Afraid of losing my hair!

MonaNirvana · August 2011

Hi every1 I'm 26 diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer..I've had my first chemo 3 days ago..CEF treatment..so I'm so nerviuos about losing my haire..specially my lashes and eye brows..I need some good advice for going through this...plaese hepl me..

Thank you...

Mona

stephanie1 · August 2011

Hi there I was 35 at diagnosis just not much older than you - I am now two years out from chemo. The thing to remember is that with your stage 2 diagnosis this hair loss is more than likely a temporary set back. Try to look at this situation as a time to grow and learn who you are and what you are made of. I even challenged myself to go out without a head covering a few times just to prove to myself I could do it and survive the situation. Two years out I am now back to my prechemo self. Eyebrows, Eye lashes all of that have returned and my hair is long enough to wear in a pony tail again. So it does and WILL get better. As a woman, I think we let our looks define us too much and this experience taught me that I am more than what I look like on the outside and so are you!

jancie · August 2011

I was devastated that I was going to lose my hair. It was midway down my back. I cut it short about 4 weeks prior to chemo and then 12 days after my first infusion my scalp was really hurting the same way it would if you wore a very tight ponytail for 24 hours. I shaved my head.

In order to get through all of this I bought a sleeping cap, 7 wigs, and all different types of hats. I never did the scarve thing. My friends gave me a hat party prior to starting chemo which was great.

I never allowed my husband to see me bald as I felt ugly so I wore the sleep cap around the house all of the time and when I went out I wore one of my wigs. I decided that I needed to have fun with the wigs so I bought all different colors, lengths, shapes, etc. They key is to buy a wig with bangs that are long enough to hide your eyebrows. In fact when I did have hair I always wore bangs that were long enough to cover my eyebrows so that didn't bother me so much.

I never could grow my hair really long so I bought two wigs that went down to my butt and I had fun with them.

I totally understand your feelings. For many women that is one of the hardest things to go through - losing your hair but it does grow back. I am 2 years out of chemo and my hair is past my shoulders now by about 2" and finally I can get my hair back in a ponytail!

Hang in there.....a bump in the road right now.

MustangIA · August 2011

Oh, Mona! I remember the thought of losing my hair was what made me actually cry the first time. I was so stoic sitting in the oncologists office talking about treatments and then I asked him if I would lose my hair, he said yes and I lost it! It sucks, there is no doubt about it, but I made it through it and like Janice - I tried a wig that was way longer then my hair normally and enjoyed having a different look for awhile. I did lose my lashes and eyebrows, but I did a visit to a makeup counter and learned to draw them on and play with eye makeup a little. I used the wig for work and going out of the house, but just wore scarves at home. Wigs aren't the most comfortable thing in the world, especially when it's hot! My hair came out in February and I had complete hair cover (short, but I could rock the spikeys) by the end of August. You can do this!

makingway · August 2011

I'm so sorry that you will lose your hair. Especially since it is totally unnecessary! It angers me that oncologists aren't sharing this information with their patients. I guess it's up to us to spread the word. http://www.msc-worldwide.com/indexusa.html

I found out about this, not from my oncologist, but on this discussion board.

The eyelashes and brows, if they do fall out, is usually after all chemo is complete. But, they do grow back very, very fast-a couple of weeks I've heard.

Hang in there! This too shall pass.

ratbait · August 2011

I feel for you. The thought of losing my hair made me cry too. The actual thought part was worse than losing the hair, if you can believe it. Once I lost the hair, it was easier. With that said, I had hair envy for quite some time.

Your head will be cold in the winter without hair. I loved wearing hoodies so that I could get extra warmth when I needed it, but coolness if a chemo induced hot flash started. I wasn't much of a scarf person, but did wear buff wear a lot.

ringosmommy · August 2011

Mona-I really understand. I can say a few things, the anticipation of losing your hair is the worst part. Honestly. Once it's gone, you find a way to roll with the punches. How many rounds are you doing? I didn't loose my eyelashes and brows until the fifth or sixth round. and they grew back VERY quickly. I am sincerely sorry you will have to go through this, but I do promise you that you CAN make it through. hang tough.

cori

jc3win · August 2011

I agree with Cori. It is "doable". I remember that word from my first visits to the old YSC boards. No one tried to sugar coat it and say it would be easy but everyone explained that it is DOABLE. You will make it through., It will seem like it is taking forever and you will get tired of being bald but you will get through it and you will find what ever head covering (if any) that best suits you. I never liked wigs and always felt that they looked too "fake" on me but I had some cute hats and I went bald a good bit too.

I will admit that the eyebrows and eyelashes were tough for me because I felt more like a blank slate without them. However, I did learn how to apply make-up to fake them somewhat and I made it through. They really did start to grow back as soon as they came out. Good luck with your treatments.

marial · August 2011

I must say, I never wore eyebrow pencil before this all, but got very attached to it.and became pretty darn good at using it..everyone kept telling me at least you never lost your brows.and I would say, they are gone..and they would be shocked..I M sorry you have to go through this but you will make it past this hurdle as well

jancie · August 2011

Marial - I never even owned an eyebrow pencil before BC. I got mine through the American Cancer Soc. - Look Good, Feel Good program otherwise I still might not own one. However, I haven't used it once since my eyebrows came back.

beacon800 · August 2011

Some hospitals offer the "cold caps" which can vastly reduce hair loss. They are a bit experimental I think, so you should google and check it out. I don't know if they really work but some people on these boards have used them. Otherwise, get some cute nightcaps for around the house( TLC catalog has many) and get some wigs. Wigs look amazingly real these days, there are many good ones. After treatment your hair will come back. Hang in there - I am sorry you are going through this.

MonaNirvana · August 2011

Thank you all for your hepl and advice! It hepls..I've been on and off reading all your posts and stories and wonderful words of encouragement/advice. Thank you and god bless you all..

Honestly, I never thought this ugly disease would happen to me in this age..well I'm so scared..and I have no idea how can I be strong during my treatment...after this I appreciate if you give me any good suggestions for maintaining good nutrition and healthy diet durig chemo..again thanks for your hepls..

Mona

tninalabama · August 2011

Mona,

I had always had hair to my shoulder blades. The first time I wore wigs, it was February through July. Even though they seemed fake everyone complimented me. I also got good with the eyebrow pencil. My brows never did grow back fully. One thing, if you get tired of people saying how good you look, go without the pencil and no one will make any comments Wink . I did go for false eyelashes this time. It took a few practices, but I think it helps more than just liner. I take vitamins more now than before and eat more ( not exclusively) fresh fruits and vegetables. Good luck!

Pam

Cheylana · August 2011

Hang in there! Agree with ratbait -- "The actual thought part was worse than losing the hair."

youyourbestthing · September 2011

Mona, re diet and nutrition, I say eat whatever u can tolerate and worry about nutrition later. I had a lot of tummy issues. If you're feeling pretty good, by all means do plenty of lean protein for recovery and fresh produce for vitamins and antioxidants. I was pretty nauseous from my heartburn meds and ate a lot of pretzels and drank mucho ginger tea. My nurse told me that just walking the dog a few days a wk was plenty exercise so I did that everyday.

Re hair, I HATED being bald and I've had very short hair for many yrs. It was just unfair. Then losing eyebrows and eyelashes made me look so sickly. I didn't like that everyone knew there was something wrong with me. I wore my wig Ashley until I had a hot flash wearing it and thought I was going to burst into flames, so then I did scarves. I have a lot of them and am happy to send you some if you want to PM me yr address. I did get used to it and my hair started growing back about 3 or 4 wks after I finished AC, while I was still on T.

You are so strong. You can do this. You will feel all sorts of emotions just take it easy on yourself and celebrate on the good days.

LtotheK · September 2011

Mona, judging from that photo, you might be pretty amazing bald. I, too, was devastated--I felt like I was as good looking as my hair. It turned out that I looked pretty smashing bald (and got a lot of cat calls, amazingly, with a hip straw hat and great clothes). Now, my hair is in the middle growing back out, and I feel like an old lady. So, I got a mohawk waiting for it to get longer on top. For me, either shaved/super short punk or long works best. So I'm going punk until I can get my longer groove back.

I feel for you so much. But there may be an interesting discovery about your "look" going through this.

As a young patient who will likely go through temporary chemopause, the wigs may not be possible. I'm like the last poster--forget it. Scarves were even too nuts for me in summer. I really, as my colleagues said, "rocked the bald".

It is unlikely your oncologist will give you the go ahead for Penguin Cold Caps, per another link here. The jury really still seems out. In the meantime, you can't start them mid-stream, from what I know.

Lowrider54 · September 2011

Mona

Cold caps really do work...you can find the info on the rapunzelproject.com - a local gal here that aided in having the freezers on board in my treatment facility - one of the many reasons I love my onc and treatment center - all the info IS available to everyone - including how to save your hair. They have been used for many years - mostly in Europe - Penguin Cold Caps - the link given above by makingway goes right to the US distribution site and there are many you tube videos of many women's journey and a complete instructional set from the inventor. I was going to do it until I realized that it was pointless - I am stage iv and now that I have reached chemo as treatment - it will be chemo for the rest of my life so I don't really get to stop chemo to allow the hair to grow back in.

I love hats and scarves and wigs will be nice for our Minnesota winters.

Oh, and are you sure it isn't CMF chemo you are doing? I am not familiar with CEF. It it is CMF, that was the chemo I did with my initial dx in 1999 - it comes with an excellent chance of NOT losing your hair. I didn't - it thinned but I did not lose it. Check on that and you might find a big relief! I hope so for you. Kept my eyebrows and lashes too. Sadly, I had to continue shaving too..LOL.

Big Hugs

LowRider

Afraid of losing my hair!

Comments

Categories