Recommended Mascara or Supplements?

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NotVeryBrave
NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
edited June 2017 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

So ... I was told that I wouldn't lose my eyebrows and eyelashes with TCHP - wrong. Thankfully they didn't start leaving until round 4 or 5, at which point my hair was beginning to grow back (never lost all of that, maybe 80%). The eyebrows and eyelashes seem to be on a weird schedule where only some are falling out at a time and some are growing back. So I end up with everything being sparse and the hairs that are there being different lengths.

Have any of you had success with specific supplements that are safe? Any preferred mascaras? It's hard to put on mascara with the different lengths.


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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited June 2017

    Really? No suggestions? Wow.

    I normally have lashes that are too light in color and not very many, long, or thick - so I always wear mascara. I really need something that will darken, thicken, and lengthen. But it also needs to not clump and needs a brush that is small to find those tiny lashes without getting mascara allover my lids!


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  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited June 2017

    Try Lash MD Its good for eyebrows and eyelashes. Also extensions for special occasions. Good luck to all...

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  • Wildplaces
    Wildplaces Member Posts: 864
    edited June 2017

    Lumigan ( bimatoprost ) is a drug used for glaucoma. When applied externally daily ( usually at night ) ie top lashes ( not in your eye!!) and eyebrows it makes them grow longer, not necessarily more hair follicles.

    The cosmetic world sells Latisse ( has the same drug inside) - you can google, read any cautions, side effect profile etc and decide but Lumigan is the more economical version - you just need someone to prescribe it for you. Not unreasonable in a cancer patient I should think ( you need to find a small plastic brush as applicator fibres from a natural bristle brush will absorb theproduct )

    Also there are a number of YouTube make up stints - those from women having chemo themselves are the most sensible in my opinion. There seem to be two big things - get the colour right and get the shape right.

    🙂

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  • NancyHB
    NancyHB Member Posts: 1,512
    edited June 2017

    Biotin is an OTC supplement that really improves nail and hair strength, including eyelashes and eyebrows. Like yours mine fell out much later (in fact mine fell out after I had completed chemo, both times!). I believe it's because lashes and brows are much slower growing and affected by chemo at a different rate. In my case I had a "second leaving" of brows and lashes a few months after they'd grown back in, and now a year later they're all back but definitely sparser than before. My PCP refuses to prescribe Latisse because he doesn't know anything about it (and apparently refuses to learn....sigh...) so I'm left with what I have.

    I use Maybelline Lash Discovery mascara for both my lashes and eyebrows! 😊 It has a very small and narrow wand, is waterproof, and doesn't clump. I love it

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited June 2017

    I took Biotin the entire time and for a year afterwards. I also used Latisse on my brows and UPPER lashes. It was expensive, but I kept most of my brows and my lashes. I got a prescription w/no problem. It comes with a huge package of small foam applicators. I did it morning & night.

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  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited June 2017

    Castor oil applied to eyelash area and eyebrows is supposed to help them grow. There are even empty plastic mascara bottles at Amazon to help with application. I just started trying it on my eyebrows and don't have results yet

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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited June 2017

    Thanks for the suggestions. I got the Lash Discovery mascara and am quite happy with it! The tiny brush makes it much easier to apply to the little lashes.

    I'll look into a Biotin supplement. I don't like to take things that are tons more than the RDA. Is there a specific one that's good?

    The good news is that the eyebrows seem back to normal. I've actually pulled the last couple of eyelashes out - they looked ridiculous since I only had one or two on each lid and they were at least 5 times as long as the new ones! The new ones are coming in pretty quickly, just short and kind of wavy. I sure hope I don't lose them again.


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