Hair Hair Hair - Another question

charmainejensenvoisine

Thank you everybody for the compliments on my hair!  Charmaine

Sugar77

Charmaine - I like your cut.  It really looks nice.

charmainejensenvoisine

Sherri:  Thank you so much....  Charmaine

Laurie_R

Where can I find Rosemary shampoo, Rosemary oil and almond oil.  I'll try anything to get my hair to grow in faster. Last tx was on May 6,2010 and only have about an inch.

Carrol2

charmainejensenvoisine i think you look great!

MaryNY

Charmaine: I really like your hair, both the color and the cut. Sorry to hear about the neuralgia. It's not obvious in the photo. You may think it's more noticeable than it really is. It must be hard to cope with. Hoping it goes away with time.

Laurie: Not sure if you want to buy the shampoo or make your own? Aveda make a rosemary mint shampoo. Avalon Organics make a rosemary shampoo too (I think I've seen that one in Trader Joe) and there's Carol's Daughter Rosemary Mint Shampoo at Sephora.

Wikihow has an article on making your own Rosemary Castile Shampoo. I think I've seen almond oil in the supermarket. It will usually be in the area where they have Spanish toiletries. Have you a Wholefoods in your area? They usually sell a wide range of essential oils and rosemary is a common one that you will find there or in a good health food store. If you don't find almond oil in the supermarket, you will find that in Wholefoods too. Almond oil is usually sold in a bigger bottle than the essential oils as it's often used as a carrier oil. Castile soap is available at Wholefoods and Trader Joe.

I found this recipe at Natural Beauty (check there for other shampoo recipes):

Hair Loss Castile Shampoo Recipe (great for thinning hair and hair loss)

Ingredients
6 oz Liquid Castile Soap
5 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
3 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

Directions
Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle. Use as you would any shampoo, rinse well

Let us know what you find. 

Laurie_R

thank you so much, Mary. I will check these ingrediants out at Trader Joes.

gingersfavorite1

well I don't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's around here,  but we recently got Sephora at the mall  {yaay}   so I will be on the hunt for Rosemary shampoo myself this week.    Being in a semi-rural, small town area,  I'm also resorting to ordering things online more than I used to.   I looked up the benefits of Rosemary shampoo yesterday and found several places to order it.   I would imagine the health food store where I buy my vitamins may have almond oil (?)

Fearless_One

Mine came in curly/frizzy with some grey.   I don't care for it.   It is also growing slowly since I have been on Arimidex - does this slow hair growth?   I have a full head, but it should be longer by now.

goldie0827

Fearless, I think we are all different as to how our hair grows. I too am on Arimidex. Did it slow my hair growth. I have no idea, I don't think so though. It could be because of the Arimidex on some ladies and not others? Or perhaps the type of chemo? Different chemicals, different metabolisms, different reactions. Some ladies have trouble with finger and toe nails, or eye brows and eye lashes falling out several times. I was fortunate and did not have any of those issues.

Charmaine, I agree with MaryNY....I don't think the neauralgia is noticable either. I think we are just our own worst critics! I know one of my eyes is smaller than the other, but probably no one else notices!

Thank you everyone, just wanted to show my hair growth at 2 years. It's actually just nice to say "2 years"

Fearless_One

Goldie, I think your hair is very pretty!!

Laurie_R

can anyone tell me  "how to" post pictues here on BCO.

gingersfavorite1

Laurie,  I can try, but I'm an amateur, have only done it a few times.....

 

I go here:    http://imageshack.us/

 

and put my picture (by hitting browse)  into that box under  "upload"   then hit the blue Upload Now button.

 

It'll take a few seconds, then gives you a new box/window....  and where it says  Direct Link..... I copy that line. 

 

Then come here, and in the box where you're going to post, it the green tree by the smiley face and paste that URL address  (that you just copied)  into the box. 

 

Hopefully that helps ? 

kathimdgd

I havn't been on here for awhile.Finished up chemo in Feb 09,and had my first haircut in feb 10.My hair used to be very full,always babyfine and had a natural wave,not curl,just a wave.My first haircut i had the Jamie Lee Curtis also

Now my hair is straight as a ruler,super thin,bald spots on top and back,and mousy brown with grey.At my age 72 1/2 it should be totally grey,think i'd like that better.I've let it grow out hoping it would cover the bald spots,and it does a little,but i just don't like it.What to do,what to do.

This battle certainly doesn't end when you finish chemo,there's always reminders out there,like we want to be reminded,right??

margiebits

I want your hair.  I really miss my old hair.  I'm so impatient, I don't know how I'll be able to wait 2 years to have long hair again.  I finished chemo in May and it's only about an inch long.  Greyish brown, growing in all different directions.  I'm waiting to see what I end up with.  I highlighted my hair for so long, I'm not sure what my actual color really was.  I"m not loving this color.  I guess I'll be sporting wigs for a long time.

Margie

juli0212

It did take awhile for my hair to grow long, so I will keep it long and permed, as I miss the curl that also grew back!   My hairdresser said she met a cancer patient whose hair grew in UPSIDE DOWN...it grew UP the back of her head!   How awful...there was not much she could do, but let it grow out (and keep it short).  We all differ for sure.   ~juli

Margiebits:  I remember feeling like you (tho again, I was also glad to be BALD and NO SHAVING!!!   LOL)...remember there is always hair color!  (Mine was brunette before chemo, grew in totally grey, not gonna take THAT lying down!  Perm & Color...lol...)  

margiebits

Thanks so much for the pictures of your hair progression.  It's great to have a picture to compare my hair growth to.  This is a great  tool to use for reference. 

Your hair was sooo long.  I bet it was hard to loose it all.  

 Can't wait to get some length to mine.  I finished chemo in may, and have about an inch so far.  It's not growing as fast as I would like.

Thanks for taking the time to post this for all of us!

Margie

Firni

Kathimdgd, my hair is doing the same as yours.  Baby fine, bald spots, straight.  But mine is a nice golden brown with natural blond highlights.  I bought some Topiks from Sally Beauty Supply.  It's powder made from hair.  You sprinkle it on your head and it sticks to your hair and makes it look fuller.  It also clings to your scalp and hides the "shiny spots".  It's awesome stuff.  It's about $20 for a small can but I've been using for over a month and it's only about 1/2 gone.  Because of the super thin and no real coverage on my head, I keep my hair super che-che short.  I'm growing to like it.  

MBJ

Just about anything you can buy at Whole Foods, you can find on line and especially when it come to beauty products!

goldie0827

Your welcome Margie. Ref. my pictures anytime you like. You may also share the link with anyone, I don't mind at all. Yes, my hair was long. I too had wavy hair, not curly. My natural color ended up coming back, but I am highlighting it now. I had strawberry blonde hair, and wore a blonde wig and like it, so I am going lighter. Also I am getting more grey, so I want to hide that. Guess that happens as we get older! Now if I could only lose the 20 pounds that Arimidex gifted me!

Firni, that sounds like a GREAT product for the gals in your predicament.

Thank you everyone for the compliments!

MaryNY

Nancy: you're welcome. Whole Foods is expensive so it's nice to find alternatives. MBJ is right that anything you find there, you can also buy online (a lot cheaper too!). When buying essential oils, such as rosemary, buy a good quality one. Some companies dilute the oils with cheaper oils or they're old and they lack the therapeutic benefit of good quality oils. I can sympathize with your days in bed after the Neulasta shot. I found those shots rough.

juli0212

Those Neulasta shots were the worst part of chemo for sure!  Of course, we needed them, but wowwww on the pain, luckily it was short-lasting (a few days).   OUCH-OH!   ~juli

Fearless_One

It is interesting how everyone's comes in different.    I just wonder if my tight curls will last or whether it will become wavy again down the road.

 Juli I agree with you about the shots!  

Carrol2

hte shots are the part i am dreading most. 7 more days till i start I am very scared.

juli0212

fearless_one:  I had very tight curls when it grew back, and it slowly slipped into thinner/straighter hair, hence now the perm.  LOVED the curls!  Yes, Neulasta is needed, but wow-sa!  BTW:  Ironically, in your signature (good for you for finding the tumor btw), I was lucky mine WAS found by yearly mammogram, it was so far back by chest wall, not palpable.  If I'd have skipped that year's mammogram, my surgeon & oncologist told me it'd have gone thru to my lungs)   ~juli

Rocket

My hair was always an auburn color and silky straight.  After chemo, it came in black with a touch of gray in the front on either side (like a skunk)!  I colored it a light brown at 12 weeks PFC with a box of color from the pharmacy.  Now it's almost two inches long and intensely curly, kinky all over my head.  It goes in all different directions and I have to use quite a bit of product on it to get it to look like a style.  I've had a lot of compliments on it, but I miss my straight hair.  Mine grew in pretty even all over except for one little spot in the front on one side.  I was so worried I'd have a permanent bald spot, but then it started to catch up with the rest.  It looks shorter than two inches because it curls so much. 

LilyLou, I have no idea what's going on with the eyelashes and eyebrows.  My right eyebrow currently has a bald spot, and I use pencil to fill it in.  My eyelashes have grown back again for the third time.  Hopefully I won't lose them again!  Good grief!  I have noticed that the ends of my eyelashes look translucent and not dark like the rest of the eyelash.  Has anyone else had that problem?  I had two treatments of the Taxotere/Cytoxan regimen and one Adriamycin/Cytoxan treatment, so don't know which, if any, is causing the problem with the lashes and brows.  My hair is doing pretty well except it seems to be growing slowly - at least to slowly for me.  At least it's coming in thick.  I'm just not experienced with handling the curly look.  It really does remind me of those scruffy stuffed animals you see in the store with fur going every which way.  I can't wait until I can say, like Goldie, that it's been two years.  I love your hair Goldie!

LadyinBama

Rocket (and others with curls): I think you hit it on the nose when you said you just aren't experienced with the curly look. I've had very curly hair my whole life and it can be hard to manage. But once you find the right products and learn a few tricks, you can get it to look good. The best thing I ever did was to find a hairdresser who knows how to handle curls. Not every hairdresser does. So look for somebody who can show you what to do with your curls and which products are the best to use. You can just call around to some salons and tell them your situation and ask if they have anyone or know anyone who is a curly hair expert.

LadyinBama

Rocket (and others with curls): I think you hit it on the nose when you said you just aren't experienced with the curly look. I've had very curly hair my whole life and it can be hard to manage. But once you find the right products and learn a few tricks, you can get it to look good. The best thing I ever did was to find a hairdresser who knows how to handle curls. Not every hairdresser does. So look for somebody who can show you what to do with your curls and which products are the best to use. You can just call around to some salons and tell them your situation and ask if they have anyone or know anyone who is a curly hair expert.

juli0212

Guess I was lucky in that the curls I had were tight, but very manageable with lots of conditioner.  As mentioned, there are many products if one chooses to use them.  I just scrunched, and used a leave-in conditioner as well.  I try not to ever comb it (now it's a perm, but even when it was 'real' and curly), as it's thinned out due to the chemo/hormone meds/menopause (too much was coming out).   It's kinda fun to have differing hair at different times of our lives, sometimes beyond our control!   ~juli

theresap60

My hair is coming in silver, very thick with tight curls.  I'm on the fence now, whether to color it like I did before cancer.  I'm not used to seeing myself in the mirror.  I too find it hard to manage the tight curls.  It looks cute first thing in the morning when they're wet and I put frizz eaze on it, but by the end of the day it just looks "old ladyish".  That's good advice LadyinBama to find a good hair stylist with curls experience.  I haven't had to get a haircut since March!

I've noticed that my leg hairs have been coming in faster and darker than before chemo!  What's with that?  It seems I'm always having to shave my legs now!

Yes, the Neulasta shot was the worst part of chemo.  I was bed ridden too, but knew I had to do it.  Never had to go to the hospital because of a low white blood count.  I remember sitting in his office and him admitting people to the hospital.  That was enough to make me endure it.

-Theresa