Facial hair after chemo

QuidditchMom

Thank you all!  No one told me I might get facial fur!  I tried the Nair and the hair started growing back within two days.  The area with fur is spreading and now covers my entire cheeks.  My hair has come back black and white instead of brown and white.  Black facial hair is not attractive!  Going for waxing tomorrow.  It's a myth that waxing and shaving make hair grow back thicker.  Don't be afraid of it.  (I'm three months out of chemo, CT x 4, and two weeks out of radiation.  Arimidex is in my near-term future.)  Thanks for the reassurance that this is temporary!  P.S. Anyone with lymphodema:  check out Kinesiotaping!!  My lymphodema is the least my doctors' have seen.  I wish they'd know to tape me up right after surgery.  Within half a day of taping I had dramatic increase in mobility and decrease in swelling.  It's cheap, painless and you can do a lot yourself or have someone do places you can't reach.

Michele2013

I was not sure what was happening to my face. Between my head and my face, I looked like a chia pet. It has since resolved itself though.

Colette1981

I hope no one minds that I do not have breast Cancer, but rather Cancer of the oropharynx (head and neck), but this was the first site I found that discusses my problem of facial hair! I finished chemo/radiation in Oct 2014 and several months later I noticed a very fine, blonde moustache and copious amounts of hair from the side burns down to my Jaw line. Thank goodness it is not dark brown like like my leg hair! Iwas freaking out until I found this forum, and especially love the Monkey face comments! If anything it has grown longer ( I have not tried removing it) but I might try that if it doesn't fall out soon as I'm returning to work part time in a month and it would make me very self conscious of others saw it. Not a very feminine look! I just hope it doesn't grow back darker or thicker!

I wish you all the best and thanks for giving me a laugh and some hope that it will go away!

BTW, my PET scan complete, and now Cancer-free! Whoopee!!

Anonymous

Colette1981, I am glad you found some support and answers here.  I had the same facial hair issues and used a Nair product that is made for the face.  It works great and didn't bother my skin at all.

Congratulations of a clean PET scan and the cancer free report!!

Best wishes and good health to you!

Ackackadack

After completing 16 rounds of chemo on April 22nd, and having a unilateral mastectomy with reconstruction 4 days ago, I noticed excessive facial and neck fuzz this morning while brushing my teeth. I stood there dumbfounded. I just stood there and cried. Thank you to everyone on this site for posting your comments, problems and side effects. I get more help and support from all of you than from my Oncologist some days. My oncologist has been great but sometimes they just pass things off without stopping to think about it. ThankS again for all these wonderful and helpful comments.

littlecalico

Hello ladies,

Here's my monkey story.

I finished all treatments in December 2013. I noticed some hair in my neck and chin 3 months later, and removed them with tweezers.

Seems like it was a mistake: 1 year and 5 months post-treatment, I noticed long facial hair in the neck where I had used the tweezers. I was so horrified I removed a lot of them with tweezers again (yeah. I know. Stupid move). Since then, they keep coming back.

I then looked it up and found that taking the root of hair out may influence regrowth in hormone-dependent areas (=neck and chin) for some women, so since I am a proof of this, now I've stopped using tweezers and I cut the hair instead. I have between 10 and 20 of them, 5 or 6 of which really show if I don't touch them. On sunny months I have to cut at least once a week, if not more. I have become very self-conscious.

My oncologist has also "never heard or read about this" (tssss, they could try signing up in a forum like this one and learn one or two things).

I am ok with cutting those hair on a regular basis for the rest of my life (it sucks, but much less than cancer itself). But I could use some solution if they exist for cases like mine. I heard laser sometimes makes it worse (same hormone-dependent side effect) but I am hesitating about electrolyse. Has anyone got satisfactory long-term results? Is the method old enough that it is considered safe? (not too keen on throwing electric stuff at my neck... could unsettle the thyroide, no?)

Thank you so much for posting about your own story. I feel much more normal, even with my hair

LC

Ckruze

I had chemo ten years ago and have recently noticed that I now have the white fuzz on the side of my face and under Chin. up until now I have never noticed it.

I am no longer on any medication and the fuzz is quite noticeable

any ideas

thanks

kathleen1966

Yes. It’s called malignant dowd (not sure if I spelled it right). Shave it or “nair” it and it will not grow back.