Hair Hair Hair - Another question

jpmomof3

I seem to remember people commenting on this phenomenon before but it just happened to me.  I have kept about 50 percent of my lashes and brows throughout chemo and now that i just have one dose left, my lashes just fell out in like a few minutes.  I kept getting lashes in my eyes today and just now i gave them a gentle tug to get any loose ones out and they all came out.  I am going to hope that is because all my new wonderful lashes are starting to grow deep down and are pushing the old ones out.  WTF.

Yvette10052011

i've been offline for a week but catching up today lots of reading.

AEM - you really look amazing!! you're eyes just shine & you do indeed have lots of coverage for 8 weeks.

you certainly nailed it with the description of feeling: unrestricted!! o what a feeling

JoanQuilts

For those of us who are afraid that our hair will "never" grow back:

I've been reading the stats about Taxotere where about 3% don't have any hair regrowth (according to what I've seen on this site).  I had my 4-week post chemo check-up with my onc today.  I asked him about this and he said that he has treated thousands of women with taxotere and has seen only one whose hair did not grow again.  That made me feel better.

Kelloggs

My MO said the same to me....that in the thousands of patients she has treated, only one did not have hair grow back.  And that one patient was a man!

KristinFro

Hi all, I'm a newbie to this thread, but have read the last dozen or so pages and have found a lot of great info. I bought the Nioxin (step 2) and have used that for the last couple of days (I'm 15 days PFC). I also took my first Biotin capsule today, too. I can't wait to get this hair growing again. The good news is that this morning I noticed a little stubble where my eyebrows used to be! The not-so-great news is that I'm going back on Herceptin after my July 10th mastectomy, which I've read here kinda slows the hair growth some. I have do what I have to do, though

Has anyone heard of Ovation Hair? A woman at the hospital told me about it. Pricey, way pricier than the Nioxin. Wasn't sure if the extra $$'s would be worth it. 

jpmomof3

Welcome and cograts on being done with chemo!  You are beautiful! Hadnt heard of ovation myself but there are lots here that have done more research than me.

lago

FYI on Nioxin. I was talking to my stylist today (also manager of 2 salons) about Nioxin. He was explaining that Nioxin is great for keep the hair from shedding. It also puts a "coat" of something on it that makes your hair seem thicker. He stated it doesn't promote hair growth. I need to get the name of the product that he recently started selling. He said the women at his salon boast about it. (He had his stylists try it before he signed on to it). He also said that Minoxidil works for a small portion of people.

KSteve

I used the Ovation cell therapy religiously from the time I finished chemo.  I put it on my bald head every other night and put my hat on.  Left it on while I slept and washed it off in the morning.  Once my hair started coming back in (very full and thick) I went to using the cell therapy in between the wash and creme rinse when showering.  I don't know if it worked or not since I have nothing to compare to, but I can tell you my hair is thick and getting longer every day (about 18 months PFC). 

KristinFro

Thank you, jpmomof3!

So, are Nioxin and Ovation similar then? They both thicken hair? I read on the Ovation website that it alters the normal growth cycle and that once you stop, you go back to where you were before. That tells me that hair will most likely fall out (of course not all of it like with chemo) when you stop using it as the growth cycles regulate back to normal.

lago, I'd love to know the name of the product your stylist recommended. Maybe I could get at least a little hair to cover my head before I go back on the herceptin! 

KSteve

Kristin - I have not noticed any issue with hair thinning or falling out after stopping the Ovation product.  I just use whatever regular shampoo/conditioner I decide to try now.  Nothing fancy.  In fact, I have much less hair loss than I did pre-cancer, as far as what's in my brush after using it.  I'm definitely not promoting Ovation because, like I said before, I don't have anything to compare to.  For all I know, my hair would have come in the same even if I didn't use it!  Who knows! 

Teakay

I too asked my oncologist about the permanent hairloss issue and she also said that she only had ONE patient out of thousands and thousands that took taxotere. She is one of the best known and busiest oncologists here in SA and out of all her patients she only had one from taxotere. She did however say, that permanent hair loss can occur with other treatments as well,  not just tax.-- or if you have been treated several times and hair has fallen several times--but it is very, very rare!! 

 While I was shopping today I noticed in the Aveda store window they have this new system for thinning hair--comparable to Nioxin I would guess--so I bought it!! Like Aveda fashion, it smelled yummy! We shall see how it works!

KristinFro

Thank you, KSteve! Can you tell, like many others, that I'm just a bit anxious to have my hair back? I'll keep up with the Nioxin since that's what I already have. Can't hurt, right?

Hikergal

Wow lago thx for the pics. You are beautiful with and without hair!  Thanks for sharing your photos. 

m4babies, thx for your response. I am becoming more optimistic and am going visualize that the normal cells grow back but the nasty cancer cells won't.  I read that on Scott Hamilton's website, chemocare.com  , and that philosophy really resonated with me.

Going to start tomorrow with a positive attitude!  Went for a pedicure and manicure today, figuring I won't be able to do that for some time with the immunity issues, would not want to risk nasty infection from the nail salon.

Got a shorter haircut yesterday and feel good about that, won't do any color for a long time though I suppose.  Did most of you shave your head right before major hair loss?  

schatzi14

Nope.....I just had it trimmed really short...sort of like a long brushcut! Hmmmm kinda like now....18 weeks PFC.  LOL

lago

Oh Robo looks who's talking! FYI Robo is really pretty, fun and a riot. BTW Robo I was thinking of you today when talking to my stylist about the other hair growth product. He was supposed to give my a brochure for you. I'll post as soon as I get the info.

kjiberty

Lago:  Make sure you post it on this forum for us ladies who would like to get a jump start on this hair growth.  Thanks!

ksmatthews

AEM looks great!  You are beautiful!

I haven't posted in awhile so just skimmed through to see if there were any new photos.  

I hope all is going well with each of you! 

EmmaC

This is from mother's day, race for the cure! I have to wear something on my head to keep my hair tamed. My hair is longer now, I have bangs down to my eyebrows.

I would like to say thanks for posting the tutorial on posting pictures!

Momine

Hiker, I had mine buzzed off when I started treatment. That way I felt a little more in control and it was less upsetting once it started falling out.

LuvRVing

EmmaC - that's a great picture of you!!!

kjiberty

Emma, Great pic!!!

DivineMrsM

Emma, you look gorgeous!

Hikergal, befoere chemo my hair was a bit past my chin and I had it cut short a week or so after chemo started.  Then a week after that, my husband shaved it for me, it was starting come out in big chunks and that kind of scared me (even tho I knew that was going to happen).   

lago

Nice photo Emma. You look great.You certainly don't look like you're hair is recovering from chemo.

Ellendou

Beautiful picture Emma.  I am getting my hair cut today, will start Chemo on Friday.

Ossa

Looking great Emma

mom24boyzs

Good morning ladies! I don't post on this forum much, but I love reading all of your post! They are so helpful and encouraging. I am day 21 past my first chemo (tch) and will have my second treatment on Friday. My hair has slowly started to fall out. I can run my fingers through it and about 15-20 strands come out at a time. My hair is about chin length. My question is, have any of you just let it fall out? What about just getting a pixie cut first before you buzzed it? It seems like a lot of you just buzzed it off and I don't think I'm ready to do that.

Blessings

rava

Hello ladies. I'm a newbie here I'm 6 weeks PFC and my biggest concern nowadays is hair! it's like I just wanna sitt and watch myself in the mirror trying to see if the hair growes in ... Crazy .... I didn't loose it all, and it kept growing during chemo. I buzzed it of ceveral times. But I would expect there to be more hair now. i cant see any development in 3 weeks.it is like it is not growing at all... None of the eyebrows or lashes has returned



Guess I just have to be patience ) My father has alopeicia universalis and It suddenly struck me, what if having chemo is a trigger for me go develop the same condition....



Ooohhh, I just want my hair back....

rava

Mom24boys. I had long hair when I first got the diagnosis. I cut my hair short just a feew days after. For me it was a way of starting the, I have cancer and is going to have chemo conversation with people who are not that close )



My hair started to fall out just before chemo nr 2. Before that i lost like you, 15-20 strands if i ran my fingers through it. I had my husband and kids buzz it off the day after chemo nr2.

jpmomof3

Emma, looking great!  Its awesome to see update of people that have been there and are done and are recovering so well, inspirational!  Rava, take heart, as everyone has said about that is exceedingly rare for it not to grow back and the fact that you had growth while still on chemo is a good sign that you will be fine.  I am impatient too.  I have never been so vain, looking in the mirror constantly willing it to grow.  

 I got my husband to buzz my hair about 3 weeks after my first treatment when i first started getting the 15-20 strands each time I ran my hand through.  I wanted to be the one in control, F*** cancer.  but everyone is different in their preferences.  No wrong choices here. I just know i would have agonized each time i pulled a clump out.  I actually looked like Sigourney Weaver did in one of the Alien movies for a while until all most of the stubs started coming out.  I looked pretty bad-ass for a while.   I kind of liked it actually. Made it easier to just start wearing a scarf too.  I never completely lost all my little stubs but lost about 90-95 % of them. I buzzed them a time or two during chemo because some of them grew just a bit but stopped when i noticed the soft clear fuzzies starting to grow about 3-4 weeks into my taxol regimen.  

Kelloggs

mom - I got mine cut after my first TCH to a short style.  I hung on to it as long as I could stand it....and finally shaved the day before my 2nd tx.  It is very emotional....hugs

rava - My hair grew back like fine fuzz while still on TCH.  When I finished it grew in more, but Herceptin can slow the growth.  I notice you are HER2 positive so I assume you will continue with Herceptin.  Don't be discouraged, it will come back.  I am 12 wks PFC and I have full scalp coverage, although it is very short and I still won't go topless.  My lashes didn't fall out until after chemo but they are growing back quickly.  I think they get pushed out by the new ones trying to come in.  Hang in there......hugs for you too!