Silica compound to regrow hair

Patwriter123 · July 2011

Has anyone used silica compound to help regrow hair after chemotherapy? I purchased some Biosil, which is a form of silica, at a vitamin store at the recommendation of the store clerk, but am trying to research it before giving it a try. I lost 90 percent of my hair, despite the use of the cold caps. Guess I was one of the unlucky ones on a harsh treatment plan.

Does it just make your hair grow back in thicker, or does it actually speed up the actual growth of the hair? Also, should I also take biotin supplements with the Biosil?

The clerk said taking the Biosil would be adequate, and that biotin was not necessary. I'm also hoping that there are no side effects. It's rather pricey, so that's a big consideration, as well.

I would love to hear from anyone who has tried this, and whether it actually works, or is a waste of money. Thanks in advance!

brca1babe · July 2011

Hi Patwriter

I am using the caps and have a lot of loss at the top... I think it's the DD AC that's too harsh.

About silica, I took it about one month prior to chemo bc I saw Frank of PCC reommended it. I had no shedding at all that month which is unusual for me, generally I would shed when I used a hair dryer. It might have been the silica... I was also taking a multivitamin but that was not new.

I don't find much information on lone about silica for hair loss, so I am unsure. It seems that Biotin is a much more common hair and nail supplement.

What was your chemo regimen?

Patwriter123 · July 2011

Hi Brca1babe,

Thanks for the information on silica. Good luck to you on your problematic hair loss on top of your head. I hope that you fare better than I did in the end. How many treatments have you had thus far?

I recently purchased some rather price Biosil, but decided to return it until I was sure it might do something for me. So far, from reading bits and pieces about it online, I think it only helps thicken and strengthen hair, and not accellerate hair growth, though I'm not really sure. As you said, there's not much information online about it. I only learned about silica from Frank after my chemo was completed, and my hair was only 1/2 inch long at most by that time. (It used to be down to my bra strap.)

I started heavy shedding around day 24 (a fistful of hair a day). After the seventh and eighth treatments my hair thinned a lot more, with growing bald spots and lots of scabbing. I don't know if taking silica at that point might have done any good had I known about it - who's to say. I was taking hair and nails supplement that contained lots of biotin all during treatments, as you mentioned.

I had eight chemo treatments, each two weeks apart. The first four were a combination of anthramycin and cytosin, and the last four were Paclitaxol. Is this what you are taking, or are yours different? I also had neulasta shots the next day following each treatment. My oncologist said that I was definitely not on "chemo lite".

Do you think the type of treatments I had may have lessened my chances of keeping my hair? I appreciate any thoughts you may have on this!

Thatgirl · August 2011

If your hair follicles are not damaged by chemotherapy your hair should grow back. Doing anything while still having infusions may not yield any results. I would wait 60 days after treatment before taking anything to jump start growth. Maybe try massaging lightly with oil.

nikola · August 2011

I started taking Biotin and Silica supplements a few days after my last Tx. Also, I started using Rogaine (for men because it was stronger). My onc approved of all, he even gave me prescription for Rogaine. My hair is back, curly and thick. I stopped using Rogaine 3 months ago and still using Biotin and Silica. My last Tx was Sept 27 last year.

anne55 · August 2011

If you google rogaine and chemotherapy you'll find a lot of info about how Rogaine can help speed up your hair regrowth. I didn't try it myself - I didn't know about it when I was treated for breast cancer in 2007. But later I wrote a book about hair loss and chemotherapy, and that's when I came across articles about Rogaine. Apparently it's the only medication that has been clinically tested in connection with chemotherapy patients. Another thing that many people swear by is old-fashioned scalp massage. Some studies have been done on that as well. My hairdresser pointed out that one of the reasons Rogaine probably works is because you have to spend a lot of time massaging it into the scalp. Get someone to give you a daily scalp massage - regardless of whether it works or not, it feels great!

Silica compound to regrow hair

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