Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Myleftboob

San

I do that too especially when in a hurry.  Even when I do pencil in I do the eyeshadow thing to soften the look.  Works great.

DivineMrsM

 Today:  June 3:  I am one year since my last chemo.

Here are some photos.  The first one is when I started going without the wig.  

The second photo is when I dyed my hair.  I forgot the photos were on my camera till January.  I swore my hair was not growing.  I uploaded photos in January and realized there was growth so I started taking a monthly head shot.  

The last photo is how my hair looks today, June 2012.  I use a lot of hair stuff, as I've said, and dye my hair.  It is about 3 inches on top and the bangs are about 3 1/2 inches. I really baby those bangs to get them as straight as I can because they want to curl. I put lots of hair glue on them and blow dry them 'just so' then spray the bejeebers out of them.

I have had two very slight hair trims at the salon to give my hair some shape. My previous hair was poker straight, baby fine.  New hair has a wave to it and is thicker. I am growing accustomed to it.

 Last photo here:  June 3, 2012.  I am one year PFC today.

Ossa

congrats on your one year.. wishing many more for you.

hair looks great

Elizabeth1889

DivineMrsM, You look fantastic! Congratulations on being one year PFC. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

onvacation

your hair has grown in so lovely!  Looks full and healthy!

schatzi14

TheDevine....fantastic....good to see where I am headed at a little over 4 months PFC!

WaveWhisperer

Thank you for sharing your pix. It's so great to see proof from you and others that hair really does grow back. Your haircut and color look great on you. 

But, as someone else mentioned in an earlier post, I, too, was really naive when I started chemo. I knew I'd lose my long hair but for some unfathomable and irrational reason, I expected that a year later it would be back to its old below-shoulder length.

lago

DevineM I think you look great in all your photos, granted the first two are a tad short.

mags20487

22 weeks PFC and I have about 1 1/2 inches of hair all around.  Eyebrows back as well as lashes.  Everyday I get compliments on my "haircut" and I am starting to accept it.  I used to get angry at comments from strangers--not really sure why.  I am the one who decided I would stop wearing head coverings so I should have expected some reaction to it.  It appears to be coming in a little wavy..hard to tell as it is still really short.

Maggie

Carrol2

DevineM looks great!

Myleftboob

DevineM

Thanks for posting the pics.  It helps us newbies realize that it does in fact grow back!!  You look lovely!

NCbeachgal

MrsM-you are too cute! Love the hair.

Angie

mt4ever

DivineMrsM you look great! 

I am not sure I am brave enough to keep a photo diary yet!  I still have 3 more treatments of TCH to go so I have a crew cut but have not been completely bald yet.  I was kind of hoping it might stay that way and just start regrowing but from what I have been seeing it is more likely than not that I will loose all my hair after the last chemo!  GREAT! (said sarcastically! LOL)

lago

Mt4ever keep a photo diary. You can always toss it out later. I wish I had taken one of my expansion process but didn't.  You can't go backwards.

Carrol2

mt4ever def keep a photo diary it really shows how far you've come as time goes by and can be very encouraging.

mags20487

yes divineM you truly are divine in those pix!!!

ksmatthews

Divine you look great!!!

lago

No matter how old Barbie gets she still gets to keep all her hair, eyebrows and lashes.

Carrol2

nice

kittycat

Divine, your hair looks fabulous! Love the pics!



Ok that Barbie pic is scary looking. LOL!



Thanks everyone for the compliments. I feel like I've jinxed myself. I have a ton of hair and I'm so happy with the volume and texture. however lately it is shedding a lot. I counted over 120 hairs while on an hour conference call. Yikes!!! It's been about 20 months since it started to grow back. Is it normal to shed so much hair? Did you girls that finished chemo a while back notice your hair shedding a bunch? It took so long for my hair to grow in. I don't want it to be thin.

lago

Kitty your hair does normally shed. Can be more than 100 or less. I do find that my hair grows faster in the summer… and also sheds more. I thought I was shedding a lot but I still have a thick head of hair. I'm 16+ months and on Anastrozole (estrogen sucking drug).

How does the hair on your head look? OK, then don't worry.

kittycat

I had a hysterectomy, talk about no estrogen! My friend Melanie had chemo a few months before me and noticed cycles where her hair would shed more. My hair was very fine before chemo, but grew in more coarse. I'm hoping that it stays coarse. I've been trying to take good care of it. I don't get it highlighted anymore (I get it dyed brunette, its natural color without the gray). I also only wash it every 2 days.



I had surgery 3 weeks ago so maybe that's causing the sudden shedding. I've had several surgeries (2 other since finishing chemo) and didn't see this kind of shedding though.

lago

Surgery/anesthesia definitely causes hair loss in many people. It can take a while for your body to recover from it too.

kittycat

I'm going to start taking B vitamin complex. Maybe that will help???

Love74

4 days PFC...where's my hair?? LOL! Just joining this group now that I'm done chemo. I have been reading all the tips and looking at the great pics...I'm so happy to be starting this part of the journey.

shore1

DivineM - thanks for posting with dates. It really helps me feel better to see your time line. You look great.



Lago - lol, freaky Barbie.



I added folic acid supplements to my vitamin regimen today. I was already getting 400 mg in my B Complex, and am now taking another 400. I hope it helps speed things up!

missy_111

shore1-  My MO told me that folic acid supplements interfere with tamoxifen. If you are on tamox, you might want to ask your Dr. about it.

kittycat

I was doing some research on the Internet about Singulair. Several people have reported having hair loss from it. I asked my PS to put me on it to see if it would help with the inflammation of my radiated breast (I just had surgery to correct it). Well I'm going to stop taking Singulair and see if my hair shedding subsides. Hmmm...

MamaV

Welcome newbies!  I hope you get strength and inspiration from this great group!  It's so wonderful how we are all in different stages of hair loss, regrowth and hair envy! 

I am 11 months PFC - hair is 4 1/2 inches long (I do measure the first week of every month)!  My eyelashes and brows are thinning again for the 3rd times since they came back after Taxol.  Hating that!

DivineMrsM

lago, that Barbie picture...way funny.....

Thanks, all, for your kind compliments on my hair photos.

I encourage anyone to keep a 'hair photo diary'.  When my hair was so short, I was sure it had stopped growing.  Having the pictures tell a different story gave me such a boost.  

Also, be kind to yourself!  I only take photos if I feel like it's a 'good hair day'.  Then I take about 10 pictures, and out of those, I will pick the one I like best.  It's not like I go around every day with perfectly coifed hair.  Some days I feel more like fussing with it than others.

 My eyebrows are similar to what then were before chemo. I die them when I die my hair, they often come out too light so I darken them with pencil.  As for eyelashes, they are thin and sparse.  I rarely wear mascara anymore, only pencil eyeliner.  It has spoiled me, because on the rare occasion I wear mascara, I realize I want to rub my eyes during the day but the mascara prevents that.  So I kind of got used to going without it.