Hair Hair Hair - Another question

tracie23

bikenyc, Great picture!!!

ksmatthews

bikenyc great pics

YamahaMama

Hello, all!  Had a few pages to go through today to try to catch up...great pics!  Congrats to all who are able to get haircuts, have facial hair growing, arm pit hair, leg hair, and even toe hair!  LOL! 

I have been going topless at home for months...figure I'm going to be comfortable in my own home, and if the kids don't like it, they can not come over until I get hair again!  DH has been supportive, so I know he's okay with it...  However, this week, we are in the middle of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and have a houseful of guys, most who are good friends, and some who I'm meeting for the first time.  I told them right off they'll see my 1/8" hair sometime during the week, and I've honored that promise.  When my head is hot or itching, off comes the covering...   

In public, though, I still feel the need to have my head covered...  So, this week, I've worn my "halo," with a doo-rag over the top, and have had lots of compliments on it.  I learned a VERY good lesson, though...riding 80 mph with just a halo and doo-rag isn't such a good idea!  Coming home the other day, I could feel the doo-rag slipping a little, so I kept trying to pull it back down, which isn't easy when you only have one hand to work with!  I was following one of the guys, so couldn't slow down to a point where I thought it would stay better. 

Suddenly, doo-rag goes flying off the head!  I reached up and grabbed the halo, which was still firmly attached, and just stuck my hand through it and kept it on my arm the rest of the way home.  I was SO embarrassed!  I just cringed at the thought of people passing me on the interstate and seeing my bald head!!!!  I debated stopping and going back for the doo-rag, but I was too embarrassed, and just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. 

It wasn't until we were all back here, and talking about what happened, that I was able to laugh about it...  I'm sure people coming up behind me on the interstate were doing double takes, as they see a woman riding a motorcycle, head almost as bald as a cue ball, but with long, flowing braids under one armpit!!!!  It was priceless!  We all need a sense of humor, don't we? 

I'll be having a drink tonight to continued hair growth for us all! 

christine47

Natalie,

I am laughing at you, wish I could have been there.  I ride without my hair on the highway, but I am in a SUV.  No helmet laws in your state?  Have a tall drink to hair growth and lot of laughs.

Linda-n3

You ladies all look terrific!!! Natalie, I actually had a student a few years ago who kept her head shaved, wor big dangly earrings- very chic looking young lady and I  know for a fact that she was not undergoiing chemo!!! 

I colored my hair while on vacation. DH said he liked the "natural" color - pepper & salt, solid white strip across the ears. Ugh.  I am truly much more red-head or even blond nature than that, and so I got a medium brown with red undertones - from Garnier Nutrisse I think.  Much better color! Am getting first hair cut & style on  Saturday.  I will try to post before & after photos as you have all been such an inspiration to me.  I am now 34 weeks PFC, have that super curly issue to deal with, and luckily very thick again (much like I had BEFORE chemo, except a whole lot shorter!!).  My mother (an 18-year survivor) informed me I needed a trim if I wanted to be "chic". LOL.

I quit using the wig at Easter - seemed a good time for a "new do" and no one said much of anything except a couple of weeks ago when one of my friends said "Your gray is showing".  I think anytime there is a transition (new job, new school year, end of a vacation) is the best time to come back with the "new do" and people just assume you have done your hair differently on purpose if they don't know your whole story.

YamahaMama

Christine, I'll let you laugh at me any time!  We don't have a helmet law, but I've ALWAYS worn my helmet, until this week, that is...  I found every time I took my helmet off, the doo-rag and helmet came off with it, so I figured I'd just go "topless."  At least when I lose the hair taking off the helmet, I'm not at risk of losing it permanently, I guess! 

Linda, I SO wish I could pull off the chic young lady look...  Especially since I've found it's a lot quicker getting ready to go anywhere if you don't have to fix your hair!  But, I've just always liked long hair, ever since I was little...  I like it on other people, though!  I love all these cute short dos everyone is sporting here! 

Now, off to a tall Crown & Coke, drinking to all our crowns of glory! 

panamajayne

I have always had a lot of fine straight hair.  A little strand shedding and thinning during the 4 rounds of A+C.  Had 2nd  of 4 Taxol treatments 2 weeks ago.  Yesterday my hair began heavy shedding but even worse my scalp hurts to  the point I put my head under cold water and am taking pain meds.  Anyone know if the scalp pain is typical?

bdavis

yes, scalp sensitivity is normal... I didn't have pain per se, but definitely would say it was sore... It goes away and that was it.

marjie

My scalp got kind of sore, I remember, but nothing to the extent I needed meds.  Soon as the hair was gone (stubble and all) it was fine.

lago

Add me to the sore scalp club when hair was falling out.

I always had thick hair but it grew back even thicker. Hair shaftes themselves a bit thinner. Still haven't regained my shine back. I had very shiny hair before.

BTW I have been lurking. You ladies with new hair look fab. 

I hope to post an update to my transition link soon. I'm getting my haircut again on Monday so I want to do it before I cut it again.

sandy115

Hi everyone I have a question did everyone shave their hair when it started falling out.Mine is sheding every day I am Day 16  out of 1st chemo.I am also having scalp pain but hav'nt had the heart to cut it yet.If I just cut it short will It still all fall out.I am on Fec D 2 more and 3 of Taxatore.

I am wondering if it will just get really thin or all fall out completly.

lago

Mine started on day 16 too. I just had it cut short that day. Yes it still fell out. The advantage to buzzing it is less mess. I was vacuuming my pillow and bathroom daily till it all fell out. I never did buzz it.

bikenyc

wow pjamajayne, that's crazy your hair has held on through 4 rounds of AC.  It's really fighting to stay...you must have some badass hair follicles.

Sandy, mine started coming out in force on day 15 (I lost OTHER body hair first oddly).  I cut off my braids and then shaved mine down to 1/4 inch.  But that started hurting (especially under the wig) and was a mess when tufts of it would come out, so I shaved it all the way down.   It felt much better then.  

I can only speak for myself...but I imagine whatever was left would have been sooooo thin, it wasn't worth keeping.  Think you've kinda gotta go for it I'm afraid (it's like pulling off a bandaid...just too torturous to do slow).  

DivineMrsM

bikenyc, love your photos, your hair & brows look great.  

Sandy, I had my DH buzz my head with an electric razor when my hair started to come out.

My eyebrows are coming in well.  But I have not had eyelashes since about February right after my chemo began.  My eyes are always a little itchy and dry these days, and in photographs, my eyes look just like a blur.  I think I see the tiniest of stubble coming in at the eyelash base when I look in my magnifying mirror.

I know one thing, I learn much on these boards.  Someone mentioned that after starting the anti-estrogen meds, they began growing a moustache above their lips, and sure enough, I got out that mirror and looked, and I have some stubble above the upper lip coming in, too.  Oh great.  lol

Lago, nice to see you posting again, I thought maybe you'd been on vacation. 

LuvRVing

My hair has hung in there through all four ACs.  DH brought me down to stubble because I didn't want the "hair everywhere" mess and it's pretty much all still there.  Now I wonder if I should have gone that far.  I think it would have just thinned.  I still have hair everywhere else except my arms and armpits.  Starting Taxol next week, I've got to wonder what will happen.  My brows and lashes are hanging in there. 

We're all so different!!!

Michelle

panamajayne

bikenyc,  thanks for your reply, 3 days ago someone I had not seen for several weeks thought I had on  wig as my hair still looked the same as before the koolaid cocktails. Now hair is thinning out so much that I'm going to wear a hat, wig or whatever.  I also have had 2 haircuts since beginning chemo, more for the styling as hair was still growing.  Wondering if my luck has run out.

Kay_G

Wow, I can't believe how differently this effects everyone.  My hair started coming out before my second AC treatment.  But the day after my second treatment, I put the brush through my hair, and all the hair just came right out in the brush.  It was awful.  I switched to a comb and shaved the rest off that night.  I lost all the rest of my hair everywhere too.  Then on Taxotere it started coming back, except for the eyelashes and eyebrows which came out after the second treatment.  Everything is coming back now, but VERY slowly.  Still only 17 days PFC and on Herceptin, so I guess this is just I have to deal with.  All the pics are so encouraging and beautiful.  I can't wait to get there too and post a pic.  Lago, glad to see you back.  Looking forward to seeing your latest pic.

FLwarrior

Hi ladies...just found this thread last night and have been reading your posts.  I am 7 weeks PFC.  I lost most of my hair after 2nd treatment.  It is growing back in, but it is so WHITE!  OMG!  I had not seen my natural color in years. Most of you say and I have read that "Chemo" hair is dark and curly...leave it up to me to be different!  Mine is salt and pepper on sides and back , but white across the front and top!  And it is all completely straight! 1/2 to 3/4 inch long.  At what point did you start seeing curls?  I still wear my wig except in the house.  I really want to color, but I am now afraid of the toxins.  Has anyone tried Henna? 

lago

FLwarrior I never got curls. I have a little wave in some spots (cowlicks) but for the most part it's straight. Not everyone gets chemo curls. I think hair does come in white at first but I wasn't paying attention to my hair growth at first so I missed that part. Mine came in with more gray but the dark part was much darker. Nothing that my hair dresser couldn't take care of.

marjie

My hair came in white, then gradually got darker and darker.  I have lots of grey, but like Lago, the dark part is really dark!  I can't decide if it's black or just really dark grey!!  I had poker straight hair before and I definitely have a wave to it now but it's still too short to know the fill extent.....wave or curl!  The other night I was out on the water paddling and the ladies behind me were commenting on how much curl I had on the back of my head....uh-oh!  There is one lady on my team who is a couple of years out of chemo and her hair came back in tight ringlets (think extreme Shirley Temple!) - it looks adorable on her, she has let it get pretty long and is continuing to let it grow.  To be honest, I don't think I would know what to do with curl like that.

Lago - a couple of friends of mine are heading to Chicago this weekend.  Apparently they found an awesome deal to take the train from Port Huron, Michigan which is only about an hour's drive from here.

mccrimmon324

So glad to hear that some of you did not lose all of your hair on AC - I'm on TAC and was told I would lose 100% of ALL hair, I buzzed my head when it started coming out but I still have some fuzz, maybe 5% left and my body hair is still there, just doesn't grow fast.  Haven't had to shave under my arms but my leg hair I've shaved twice now in the past nine weeks.  Spoke to my onc about why I still have hair and he said if my hair grew fast before treatment its normal.

lago

marjie I wish you joined your friends. Would have loved to have met you in person. BTW the weather is supposed to be awesome this weekend.

marjie

Lago - well it's something I can keep in mind!  It's actually my coaches who are going and they are leaving us to race on our own this weekend.  They tell me Chicago is one of their favourite places to visit.

lago

So when are you coming? (Don't come Late Nov-April.  You'll hate it.)

pumela115

Lago- I was there in Sept one year and i  fell in love with your city. Not to cold and not to hot about 75 degress and beautiful. Great food and music. I hope to get there again some day!

lago

I remember that day we had 75 degrees. I'm kidding, actually the falls have been really nice the last few years. I'm not a native. I grew up outside of Boston but fell in love with Chicago, well not initially. It took about 7 months. I first moved here in 1981. Left several times but came back. I do miss the ocean and good fish/seafood. (They seem to think fish needs to be cooked well done here).

dutchgirl6

This is my most recent picture, taken this afternoon.  I am one year and one day PFC, and I am ready for my second trip to the hairdresser to neaten things up.  I am enjoying the curls, and getting used to the grey.  Everyone seems to think this new style suits me, and I have to say, it's much better than it was at this time last year!

charlottesmama

Hey Ladies! Taxol Hair? I did A/C in the spring and after, my hair grew back like gangbusters! All dark and thick. So nice. Had surgery then Taxol. Lost all my hair again. Last tx was July 15. My hair is growing back but it's only the white hair. WAAAA!!! Anyone else have this experience? I look at my scalp closely every day and see some dark dots, maybe "plugs"? Some seem to be growing in... Just so sad about being totally white at 51!

Carrol2

wow dutchgirl you look great!! You only cut it one time in a year? I keep debating if I will cut mine it's been 8 months PFC. I trimmed it once as soon as I had full coverage to even it out and trimmed my neck once before it was covered. Now I am watching to make sure I don't end up with a mullet. I  do need to cover my grey I am about 15% grey no too bad. Got a semi permanet color at the salon that covered good but it's all washed out now.

 anyone recommend color that I can buy to try myself. i want to cover the grey with something that will gradually wash out so they grey roots wont be so noteable. 

bdavis

I tried a permanent and within two days, that chemo white was noticable.. My stylist says I am more pepper than salt... but still... so I had her use her professional stuff to try again... and its been a week, and seems to be holding, I asked her to color it the color the colored hair was, ash blond, but to me it looks dark.. I am used to ash blond as a base and summer highlights that are quite light... but of course, I only have 3/4 - 1 inch, so I guess I need to be patient...