmyys,thanks! i will know this week which chemo drugs im gonna use with herceptin and perjeta
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Catgirl2 - Looking forward to the cruise, I'll be 3 month PFC also when we go but only 13 days from the end of my radiation. I was say get the exchange done, when my friend did hers it wasn't bad at all and she was so glad to get those TE's out.
Elastogelgirl - I agree, your hair looks fine, only those of us that are going through the same thing would even notice. And it'a amazing now that I have thin hair how many people I notice that also have thin hair. I guess I just had so much that I never even noticed.
Just washed and gently blow dried my hair, it use to take me 45 mins on hot now it takes me 10 mins on cool. Had some shedding but not as much as when I washed it on Friday. I'll be 7 weeks PFC on Thursday.
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Kae I got a call from a woman today who is going to cold cap. I gave my name and number to the resource center at UNC Hospital for any one who wanted to hear about my cold capping experience so it was exciting to get a first call. Anyway she talked to Penguin and is getting 2nd hand cold caps.
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Luvmyys--I agree with the other gals. You HAVE hair!! Think of the alternative. You are so far ahead of what it could have been. Have you thought of using a styling tool? When my hair naturally dries, it's wavy in back and straight on the sides with about an inch of grays around my part. I use either a large curling iron or a hair straightener the next day just so it's the same texture, along with WOW for the grays and my bald spots, and it looks decent for the next few days. But if you saw it wet--holy moly are the sides thin! Since everyone else is sharing...
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Here's what's REALLY going on!
This was last week and I've lost a little more hair plus lots more lashes!!0 -
- Pamela - thank you! You look GREAT.. you would never know. You have a lot of volume to cover up those spots and it looks like you have growth? Are those baby hairs on the side in the last picture. Also tons of brows and lashes.. very pretty! Thank you so much for sharing!
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- Pamela - thank you! You look GREAT.. you would never know. You have a lot of volume to cover up those spots and it looks like you have growth? Are those baby hairs on the side in the last picture. Also tons of brows and lashes.. very pretty! Thank you so much for sharing!
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Luvmyys--I'm 3 weeks PFC. No new growth, just breakage. And the eyelashes have REALLY thinned this week, especially on the eye that is constantly watering. I discovered L'oreal's Voluminous mascara that I wore in that pic and filled in my brows with a Revlon eye pencil/liquid. Amazing how many lashes must have fallen out this week. I definitely have gaps between few lashes at this point.
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A little humor.. when I look at my hair this is who I think of...I think he has more.. RIP Sam Good night ladies...
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kshorten: I had radiation when I had a lumpectomy in 2003. I had no side effects at all from radiation. Hopefully, yours goes as smoothly! I think after chemo, it will be a breeze!
I'm starting to freak out about my round 2 tomorrow. I'm still shedding a little after my "Big Shed" the last couple of days. I guess I'm going to change my part again. 1st round I parted on the opposite side from the usual and pretty far down. I'm not sure what I should do tomorrow. Any suggestions?
I think you gals look great! in the end, it will be a faster recovery than bald! I do understand the dilemma of what to do when it starts really thinning. I hate hats or anything on my head, so it's going to be a real problem for me. I guess I should get some Toppik if my thinning gets too noticeable.
Kae: I'm using the Penguin Cold Caps. They are kinda pricey, so I hope this works! You do need someone to cap you. My fiance takes care of it for me, but it makes for a very long day! I do wish I had access to an easier system at the hospital, but no one at my Center has even tried to cold cap.
Wish me luck tomorrow! I'm thinking about you all as we go through this crappy journey together!
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pam you are so pretty! i thought that first pic was a 'before chemo' pic. good job using those product! i am 3.5 weeks PFC also but brows and lashes gone. i check first thing every morning for growth.
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Luvmyys, I had a similar experience w a larger bald spot on top. I have 3 kids youngest 7. I wear a light fitting ball cap type and twisted up and tuck in remaing hair. I tested out my kids saying that my hair is such bad shape from capping that I need to get a wig and they said "not a wig!" I tried it w/ o one and I'm use to it now. So I'm getting by until my hair is more even out w growth. It does make getting out of hve house a lot easier. And when I'm home alone I wear nothing to give my scalp air. By the way ladies once a month I use Castro oil and coconut oil or avacado oil, etc or all on my scalp. For 4 (no more no less )minutes bend over to pull blood flow to the scalp while messaging to stimulate hair follicles. I looked it up on you tube. So far I do see a difference I measured. Everyone growth is different and it doesn't involve harsh chemicals.
Also saw on Dr oz to use qtip dipped in Castro (organic) oil w vit e , etc along root of eye lashes and brows. It works!!! My daughter did it and she has a set of thicker eye brows / lashes too.
I have Olay regenerist micro sculpting cream w SPF and I read no parabens when I bought it. I'll recheck at store.
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Catgirl, I changed my part with every cap change; I think it helps avoid frost nip. That strategy was recommended by my local professional capper/Penguin rep. I didn't use a comb to part it, just my hands.
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