Hair Hair Hair - Another question

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  • marinakaplan
    marinakaplan Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2012

    Ladies, please tell me it all falls out - I have horrible painful stubble and I'm hoping for a smooth bald head that isn't prickly and painful! I've completed 3/4 dose dense AC treatments, most of my hair fell out on days 15-17 (about 3 weeks ago) and  I shaved off the rest with an electric razor, but the rest hasnt' fallen out and shaving it turned the remaining strands into prickly, painful stubble - I've been hoping it would all fall out and I'd have a smooth head (which I hope is more comfortable than this stubble). After I'm done with AC I'll be on Taxol for 12 weeks - someone please tell me it will all fall out soon and I'll have a smooth head and not have to deal with this horrible painful stubble any more - or should I shave it again? this time with a real razor?

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  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 1,076
    edited January 2012

    Yay Kennylynne! 

    marinakaplan, I did 6 rounds of TAC so I can't answer your question but from what I've read from everyone whose done your chemo, it starts to grow back on Taxol.  I never did lose it all but it was not painfull, I only had a few short strays. 

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  • mkw1
    mkw1 Member Posts: 112
    edited January 2012

    Thank you for posting your picture. It is encouraging to see how your hair came back after 29 weeks.My hair is 21 pfc and is thickening, but is not as full as ours. I am hoping that it will continue to thicken during the next few weeks. Either way, whether the hair thickens or not, I am thankful to God for everyday that He has given me. 

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  • Kitchenella
    Kitchenella Member Posts: 279
    edited January 2012

    I'm sure this has been asked and answered before but I don't have the energy to wade through all the posts. 

    When does the hair usually start to fall out while on DD Ac treatment?  I'm on day 6 of my second treatment (I did skip a week at the end of my first treatment because of Low WBC.  I buzzed my hair before my last infusion. Stubble is itchy and sore and my eyebrows itch but so far its all hanging in there.  At this point I'd just like to get it gone!

    Thanks,

    Peggy

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  • Ossa
    Ossa Member Posts: 919
    edited January 2012

    kennylynne

    yay for going topless you go girl Laughing I am 13 weeks out and have just started going out without my "rug" but wearing a cap..I was nervous about it the first time, but then told my self I was dumb to feel nervous as this is the way it is. b/c it is not my choice.. cancer did this to me..

    marianakaplan

    I had the same treatment as you.. I never went "cueball" bald, lost probably 90% of my hair.. I was told not to shave it as it would be prickly and itchy.. (was still very itchy)  Mine s l o w l y started to grow back on Taxol.. But hate to tell you...a few weeks after I was done Taxol my lashes and brows all fell out.. They had thinned during AC but I still had probably 50% I found by massaging a small amount of olive oil in to my scalp it helped with the itching

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited January 2012

    Marina, I feel for you. The painful stubble is the worst. What I did was take a dry wash cloth, and then rub my poor head vigorously with that a couple of times a day over the sink. It helps get the stubble out and decreases the itching some.

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  • Taika
    Taika Member Posts: 13
    edited January 2012

    Thanks ladies, I will accept that it will all go again and it will be a nice surprise if it doesn't.

    For the stubbly ladies, I hated that part because it seemed to catch on pillow cases and hats and be nearly painful, I shaved my head with a razor in the shower until it wasn't an issue any more (didn't have to do it after a week in the end). I was surprised how easy it was to do without looking and didn't cut myself at all, I did check for moles and lumps and bumps first though.

    I found it easier to look in the mirror all shiny and bald, I felt wispy or patchy hair made me look more ill.

    Kitchenella, I started on AC once every three weeks and it started to fall out 14 days after the first infusion, had to shave it 5 days after it started coming out else it would have blown off my head in a light breeze.

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  • Joanne58
    Joanne58 Member Posts: 1,117
    edited January 2012
    Marina--I had A/C too, with the same result as yours and Ossa's.  I used a lint roller on my head, morning and night, and it picked up a lot of the little shaved hairs that hung on.  I never went completely bald, but I got used to the hairs left and just wore a soft knitted cap at night so I didn't feel the hairs catching on the pillow case. I think it takes a long time for the scalp to get over its tenderness.  Mine started to hurt again as the hair came back, and just now has felt better and not so tender, 12 mos. PFC.  Hopefully yours will feel better much faster!  Good luck with the Herceptin trial you're on--a great opportunity for you!
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  • Joanne58
    Joanne58 Member Posts: 1,117
    edited January 2012

    Kitchenella--(Love your profile name :)

    Your hair will probably be coming out in handfulls very soon.  I had tx every 3 weeks, and mine came out exactly on day 14 after the first dose. 

    (Just read your profile--you have 18 grandchildren?  Wow!  You're very blessed, indeed!  I miss my days in Israel as a college student way back in 1978.  I REALLY miss the food!)

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  • MamaV
    MamaV Member Posts: 907
    edited January 2012

    marina and peggy - I'm with Joanne and used a lint roller on my head several times/day.  I used the sticky one (like 3M). It massaged my head and it removed a lot of that stubble!

    Good luck ladies!

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  • Ossa
    Ossa Member Posts: 919
    edited January 2012

    Forgot about the lintroller.. It was my best friend for a whileTongue out

    Started using Nioxin today.. Exited to see if it will work... Planning on going topless after Radiation.. Last treatment is March 5

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  • dragonfly1
    dragonfly1 Member Posts: 766
    edited January 2012

    Hi all-here's an updated photo at 8 months PFC. It seems that my hair is growing three times faster in the back than in the front or on top. I can't begin to create bangs because the hair just won't go that direction:) No amount of paste, wax, gel, etc can force it. I've just been drying it on a low setting and pulling the curl out as much as I can. The back is getting big loopy curls now and has a mind of its own (I don't know if you can see it in the pic but the bottom is one big rolled up curl:) This hair is a radically different texture than my old hair-I still call it brillo hair:) It's just not shiny like it used to be either. I'm hoping it begins to pick up speed growing now that I've finished Herceptin. I've only had it trimmed twice and the hairdresser dried it with a round brush into a big poofy helmet-ickkk! I prefer to just scrunch the waves/curls and let them be...

    8 months PFC
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  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 1,076
    edited January 2012

    Dragonfly, I love it!

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2012

    dragonfly - Mine is about the same length as yours but your is thicker.  You look so cute! I have been walking in the afternoon but have so much joint pain that I have been taking a shower before I walk (don't worry I take one after too!) and yesterday I just combed my hair, and parted it on the side like I used to, while it was wet and took off on the walk.  I was so surprised that it went straight and stayed that way!  I am thinking that with length the weight will pull it straighter (I am hoping) but mine seems to have lost some of that wave from earlier.  I have a hair appt. tomorrow a.m. - will try to post a pic afterward.

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  • mkw1
    mkw1 Member Posts: 112
    edited January 2012

    Joanne58:

    Lived in Ashkelon, Israel in 1985 for six months after I got married. I agree that the food is awesome.I love the people of Israel. 

    Kitchenella: I do not recognize all the drugs they are giving you, but I hope your treatment goes as smooth as it can go. I may be wrong, but I assume they must be giving you low dose chemo because they are giving it to you more frequently? I do not know how would that affect the rate in which the hair falls down.

    Shalom. 

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  • mkw1
    mkw1 Member Posts: 112
    edited January 2012

    Dragonfly,

    You look wonderful and you hair look gorgeous. Is this your natural color? 

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  • dragonfly1
    dragonfly1 Member Posts: 766
    edited January 2012

    mkw1 Yes, I went back to my natural color-there's a little grey mixed in but I can live with it for now. I don't think I'll consider the expense of coloring it until it gets a lot longer and I've figured out what it's going to really do.

    Are other people still struggling with their eyebrows? Mine STILL aren't growing 8 months PFC and never have since chemo. I haven't ever lost any more but I haven't grown any new ones either. My left one took a beating and thinned to almost nothing-you can probably tell in the picture-my liner had worn off today so it looks a little pitiful. It's nice that I haven't plucked my eyebrows in 8 months but it seems a little weird. My eyelashes seemed to recover without a problem.

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited January 2012
    My eyebrows thinned a lot 5 weeks after chemo then started to really come in… then thinned again. They grow back but still on the thin side and fill them in. I'm 1 year 7 days PFC. My onc said last April said it was from chemo not Anastrozole. I thought they would be back by now. Now I'm wondering if it's a little of both.
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  • sewingnut
    sewingnut Member Posts: 1,129
    edited January 2012

    Dragonfly,

    love, Love, LOVE the hair!!

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  • kennylynne
    kennylynne Member Posts: 152
    edited January 2012

    DragonFly your hair looks amazing!!!!!

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  • dragonfly1
    dragonfly1 Member Posts: 766
    edited January 2012
    Thanks everyoneSmile
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  • Lumpynme
    Lumpynme Member Posts: 747
    edited January 2012

    i have to chuckle-my natural hair is very curly AND wavy--i spent years and beaucoup dollars straightening it and so many ppl spend money to GET curl and wave..now here we are -with chemocurls ! sorry-dragonfly's gorgeous curl made me think of this.....i'll go back to my corner now!

    p.s.remind me to chuckle when my own starts to grow back someday!!!

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  • MizMarie
    MizMarie Member Posts: 332
    edited January 2012

    Dragonfly, you look awesome!  The texture looks about like mine was before chemo, if I let it go au naturel.  I just hope I don't end up with frizz - it's too short yet to tell what it might do....

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  • soaplady1950
    soaplady1950 Member Posts: 74
    edited January 2012

    dragonfly i love your natural color you actually look younger  sharon

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  • shore1
    shore1 Member Posts: 739
    edited February 2012

    Beautiful Dragonfly.

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  • LuvRVing
    LuvRVing Member Posts: 4,516
    edited February 2012

    Love your hair, Dragonfly!

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  • ksmatthews
    ksmatthews Member Posts: 812
    edited February 2012

    Beautiful Dragonfly!

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  • SuperFoob
    SuperFoob Member Posts: 505
    edited February 2012

    To those that asked about DD AC and hair loss (sorry but names get lost in the chemofog):



    I did DD AC...5 cycles then Taxol/Carboplatin for 8 infusions. My hair fell out completely on day 21 of the AC. My brows and lashes fell out gradually after that point. My head was Kojak shiny. Nary a hair could be found.

    My hair started to grow back in while I was doing theTaxol/Carbo. Granted, it was white mutant fuzz but hair nonetheless. As it grew back, I got "old man" hair....thicker on the sides and back. It is just now getting thicker on top. I am 16 weeks PFC. if I could post a pic via my iPad or iPhone I would...but it doesn't work. I rarely go on my desktop. When I do, I will snap a photo and post.

    My brows and lashes have grown back in. I can't say how long they took as they just seemed to be there one day...weird. They haven't fallen out. My brows seem much thicker....yeah! My lashes seem the same as pre-chemo. My hair is mousy brown with tinsel (gray) thrown in. Same as pre-chemo. It is also straight so far...also same pre-chemo.

    I like my hair. It is so easy. Wash and go. I am molding to into a faux hawk...hee!

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  • YaYa5
    YaYa5 Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2012
    dragonfly, your hair is fabulous!  i love the waviness of it and you have so much.  you just look wonderful.
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  • 3jaysmom
    3jaysmom Member Posts: 4,266
    edited February 2012

    bump

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