Hair Hair Hair - Another question

unique · January 2009

Jo Anne - I did not do anything to my hair as it was falling out, but when it started coming back I had to trim the long sparse hairs a bit because it was so freaky. Sort of like weeds in the grass. So I did trim the old hairs to match the new ones, not a job really as there was so little hair left from the last chemo.

I'd say an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch, it is almost nothing, but adds a shade of color to my head there. I did apply a little Clairol to it as it came in almost all grey and horrified my 11 y.o.

kerry_lamb · January 2009

Nancy what a gorgeous baby! But of course Karin wins! Will you look at dem CURLS!!

Springtime · January 2009

JoAnne GOOD Question, I always assumed it meant X weeks from your last treatment, but also wondered about when the "effects" wore off!!

otter · January 2009

Nancy, now don't take this wrong, but your baby pic looks like one of those absolutely perfect, priceless, black-and-white studio pics I see at the high-end antique stores. (See why I warned you--I don't mean you are an antique!)

Jo Anne, I think most of us start counting from the date of the last chemo when we say "12 weeks out." I do, anyway, because it's hard to predict exactly how long those SE's will last. Also, women getting dose-dense chemo only have 2 weeks between treatments, so the 3 week gap wouldn't apply to them. We silently acknowledge that the first few weeks after that last treatment aren't exactly "normal". For instance, my dh had to keep reminding me that I shouldn't count from my last chemo treatment when trying to figure out why my hair wasn't growing in as quickly as I'd hoped. For those 3 wks after that last dose, my scalp was still being "chemo-ed".

Annie, that "lichen look"? LOL. That's exactly right. There was a phase in there when it looked like I had dirt on my head. I couldn't see any real hair, but my scalp had become noticeably darker. It was new hair. I was going to clip all those longer, straggly hairs that were left over from chemo ... but they all ended up falling out anyway, as the new hair grew in.

otter

NancyD · January 2009

I counted from the day after my last treatment. Even though I knew I still had the chemo in me and it had to wear off, there's no way to be sure when that is exactly, so the chemo date stuck as the best benchmark.

otter, no offense about the antique remark. Isn't anything over 50 an antique? Or is it 75? Used to be 100, but I recently heard it had been revised downward.

I have to say, I'm so loving my hair these days. Not the look...I want my old style back. But just having it back and not having to wear a wig.

DesertRider · January 2009

NancyD, I agree - I'm thrilled to have this 1/4 to 1/2 (on top) inch hair that is so unlike what I used to have! My last treatment was Oct. 31 and I didn't see a sign of new hair until almost Christmas. But then it took off and has come in thick. It's dark with silver tips and people ask me where I got my hair highlights done!Good luck,Gail

Mocity · January 2009

You guys give me hope tonight that eventually it will be back....

wishiwere · January 2009

I have to admit, I'm now 11 months from last chemo (feb 5th 2008) and my hair is at that weird stage of, do I keep it short, or grow it back to pre-b/c length of mid-back length? Does anyone know how long before these waves /curls quit coming in?

Vinogal · January 2009

MS....Karin.....great hair......I love seeing pics.....get posting ladies........So I did the purple hair.....there are pics way back.........never did wash out......so beware of that temporary stuff.......So the other day......my mother......says.....I'll go buy an uncolour and we'll get the purple out.....OK......I'm game.........ended up with florescent orange hair......two boxes of colour later......ended up with a nasty yellow blonde that I couldn't live with.....a trip to the salon this morning......and now.....crazy colour......but I thought I'd have fun while it is short........pre chemo.....I had never coloured my hair in my life......so I guess I am making up for lost time.....lol

Vinogal · January 2009

Bigger so you can see the colours!

NancyD · January 2009

Wow, I think that's actually kind of pretty.

glendag · January 2009

That is fun hair!

wishiwere · January 2009

I had a young lady with nearly pitch black hair come into where I work last week. She had a midnight blue highlights like. It was so pretty. Makes me wish I had pitch black hair. I wish i had had the wherewithall to ask her if it was a riinse, moose or what?

unique · January 2009

8 WEEKS OUT FROM CHEMO ~

~ and I'm feeling the hair is kind of cute. So short yet, but in one week it is starting to look like hair. It's a little wiggly, too, as though it is going to do some of the wild things I see you gals reporting. I'm so happy to have it!!! It is going to be so adorable, just give it a week or two more!!!

I guess the only thing I mind is my head is a little pointy on top, I tried to take the pic so this is NOT so noticeable.

kimbly · January 2009

I just had my 3rd haircut and yay my hair is finally growing over my ears. I bought this extraordinarily small straightener. My hair stylist mentioned it and of course I had to get out right away and find one. I wanted it mainly to straighten my bangs and give the illusion of more length. It works!!!

I am now 10 months post last chemo... hair takes soooooo long to grow! MsKarin your hair looks great! I had that kind of wavy too at first it is straightening out a bit now.

Unique my eyebrows and eyelashes did the same thing. they still are not really back to normal. I wonder though too if its the tamoxifen.

I need to update my picture and will as soon as we get our camera back from my sister, where I left it a month ago! LOL

unique · January 2009

Hair Pix!

3-1/2 weeks after Treatment 1 a couple days later

Regrowth!!! Closeup new growth

Left to right: Sep. 11(before starting), Oct. 14(about 3 weeks after first tx), Oct. 18(a couple days later), Oct. 28(2 weeks after 2nd tx), Nov. 20(couple days after third tx), Jan. 16(new hair growth-2months post-chemo), Jan. 16 closeup

unique · January 2009

Hiyas, these are my hair progress photos

dlb823 · January 2009

Annie ~ You are so cute. Thanks for always making me smile ~

familyroks · January 2009

Annie - great show of progress during this process. I want to say...you have very expressive eyes. They say alot to me. I think they got brighter with each picture.

unique · January 2009

Thanks, Deanna and Adrienne, for being so nice!!! Adrienne, looks like you're getting your hair back there, too.

BTW, I think I need to look for my "Beetlejuice" pic when I had the least amount of hair, the hair that fell out the week after my last chemo. Maybe I was too overwhelmed to take that shot, heh heh.

wishiwere · January 2009

I still havent' gotten a good pic of my hair when someone is home and the self portraits are nasty looking! LOL Yours is great, Annie! Congrats! hoping to get mine trimmed this week sometime!

Brenny · January 2009

Eyebrows - just checking out at Sally's Beauty Supply yesterday and noticed eyebrow stencils in a small package by the cash register -- bought a package for "just in case" - I don't think I could pencil in eyebrows if I didn't have any there to start with!!

jpearl · January 2009

I finished chemo in mid-September, finished radiation in early December and started on Arimidex. I am having a similar issue as snapple7 -- am finding peach fuzz growing on my cheeks. It took about 3 months for the hair on my head to come in (I still only have about 1/2 an inch, but it's thick and enough to go out without a wig); have probably only shaved my legs and armpits once, but definitely have some facial hair. I also wondered if this will get worse or go away.

Anonymous · January 2009

annie, thanks for posting those pics. i'm in awe that you were able to smile in each of them. maybe when my hair starts to go, i'll have found my Happy Place. or at least a It's Not The End Of The World Place.

vinogal, awesome!!!

kerry_lamb · January 2009

Annie, good on you! My hair is already flourishing (4 months out) but your pics will serve as such great info for girls who are really afraid at the moment. You look fantastic and you radiate power and joy...not things which people would usually expect from chemo-queen! XXXX

NancyD · January 2009

jpearl, the peach fuzz does go away. I'm five months away from my last chemo, and the fuzz has dropped off. I didn't do anything to it; it slowly wore off and did not grow back. I didn't mind it as it was so light colored, it could only be seen up close or in a certain lighting. I don't know when it finally disappeared.

If it has more color than you want and can be seen, you can remove it. DO NOT SHAVE IT...that will cause stubble. Wax it, as that will pull it out by the roots, or use a depilatory.

sunshine787990 · January 2009

unique Loved your pictures you are a beautiful lady!

Well I showed up at work today with NO WIG..I'm getting some long looks but no one has said a thing?

So now I'm looking at all of the men at work and compairing my hair length to theirs?

So far I'm winning on having the shortest in the office!

unique · January 2009

Dear Ladies,

Thanks so much for the comments and encouragement! I've been thru a lot in my life, so I've had practice, and without going into all the details, every minute of life is a happy minute. Well, not EVERY minute. LOL.

thegoodfight · January 2009

Thanks ladies,

I needed to see this thread today after yesterday reading that in some rare cases the hair never comes back. i am a little over three weeks out of chemo and started rads this week, no hair yet. Not even the nasty ones that used to be on my chin Laughing . They will look good to me now, at least in the beginnig.

It is just amazing how I find just the right thread when I need it. I know my hair will come back, I just needed to hear it again and again.

Thanks,

Caren

Romiles · January 2009

Hi, I am new in this thread and i am with no hair too... I still have 2 CT to go and am wondering too when my hair will be back...

I'm frequenting my use of wig lately coz people tend to stare at me whenever i use scrarf. I miss my hair greatly but i am sure they will be back sooner that expected...

Hair Hair Hair - Another question

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