Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Eileen, even before my hair started falling out, it started to look awful, so dry and just lifeless.  It was almost a relief to just have my beautician come to the house and buzz it off - at least the wigs look healthy.  And believe me, I was one who was very hysterical at losing my hair, which was halfway down my back.  But, it looked so bad before it fell out, no matter what products I used on it, that it had to go. 

I am not ready to face the world without a wig or my pony-tail and bangs baseball cap.  It's been about 6 months PFC, and to me, its still too short.  I think when my bangs meet what passes for my eyebrows, which should be probably another 2 months I will switch to a "regular" baseball cap, but for now, not gonna happen - its only about 2 inches long, so I can't do it...

I just have to add that my hair is dark brown, and it grew back in its normal color, albeit way more unfuly than before.  So, at least on that part, I am very lucky, I guess.

Thanks for all of your tips and ideas, ladies. 

Eileen, I am sending ((hugs)) your way.  I haven't started my chemo yet, but I am certainly not looking forward to the hairloss thing.  I just want to put all of it behind me.  As other ladies have pointed out, in a year this will be behind you and who knows, you may end up with bettter hair!  

My hair is all gone. I did not need to shave it. When I washed my hair this am it began to fall out. After my hair was dry I combed it and the rest (all of it ) came out.OMG  I have worked with my wig for a few hrs I hate it..  Wish I could stop crying.  This is horrible.!!!!!!!

Thank you everyone for the information on hair. My hair is slowly returning and I've just started going topless with my salt and pepper fuzz. The teachers and students have been supportive through this and even have knitted hats! My school is amazing and have gotten me through so difficult times during this cancer adventure. Recently have lost the eyelashes and brows again so that part stinks. I can't wait to have hair long enough to part.

Just wanted to say thank you as this is the first thread I visit each day.

Cathy

I'm so sorry Eileen - this is a difficult time and tears are definitely OK.  It took me quite awhile to get used to my wig, so hang in there...  I have a few soft cotton turbans I wear around the house - my favorites are made by Hats with Heart.  They kept my head warm and covered what I didn't want to see.  They are by far the most comfortable head coverings I have.

Joan, the salon where I bought my wig provided little nylon caps to wear underneath the wig (they are made from what looks like the top of a knee-high), but I found the wig was most comfortable if I wore nothing between it and my scalp.  My wig is capless with a monofilament top.

emmac: just had the thrift store conversation with my daughter in law! we're recently moved here and i haven' explored the shops yet!! that's on my list to do this weekend!

today i have a bandana on and my lil wisps of bangs that are left are hanging out!

Eileen hang in there. Most women find this the hardest part.

I bought a wig cap for under my wig. I think it was to cool comfort liner.

I think one of the best piece of advice I've gotten here is going to Landsend and getting some fleece hats from their sale section for hats.  I absolutley love their fleece hats.  The heavenly fleece ones are so soft!  I have several different colors and I wear them all the time at home.  They are perfect!  The therma check are nice and snug too.  As soon as I walk in the house, off comes the wig and on goes one of my comfy fleece hats!  Treat yourself!  I wear them to bed too!

I had a little cotton cap for under my wig.  I ended up using it as a sleep-cap, and general head underwear.  I often wore it under my scarves (I was bald in the winter time and the extra layer was nice.) Never ended up wearing my wig, but that little cap came in handy.

I usually had a scarf or BeauBeau on when I was out and about, but at home I was either bare-headed or wore fleece or cotton caps.

Eileen, I know this is hard - it will grow back!! Play around with your new look - maybe you're not a wig person - many of us found that out.  I did find that I used a little more makeup than I would normally...and earrings too!  Like Lago said, this is the hardest part for most women, but don't let it take you over....be strong and positive for the rest of your treatment.  We are all here to help you...we were all where you are now, and the women on these forums before us helped us through, and now it's our turn to pay it forward.  Believe it or not, it passes fast and you will come away with a whole new head of hair and some pretty special friends.

(((hugs)))

Caitlin - I am a 9/9 as well.  Very aggressive.  Sounds like you have the right attitude - nobody can pick your treatment for you, but I will say that once you are done, you need to be able to say that you have done absolutely everything you could.  My onc's parting words - "go live your life now, you've done all you can so don't dwell on whether or not it will come back, the odds are in your favour"
My cardiologist says that I have some heart damage but it is all manageable with medication which I do not require and maybe never will.  I'm very active and I'm not symptomatic at all.  People can live for years managing heart failure, not so much with cancer.

Edited to add:  I'm in Canada so our regime is a little different, but the medications are all similar.  I am ER/PR- and Her2+ as well.  I did FEC-D chemo x 6, Herceptin x 18 + rads.

Eileen I did not like the wigs on me either. I tried three different ones and found one I like d better in the end but not much. I just wore hats. I got some cute ones at target, kind of page boy, some knit caps with a brim. I found I looked good in them, even got hit on in a bar once. Here is a pic of me in one of my hats from last winter. I was 95% bald under there and completely flat chested because when my BS did my bmx the recon was done later. But I still managed to hang on to who I was and no one treated me any differently. Take some time to mourn your hair then move on. Get up every day and do what you can to feel good about yourself. You will come to find so many things about yourself during this time, so many wonderful attributes that go way beyond appearance. When your hair grows back you will be so happy but you will realize how much more you really are.

you can see the hair at my temples a little those are the strands that never fell out. 

Hi Marjie,

Thank you for sharing your story and for your support.  As one DB member said, "go big or go home."

Carol, you look so cute in your hat. Very wise words about hair loss.  I will have to do some Target shopping!  

Caitlin... I noticed your from Greenbay.  I'm in Madison.  Triple pos but grade 2.  Diagnosed at 43. They gave me AC-TH.  AC was dose dense x 4. The T was taxol and herceptin and was given weekly for 12 weeks.  I did go to Mayo clinic for a 2nd opinion and they confirmed the treatment. I finished the chemo end of January and have had 3 muga scans.  Still doing the Herceptin, so far no changes to my heart. Good luck with your decision. 

Eileen.. Hang in there. Its so hard. Reading your post and reliving the hair loss made me tear up. As others have said its devastating but you do move on and it comes to pass.

Hair...so the hair is coming in. Wish it would hurry up. I'm another that wore wigs the whole time and continue to do so.  My eyebrows are getting worse... They were hanging on but as of now are pretty much all gone.  I was so excited when chemo ended a month ago. My excitement is wearing off. I need to loss the 10 pounds I gained during chemo, plus I feel like I have so many more wrinkles.  Between the hair, wrinkles, no eyebrows, weight, and the mental issues, I'm flighty and kind of crabby. I'm tired of not feeling or looking like myself. Maybe I need to go and get some wrinkle fillers or botox? Have any of you tried that since BC. Is it safe...

CCJJ, I could have written your very words. I need to lose 10 pounds from chemo and I do have more wrinkles. I feel like I've aged 20 years in 4 months. People used to say how much younger I looked than my actual age; now I look every one of my 60 years. I, too, am mad and sad and angry about looking and feeling so bad. (And I did attend one of those "Look Good, Feel Better" classes, and that didn't get to the heart of the issue of feeling and looking sick and old.)

I met with my dermatologist yesterday about dark spots that have appeared on my legs during chemo and I told her I felt like I looked 20 years older. "You DO look 20 years older," she said, not laughing. Great, huh? But she suggested  that after I got through with chemo and rads, she could give me some collagen fillers and other treatments to try to soften all these new wrinkles. So I would guess that it is OK for us to consider those things after treatment.

ccjj& wavWhisperer I too was not all that excited after chemo ended. Everyone is cheering and giving you hugs. I felt awful. My finger & nails beds hurt and oozed, boated, gained 12 lbs, extremely stiff along with the usual post chemo SE (heartburn etc.) 2 weeks PFC I "celebrated" my 50th birthday. I didn't enjoy dinner much. 5 weeks PFC most of my eyebrows and lashed fell out. I thought I looked much older too.

But even though I lost my eyebrows and lashes at 5 weeks I did start to feel better. The weight did come off (much of it was fluid retention). Hair comes back too. As I improved I feel I didn't look as old as I did not chemo… and I did look pretty good on chemo. hang in there.