Starting to lose hair......

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NanaPenny
NanaPenny Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I had my first chemo treatment 18 days ago and now my hair is starting to fall out....  I knew it was going to happen, but just need some advice.  I'm hoping to get an appointment to have my shoulder length hair cut on Monday.  My question is....should I just have it shaved now or go real short?  Would like to have some feed back on what to do.

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  • bookgirl
    bookgirl Member Posts: 128
    edited December 2009

    Sorry you are going through this, but you WILL get through it! I had my hair cut short before starting chemo, and waited until most of it was gone to have it shaved. I found the first few days of losing the hair kind of entertaining, it was like a new hair style every 20 minutes. I started wearing a ball cap about a week after the first thinning, I still had a fringe so could pretend there was still hair under the hat. I waited until the hair was very sparse to get it shaved. It was a shock but also very freeing. I wore a scarf and ball cap almost exclusively, a wig only for special occasions. I had chemo last Jan. I now have about three inches of VERY curly VERY thick hair. Once the hair starts to go it seems to go pretty fast and ends up every where. Move at your own pace, now is the time for YOU. My thoughts are with you. Good luck!

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  • jancie
    jancie Member Posts: 2,631
    edited December 2009

    Nanapenny - what to do is such a personal choice on what works best for you.

    Me - well I had a pre-chemo hat party hosted by my horse friends.  They took my 1/2 down the back hair - put it in a pony tail and cut it off.  I ended up with a cute bob just cutting the ponytail off.  I didn't have the courage at that time to shave my head.

    I waited until my scalp starting hurting like heck (2 weeks later).  It felt as though I had worn a too tight ponytail for over 48 hours.  Oh....I remember it was so tender I couldn't even touch it.  That very day my hair would come out in clumps if I ran my fingers through it.  I immediately called one of my horse friends and we used my doggie clippers and shaved my head.  About 30 minutes after shaving, my scalp didn't hurt anymore.

    I liked having the short hair for a couple of weeks, it made the transition to baldness a lot easier for me.

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  • lexislove
    lexislove Member Posts: 2,645
    edited December 2009

    From my experience.....once the hair starts to fall out, it happens quickly. If you have shoulder length hair you'll have ugly patches ect...trust me and will be wearing hats anyways.

    I shaved mine the day after I noticed it was coming out.

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  • NanaPenny
    NanaPenny Member Posts: 3
    edited December 2009

    Thank you all for your response....... Each one of you have helped me to decide what is best for me. Thanks.

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  • Ozzi
    Ozzi Member Posts: 80
    edited December 2009

    hang in there NanPenny - it is such a thrill when the hair comes back in!  

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2009

     I'm sorry you're going thru this.  Losing your hair is so upsetting even though you've known it will fall out, when it does start, it's a little traumatic.  My hair was just below my shoulders, and my scalp was hurting so much I knew it was going to start.  My daughter came over to cut it for me, but it just kept coming out in huge clumps as she brushed it and I finally said to her "just buzz it" because I couldn' t bare to see huge bald spots between patches of hair that would remain. I felt buzzing it took the stress out of the whole thing. I was actually suprised by how releived I felt even though I was totally bald.  I had already gotten a wig and some scarves.  I will tell you that along with scarves you may want to get a lttle knit or flannel sleeping cap, because your head gets cold.  I was bald in the summer and my head was always cold, so I had my little knit cap on in the house all the time.  I rarely wore my wig, because it was such a hot summer and the wig was so tight and hot.  Once you decide to buzz your head you will get used to it. I learned to embrace the fact that I lost every single hair on my whole body during chemo. Being bald with no eyebrows was something to seeSmile

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