Hair Hair Hair - Another question

cs34

I'm not sure if this will help or hurt and gosh knows I never want to hurt anyone but September 16th will be the two year anniversary of my last chemo treatment.

I have to tell you that I still struggle with the hair loss. It came back and very different and thin but I stopped comparing it to what it used to be so I started to accept it better.

Anyway, I can tell you SO many good things and blessings that came from my operation, chemo and rads but NOT ONE good thing can I tell you came from losing my hair...not one!!!!!!!

It SUCKS. It sucked! It's so much harder than I ever realized it would be. So, I guess I write today so that if someone feels the same as me, you're not alone. And to those of you who had the composure to take it in stride - I commend you!!! Whole heartedly, I commend you!!!  

I still cringe at some of those moments looking in the mirror with no eye brows, eye lashes or hair. What a difficult thing it was to try and rise above it...for me, anyway. 

Wishing all peace.  

marial

I am 5 weeks PFC, and I still have no eyebrow growth and little to none lash growth..actually I seem to keep losing more each day..down to 2 brow hairs..ugh..when will this cycle turn around?

marjie

Lago - you look lovely as always, and hey....you HAVE brows, right?  BTW I want pretty much all your jewelery

Edited to add:  My DH's reaction to your pictures..."Hey Baby..."  LOL.

cs34 - I know a few ladies that have struggled with very thin hair since chemo, and a few who never really got their eyebrows back.  We are all so different that's for sure.  My hair was very fine and straight before chemo.  It's coming back in very dark with lots of grey and I'm really thinking I've got some curl now.  Today when I got out of the shower, my bangs were plastered on my forehead and looked to be about an inch long...no bangs when my hair is dry!  It is so thick and dense on the top of my head that I swear it almost repels water.  Should be almost time for a picture update...

carberry

Last chemo was Feb 18 and lost my eyelashes after the last treatment, but they came back fast and now...hmmmm how many weeksPFC?.. and  I am losing them again!!!  Hair on my head is very thick and growing  quickly, almost getting hard to do anything with it, may have to go get a trim.  No curl just flat to my head  like a helmet, ugh, not enough gel in the world.

christine47

cs34, I hear you, hair loss has been the most difficult part of the BC journey for me (losing breasts was easier).  My hair is just starting to come back and I worry constantly that the growth is slow and fine at that (I am about 10-11 weeks post chemo).  I agree, it sucks, but what can we do, I guess there are worse things.

sweetbean

Survivorwoman,

I'm with you on the slow hair growth thing.  I am 16 weeks PFC and still have to wear a hat.  I am on Herceptin.  I am SURE that is it.  Ladies on BCO have said it definitely slows the growth down. I started taking weekly pictures and there is progress, but it is so SLOW.  Ack.  I'm hoping to ditch the scarf in September, too.  Keep the faith...

cs34, i'm sorry to hear about your hair. I know that there are worse things, and yet, not getting your hair back must be incredibly hard.  i commend you for the ability to rise above it!

 Peace... 

lago

Thanks Carrol, Marjie and Mr Margie.

My "new" hair is different. Besides the extra gray and turning black the hair shafts are thinner but I have even more hair. It's very dull (I put stuff on it for shine) and sticks out straight. From what others say it does take 18 months to get close to what it was before.

Yes I have eyebrows and lashes but both are thinner than when I was on chemo. Crazy.

It takes time for all these drugs to get out of us. Some of us have herceptin. Some of us have AI or Tamox. Some of us have drugs from surgery. Drugs to combat chemo effects. All of this takes time to get out of your system. Any/all of these can effect your hair & nails. Surgery can effect hair growth too. 

PSU222

Hello Ladies**   I am 2 weeks PFC, when can I expect to see some sprouting?  I wish they had "miracle grow" for scalps.....

Carrol2

My hair is like an afro now. I lost track but i think it's 7 month PFC now. It is at a very awkward length now and requires tons of product to control. I will update my hair chart soon. My nials are super strong and growing like weeds though. Must be the biotin. Lashes and brows look pretty normal.

PSU222 i saw sprouts start at 4 weeks. 

hdangelbaby

I am totally embracing my hair! I am now almost 4 months pfc and rocking the thick headband, scrunching the short hair in the back and loving it!'

i look like a model from the 60s!

gotta post a pic soon, i have felt awful the last few days from wisdom teeth removal, if i go anywhere today and fix my hair, i will take a pic so i can post it

sundermom

I am almost 11 weeks PFC and a pulled the trigger on some home hair color yesterday, It looks so much better! My hair is coming in nicely, but it was almost colorless. I'm toying with the idea of going topless, but am just anxious about doing it. The first time I donned a scarf in public everyone felt the need to comment. I'm just not ready to go through that again.



Tammy

bucky317

Lago  I must say that chemo has been good to you!!! You look beautiful !!! and younger than when you first started. Kudos to you !!!!  One more tx and then onto getting my hair to grow and skin back to normal (like a crocodile now). I must say this board is more fun!!! Can't wait to start all these new products  ( I am a product junkie!!!)  Lol.

Its so funny, but I tell myself that I am going to take such great care of my hair when it grows back!!!   You don't know how much you miss something till it's gone!

pejkug3

PSU222 - I am 4 weeks PFC.  And I have a "5 o'clock shadow" over my entire head.

sewingnut

pejkug3,

You're lucky. I'm 6 wks PFC and my head has this transparent fuzz all over it.  My head looks like a big white egg!!  I thought I would have more hair by now.

SpecialK

I have no new hair except on my legs, which was there through chemo, and I am 5 weeks PFC.  I have the hair on my head that never fell out, was 1/2 in long after buzzing with clippers.  A few of those hairs are now about 2 in long!  So they are growing, but no newbies.  My hairdresser advised Biotin and also set me up with the 3 piece Bosley set plus the leave-in.  My husband, whose hair is thin naturally, keeps stealing it and swears it is making his hair much thicker.  I checked it the other day, and he is right!

christine47

sewingnut, I was closer to 5-6 weeks before I sprouted hair. 

lago

Bucky the first picture is 1 week before my BMX and I was very thin. Lots of stress last summer so I think that's why I look like hell. I really do have more wrinkles now after chemo. I also learned how to put on my makeup from the Looks Good Feel Better session so that might help too.

Carrol my hair is so straight except in the back where I have tons of cowlicks. My hair is staying short for a while because it really likes to stick out on the sides. I think this new hair is a bit dryer and dull. I guess I have the opposite problem. Oh and my lashes and brows are still thin. Wish they would fill in again.

twistedsteel

Is there a reason why, during chemo, i shouldn't color my remaining hair that is white and gray. All the dark parts have fallen out. I have it clipped quite short, like a crew cut.

Is it bad to do?  

lago

twistedsteel you would have to as your onc about that but I would think it would be a waste of money. The chances of it falling out soon are probably pretty good. I was using minoxidil before chemo but stopped once chemo started. My onc asked me one day if I was still using it. I said "why? seems like a waste." She said that's what she was going to tell me.

bucky317

Lago I have yet to attend The Look Good Feel Better class, (all in the timing) but def. will after seeing your results!!  I think I am ready for one of the those "Lifestyle Lifts" that you see advertised on tv.  Our skin and (bodies) sure do take a beating with treatment!!. I sure hope it is beating up any stray cancer cells that may be floating about, because it is def killing the outside of my body.

Special K  my hair is growing back (hopefully not tmi) "down south"!! and underarms and I still have one more tx. Still have hair on my head, arms, eyelashes, eyebrows and legs, although not much. Probably the last tx will take care of that! Trying to decide whether I should use Nioxin or the Bosley products you mentioned. Decisions.. Decisions...

bdavis

I have not used any products... and my head hair is growing nicely... full coverage with a good uifrlm length... Also have leg hair (normal growth) and some (very little) under arm hair... none is growing in the south except where I wouldn't want it growing (bikini line) go figure...

I too have a ton of cowlicks in a salt and pepper color... this weekend (at 9.5 weeks)I will color it, using a l'Oreal blond... we'll see how that goes.

islandmom

I am 18 weeks PFC and decided to get my first hair color after chemo.  The color came out very uneven.  The top took the color in some spots the back did not take at all.  I went back to the hair place they applied again and now it is even.  I looked like a dalmatian for a day.  

I had hair growing on my face so I went to the laser hair removal place couple days ago.  I have to go back in 6 weeks but it looks so much better already.  I hate the look like a warewolf.    

ReadingMama

How much biotin are you ladies taking?  I saw some in Rite Aid the other day, but didn't know how much to buy. 

I ended up shaving my face for my sisters wedding and will see if it grows in darker/more.  I couldn't deal with it for the wedding.  I'm now full time wigless and it feels great.  The wedding was wonderful and I can't believe my vacation is almost over.

lago

I'm taking 5mg of Biotin. I have the white hair all over my face neck and back. I did shave the neck because it was getting a bit long.

My onc assured me it was chemo fuzz and will go away. I'm coming up on 6 months PFC. Anyone know when this is supposed to fall out and stop growing. I feel like a long haired peach.

Jen1832

SpecialK- I have the Bosley set too, and the minoxodil leave in. Much of my hair fellout agaiast week, but is filling in now. The new hair is more dense. It is still way too albino tho. I will probably wait another 6-8 weeks and then color. I want hair! Patience is not one of my virtues!

SpecialK

For some reason the wig hair is now falling out - I keep finding long hairs on my clothes, what is up with that?  Sure as heck didn't come off my head!!!  I am thinking that since I have returned to work and am wearing the wig all day (can you say headache?) that the wear and tear is making the wig hair fall out.  That is my story and I'm sticking to it.

dragonfly1

SpecialK You just have to laugh, right? We don't even have hair and yet we still have to be traumatized by hair falling out!!! I've been wearing my wig 5 days a week at work since March and it is definitely shedding a bit more from the wear and tear...my real hair better start growing faster because the wig is going to get ratty if I have to go for too many more months with it. I'm still amazed at the people at work who don't know what's going on and have complimented my wonderful hairstyle more than once:) Don't they ever wonder why my hair never grows and how it looks exactly the same every day? 

SpecialK

dragonfly - hi my friend!  Yes, the ridiculousness of wig hair falling out!  I too have had people compliment me on the hairdo and I am never sure what to do!!!  Or say!  I have one wig that is shoulder length which I wore to work until a couple of days ago, then I started wearing the one I got from the ACS for free at the Look Good thing.  It is shorter and slightly darker with highlights in the front.  Someone at work said "oh you got your hair cut and got new highlights, it looks nice" so I just looked at her and said my hair was fake.  Then she got all flustered and I felt bad.  For a minute.  Then we both started laughing.  If your hair is always the same they probably think you are awesome at styling it and wish they were as talented as you!  Like when you go to the hairdresser and it looks perfect and then when you do it at home yourself it never looks as good!

LisaGH

Hey there triplet pals- you both made me smile!  I needed that today.

My hair is coming in- very very short and not full coverage.

Recovering from exchange surgery and started arimidex. Hoping none of this will slow the hair growth down. Plan on going w/ it very short as soon as it fully covers my head.

Me and the wig are not good friends- I do wear it when I don't feel like dealing w/ talking about the cancer etc or being stared at. However, as soon as the hair is covering the head- I am so ready to not have to worry w/ scarves, hats, or the wig.

Sorry if I am whiney. I am trying to be a soldier, just not pulling it off today for some reason. Post exchange, no hair, just started arimidex blues I guess...

When I do wear the wig I still have folks who see me rarely say "i like your haircut." i usually just smile and say thank you. I just am too self conscious to do more.

SpecialK

Hi Lisa!  I am starting to get nervous because I have no new hair on my head.  Just weird old hair.  I start Femara after surgery next week.  I think my MO didn't want to introduce it prior to surgery in case I have some early SE while I am trying to recover from the TE replacement.  Nice of him, right?   You guys (Lisa and Dragonfly) just had your 2nd H alone, correct?  I go tomorrow.  I am still feeling muscle soreness and I will be very curious to see after tomorrow if it comes back full force.  Don't worry about being a soldier - they even have off days!  Lisa - how are you feeling, are you more comfortable without the TE's - do you notice a big difference?