Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Caitlin - I am 6 wks PFC but still on Herceptin alone and I've been using the Nioxin for about 2 weeks.  My DH keeps commenting on how fast my hair is growing, but of course it's not fast enough for me!  My mom used the Nioxin for her thinning hair and it really worked wonders for her.  Hoping I have the same results!

I've been using nioxin shampoo and conditioner..like I never lost a strand.  It got rid of alot of scalp irritation right away and there has been some growth since the second treatment that seems to thin a bit and slow after the treatment then starts to grow again..maybe I should have hit the eyebrows with it too...lol.  It's in it's "stand still" phase right now.  usually after this week it starts growing again and then I get poisoned, but I'm curious to see how/if it takes off now that I'm done...keeping my fingers crossed.  I don't think there's supposed to be a drastic difference if you stop using it down the line.  I got a couple huge bottles at amazon.  With the little amt I'm going to be using for a while, those bottles will probably last a yr.

Can you just find it at the supermarket or do I have to go to a salon type place? I'm certainly enthusiastic about encouraging hair growth at this point! 

I saw bottles of Nioxin shampoo and conditioner at TJ Maxx at a nicely reduced price.

Hi Ladies!

I am 19 months PFC and I wanted to let you know about a few things I tried. When my hair was growing back and I wanted to go topless, I couldn't because of the crown - it was too sparse and looked like male-pattern baldness. I bought this stuff called Toppik at Sally's Beauty Supply. You sprinkle it on your crown and it sticks to ALL the little hairs there and fills it out like real hair. It doesn't flake off (but I didn't try combing it either). So even though it wasn't real, it looked like I had a beautiful hairline like Momine. And that covered me through THAT awkward phase.

dragonfly and marjie - I know what you mean about feeling like it is growing straight up and sticking straight out on the sides. The longer I let it get, the worse that Don King effect was. So, I had it trimmed twice to get rid of the corkscrew curls because it looked less curly at the roots. Slowly it grew and when it got to about 5 inches (around one year out) I decided what the hell, and used Ogilvie home-straightener kit on it. I figured it couldn't make it any more frizzy than it was and if it was awful I would just trim it again. I was so happy I did it! It's not an expensive keratin straightening product, but it was easy and it settled my hair down into a nice, smooth wave. It has been about 7 months since then and I only did it that one time. Now at 19 months, I think my hair is naturally growing out with just a wave but it was nice to get that smooth wave 7 months earlier.

I always let it dry naturally and with the conditioner from my Clairol Natural Instincts, it stays soft and smooth. I never would have thought all these chemicals from Ogilvie and Clairol would make it softer! I don't use anything else. Also, I don't brush it yet - I'm as afraid of the hair brush as I am the hair dryer - so I still use a wide tooth comb.

So hang in there! I would say I've been perfectly happy with my hair's length and style for probably the last 3 months and I like it more and more now.

Annoula, hang in there. I am almost 11 weeks from last chemo. Although my hair is growing too slowly for me, my eyelashes seem as though they came in over night. With mascara, you'd never know I lost them. Eyebrows are in enough that with a pencil they look fine. I got frustrated with the salt and pepper hair that I just colored it all black. It does seem to look thicker now!

i'm 5 weeks PFC (had 4 dd of AC & 4 dd of Taxol) - my hair seems to be growing (it's salt & pepper ~1/2" long)  but my eyelashes are at a stand still. basically no lashes on my right eye & only ~3 lashes on the left. i'm using Latisse on my eyelashes & eyebrows, BioSil & Biotin pills, Biotin shampoo & even rubbing olive oil on my head each night. i;m getting nervous that my eyelashes may never come back..

I feel it's taking forever, my hair is also growing more white than I had before. As I said I am very upset with my lashes, not one has grown back. Does anyone have problems with their eyes, like blurred vision at times.

I have had some blurred vision off and on since having chemo.  I was told this is normal and could be catracts.  I just seem to have trouble focusing every so often.  Like my contacts are fuzzy or something.  Between that and my chemo brain I feel like I'm in a constant fog!

Almost a year PFC, I can look back and find a bit of humor in what I went through.

I had a wig stand, but often hung my wig on the unplugged iron which sat on the vanity in a spare room.  One afternoon, DH and I were going to a school banquet, so I took the wig off, tossed it on the iron and went to shower.  When I came back, as I grabbed the wig to put it on, I saw the right side of the bangs was all singed and melted!  I mean, I was immediately sick to my stomach.  I reached over and touched the iron which was warm even though it was unplugged!

I walked downstairs and said "Uh, Mr. M....." Came to find out DH had ironed his shirt to wear to the banquet just prior to my getting a shower, never mentioning it to me!  He never knew I used the iron as a wig holder!  He felt incredibly bad, he was just sick over it.

I did manage to trim the bangs and kind of tuck and hide the ruined section of the wig, and went on to the banquet. 

We just remembered this little incident the other day and got a chuckle out of it.  

Moral of the story?  How mad can you get at a guy who irons his own shirts? 

Hello all.  Back from a splendid week of vacation on a tropical beach in Mexico.  So refreshed,  Met a german gal who had chemo 6 years ago who approached me and asked if my hair was just growing back.  I said yes.  She asked how long it had been since I finished chemo and I told her end of December so i asked her when she had finished as she had NO hair on her head at all.  She said 6 years. Her hair will not grow back.  Guess she is one of the 6% statistic.  She said she has tried everything on the scalp and nothing works.  She also has no lashes or brows.  Made me grateful that I at least have a little covering.  She seemed to come to terms with it and I never saw her with anything but a hat all week to keep the skin from burining probably.

Maggie

Congratulations schatzi!  I can't wait until mine is long enough to go topless.  I am 5 1/2 weeks PFC.

Thanks Kelloggs......Deb720....hell with it.....go for it...after the first time, the rest is easy!!!! I figured if they know I have had chemo...so what????

Good Luck

Hi girls Cathy I am not taking Herceptin I am taking Tamoxifin I just started 3 weeks ago and the doctor told me I have to take them for 5 years. I heard there are a few side effects like depression but so far I am ok, I feel great.

I wouldn't go out without my wig, I don't feel comfortable to. I want to ask is it only me or is everyones finger nails weak and weird looking. I heard sometimes they fall off. I hope not.

Annoula, my nails got quite funky from the taxotere chemo. So far I have not lost any, and the finger nails are back to normal. The nails on my big toes still look quite bad, but are slowly growing out the miscolored part.