Hair Hair Hair - Another question

_Ann_

Septmom that is a great start.  I'll bet it will take off now that you're done with taxol

oranje_mama

Calling all hair experts . . . I am 12 days PFC (woo hoo!) and of course focusing on my hair.  I started taking Biotin supplements a week ago.  I'm wondering about shampoo - I have heard recs for the Nioxin shampoo.  Any other recommendations?

I never shaved, and I did not lose 100% of my hair.  I have very (VERY) thin fuzz - mixture of dark/normal-ish hair, white hair and light baby hairs.  Actually, it looks horrific. I probably should have shaved - would have looked better.  At this point I'm not shaving, though.

I cut my hair down to 1 inch at the beginning of chemo (my profile pic).  I was very surprised to see my dark hair then.  I have been highlighting my hair for a decade and would describe its former color as honey blonde/light brown.  My roots were so dark (and surprisingly, also hardly any gray).  

_Ann_

Hi oranje_mama. Congratulations on finishing chemo! Shampoo... gosh I didn't even use shampoo for many months.  Just massaged my scalp under the shower. My hair was so thin and my scalp didn't feel oily at all, shampoo seemed like overkill.

I'm now 16 months PFC. People are saying "I don't remember your hair being that curly." I think I may enjoy the curl when it  grows out but curly hair takes forever to gain length. I'm getting impatient!  It's still pretty much just forming a bigger and bigger pouf on top of my head.

jojo2373

Ann, i am 16 mos pfc too.  How long is your hair?

_Ann_

Hi Jojo, it's about 4-5 inches at the longest parts.  I cut off the first several inches of growth.  It's nowhere near as long as yours in your picture.

RhodyMMM

oranje_mama, I have been using Nioxin products since my hair started to come back in. Don't know if it really makes a difference or not. My hair seems very soft....I  use the shampoo and conditioner, and the scalp treatment too. It feels good on my scalp, a little tingly. It's expensive but I only need a tiny amount. I finished my A/C mid-November, and then finished Taxol on 2/28. I suppose any shampoo that is gentle and conditioning would be fine. The trick is to make the hair healthy from the inside out.....that's what the Biotin is for. I was taking Biotin for a while but have forgotten it lately....I take so many pills every day I feel like a pharmacy

Martha

Septmom

Hello - just wondering if anyone has lost just a quarter of their hair?? Amy Robach finished chemo a fews days ago. I read online that she said she was one the lucky ones that only lost a quarter of their hair. Just wondering if that was even possible. I  bet she used cold caps. If she did, she should say she used cold caps. I feel she may be misleading or misinforming people. 

Lisaj514

septmom- ya a quarter if her hair lost, wondering the same thing. And what chemo was she taking? If  adriamycin then no way she could've have gotten away with such little hair loss. I was also thinking she used the cold caps...so say so, right?

macyhen111

I was on Taxol first, then Abraxane. My hair thinned a little but I never lost it all. I cut it short and wore it. Now I keep it short.

jojo2373

She must be on Taxol or something else.  I saw she is receiving her chemo thru an IV only too.  I highly doubt AC.

MinusTwo

I didn't see the post, but for sure not Taxotere/Carboplatin either.  Hair gone away at 16 days like magic.

jbdayton

I heard maybe the CMF cocktail.  If you go to their forum many said their hair just thinned out.

MinusTwo

Nails - interesting comment from my PCP yesterday.  Already taking Biotin and Zinc.  She said a dermatologist is who I should see regarding nail issues.  I find that hard to believe, but I'll certainly give mine a call today re: the two big toe nails that haven't fallen off yet and the continued weak, brittle & soft fingernails. 

BlueFox

I finished chemotherapy a year ago and fortunately my head hair grew back steadily over the months and I now have nice hair again.  

All my other body hair came back except for forearm hair and armpit hair.  I'm obviously not bothered about this but wondered why this hair was wiped out while everything else is ok? Is forearm hair was more vulnerable as the chemo drugs go into the arms?  Did I have a narrow escape from more serious hair loss?

lago

MinusTwo I had very bad nail problems. First started with my toes. I went and saw a podiatrist. Then my fingernails. Went and saw a dermatologist all on my MOs recommendations. Every finger/toenail lifted. Lost some toenails and one toenail had to be removed. My nails never completely recovered but most folks wouldn't know that about my fingernails. Toenails are a different story. PM me if you want to chat more or see my disgusting photos of my nails when I was going through the hell.

Bluefox most of my armpit hair is gone but I attributed that from a combo of surgery and chemopause.

mareluna

I buzzed mine off. And my head stayed stubbled but mostly bald. Had ACT.

Chris41

Her Twitter page says she had " 8 rounds of CMF". 

Her hair looks thicker after 8 rounds than after 2 rounds when she cut it short. She had stage 2 that spread to the sentinel lymph node and keeps 3/4 of her hair?

Seems like she is the only person on TV has done this!

Chris41

Her Twitter page says she had " 8 rounds of CMF". She had Stage 2 that spread to the sentinel lymph node.

Who keeps 3/4 of their hair after that?

MinusTwo

Lago - yes I will PM you as soon as I can get my thoughts together.  Thanks. 

lago

No problem

RhodyMMM

My nails also are a mess. My big toenails started going bad in October, about 6 weeks after I started Adriamycin. Then the Taxol took over. the big toe nails are starting to improve at the bases, but the middle to end is quite thick and misshapen. I am having trouble cutting them, so I am thinking it might be time to break down and go see a podiatrist. My fingernails have all lifted, and they are so brittle that they break very easily. I have never been a vain person, but I do notice people looking at them with odd expressions. Before they started coming apart from the nail bed they became discolored and I looked like I had tobacco stains on all my fingers!

Kind of a funny hair story.....I met a woman the other day at a rowing class. I was wearing my ball cap and said something about my hair coming back in. She asked what it was from and I told her chemo. She said, "oh I saw a woman the other day who was TOTALLY bald! You could see her entire scalp!" I said that's how I was just a few months ago, and she said "no I mean totally bald." I said that's what I mean, my husband used to comment on how shiny my head was. She just stared at me. I found it humorous. I think this week may be the week that I finally ditch the wig at work.

Have a great week everyone!

Notbuyingit

have to share the "onion" shampoo on this thread. I shaved super short but did not lose all my hair.

scheduler at my Cancer center recommended putting diced onions ( didn't specify how many or what kind) in your bottle of shampoo - let it set for 15 days - then use regularly.

i have been using for 3 wks & my hair is coming in thick & straight - still not as fast as i would like - what do they say? an inch a month? assuming the 1st month doesn't count cuz you're still chemo-fied.

still haven't decided on coloring yet..sort of hate to do that to my new baby hair 

lago

Notbuyingit I hate to tell you this but on average hair grows about 1/2" per month. It's like watching paint dry. 

IamNancy

my hair has been growing back for 10 months - I kept it short so I could control the curls - so I had about 4 haircuts and this last one left me with my regular hair.. no curls, no body -- just short, straight, thin hair ... I actually loved my chemo hair and wished I could have kept it longer.. maybe I shouldn't have cut it - maybe I should have let it grow.. of well, I like short hair.

Septmom

I have a question about hair color, I am no where near the stage where I can get my hair colored. It will be 4 was this Friday since I finished chemo. I was wondering if there is a brand of hair color that is safer and/or less toxic than others. I read that Para-Phenylenediamine (PPD) and other petroleum products are used in permanent hair color and that is supposed to be bad for you. I read that it's impossible to avoid PPD if you are using permanent hair color but certain brands have lower levels than others. I used to get my hair colored at a salon regularly. I would get my roots done every 4 wks. But at 4 wks my roots looked real bad. My hair used to grow very fast. I would get highlights done a few times a year. I loved getting my hair done. I know my salon uses redken hair color. Any idea if that has a high level of PPD or not? I tried to search online and couldn't find anything. I did find a hair color that advertises no paraben, no ammonia, and low levels of PPD called herbatint. Amazon sells it. I really don't want to color my hair at home. But if I am using paraben and phthalate free lotions and cosmetics then I need to make sure I use safer hair color too. Does anyone know of a 'safer' hair color ?? 

Thanks!

Nettie1964

Just going to jump in on this thread, I've posted this question on other threads, but thought I would try here!  Have any of you experienced pain from hair growth??  I noticed a tender scalp when I was losing my hair, but never thought it would be tender when the hair was growing.  I finished chemo in August 2013 and I still only have about 2 inches of growth!    But just in the last few weeks, my scalp has started hurting - it's not all the time, but it's there enough to make me wonder what's going on!

belleeast

Yes,I experienced it a couple months ago for a few weeks. It was during that  time my hair started filling in more )) My last chemo was Jan,2012.

Nettie1964

Thanks belleast...your dx is very similar to mine.

Nettie1964

belleeast, 

Can you describe what it felt like?  This is hard for me to describe, it's kind of how your head would feel after someone really pulled your hair!  But it comes and goes!  

Of course, my mind goes straight to the worse!  Also, if you don't mind me asking, would you tell me what kind of test and/or scans you had?

belleeast

Nettie,it was more or less the same sensation as when my hair fell out! Pain,tingling,I didn't have any tests or scans done just assumed it was caused by new hair growth. 

If you are concerned,you should talk to your MO. 

My Mo doesn't believe in doing scans unless there are symptoms. The only scans I have had,have been ordered by my primary,a chest CT scan and x-ray of my hip.

Chemo and radiation do a number on our bodies,I think it takes a long time for our bodies to recover. 

The fear of recurrence or mets does lessen over time. You get to the point of I will not let this control my life. 

Good luck to you,let us know what your MO says,it might help someone else.

BTW,I lurk on the insomniacs thread,you ladies are hilarious ))