If you ONLY received 12 week taxol did you lose your hair?

Yes, you will lose most if not all of your hair. The good news is that it will most likely start growing back before you are finished treatment and you may have a fuzzy scalp which may be quite curly. I would strongly suggest that you get a very short cut as you begin treatment so you don’t have hair all over your pillow or in the shower. Some people have had success by using a cold cap to prevent or reduce hair loss. Perhaps they will join this thread and share their experiences. I only iced hands and feet to help reduce neuropathy. Icing may actually prevent neuropathy for some.

I was wondering about hair loss on Taxol too. I only lost part of my hair on AC (bald spot with lots of thinning, but the hair still peeks out from under the hats I wear. It's too funky looking to not wear hats, but I'm definitely not bald. Wondering if Taxol might finish it off, or if because I didn't lose it on AC it might stay.

Heya 1982M, I'm glad your hair is hanging in there, and hope it stays that way.

I wanted to say thanks for that article on hair loss and taxol. There was a man on Wed in the infusion chair across from me, and his wife was saying he was going to be devastated by the loss of his hair. He was also undergoing taxol treatment for a different cancer (and did indeed have beautiful hair). Anyway, I remembered your article and shared it with the couple, along with some neuropathy articles. They were really appreciative, but the credit goes to you, so thank you. Hope you're doing well.

I totally understand the urge to shave, 1982M. It’s also striking how different our reactions are

My hair is still holding on six weeks in, but it was shedding more this week, especially a few days ago. It’s notably thinner but not enough to see my scalp yet. I’m holding off on shaving until there is more gone.

it’s seven weeks for me since the first Taxol/Herceptin infusion and I think I’ve finally gotten to the point where it’s thinned enough to want to shave it. I’ve probably lost 35-40% of it and mostly in the last 10 days. I’ll probably have it shaved in a few days.

Lost my hair after the third or fourth treatment. It was cut into a pixie, and now I look a bit like Gollum, with patchy strands over a bald scalp. I did not shave, but I may do a buzz cut with the clippers. Saw in a YouTube video that shaving is not a good idea, since the new growth is weak and may not penetrate the skin, leading to ingrown hairs, which can be painful and get infected.

I did buy a wig, but it looks ridiculous. I look more normal in a beanie hat, I think.

Edit: Lost all my eyebrows and lashes, too, and most of my body hair. At the 12 week mark, currently.

Smooth, we are on the same schedule exactly (#8 in the history book last Wed). I've iced both hands and feet, and neuropathy is starting to catch me, too. I got my dose reduced by 10% for #7 and #8. I think it slowed things down, but today the tips of my toes are going numb like my fingers did a few weeks back, so I'll probably get it reduced again.

Hair, looks like we are all a little different. Bikini hair is about 70% gone for me. Axillary hair was gone in week 2, and I really don't miss it. Leg hair seems like it tries to grow a bit occasionally. Head hair doesn't count for me because I'm capping. It has been shedding the last few weeks more than usual, but oddly, my scalp is less painful than it had been. I totally get what 1982M is talking about with feeling like it's been in a ponytail.

Eyebrows are 50% gone but started absurdly thick, so only people who know me well notice. Lashes are getting thinner but still hanging in there.

Rash: anyone else getting a totally obnoxious face and chest rash that looks like measles crossed with acne? I've been told to try cortisone cream, and can't really tell that it's doing much.

1982M, I'm really glad you started this, because it was one of the things that gave me the most anxiety: losing body, head and face hair is losing a part of your identity that others recognize, and I wanted to have some idea of when I could expect what to go: when would it become outwardly obvious to everyone that I was going through something I'd rather keep private. I hope this thread becomes helpful to others who will go through this.

1982M -yes, I have some of the worst acne I’ve ever had in my life, especially around the mouth, chin, etc.

Dry nostrils too and it’s scabby in there for almost the past two weeks - it’s miserable if I don’t have Vaseline and a cotton swab to soothe it.

I did six weekly taxol sessions last winter and lost my hair by treatment three. At first I had my daughter cut my hair very short and then I just buzzed it. My scalp wasso sensitive but I found a silk pillowcase to be helpful and lots of hats- glad it was winter. My hair has grown back into something I've never see, dark with almost no gray (I'm 63) and curly, it just sticks up all over when I always had very straight hair.