Hair Hair Hair - Another question

208sandy

Carrol2:

Biotin is in pill form and readily available at all pharmacies and probably health food stores too - it is a form of Vitamin B - my pharm didn't have "just biotin" but they had a B Complex with a lot of Biotin in it so I bought that - I just started taking it this weekend - it is also awesome for nails - hope it works well on hair growth I am more than two years out of chemo (Taxoteare) and I have huge bald spots on crown and back and front side hairline - my hair hardly grows in the front month to month - I am quite ticked that we were never told about this se - oh well onward and upward.

Sandy

MaryNY

Post chemo hair of Maura Tierney (the actress who played Dr. Abby Lockhard on ER)—photo from Parade magazine. She was diagnosed with cancer last year so she went through surgery and treatment around the same time as many of us. She mentions that she will be on one particular drug for another two months—wondering if that's Herceptin. I really think she looks so much better with this short, dark hair. See Maura Tierney: "I Was So Lucky."

Nodapearl

Biotin made me nervous.  I figured that if it encouraged hair growth, it would encourage all hair growth, not just the hair on my head.  I quit taking it so as not to promote the growth of the facial fuzz.  Just a thought.............

wellsey66

I just finished T/C X 6.  I started taking Biotin about half way throught after checking with my onc.  I started growing a peach fuzz on my head after #5, but nothing on my face so far.  I have finished now and the peach fuzz is still on my head.  It didn't fall out so far.  I am taking 3000 mcg per day.  My daughter also uses it to grow strong hair and nails and she hasn't been through chemo.

TreadSoftly

MaryNY - I completely agree, Maura Tierney looks fantastic with the short hair, much better than with the long hair! I never heard that she went through breast ca.  My hair is a little longer than hers, but MUCH curlier!

Marion

Maura Tierney looks very good with short hair. 

A famous Dutch TV presenter/model, Sylvie Van der Vaart, has also been through chemo and her hair is now growing back. See pics of her hair regrowth on her facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sylvie-Van-Der-Vaart-Official-Page/280686948195?ref=ts

Marion

I finally figured out how to upload pictures on this website (but not how to resize them)!

Here is 10 months of hair regrowth (Front).

Marion

Here is 10 months of hair regrowth (back)

My hair is growing back curly and I use my flat iron a lot! Thankfully, as it is getting longer it is also getting less curly and a little wavier, which makes it more manageable.

gingersfavorite1

cute!   I can't wait to have that much hair again ~

theresap60

Carrol and Erin - I had TC and my hair started shedding after the first round, but then after the second round when I went to wash my hair in the sink, it started coming out in clumps!  I was so upset!!  I went into the bathroom and shaved it to about a quarter inch.  I had shopped for wigs.  Didn't like the first one on me (ordered it online), then found a salon that sold wigs, so I went in for a fitting and tried on several.  The whole thing was traumatic, but I was working so I tried my best to go through the day. Had lots of support at home and work.  So I wore the wig to work and out and about, then scarves.  My last treatment was in the beginning of May, so when summer hit in its fury in July, I couldn't stand the wig anymore.  My hair was coming in, silver.  No one was accustomed to seeing me with silver hair --- I had always colored it a dark/medium blonde before chemo, so it would be a double shocker ... crew-cut short silver hair!  It was SO hard for me to "take it off"!!  But I did and survived!   My hair is almost an inch long now, very thick and curly. When I was a little girl, I had naturally curly hair, so I guess I've got it back, except silver instead of blonde.  I'm not used to seeing myself with silver hair yet, but this odd feeling shall pass just like all the other odd feelings that are associated with this awful disease!  The plus side of losing my hair was that I didn't have to shave my legs or underarms for months!!

-Theresa

MBJ

Marion:  That was my hair length prior to chemo and it has now been 6 months.  I conitio the hell out of it and I;m crossing my fingers.  You look great!

Firni

Marion, your hair is coming in great!!  There is so much of it.  You look great. I don't think I'll ever have that much hair again.  My is like 208sandy's hair.  Fine, straight, thin, bald spots, not much growth.  Blech.  At least it isn't gray.  I'm now 17 months PFC.  I used Biotin for about a year.  Didn't help me.  I hope it helps you, Sandy.

DiDel

Marion You look great! I am jealous of the color... really beautiful.

I couldn't take the grey anymore so against advice.of waiting 6 mos (I am 4 mos PFC)..my stylist colored my fuzz head today. I haven't had straight color in so long it looks strange to me. I used a semi perm light brown but it's not really pretty but so much better than black and mostly grey. I will still wear my wig but just in case I get into a fight with the nurse trying to take my wig off for my surgery wednesday if it has to be short and fuzzy it DOESNT have to be grey.

 Hope everyone is having a good start to the week!

Good night all!

Diane

Anonymous

Have to laugh - the other night I saw the preview of the new show that Maura Tierney is in and I said to my husband, when I see women with hair that short it makes me think she has gone through chemo!  I was right :-)))) Hers looks adorable - now why won't mine look like that??  I tried to count the number of cowlicks and kept losing track.  The slow growth (due to Herceptin, I'm sure) has been even slower.  1/8" in 3 weeks ... not getting very far, very fast.

Marion - yours looks great!  My 1 5/8" curls are hilarious and at this short, not much I can do yet.  Have never tried a flat iron but did get my curling brush out today but you just can't do much with 1 5/8".  Indianapolis?  I'm 20 min away in Shelbyville.

TreadSoftly

Marion - you look fantastic!  I love the style and colour!  I tried straightening my fringe a few days ago and it was quite difficult!  Yours looks great, I love the colour!  Glad your curls are becoming a little easier to manage as your hair grows longer!  No sign of my curls becoming less curly - and as it grows, it grows outwards and upwards - its like I have a halo around my head!

Carrol2

Marion you look great thanks for sharing the pics with us. Guess I will be wearing the wig for up to a year after the chemo is over.

LadyinBama

One of Yahoo's top stories today is "Fall's New Haircuts and Trends" ... woo hoo! I don't have to worry about that! My new fall trend will be a scarf and baseball cap.

Rocket

I measured my hair again today and it's now 1 3/4 inches long.  I'm 22 weeks pfc.  I looked closely at Maura Tierney's online pics and I can't wait until mine gets that long.  She has less curl than I do, but I'm hoping that when mine grows out some, it will begin to relax.  Mine also curls up on the sides and back instead of down. 

Marion, I agree with all the others, you look fabulous.

arubajan05

Carrol2~  you can do this!  I think the hair loss was by far the hardest part for me!  Just thinking about it made me sick to my stomach.  I am 10 weeks PFC and I have about 1/4" of hair growing.  I have 2 wigs. One synthetic and one real human hair.  I have gotten used to wearing them, but it still sucks. My best advice is to surround yourself with people who love you and try not to look in the mirror too much.  I don't feel like I look (if that makes any sense!).  An occasional glass of wine on a really bad day helps too! LOL 

((Hugs)) to all! 

Claire82

My hair blew in the wind today! Yipppeee!!

lbrewer

i used those exact same words to my doctor...I'm turning into a werewolf!  you might try Vaniqa.  She gave me a prescription for it.

Marion

Hello!

Thanks for the compliments!

Didel: my color is not natural! My hair grew back gray and is now back to what is used to be (light brown with a few whites). I thought that if I was going to have short hair I should go really blond, just to try.

Carrol2: yes, you might wear your wig for awhile after chemo is over. I am surprised my hair is not longer than this at 10 months. I thought I would have more length by now. I finished chemo at the end of Nov. 2009 and finally removed my headscarf at the end of March 2010; it took 4 months before it was long enough for me to be confortable showing my short hair.

Treadsoftly: I totally get it when you say you have a halo around your head! I kind of felt like that too, especially when the curls were so unruly. My hairdresser mentioned some kind of Japanese treatment that relax the curls. Has anyone done it?

lilylou: hello neighbour! where did you get your treatment? 

Claire_in_Seattle

Marion....  One of the great advances in technology is hair color!

Not just making it look flattering and vibrant, but I couldn't believe the difference in texture when I did it earlier this week.

Mine is a bit longer than in my picture now.  May need a trim soon to neaten up around the ears.

Ditched those wigs as soon as feasible. - Claire

DiDel

well early this morning was my exchange. I kept my WIG and PANTIES!!!!! Small victories

However they did wash off my brows 

Good night all back to the land of demerol

Diane

Issymom

I am 5 months PFC and my hair is growing on me.  There is much more grey than I am comfortable with but I get lots of compliments.  It is too short to consider coloring.  The interesting thing is that this morning I woke up with "bed head".  It means the hair is growing but it is something else I have to deal with now.

I was prepared for this but I am starting to lose my eyelashes again.  My mascara was causing my trouble and today I got in good lighting and realized it was because there wasn't as much there as before.  I am doing the 3-day walk for the cure next weekend in Seattle and this is just one more reminder that the journey is not done and this is why we are doing this. 

margiebits

Hi Rocket,

I called my oncologist, and she said the hair growth is a common side effect of the Tamoxifen that I am on. I'll be on it for maybe 5 years, so I have to deal with this for a long time.  Yesterday I went and had it waxed- feeling much better.  Told my support group about it today, and many said they got it also from the drugs.  One women has been shaving it off for 5 years now.  Guess I'll see if it comes back, and if it does, I'll just get it waxed off again.  Thanks for the input.

margiebits

Did the prescription work?  Pills?  How expensive?  Thanks!

Everett78

Ok, so I finished TC 3/25 and have about 2 1/2 inches of thick curly hair... I was at the 7th grade football game and one of my sons former teachers walks up the bleachers and yells loudly, "girl what did you do to your hair?!"...everyone around went silent (my 13 yr old daughter was next to me with her mouth open.   All I could think to say was "do you like it?"...the teacher stammered and said "it's cute"...and moved on.

funny thing was, I thought I looked pretty good...oh well!

Everett78

I HIGHLY recommend coloring your hair if it is not what you're used to.  I had this weird, gray & sand color that made me look awful.  I colored with my pre-chemo color and I feel so much more normal now.

I am anxiously waiting for a little more hair so I can have it straightened!

emegram

Everett78:  Same exact thing happened to me.  I finished chemo on March 31 and have very short, tight curly hair that is impossible to straighten right now.  I met my daughter at a restaurant last weekend for breakfast, and an acquaintance stopped at our table and said bluntly:  "What happened to your hair?"  I calmly told him my story and said I'm grateful to have some hair again.  My daughter was immediately offended by his remark, but I just know some people don't mean any harm -- they just speak before they think!!!