Hair Hair Hair - Another question

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  • Lisaj514
    Lisaj514 Member Posts: 719
    edited February 2016

    I actually got the most compliments I've ever gotten when my hair was white and so short. My hair was not very comment worthy before I guess. Here's a hair collage. First picture is before obviously, then 3mo pfc, then 6 months (after first trim) then at 1 yr. yup it came in very gray and I'm keeping it gray. I get compliments on the color. I colored before so didn't know how gray it was until it started coming in natural color and I was like OMG! But I liked it, most days. I'm "only" 55 and totally white/silver now. But now gray is the new in thing. I have naturally curly hair and it came in very curly but that was normal for me but now at almost 2yrs pfc (in April) it's getting straight? Never had straight hair before. Surprises at every turn with this diagnosis. "enjoy the process. You get to try new hairstyles with the wigs and then the rgrowthimage


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  • Lisaj514
    Lisaj514 Member Posts: 719
    edited February 2016

    And here is one of my favorite "don't mess with me power kick ass chick" photo at 6 mo pfc and 3 mo after finishing rads on vacation to Sedona. Be the warrior...or at least pretend. There is life after bcimage

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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited February 2016

    you look great in all the pics Lisa. Very inspiring

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  • Deaconlady
    Deaconlady Member Posts: 158
    edited February 2016

    Great pictures, Lisa! Love your new hair. I've been to Sedona once and now I'm ready to go back!

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  • Cjf0313
    Cjf0313 Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2016

    I am a little worried about hair growth. I am 7 weeks out from last treatment and have very little and sparse hair growth. Freaked out a little after seeing all the hype on Taxotere, which I had six treatments of. Is it normal for hair to grow back at different rates in different areas of the head

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  • KateB79
    KateB79 Member Posts: 747
    edited February 2016

    Thanks, Lisa, for the morale-booster!

    I've been going without my hats in select situations (such as at the RO's office), and am getting compliments. I refuse to second-guess the compliments; I'm going with the idea that I look like a f****** rock star!

    12 weeks PFC = magic. Yesterday was 12 weeks, and I swear I'm looking less cancery by the day, especially if we measure "cancery" in hair.

    Cjf0313, don't despair. It's absolutely normal. I was bald in weird places at 7 weeks, too. It'll get better!

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2016

    Hi Cjf0313, welcome to Breastcancer.org. We're sorry you have to be here for this reason but very glad you've found us and this particular thread where we're sure you'll find lots of hair growth related questions and answers, personal experiences and support.

    Let us know if you need anything from us!

    Hugs,

    The Mods


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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited February 2016

    Welcome Cjf0313, I was in the same boat as you at 7 to 8 weeks, was sure I was never going to get it back. But the hair is back (Pics if you scroll back a bit) and it is growing more each day. I also had Taxotere. It takes patience, and patience is really hard, but as Kate says, it does get better! Sending hugs.

    Octogirl

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  • Peachy2
    Peachy2 Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2016

    Kate, I think I will make that my new mantra: "Looking less cancery by the day." Love it! :)

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  • Queen_Celeste
    Queen_Celeste Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2016

    Peachy2: Looks good! Wish my hair grew in dark, but alas, it came back completely white-gray.

    Lisaj514: Wow! Your new style looks very nice and sophisticated. Curly to straight, I didn't know that was possible. Maybe there is hope for me? Today I was asked if I had gotten a perm (never!).

    Cjf0313: Hang in there! 7 weeks seems like a long time but it is not. Your hair will come back, truly it will. I have just starting going wigless at 5 months. Mine is growing oh so slowly....

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  • CarolinaAmy
    CarolinaAmy Member Posts: 281
    edited February 2016

    I just finished my final chemo on Tuesday!!

    I did have hubby buzz down the patchy, strange hair growth again Monday night. It was coming in perfectly thick along the ears and wrapping around the back of my head, but the crown/cowlick areas and the front patch above my forehead were about as bare as they were the entire time. It looked so much more pathetic than flat-out bald. :( I decided to finish chemo, give it a few weeks, and see if it starts coming in a bit more properly. I figure that if I'll have to cut it to get it even at some point down the road anyway (2" hair in the back, 1/2" in the front???), I might as well start over and see if it can start together.

    I did notice that the hair he buzzed off was that 'sewer rat' color. Yuck. I'm 41 and I was surprised, when it came time to shave my head during chemo, that I didn't have a single gray hair. I've expected it but never found one. Looks like I'll be making up for that in spades, at least for the time being.

    What's funny is that the eyebrow/eyelash thing has bothered me so much more. I think that the wigs/hats/scarves look kind of cute and more like a fashion statement. Losing the eyebrows and eyelashes is where you look really "cancery". Ick. That was definitely when my best friend said it broke her heart because I'd turned some kind of corner and now LOOKED sick. I'm preparing myself for the likelihood of losing what little I have left and repeating that process a few times based on what y'all are saying.

    My sister is regrowing her hair after going through chemo and radiation for colorectal cancer. Some jackhole in WalMart (naturally) made a comment to his companion yesterday that, "I hate when women wear men's hairstyles". She looked right at him, grinned, and said, "I love that I don't care at all what you think." YOU GO, GIRL! But I really wish she'd followed that up with the reason for that hairstyle. Unless he's a stone-cold psychopath, he would have died of embarrassment right there and I would have paid money to see it. Devil

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  • Nebraska917
    Nebraska917 Member Posts: 64
    edited February 2016

    I just got my last TC treatment on Monday. I asked about Biotin and the nurse navigator said I could start in about 3 weeks. Have any of you tried taking bitoin. If so, how much and which brand?

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  • DeeRatz
    DeeRatz Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2016


    So I was sick of my sewer rat brown hair. So yesterday I got my first haircut and dye job post chemo. I have it cut very short and it actually feels like a hairstyle. It was so uneven in the back, the crown area was still way shorter and I started to feel like a sewer rat with a mullet. The sides were getting scraggly and I had crazy hairs that stuck straight out. So I bit the bullet and now it is all even again and I think looks way better. I may keep it short for awhile. It is super easy to do! 3 1/2 months PF


    image

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  • KateB79
    KateB79 Member Posts: 747
    edited February 2016

    Dee, you look fantastic

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  • Shopgal2
    Shopgal2 Member Posts: 649
    edited February 2016

    imageDee super cute. I'm 10 weeks and am thinking about dying it after I finish rads next week. It's not long enough for a cut.

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  • LindyC
    LindyC Member Posts: 231
    edited February 2016

    Dee...just beautiful.

    shop gal, I'm close to you in hair growth but still sparse on top. I'm 9 weeks and will have to wait a little longer.

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  • tjh
    tjh Member Posts: 469
    edited February 2016

    Dee...looks great. I do like my hair better after I had it trimmed...it looked like a haircut instead of chemo hair.

    Shop gal...looks good...it is coming in great and looks thick

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  • mysunshine48
    mysunshine48 Member Posts: 1,480
    edited February 2016

    Hi Nebraska, I take Biotin, as lots of us do. I take SportsResearch high potency Biotin, 5000 mcg. One a dsys. No soy. I get it from Amazon. I think it has helped.

    Some time ago someone mentioned a good mouse to use. I cannot find it on this thread. My hair has come in well, although I have a big cowlick in the back! I would go wigless if I could get something to help that. It looks awful. I actually like the curls so do not want to straighten, just manage! Any suggestions?

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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited February 2016

    wow, Dee your hair looks great.

    So it looks like this is just going to be another long process that we have to bear right? That's ok, I'm up for it. One week PFC today. Have about half inch on top, scraggly really fine hair in back and sides. Can't really tell color but I've been blonde all my life and I know it's not blonde

    Shop gal, for 10 weeks I'd say your growth is good!

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  • tjh
    tjh Member Posts: 469
    edited February 2016

    my sunshine....that is the same biotin I take. It is the most only soy free one I could find.

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  • Bluebird123
    Bluebird123 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2016

    KcinMN, I love your hair color! I am just a six months post chemo. Hair is coming in very thick, very curly, and very GRAY! It's about 2 inches long now. I feel 20 years older just looking in the mirror. I have my first salon appointment next week - can't wait to get some color going. Starting to actually feel a little shaggy - it sticks out in all directions. I'm going to keep it very short. One nice thing about going bald was getting out of the shower and not having to style your hair. I think I'll keep that going for a while.

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  • PMR53
    PMR53 Member Posts: 452
    edited February 2016

    Peachy- your hair is beautiful and looks great for 3 months. Mine was pretty much like yours at 3 months! I waited until 6 months to go without wig. Then I colored my hair darker and got it shaped and I was done! No more wig. I swear my hair is thicker and healthier than before. I take Biotin everyday though. It will go by fast!! 

    My Spaulding, SoCal,Shopgal- by Summertime you will have lots of hair and can rock cute summer Dos!!  Also last summer I wore a visor and it was amazing! No one could really see how short it was!!

    Xoxo

    Patty

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  • Peachy2
    Peachy2 Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2016

    Dee, you look fantastic and that color is great!

    Shopgal, how nice and straight your hair is! That is super length for 10 weeks.

    CarolinaAmy, it sounds like your sister has an inner Julia Sugarbaker. Being able to have a great comeback like that at the right time is a gift!

    PMR53, having seen your fabulous "after" photo, you give me hope! Thank you!!


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  • mysunshine48
    mysunshine48 Member Posts: 1,480
    edited February 2016

    I am going to an Organic salon tomorrow to discuss hair color. They are known for good results with "chemo hair". I will let you know. They also carry Organic hair products so I can see what works on my cowlick.

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  • Akioli
    Akioli Member Posts: 31
    edited February 2016

    Hello everyone,

    I'm 34 years old and going through chemotherapy right now. I'm from Belgium so excuse me for bad grammar. I've had 10 rounds of taxol, when finished I'll get another 4 rounds of AC. A lot of posts in this topic are from people who've finished chemo. Like I said, I'm only halfway through, but already looking forward to the regrowth of my hair. I asked my onc if it was okay to start taking biotine now and he said it was no problem, but I only read about people taking it post chemo. So I wonder if it really can't hurt taking it now?

    Are there other things you did while on chemo to ensure good hair growth once finished?

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  • tjh
    tjh Member Posts: 469
    edited February 2016

    Akioli...welcome and sorry you had to join us. Listen to you oncologist. If they say it is ok during chemo it s hold be. Be careful, most have soy in them. Sports Research has one that is coconut oil based, vegan an soy free. I get it from Amazon.com. As for other things...I am no help there since I wasn't focused on my hair, just surviving and trying to enjoy a fee days between each round.

    Mysunshine...I use Surface Texture Paste and I wash it with Bobbi Brown cleansing oil...only warning would be neither is inexpensive. I haven't found a shampoo that doesn't make it totally uncontrollable. I am however living with the philosophy that "Any bad hair day is better than a no hair day ".

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  • KateB79
    KateB79 Member Posts: 747
    edited February 2016

    It's starting to look like real hair (it's blonde, but I've always been blondish-reddish). This was my look yesterday for meetings. Still not sure if I'll show up to teach with my dome like this next week. . . . But you all were right: the magic is 12 weeks PFC. I hit 12 weeks on Wednesday.

    image

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  • Peachy2
    Peachy2 Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2016

    Kate, you have hair! Less cancery by the day. :)

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  • DeeRatz
    DeeRatz Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2016

    Shopgal-you have lots of hair for 10 weeks PFC. It is coming in great!

    Kate-I started going hatless/wigless at 13 weeks.one more week and I'm sure you will feel better teaching without any beanie. It is coming in good.

    So nice to see all of us progressing beyond the terrible bald head phase. I am really happy that I cut & dyed my hair. It just feels so much nicer than the sewer rat mullet. It feels good to be in control again! I am seroiusly thinking about keeping it short until after summer. It is so easy to take care of

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  • LiLNutmeg
    LiLNutmeg Member Posts: 30
    edited February 2016

    I was feeling left out .. LOL ... Woot !!    Look what I found today ... microscopic but I think I'm growing hair!   At this rate .. I might have to break out the hair gel in say ... 6 months!  LOL       Still plugging away at chemo .. had my 4 FEC, now on Taxol 3/12


    image


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