Caring for scalp after hair loss

DG10004

Hi everyone,

I had my first chemo treatment on March 1st and started losing hair two weeks later. I'm going to the salon tomorrow to buzz my hair off and get my wig. My question, for those of you who've opted to go bald rather than use a cold cap, is what shampoo/conditioner do you use? My head has been itchy since my hair loss started 3 days ago, so I want to make sure I use the best product to reduce the itch and keep my scalp healthy. Thanks in advance for the input!

Mom-mom

My onc told me to use baby shampoo to reduce the chances of folliculitis (infection of hair follicles), so I did that and then a little scalp massage after with essential oils mix. I hated my wig and wore hats and scarves instea

Good luck!

NotVeryBrave

I used Nioxin 4, recommended by the salon that buzzed my hair. It's supposed to be gentle and remove toxins or chemicals. It has a slightly minty smell and seemed a bit cooling.

The scalp sensitivity is greatly reduced once the hair is clipped. I think it's the lack of weight pulling on it.

LeesaD

After I lost my hair to chemo and then shaving it when it started falling out so fast, I just kept using the same shampoo I had always used. Even though I was bald I still washed my head every day in the shower and kept same routine. I'm 8 months PFC and my hair is growing in as thick as it used to be and is almost five inches now. I never wore my wig either after spending an obscene amount of money on it that thankfully insurance reimbursed me for. I wore a baseball hat during the day and this one pink bamboo sleep cap at night as my head got cold. I over prepared and bought chemo scarves, various hats, caps etc... and never used them. Will donate them.

UnwillingParticipant

I just used my regular shampoo or Dove soap if I felt my scalp was getting a bit oily; otherwise, just warm water and a soft baby,washcloth. Your scalp doesn't secrete "toxins", but using shampoos containing toxins can add them, IMHO. I lost my hair after only 2 very mild weekly "old lady" Taxol treatments. (Instead of a strong dose every 3 weeks, there is a gentler treatment for the elderly; weaker doses weekly.) I was told I wouldn't lose my hair, but I did. I had it cut off when it started falling out. My scalp was very sore so I didn't like anything on it for a few weeks. The wig made my scalp itch so badly I only wore it once, so I made and wore cute hats, bought one, and wore it when going out, plus I had a soft t-shirt knit cap I made for inside if I was cold. It took 6 months for my hair to begin to grow again, even though I only had two chemo treatments. (I had to quit after I had a Takotsubo cardiomyopathy episode; also called stress cardiomyopathy or "broken heart syndrome".) When it regrew, it was very wiry and extremely curly. I like the curls but now, after a year, my hair is very soft, baby-fine, and the curls are weakening. I don't want to lose them! I cannot see well enough to style my hair because I have the wet form of macular degeneration and my retinas bled, causing partial blindness after my port clogged in my jugular and I was put on anticoagulants. I also had three severe nasal hemorrhages, aspirated a blood clot in my sleep and nearly died. I could not breathe, or talk, but EMS found me via GPS. Now I have to travel 100 miles to get Lucentis injections in each eye once per month forever. (Thank you Genentech, for Herceptin and Lucentis!) And no one wants to take out my unusable port because of the location of the clot in my jugular, where my port catheter is inserted. I don't worry about hair. I wash it, have it cut quite short monthly, and gently brush it once or twice a day. At 75 I'm still not gray, so I don't need to color or do anything else. I am always complimented on my hair!

moth

I do not wear a wig or head covering (except for cold/sun) and just wash my scalp with water in the shower. If it's feeling very sweaty / dirty, I use my gentle face cleanser on the scalp & gently rub it with a facecloth.

HersheyKiss

DG, my hairdresser advised me to shampoo once every 3-4 days to prevent dry scalp. No hair follicles = no oil keeping the scalp hydrated. I used Aubrey Organics Baby & Kid Shampoo. You only need to use a tiny amount, and the fragrance is not too strong.