Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Rockym

MamaV, I LOVE the bangs!  Your hair is coming in nice and yes I do know that for ladies like us (prior long hair), it will be a while before we are back to our old style.  Of course that is if we want that style again.  Right now I do, however, once I have some bangs and perhaps my hair is a tad past my shoulders, I may be happy with that.

I bought a T-shirt today, but it had to be a solid color.  I tried bathing suits too, but that was a no go.  Too many pattens.  I think for now I have to stick with solids and more muted colors.  It seems when I tried on anything else, the outfit was screaming look at my short boy hair! :-)

borntosurvive

Linda:  Welcome to our "hairy" board.  There's lots of motivation with the pictures people have posted of their growth.  If you can manage to sift through some of the posts you'll read that some women's hair did grow more slowly with the Herceptin.  I am triple negative so have nothing after chemo and didn't need radiation.  I would think (just my guess) that if you have some growth it should come back.  You could always ask your MO what her opinion is. 

ksmatthews

mama v looks awesome!

Justina

Mama v looks great!



Sometimes i put my wig on and stare in the mirror, wondering who that person is. It is not me anymore, on the outside or inside. You all seem to have it together, attitude and all. I wish i believed that throwing on a pair of earrings will do the trick.

megs986

I'm starting to get antsy about my hair. Finished 8 DD rounds of ACT February 28th. Amazingly grew my eyebrows back in the last two weeks. Working on the brows but am discouraged hearing a lot of women lost them multiple times. However, my hair seemed to be coming in quickly at first. Now I feel like I've hit a plateau. Basically have a little all over but no length to really speak of. Has anyone tried biotin?

shore1

Dragonfly -- thanks for the product info. Good to know.



Justina -- stjude10 is so right - that guy was a dumb ass. Super short or even no hair doesn't make a woman look like a man.



Mamav -- thanks for posting pics. I love seeing progress pictures. Im 13 weeks pfc and so down in the dumps about my hair. You look great.

Elizabeth1889

MamaV, You look great now and you looked great every step of the way.  You are beautiful inside and out.

Justina

Megs, i am taking biotin 5000. Both mo and herbalist gave ok. Not sure if it is helping but figure it wont hurt. Hair seems to be growing faster (though never fast enough) in back. Top thinner and shorter. Interestingly, i now sprouted a cowlick right in front.



Yes. I agree that guy was a dumbass but cannot help feeling bad.

WaveWhisperer

NCBeachGal and Seagrover, I'm in the same hot, humid boat as you two. My two homes are in Charleston and the Bahamas, and I, too, am obsessing about what to do this summer with my head. I'm about 10 weeks PFC and just have white fluff on top and a gray shadow on the rest of my head. I wear my wig whenever I'm out but pull it off as soon as I'm in the car on the way home. And I'm having hot flashes like crazy since I started Arimidex. 

I don't know how to get through the summer. Making matters worse, my daughter said she didn't want to see me without hair, so I promised her I'd wear my wig around her until it grew out. 

I finished four months of chemo and 22 rounds of radiation, and I so want to be THROUGH with this cancer business. I finally feel really good, but, like someone else mentioned, I'm reminded of the cancer every time I look in the mirror. I see this small, almost-bald head sticking on this large body. I look like an old man. 

I'm glad so many others had good luck with radiation, and little or no burning. I have very fair, sensitive skin and, despite using the RO-prescribed gel every day, I got a very severe radiation burn on the breast and chest. Even the rad techs said they felt sorry for me and hated to give me more rads. It was quite painful. I finally went to my dermatologist and she prescribed a high-powered cream for burns that helped immensely and, of course, it began to get better once rads were over.

OK, now I want to know about Biotin or anything else that will speed up hair growth...Everyone, please share!! 

Seagrover

Wavewhisperer, what i got from GNC was a three pack of biotin 3000 mg for Hair, skin and nails formula, Advanced collagen formula which is collagen and amino acids and Evening primrose oil 500. I've only been taking it a little over 2 weeks so I don't know if it is helping or not. I am also putting Lashextend on my lashes in the morning and Elastilash in the evening. I'm tired of looking like a cue ball. If I did not have permanent eye liner, you would not be able to see my eyes at all.

Momine

Wave, I think wearing a wig because your daughter wants you to is going above and beyond. Can't you find some compromise there_

Carrol2

I used biotin right after i had my last infusion. My hiar did grow pretty fat not sur eif that helped i suspect it did. I also notice my nails stronger with it. I still take it over a year later.

Janet_M

Srall67 - I LOVE your look in your avatar. Gorgeous! It gave me inspiration. We have the same hair (almost) so I tried the white T-shirt, grey wrap (which luckily I have), and longer earings than usual. It felt good!

Wave Whisperer - How old is your daughter? This is your life at the moment. Shouldn't she be sharing that with you, scalp and all? 

auntienance

Justina, don't feel bad, the same thing happened to me and I was wearing big hoop earrings!  The guy was way more embarrassed than I was.  I don't think that just putting on some big earrings will change the way you feel neccessarily, but I think most of us just reach a point where we think that like it or not, this is my life and everybody else will just have to get over it.  

I'm sorry that so many of you long haired ladies are struggling so much with the short hair thing.  Maybe because I've worn my hair super short for many years, once I got coverage, it's just not a big deal anymore.  Or maybe I just don't give a rats ass anymore .  Anyway, my short hair has never made me feel any less feminine.  And I gotta say, it's a lot less hassle.  I had very long hair for many years and once I went short, never went back.  What I do hate right now is the texture, which is REALLY  not mine.  Whoever described it as fur like was right on, plus this weird curly crap instead of my normally straight hair is just bizarre.  No shine whatsoever either.  It's alien hair.  HOWEVER, it's covering my head  (even though it's still thin in places on top at 21 weeks) and for that I am grateful.

The good thing about the back and sides growing so much faster than the top is that I was able to ditch the wigs for ball caps and not look so bald.  So much cooler and comfortable. I've now ditched the caps too.  I've also quit examining my head every 10 minutes looking for new growth lol.

JoanQuilts

I happened upon a thread last night that discussed the 10% or so of women whose hair never grows back after Taxotere.  I got so upset I had to take a Xanax.  My hair has always been thin - male-pattern balding-like and I'm so afraid this is going to be me.

schatzi14

Joan.. I looked the same way...no sign of anything in the front at all and still a few bald patches where the hair had started to grow. I was freakin out...one day DH says....I see hair...kind of a shadow altho it was pure white. It has since filled in and starting to turn colour. RELIEF!!!!

I was afraid with Arimidex and little or no estrogen, I had female pattern baldness....nope!

gentianviolet

Joan - I too have male pattern baldness and have used Minoxidil for the past 15 years or so and it was/is effective.  I did not have to do chemo however while on Tamoxifen I began to lose hair, and lots of it.  This too freaked me out.......I had worked so hard to have a rather normal looking head of hair.  And, of course, the worry that it would just keep on falling out as long as I was on Tamoxifen.  Now two and one half years have passed (I am still on T) and lots of new hairs began growing in, starting about 10 months ago.  I have very few really long ones left (most came out) and the new ones are a variety of lengths.  It is a crazy amount of time to try and deal with all the different lengths, and it grows at a ridiculously slow rate.  I never stopped using the minoxidil and perhaps it helped the hair regrow.  Have you ever tried Minoxidil?  I am not complaining, at least I have hair, but I understand your fear!

GR4C1E

Hilarious hair opportunity! I have to share.



There's a guy at work that is so sexist. Can't stand him. So, I had been going topless for about three weeks, when finally, we crossed paths. He asked for my assistance on a project and I agreed to meet him to discuss. As we were walking towards eachother he asked me to stop. I obliged. He said; "What's going on here? You cut your hair! Turn around for me. I'm deciding whether I like it or not."



So, I stopped and twirled. After my spin, I said; "I didn't cut my hair. It fell out after my first round of chemo. How do you like it now?"

AEM47

GR4C1E - good for you for speaking up....I tell certain people ...."I would put my wig on for you...but you're just not that important ...I'm much more comfortable without a wig or hat..so you'll have to adjust". 

works quite well

schatzi14

AEM47...you go girl!!!

Carrol2

joan try not to worry too much everyone's hair grows at a different rate. I don't think it has anything to do with if your hair was thinning before, in fact some say that the patches that were filled in grew back nicely. My hiar was super baby fine pre chemo and now it's nice and thick. So take some pics and put them aaway for a month then take new pics and compare then you will relaly see the progress. It seems really slow when you stare in the mirror every day, like watching a pot boil.

LuvRVing

I agree with Carrol - everyone of us obsesses over our hair growth when it first gets started.  Taking pictures at regular intervals really provide a record of your growth that you can see. 

My hair texture was always fine, and it has come back pretty much the same...except it is now very, very curly.  On Friday I dried it straight and my DH announced that he preferred it curly.  Yay for me, because that's a whole lot easier!

ksmatthews

I went today and bought a Keratin treatment cannot wait to use it tomorrow to see if it really works..

KSteve

Ismathews - cant wait to hear how it works for you. I'm kind of afraid to because I've heard it's hard on color treated hair. If your brave enough, maybe I will try it too!

Kathy

megs986

Anyone have recommendations on how long to wait to dye hair? Also, any ladies do hair extensions?

LuvRVing

Megs - you can dye your hair pretty much whenever you're ready.  Many of us have started with the 28 shampoo version rather than permanent hair color.  I did mine 2 weeks PFC, then again 2 weeks later, then every 4 weeks since until now. I'll be about 6 weeks between color when I go on Wednesday to my hair stylist for a permanent color.   Can't help you with extensions.

borntosurvive

I went topless yesterday in the pool when I went to family swim yesterday with my kids and husband.  I am still bald as I'm only a month PFC.  I walked on the deck, head held high and didn't care if people looked at me or not.  I did catch the lifeguard looking at my like I was a pound puppy and my husband said, "She's a lifeguard, shouldn't she be looking at everyone and not just you".  I told him I didn't care.  I am healthy and finally swimmiing with my family (after a friend had filled in for me during my chemo).  I do miss my hair but I have also come to accept that I don't need my hair to live and I know it will grow back.  Don't get me wrong, I am impatient but in the moment of swiming with my family my lack of hair really didn't matter. 

Momine

Born, way to go! I am glad you enjoyed your day.

schatzi14

Borntosurvive...

Isn't it amazing how free you feel?? I have been topless for 3 weeks now and as the hair continues to grow and change from white fuzz to charcoal real hair, I am feeling GREAT!!!

itsjustme10

ksmatthews - I had my keratin done at the salon, and I'm really happy with the results - I don't look like a dandelion anymore. - LOL  It also put some shine back in.  I find I still can't wash my hair every day because its way too dry, but it looks 100% better after the treatment.  The brillo texture is gone now, too.