Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Jen1832

Thanks everyone!  I went out to dinner with my DH tonight and rode back home in the convertible.  The scarf came off and the wind felt so good!  It is in the high 90s here.  I can't wait to be able to go without head coverings for good.  There is no way that I will make it 3 months without color either.  My sideburns are truly white!  Congrats to all of you that are able to go topless.

Spitnspunk - you go girl.  You are right, you gotta have fun!

Sunflower71 - when I have that kind of coverage, I am going topless.  All I want is for my scalp to be covered.  Cute!

EmilyInOntario

I'm sure this has been asked before but for those of you who lost your lashes...when did they start growing back? I am 7 weeks post my last chemo treatment ( taxotere) and have one eyelash on each eye..how bizarre eh? The brows have thinned but still have them.

I compare my hair growth daily with all your pics..*L* Thanks all for sharing...I think I have "hair envy"!

bdavis

Sunflower... the bryan jpseph gel is only purchased online at bryanjoseph.com... and i think it only works to keep lashes not bring htem back, but maybe call them.

Cyborg

I didn't lose all my hair!!! Having one more infusion on Tuesday. Do u think the dose may have been too low and that is why I didn't lose all if my hair?

Paula1231

My eyelashes came back fully one month post chemo.  I took Biotin for skin, hair,  and nails and while I don't think it speeded up growth of my hair or eyelashes, they came back shiny and lush.

Jen1832

Cyborg - I asked the same question and was told that my labs bottomed out sufficiently.  BTW, I started losing my hair AGAIN yesterday.  Goodness having BC is humbling.

PSU222

Cyborg** I did not lose all my hair either and I kept asking if this was normal.  I kept stating I have hair, very thin hair under the wig.  Now I have been told I was underdosed!!  And these are the people we trust our lives with.......  

pejkug3

Ugh...not what I wanted to hear, PSU222!

I still have hair.  I have hair that sesembles others' 7-8 week pictures.  Thin, wispy hair.  Not all of it fell out.  I think I retained about 25%.  I am 3 weeks PFC.

I lost weight during chemo - like 41lbs.  So I doubt I was underdosed.  My onc was watching my weight pretty closely (but I still have plenty to spare).

How do you know that you were underdosed?

CYBORG - I continually shed throughout chemo.  I just got thinner and thinner with each round.  I didn't lose everything with the first round like most report.

PSU222

They (onc) told me..

lago

Cyborg chemo effectiveness has nothing to do with the SE you get or don't get. Those hairs must of been on a different growth schedule and missed all the chemo treatments… lucky you. (Hair does go into a period where it doesn't grow. Chemo goes after fast growing cells).

Mimidi

I have been lurking here for several months and enjoy reading all your posts and seeing your pictures.  I am 2 week post chemo and have a nice even coverage of new growth. It is so nice to look in the mirror and see my head with some color even though it appears to be salt and pepper looking.  Since I hate my wig I wear it only when I had too.  I go topless at home and yesterday when I went to the grocery store I just put on some makeup, earrings, and grabbed a pink basevall cap. 

One sweet thing about losing my hair my DH would rub my head and call me his bald headed baby.  Now when he rubs my head he says he won't be able to call me bald too much longer. It does make me feel good to rub my hand over my head head and feel hair.  My eyebrows are even coming back.  I have enough so I can use my eyebrow pencil.  Yeah. Since I have always worn my hair real short I will probably start going topless before too long.  I start radiation next week and right now I am thinking I will just go with my hat and leave the wig at home.

All of you are so strong and brave.

PSU222

I am so sorry, not trying to scare anyone.  I was just relating my story.  Lago you are very right. 

Mimidi

PSU22 I was told before I stated chemo that some never lost their hair.  My oncologist told me on my first vist to not go out and shave my head.  Just wait and see what happens.  Well I did lose all my hair. 

Since I always kept my hair real short so it was easy to keep I did not think I would be bothered that much about being bald.  How wrong I was.  I found out I was more vain than I thought I was.  When my friends complain about how they are having a bad hair day and can't do anything with it I think, "well at least you have hair". 

sweetbean

Seriously.  Someone told me I was lucky to not have to spend money on coloring my hair, because she just spent $200.  I know she was kidding and trying to be nice, but I nearly knocked her into next week.  Strangely, being bald wasn't as bad for me as the growing in phase.  It seems to be taking forever and I'm so frustrated.  I'm 14.5 weeks PFC and still don't have complete coverage on top.  I really thought I would be there by now, but I started Herceptin, which I have heard slows growth.  I also have a theory regarding doing neo-adjuvant chemo and then surgery.  The trauma of surgery is known to cause hair changes and slow hair growth about 8 weeks after surgery.  For women who have surgery first, their body experiences that effect while they are going through chemo.  By the time they are finished with chemo, their body is through that "What-the-hell-just-happened" phase and hair is ready to start growing .  For those of us who have surgery second, our bodies experience that phase right when hair growth should be picking up speed and so it slows down again.  I wonder if any other neo-adjuvant girls have experienced this....

although maybe I am just super impatient. i guess it's hard because I am single and I really want to feel normal and like I could potentially date.  and i just can't date like this...*sigh* 

Mimidi

Sweetbean I had my surgery first.  Breast removal and a TRAM flap in November.  I started chemo in January

christine47

Hi to all the hair girls,

We are all so different, I lost my hair and it is slow coming back compared to some.  I am approximately 9 weeks PFC and had TAC.  Seems like some of us TAC girls are slow.  I guess we were all different pre chemo too. 

Sweetbean, I am hoping for fast hair growth for you.  Seems so unfair that its fine for men to be bald, but not for us girls.  I am sure you will be back out there dating before you know it.  Your friend who told you that you were lucky to not be spending money on hair color never lost her hair!

Jen1832

Sweetbean - I had a friend that had surgery (nothing related to cancer) and she lost some of her hair after.  Her doctor told her it was the anesthesia....

vivirasselena

did any of you take the Nioxin capsules? 

Cyborg

Thanks, Jen. I wonder if I am going to lose my hair again.

christine47

never heard of Nioxin capsules.

pejkug3

Nioxin vitamins have soy in them.  I haven't taken they because of the ER+/soy controversy...

vivirasselena

gotcha....no Nioxin capsules.  They're probably just additional vitamin E or something like that.

michele

bdavis

pejkug... my pharmacist and MO told me ALL pills have soy... its part of the pill.... and such a trace amount, not to worry.

sweetbean

christine47, thanks for sending me good hair growth vibes!    It is growing - I know, because I am taking pictures. It just seems to be taking a while.  But it is coming in, so I know that I will have hair.  I'm also going to dye it in a few days - there are a few patches of gray/white/colorless hair that make me look a little balder than I am, I think.  (I have a lot of theories!!!LOL!)  And I know my friend was kidding and trying to make me feel better.  And  honestly, on another day, I might have found it funny.  But right now, I'd be happy with a cute pixie cut.  Patience is a virtue....

Jen1832

sweetbean - I am with you on the pixie cut!  I thought I had a good start to one, but now my hair is falling out again. I have been losing it for the last 3 days.  I just don't get it.  It is almost worst than losing it the first time.  I have always had lots of thick dark hair that was past my shoulders.  It is hard to believe that a pixie would make me happy, but it would!

bdavis

Jen... aren't you just two weeks out of chemo??

sweetbean

Jen, 

I had hair start growing in the middle of chemo and then it all fell out by the end.  So maybe that is what is happening.  Don't worry, I am sure that you will get your hair back quickly!  If your hair was nice and thick before, then it will be nice and thick again.   

sweetbean

And yes, Jen, I have heard that anesthesia affects hair growth.  I had a minor surgery in 2008 and my hair was crap for a few months after that.  This time , it was an eight hour surgery, so I can only imagine!  It's growing though, it's growing....

bdavis

And Jen... didn't you NOT lose some of your hair?? Maybe you are just on a different schedule.

Jen1832

Hey b - yes I am just 2 weeks out, but I had lost all of my hair on FEC.  When I started Taxotere, I had some fuzzy growth.  Now I am reduced to patchy multicolored stubble that is still shedding.

 Sweetbean - I am having surgery on the 22nd to remove my port.  It will probably fall out then too.  I am normally an optomist but this may do me in.

The real issue is that my DH and I were planning to go to Paris for our 20th in Jan.  I was diagnosed mid Nov, had dmx in Dec and started chemo 24 Feb.  We cancelled the trip for Jan.  My DH is now going to Paris for work in Sep and I have graciously volunteered to go with him!  Hah!  I really do NOT want to deal with hat/scarves/wigs on that trip. 

I want to be back to my old self.  Anyone think that is possible?