Thinning Hair -
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bumping for any updates from you ladies
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I've been using the caffeine shampoo (Alpecin) most days for about the last six months. Hair loss is not getting any worse and may be improving slightly, but I have to say there's not much difference. In any case, I like it as a shampoo (however it does contain parabens). Since I started the shampoo, I found out that I'll be stopping tamoxifen at the five year mark which will be next May, so I'm hoping that that will take care of the issue, although I am heading into menopause. The fun never ends!
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I am attempting to move my life away from the cancer world and I have not been on here as frequently. I'm a couple of months late responding to your request for updates, Rozem...I guess that is a good thing.
Anyway, last April I started using Rogaine 5% foam, Vitriron iron and ketoconazole shampoo. At some point in the summer my hair loss stopped. I don't know what stopped it or if it would have stopped on its own. My hair looks good now but I don't see it growing in as it did when I was younger. It is thinner than before I started aromasin but still a decent head of hair. I lose very little hair at this point. I did go to see a hair loss specialist at Penn and a biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of androgenic alopecia. She recommended Viviscal supplements. It's a marine extract and gets good internet reviews. However, it made my face break out and that is one of the complaints. I stopped using it. I could not find any research to suggest that it helps grow new hair in persons with my diagnosis. I recently had a 6 month follow up appointment. My pull test was negative. She told me to keep using the Rogaine and live a happy life. I continue to take daily iron and use the shampoo once a week. It doesn't hurt and maybe helps. Penn's hair loss specialist told me that women don't go bald. I asked what has happened to the women I sometimes see who in my opinion need a wig. She said they likely never used Rogaine. I also asked my regular dermatologist and the hair loss specialist about the scalp injections. They both told me it doesn't help with androgenic alopecia.
Thank you to everyone who has advised me along the way.
I hope everyone is well.
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I work for a hair restoration specialist in NYC and we've found that PRP treatments work for patients with androgenic alopecia. Maybe you should look into this!
Babs
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Babs - Hi. You posted earlier that you were having PRP. How well did it work for you?
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It worked great but I went on Taxol in December and now have hardly any hair. I'm back to wearing a wig or turbans now!!!
Bab
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Babs - I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you're managing OK.
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Would have loved to have hair for my daughters wedding on 4/2 but oh well. Not having hair is the least of my issues. So happy I feel well and will be here for the wedding!!!!
Babs
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Hi Babs, - Excited for you and your family's happy event! Keep feeling well! I lost my hair about 2 weeks before my daughter's wedding, - with wig and make up I looked better than with my own hair!
I am sure you will look terrific! 0 -
Thanks NYC girl. I still like my own hair better but just so excited that I'm feeling good and can enjoy this time!!!!!
Babs
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I tried it all, silica, biotin, hair supps- you name it. Mens foam rogaine is tooted to work better but after a year on it and lots of $ spent on it as it isn't cheap, my hair was coming out more! I stopped it and it got better and then a few years later, chemo took it all. Then it grew back pretty well minus the areas I had already lost before. And now Femara/Letrozole is causing massive shedding. I think all 3 AIs do. They're all basically the same except for fillers, no?
What I'm doing now since it's still mostly coverable with hairstyle is using Xfusion to sprinkle in fibers to cover scalp. Works pretty well.
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Artista - I think that happens for many of us is all the treatments we receive simply age us faster. My father is bald and my mother had thin hair. I assumed because my hair was always thick that it always would be. I assume my hair would have thinned with age anyway. Cancer just made all that happen in a couple of years rather than many years.
Babs - Have a wonderful wonderful time.
AnotherNYCG - Do you know of any high end places where I can get a tiny hair piece to go on top of my head? Something that blends with my natural hair to thicken it? I live in a farming community. It's very rural. The one place I tried around here was an absolute joke. I feel sorry for anyone who made a purchase there. It all looked totally ridiculous.
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Thank you to all you keep this thread going
Update. Biotin has really not done much for me. What has is going off Lupron. After much soul searching I decided to get off and continue with tamoxifen. The Lupron SE including hair thinning was too much. I may go back on but I needed a break. Hope these ovaries stop sometime soon. My hair thinning has slowed down which tells me menopause plus the drug were main culprits
I'm going to try a " halo" hairpiece. Basically a thin string halo with natural hair. Anyone try one? I think it will help with the appearance and give me some fullness
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Hi Rozem -
I didn't lose hair on Tamoxifen. Aromasin may be a better cancer recurrence option for me b/c of a genetic disorder I have that complicates everything. Let me know how you like the halo. I really don't want that much. I guess I'm not at a point of needing anything. I find as long as my roots aren't showing everything is fine. I think a halo would give me too much hair. Are you ordering online? I am looking for a place to try hairpieces on. There is nothing of quality around me. I am close enough to Phila.& NYC. Let me know how you like it.
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Before I was on Taxol I tried the halo. It looked good with my thinning hair but I'm glad I didn't buy it cause shortly after I was put on Taxol and had to buy a wig!!!!
Bab
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I was really hoping that by this time you would be posting photos of your great hair, babs. I am very sorry you're going through all of this. I hope you're feeling OK.
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Warrior woman. I'm feeling aok just an almost bald woman now!
Bab
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WW, - I havent found a top piece that I like. One of the nurses in my drs office told me of a store on Long Island that had a set of 3 small, silver dollar sized, pieces that she attached to her hair and was able to blend with her own, that was perfect. (I had no idea she had thinning hair!) I visited the store and was told that I do not have enough hair for that. Although they brought out other top pieces for me to consider, I did not care for their sales approach and left. I have not pursued the idea of a topper because I am concerned that the clips would damage the already thin hair that I have on top.
I am confused about a 'halo'. Isnt that hair on sides and back and not on top? My hair is thinnest on top, - I have even purchased a thin headband with bangs that I am able to wear under a hat or under a wider headband. http://www.godivassecretwigs.com/bangs-on-a-headba...
When I started chemo and needed a good quality wig I went to http://www.rivierahairreplacement.com/ They do offer toppers, too. However, I am sure there are places in the city that are easier for you to get to than Riviera. Any suggestions Babs?
Babs, - keep feeling good! Enjoy the prewedding excitement!
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On Tamox I wasn't getting a lot of hair loss. On Letrozole, wow. I'm seriously thinking of going back to Tamox only for this reason. But MO keeps scaring me with the high risk stuff. Ah!
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Another NYC girl. I too got my first wig at Riviera. It never was comfortable so I only wore it twice. Now I realize it didn't fit properly. This time I went the the HairPlace on Lexington and East 65 street. My wig looks great fits well and I wear it daily!!!! Plus it looks much more like my hair. Trini there us wonderful to work with. She really knows her stuff!
Babs
Here's a picture of my daughter at her Moroccan surprise party in Paris Saturday night
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Babs! Quite a surprise for your daughter! What a wonderful experience for her to be living in 2 worlds! I love her dress, too!
Thank you for the wig recommendation, - I will keep it in mind, - and if they have toppers perhaps WarriorWoman can look there, too!
Stay safe and warm with this blizzard heading our way!!
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I have been wearing a halo for a year and a half and I love it. It doesn't irritate the scalp or existing hair with clips or ties.
It's natural hair that feels comfortable. It's been a major boost to my ego.
Here's a link to my halo post with photos. (BTW, the photos look like I changed my hair color; it's just a difference in sun light intensity outside.)
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/6/topics/...
The halos last about 6 months to a year. I don't wear mine every day, so I'm just getting a new one now, after 18 months. They start looking really ratty because even though the strands are real hair, the hair has been cut and eventually dried out. I also have a ponytail (which I'm wearing in my photo here) and other hairpieces, but the halo is my primary one.
Ask your hair stylist about halo hair pieces. Because the halo blend in with your existing hair, it's best to work with your own stylist, who can order one and then trim it to work with your existing style. You need a stylist to help match your hair color, especially if you have your hair colored or highlighted.
There are lots of YouTube videos about the hairpieces and how to style and care for them. You can't wear your hair up in high ponytail with a halo, but a low ponytail works.
Artista, tell your MO to stop scaring you. You have been through enough. Tamoxifen is fine QOL matters!
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Tarhee - That looks amazing. I cannot tell you're wearing it. I've seen women in public wearing them and it was obvious. Are you saying that it helps to give fullness even when your hair is thinning on the top? I have a lot of hair underneath. My part is widening a bit but it looks like your halo really fills it in.
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tarhee that looks amazing!!!! Does it bother you? Like do you feel it's there or do you forget you are wearing it? How tight does it have to be? I'm getting one!!!!
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The halo doesn't bother me. My hairdresser attaches a couple of hairpins to the halo that she wears, to keep it in place when she drives with the top down. I am aware that it's there because I can feel the weight of the hair. But it feels like "my" hair. I don't feel like I'm wearing something foreign on my head.
The most annoying thing is when my hair is severely thin, I don't have as much to comb over the top. It takes awhile to get the hang of placing it on the head right. It rests on your occipital bone, and depending on your skull size and shape that could be easy or hard. The wire is adjustable.
It's true that the halo adds thickness to the hair at ear level or below. By doing so, the existing natural hair gets "boosted" from underneath. In my experience, the thin strands on top of my head are less noticeable. I also use a colored hair powder to thicken the appearance of strands on top, and disguise root growth.
Thank you Warrior Woman.
Rozem, I wish you the best, and I hope your halo experience is as positive as min
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I'm 36.I've been on arimidex for a year now and my hair has been growing that long since chemo ended. I feel like the hairline around the peaks are definitely thinner, I've always had thin hair, but I can see it when I lift up my fringe. It's my far for me the worst side effect due to the lack of estrogen. I started to take biotin as a supplement about two months ago and haven't really noticed much of an improvement. The rest of my hair grows well, just around the peaks I just hope it doesn't get any worse.
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Lottemarine, It's safe to take up to 10 mg Biotin and that's what I take. It has taken about 6-8 months to notice a big difference but it's getting better all the time except for two areas in the back of my head that werethinning before because of natural aging. Keep it up a while longer and see if it gets better.
Faith (in the future).
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Hi everyone!
I'm back in the prospective world of hair loss. Was on Capecitibane until recently but now on Halaven (Eribulin). I believe it is likely to cause hair loss or thinning but don't know many people who have been on it as this drug has only recently been licensed for use in Scotland. Just had one treatment and getting another tomorrow - will have to see what happens! Lovely to see Babs post about her daughter's wedding. I hope you rock your fab wig and have a wonderful day feeling great
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I started using Nioxin when I noticed thinning hair while on Tamoxifen. It really helped make my hair feel thicker and look fuller. It has helped my self esteem.
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thanks for posting Bindy - when I read the SE of Nioxin it kind of scared me in to trying it only bc ive had Herceptin and that is already hard on the heart
I read it can cause heart palps?
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