Hair loss

Anonymous · October 2016

Hair loss

Mom_of_twins · October 2016

I'm sure this has probably been discussed before, but I have a question:

After chemo ended, my eyelashes and eyebrows grew back beautifully--longer and thicker than ever! I've been on Anastrazole for about 3 weeks, and I noticed last week that my lashes were falling out and thinning, along with my eyebrows!! Like literally I'm getting bare areas in my lashes. I'm assuming it's from the AI, as the timing makes perfect sense.

This might be a silly question, but does anyone know if all three of the AIs cause hair loss/thinning? I imagine they do because they all deplete the estrogen in our bodies, but just thought I'd ask in case one of the other two (Aromasin or Femara) had less of this effect.

Obviously, this is on the bottom of my priority/worry list, but it does feel like a kick in the pants while trying to resume normalcy after chemo.

Thanks!!

pupmom · October 2016

I was on Aromasin for 4 years and never experienced any hair or eyelash loss. Maybe this is a delayed effect from chemo?

Mom_of_twins · October 2016

Yorkiemom, thanks for your response. The confusing thing is that I lost 100% of my eyelashes two weeks after finishing chemo; but they grew back very quickly--very long and full. They stayed that way for months until I started the AI. I'm not sure if they'd grow back if this was a result of chemo....but I have no idea? The timing makes me think it's that, but who knows

pupmom · October 2016

Mom, I really don't know. I did not have chemo. Hopefully somebody else with more experience will reply.

Italychick · October 2016

my eyelashes came out three times after chemo finished. I think there is something about the growth phase. Normally lashes shed at different times but since they all come back at once after chemo, they are on the same timing schedule. When they finally quit falling out, initially some of them grew in at weird angles and stuff, so I started using an eyelash curler. A year and 5 months after last chemo, mine are now in a normal growth and shedding process and seem to be the same as before chemo. Hang in there!

Mom_of_twins · October 2016

Italychick,

That's interesting; I suppose it could be that! I just thought it was weird that they were full and long since July, and now are falling out like when I was getting chemo. Maybe I will be like you and I will lose them a few times.

Thanks for sharing!! I never thought that I would lose them again after they grew back so well; but maybe there are different growth phases/patterns.

Thanks!!

Hopeful82014 · October 2016

What ItalyChic has described is very, very common. I'd say that chemo is MUCH more likely to be the culprit in your eyelash loss than the AI.

That being said, I did have some hair thinning (minor) and drying after being on Femara a while. I doubled up on biotin and it's no longer an issue. Good luck with your lashes!

Mom_of_twins · October 2016

Hopeful, Good to know this!! I'm just shocked that they're falling out again along with my brows after all these months! It's so weird. I guess it takes awhile for our bodies to clear the chemo??

Katmil426 · October 2016

I lost all of the hair on my head and most other places on my body while on chemo. I did not completely lose my eyelashes and eyebrows at that point.

After I finished chemo, the hair on my head/body slowly grew back but now it is thinning again, and I wonder if it is because I've been taking Femara for 9 months. Also, my eyelashes and eyebrows are now almost nonexistent. I do take biotin. Does anyone know what is a reasonable dose of biotin to help hair. It really helped my nails after chemo but I wonder if I need to take more in order to help my hair. My head hair is also dryer than ever since I've been on Femara.

QuinnCat · November 2016

I finished chemo (Adriamycin, Taxol and Carboplatin) in August of 2012. A couple of weeks later I started Exemestane. I wouldn't say I had thick hair on my head before chemo, but my hairdresser would. It is fine, so never felt thick, but I had enough. As far as body hair, not much and not great eyebrows or eyelashes. When my hair grew back during this phase of finishing chemo and starting the hormone blocker, it never came back as it was on top (male pattern). I no longer have to shave my legs or armpits. My eyebrows are worse and my eye lashes almost non-existent. Since I hit menopause and cancer all at about the same time (post-chemo and hormone blockers), I was never sure which was contributing to the cause.

I asked my MO just last week and she swears it is the hormone blocker. She claimed my hair would grow back after I stopped, but since I will likely be going on for 10 years of mormon blockers, while going starting the latter half of my late 60's, I wonder about that miracle. Furthermore, anything I can find on the web, it is unknown if my hair will grow back as thick as it was. Supposedly, this estrogen blocker hair loss only happens to 4%.

I also won the lottery on CIPN with Taxol too. Wonder if related?

And can anyone clue me if there is a chance it will grow back, even 10 years later, after stopping hormone blockers?

Hair loss

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