How vain are you?
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Melissa - nutrition, check out BIOTIN, I think it does help hair strength. Also, I don't wash my hair every day as I used to. That seems to help keeping it stronger. I don't have the problem with the thinness on top, but a dear friend who does, makes sure what hair she has is LAYERED, and she kinda sweeps in forward & to one side in light fluffy curlyish bangs...as curly hair usually does look thicker, I think you need to investigate "products" to keep it defined, but not frizzy. Nothing too heavy - I use a very light weight gel just to keep the frizzies away...
ALSO, if you can avoid using a hair dryer, that helps hair be stronger too...what I call a wash & wear do. No blow drying!
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I second what Sunny said about Biotin. I started taking it 4 years ago, on the recommendation of a pharmacist, to strengthen my nails. My nails, which had always been thin and weak, became so strong. But an unexpected benefit was the effect on my hair. It also became stronger and sparse areas began to get thicker. Try Biotin!
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Exercise is great! I try to ride my stationary bike an hour a day. When I actually do that, about 4 to 5 times a week, I do feel rejuvenated. Plus, exercise is so good for weight control. It is also tied to recurrence reduction.
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sorry Melissa, I have the opposite problem...too much hair. Just came back from a hair appt and the amount of thinning she had too do was frightening. I wish I could take my extra and give it to ya! And by the way, I just paid $170 for a foil and cut. WTF! Her prices are getting out of control.
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Mardibra.... I've been keeping my hair so short because I went from fine and wavy pre-chemo to thick and I-don't-know-what-the-hell-to-do-with-it curly post chemo. Seriously. I'd love to grow it out to the bob I had in the Christmas picture of my honey and I, but once it gets past a few inches long, I look like Shirley Temple and I - literally - don't know what to do with it. It's so different, it's like it's not even my hair!
Melissa... I'd check with a good aesthetician to see what their suggestions would be. My aesthetician has been invaluable; she has dealt with a lot of post-chemo women and had some really good ideas for skin care, hair, etc. that has changed. For instance, my finger- and toenails still aren't in great shape and I was considering acrylic nails to cover them up, but she said that they would ruin what little nail I had left. She recommended getting monthly manicures and pedicures - nothing fancy - and to make sure I keep the nail moisturized with oil; no polish for now because it's drying. And when my hair was first growing back, she recommended Nioxin shampoo and conditioner to help strengthen it. It was pricey and I only used it for about six months until my new hair was fairly established, but I was pleased with it.
I understand the "feeling aged" thing. My skin was already changing before I had chemo and, once I was in menopause, it changed more. The good news is, my complexion is flawless - no more monthly hormonal breakouts - but the bad news is some crepiness around my eyes (especially my eyelids; hence no more shimmery eyeshadow) and on my throat which - I feel - makes me look a bit drawn, especially when I'm tired. I feel like I've aged a hundred years, sometimes, both mentally and physically.
But, like Yorkie said, exercise helps A LOT. It settles my mind and rejuvenates me, and lifts my mood, and keeps my arthritis from becoming too bad. But I have been, seriously, considering having a complete makeover somewhere, simply to get some advice on how to deal with the changes wrought from chemo and menopause. Of course, new shoes ALWAYS make me feel better. And new lipstick.
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No chemo for me, but once I started Arimidex, I was shedding like a big collie. Hair EVERYWHERE. Eyebrows, eyelashes, even my nose hair was falling out. Biotin (1000 mcg) worked wonders. The MO said the shedding cycle would come and go, but once I started the Biotin, I haven't had that issue. (Plus, switched to Femara after a year.)
RE: Aging... I always thought I looked pretty young for my age, especially after I lost weight in 2012. But after a year on the Estrogen-Sucking Drug, I compared a picture we took on vacation a year ago to one we took a month ago... same place, same pose... and I looked like a different - and MUCH older - person.
I never really spent much time on my skin... I guess that's about to change.
Mardibra - I hear ya! I used to see a stylist for my color and cut, who I really liked. But she was ambitious, and kept moving up to more ritzy salons. Her prices kept moving up, as well. I followed her to five different salons, but when she started charging $170 for a base color (no foils!) and cut, I found a wonderful, sweet young stylist ten minutes from my house, who charges $70, and now I have the best haircut and color ever.
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Maybe I haven't suffered hair problems on Aromasin because I had been taking Biotin for 2 years before bc diagnosis. I also have not noticed unusual aging, aside from the normal progression. Can't believe how much you girls are spending on hairstylists. I have one I adore and pay one third of what you're paying! Things are probably generally cheaper in the Midwest though.
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Kayb, you can buy it anywhere and it is super cheap. I like Sundown because it is vegan, and I am a vegetarian.
I guess another reason my hair is ok is that I never had chemo. Duh.
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Kay, I have also heard of that. Fortunately Aromasin has been pretty easy on me. I do have joint issues and carpal tunnel, but I but I have been able to deal with those SEs.
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I'm happy to report that tamoxifen hasn't caused hair issues. Frankly, after having no hair I wouldn't care how it came back....straight, curly, whateva. I'm happy I have it.
As far as my $170 doo, I've been going to this gal for years so I'm afraid to switch. I will just suck up the enormous price tag.
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Arimidex may have thinned my hair a bit but I have tons of soft loopy curls so it's not noticeable. I had very oily skin so the dryness has brought more into the normal range, though I'm still shiny after a few hours. The skin on my body, arms and legs has become noticeably drier so I wash with shea butter body was and use shea butter lotion religiously. I was already menopausal when diagnosed, so so of this might have occurred naturally and actually not be the fault of Arimidex. Guess I'll never know.
Caryn
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Thanks everyone. i'll try the biotin, Nioxin & the no pg minoxidil.
I so wish my neighborhood had't changed so much in the last ten years. Last time I tried walking I was having to deal with stray pitt bulls. Ugh!
I'm with Selena, I think a whole makeover would be nice too. I should find someplace to go get that done. A mani-pedi would be great also. I had to stop wearing colored nail polish when I started quilting because it rubs off the tips of my nails onto the fabric when I finger-press blocks.
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Oh wow- I have not popped in on this one for a while and you were all in here having fun without me-
First things first- Is there such a thing as Münchausen syndrome by proxy for breast cancer....... tongue firmly in cheek ladies
Next- Selena are you in Canada? Since we are not conversing in French I suppose not in the montreal area. I am using a wonderful line I found while in Poland that is just gaining popularity in other countries called Inglot. This line has the most fabulous pigments for eye and cheek color and a full palette from nudes to the darkest blues/purples/yellows like those wild MAC eyes you see. I had completely gotten rid of the shiny until finding this line- they are sort of a shiny and a matte and they do have many many matte colors and you pick what you want. Prices are reasonable -really reasonable in Poland but hey thats the exchange rate. They do make-up applications in the stores.
Melissa- I don't know if you are in Dallas or if thats just your screen name. My daughter swears by the Paul Mitchell school in Dallas for inexpensive haircuts/color etc. Worth a shot and just let them have their way with you hahahha.
I had my hair cut today- I wear my hair short and it actually looks pretty nice, it had been so dry and brittle- maybe all the radiation tainted sections have been cut out. Decided to have some color on wednesday- I had been putting it off since my hair was acting so funny- think I am just going to do some mild highlights. Prices are insane!!! I am going to end up paying $120 and I get my haircut every 5 weeks so putting them in just to cut them out is insane- I have toyed with the idea of going to the Asian ladies or the Mexican salons which are packed and a heck of a lot cheaper- In California everything costs more- sounds like Boston too.
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Wyo, I can think of two here right off the top of my head on the Munchausen's thing....
I hadn't though of Paul Mitchell. I've been to Ogle twice. First time color, foil highlights and cut were great because the instructor did mine as a demo. The second time not so great...
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wyo,
LOL on the Munchausen's . Someone did mention to me that there is such a thing as Munchausen's by internet and I know someone who it might apply to
I like Benefit eye shadows or Cargo. They both make neutral kits in varying shades that include colors to be used for browbone, lid, crease and outer corner (or switched around as you like). As for my hair, I do pay a lot for color and cut. I have thick, fine textured curls and not everyone does a good job with it. I am very happy to pay my hairdresser for her great skills!
Caryn
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I used to pay big money for hair cuts too. Imagine y surprise when I moved to the country and not only found a hairdresser who could cut my hair well, but only charges $27.00!
I have a friend, who owns a salon in an up market area of Melbourne who was staying with us a few days ago. She asked what I pay for my hair cuts here, and when I told her she almost choked. She told me she charges $75.00 for a trim and $150.00 for a haircut. I almost choked!
Mellissa Dallas, I don't know if this interests you, but I always had an acrylic coating on my nails. I couldn't find a tech here in the country that could do it well enough, so I invested in a Gel Nail set. It is absolutely fantastic! I bought the one step gel polish that doesn't require a base or top coat. It is self leveling and a breeze to apply. The LED light is a 60second light so I can do my fingernails and my toes, 2 coats, dry and good to go, in about 10 minutes. There is no color rub off, and my fingernails last about 2 weeks, and my toes, double that. There is no formaldahyde or toluene in the polish and there are lots of colors available. The brand I bought is "Haute" and they have good reductions on their website. It is a bit harder to remove than to put on, but the great results make it worthwhile.
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Oh a gel nail set is a good idea- I am not coordinated enough and my right hand looks great and left looks like a child did it. I use the computer so much this is the only think I could do that did not wear away the polish and show my nail at the top.
As far as removing it my nail lady insists on this method
File the polish lightly to rough it up- it breaks the seal she says
Take cotton balls and tear off good-sized hunks- saturate with polish remover
Place a cotton ball hunk on each nail and wrap the entire top of the finger and cotton with aluminum foil.
Let it sit for 10 minutes- you can peek earlier but it usually takes a good 10 minutes
Use and orange stick or end of your file to clear off the polish- if it does not come off easily, reapply the cotton and foil and wait a bit
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Big honkin' YES to the Munchausen's by Internet on BCO question. Extremely sad.
Ariom - I had my first gel manicure last year and fell in love with it. The manicurist barely buffed my nails, applied whatever different bases it took, kept sticking my hands in and out of the lights, and did a French manicure that lasted three weeks. I LOVED it!!!
Soon, though, they started to lift and peel after two weeks, then one week. I wasn't sure what was going on, because she does an excellent job with my non-gel pedicures. (Those can last for six weeks!)
When it came time for a re-do, she would cover my nails with a cotton ball, soak it in polish remover, and wrap my fingertips in foil. There I'd sit reading gossip magazines while the polish soaked off. But when she unwrapped them, there were little blobs of polish left that she would scrape off.
Pretty soon I noticed that there were big white patches on my nails after all the polish was removed. She had been scraping off the nail layers along with the polish!!! I quit doing gel manicures, and after 8 months, the white patches have finally grown out.
Tell me - how do you remove your gel polish?
Have you noticed any damage to your nail beds?
Do you have to rough them up to get the polish to stick in the first place?
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Hi Blessings, and Wyo, I know what you mean about it looking like a child did it with your non dominant hand! LOL I have managed to master it, by taking it slow, with this polish.
I do a very light rough up of my nails before applying the polish, and I use the remover pockets from Haute, after "breaking the shine, or seal," to get it off. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes, but I find that if there is a small amount still stuck to my nail, I gently scrape it off. I am finding my nails have actually grown since I started using this kit, they haven't deteriorated, so far. My nails always go a bit haywire after an anesthetic, splitting and dry, but for me, this kit is fabulous. I think that sealing the free edge, with the polish has kept them together.
I especially like that I can do my toes, although getting the light on my toes is a challenge and you need to be a bit of a contortionist, but it works and looks great. This polish is 500% shinier than normal polish, so if you like that look, it is a super easy way to get it.
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wyo First things first- Is there such a thing as Münchausen syndrome by proxy for breast cancer....... tongue firmly in cheek ladies, when I stopped chortling, and cleaned up the tea spewed on my putah, I sent you a pm...
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Thanks Kay! I'll go look.
I realize I am just a high-risker and don't have breast cancer. If y'all are referring to me on the Munchausen's thing please tell me to take a hike. It's a crappy position to be in where they are pushing you to take Aromasin, etc. but you don't have cancer, or at least not yet...but I don't want to offend anyone.
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MELISSA - IT AIN'T YOU!!! I PROMISE ON LARRY'S WORD OF HONOR ;-))) REALLY.
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Melissa, it's not you!! We're talking about a kook who has self-diagnosed herself with bc but has never seen a doctor to confirm. She claims she's had bc for about 20 years and is doing fine with a little help from Gary Null, aka quack extraordinaire.
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re: removing gel nail polish. I do the cotton pad/foil method too but add heat (warm eye pillow) and leave it on about 15 minutes. I make my own remover by mixing pure acetone with glycerin. Like ariom, I go slow with my non dominant hand and I have, gradually, gotten better. Gel polish is the only thing that has allowed me have a lovely chip free manicure. BTW, if you DIY you can easily repair it as it is self leveling.
Caryn
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no danger there!
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i am seriously pissed to have an "in between" diagnosis. I honestly wish I had never heard of LCIS. I think they do not have enough evidence to even know what the implication really is.. I had just started feeling good again after surgery and being so sick from the ovarian crap..Then right on the heels I get this? I just wanted to say "you have got to be fu@%ing joking! No more!
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she also self diagnosed AIDS before AIDS even existed. Then self diagnosed herself as cured. SMH.
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Caryn, thank you for that tip, I will try the heat when I remove this lot!
Kay, I don't really know the answer to your question about the ridges. I guess the severity would dictate whether the polish would self level enough to cover them. I have a few ridges on my nails, but I buff them down a bit, without any adverse results and the polish looks pretty good.
I bought a bottle of "Natural" polish which I used on my hands this time. It is a clear/pink tinged gel lacquer with a super shine and the ridges are not noticeable with this one at all. None of the Haute colors are pearl, they are all mega shiny matte. I wear the really "out there" colors on my toes.
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Melissa we always appreciate your wit and wisdom so please stay with us. I think you diagnosis is harder in some ways and you are right- if its not one thing its another-
I am really concerned about people that post with just enough sentence structure that someone might actually be swayed to move away from diagnostics to begin with and then treatments that could prolong life. When I examine my own anxiety level and read the anxiety in posts by others, if you were easily influenced things could be bad. Who could ever post that a person "interested" in nutrition etc. was GOD- just defies logic
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MellissaDallas, you were one who welcomed me here, when I arrived scared and clueless, a year ago.
I always read your posts with interest. I like your direct approach, and have always considered you one of the wise ones here!
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