HAIR LOSS - How are you dealing with it?

I have been on Tamoxifen for 3 years, after a year of Aromasin.  My onc wants me to stay on Tamoxifen for a full 10 years.  In September I started loosing hair and I can tell a difference when I run my hands through my hair.  Yesterday when I had my hair cut the hairdreser gave me a sample of Bosley hair products, shampoo, creme rinse, and thickening mousse.  I am going to try that for 30 days to see if it helps. I will post here if I notice a significant difference in hair loss.  I tried Biotin but that did not help. If the Bosley doesn't work I am going to ask my oncologist about Spironolactone when I see her in July.

I have always had super thick hair. After chemo, it grew in very thick... then went on Femara for about 2 and a half years--didnt affect my hair-- it was still extremely thick.

Enter oopherectomy(January 7th 2013), Afinitor(Feb 14 2013), Aromasin(October 25 2012)--it seems like i only have about a 1/4 of the hair that I used to! I put my hair in a ponytail(i used to break the band my hair was so thick. This time, I found the band on the floor! It fell out of my hair! lol It is soooooo thin! It seems that the hair started to shed fiercely after I started the Afinitor.

I notice that most of thinning is in the front--like male pattern baldness. Just going with the flow and gonna see what happens...

Recently went off Afinitor and am now on Faslodex until we can figure out what's up with my shortness of breath/lung-- hopefully the Faslodex/Aromasin will do the job:) But am still open to Afinitor if need be--brought my tumor marker down FAST!

I may have to start looking at scarves and hats again(i cant pull off the bald look successfully aka sinead o'connor back in the day lol)... maybe a fun wig. 

Good luck to all!

hi gentianviolet(i was formerly known as loneplume)

Hi, friends; I haven't posted in a very long time, and was not expecting this problem at all.  I began Arimidex in January 2009 after bilateral mastectomy for invasive mixed IDC/ILC, and ACT; I had two years of Herceptin and a year on the Neratinib (recurrence prevention) trial.  I switched to Femara after a year or so on Arimidex, and have had no problems with it. When my hair grew back after chemo, I had to have it thinned, it was so curly and thick.  It straightened out over the years, and I never noticed thinning.  Until about three months ago, and the trend is picking up speed.  Yesterday when I asked him about it, my oncologist mentioned male pattern baldness and Rogaine, though I think it's more overall thinning.  I am allergic to damn near everything, so I'm not enthusiastic abour drugging my scalp.

I have 8 months to go before I am scheduled to complete aromatase therapy.  Last year, I got the oncotype dx test to estimate my interest in continuing or stopping the AI, and earned a score of about a 7% recurrence chance, even though I had one lymph node involved.  

Has anyone had regrowth of any kind after completing AI's?  Or is this flat out the way it's going to be?  Is aromasin going to do the same thing?  I guess another question is whether anyone is actually stopping the AI's at five years anymore.  I keep hearing a consistent drumbeat that docs are keeping us on them longer, and mine alluded to his preference for that yesterday. He got the oncotype test because I asked for it, but I don't think he believes that 7% is for real.  

I'm going to look up the options you all identified--spirolactone, propecia, dualgen-5, and the dreaded Rogaine--and see if I can generate some hair.  I appreciate all your help and am so grateful for this community.

Cathy

Hi.

Thank you for the post Hyla. I too am having huge hair loss. 9-months on Aramadex and now my dr has me on a 10-day holiday and I will try another flavor of AI to see if the shedding will stop.   I am taking biotin -- hand my thryoid tested and all okay there -- and using the Bosley products -- just not the rogaine as I'm concerend about the many crazy things I read out there on the web.  What are other experiences?  Really, is a head of hair too much to ask after all we've been through on this??  

Keeping my chin up and my hair as fluffed as possible... I'm actually thinking about going back to my chemo-wig....

My hair started falling out within 1 month of starting tamo. Even though I continued to see large amounts of my hair on the bathroom floor it never got any thinner after a point. I was able to take tamo for 2.5 years but then due to severe  (I'll be blunt") vaginal dryness I quit taking the Tamoxifen. I had hot flashes from the drug and hair loss but that to me was all little to offset the great benefit. However it actually became hard to walk and was painful even if I was not moving. Sadly my quality of life was diminished to the point where I decided to stop taking it. I hope the 2.5 years was a good benefit. See a doc this month to decide where to go from here. My cancer was low grade and the margins they got were great. However my mom had separate breast cancers 15 years apart. She was initially diagnosed at 59 and then the 2nd time @ 75.  She is doing great ....she is turning 79 this year. She was not offered Tamo when she was 59 but she did take something for 3 years after the 2nd one.

Hi ladies.....I've been on Letrozole for just over 2 years now and I have had a lot of hair thinning with it.

Tried everything with no results.  Recently a product called MSM was recommended by a neighbour as I'm in a lot of pain due to the fact that I may have torn a muscle in my knee.  Apparently one of the things 

this med also helps with is thinning hair and brittle nails.  I started taking it last Saturday and will keep you posted as to its effects.  Worthwhile checking it out because there are many reviews on this regarding hair growth and thickness.

Hello Ladies,

I too had very thick and wild hair but following last chemo Sept 12 and Letrozole, my hair is thinner on the top. Those with this problem, do you think it looks better cut shorter? It's very depressing to have this. 

Hyla, Reporting back.  My dermatologist mentioned biotin and zinc, but he said this would work mostly for nails.  He did confirm the hair thinning.,  I asked about Rogaine, but he said he did not think I would be happy with it.  He said it mostly let's you keep what you have.  

So in other words no solutions.  He is very bright and honest.  If it gets worse, there is also the hair transplant route.

I do have one solution.  I am going to stop getting upset over my hair.  I will accept it and be happy I am healthy.  I am going to walk around like my hair is thick and beautiful. 

I read about emu oil with regards to skin and hair health.  I just bought some.  It gives your skin a really nice glow and I massaged some into my scalp.  My hair actually has a shine again.  Let me know if it works for you guys.

Supposedly, it helps with hair growth.  Even if it doesn't, it is great. Pam

when I started menopause before breast cancer I lost about half of my thick hair. The AI drugs didn't have any effect on more hair loss. I am currently on an exemestane break and I am noticing more loss. Ugh why can't it jut stay there and not turn grey.

I've been on anastrozole for a 1 1/2 months with no side effects yet. I would like to get a body wave...any thoughts? Has anyone gotten one?