Chemo&hair

Both times I had chemo, day 13 after was when my hair began to fall out. I got a wig to match my hair style and color so no one ever knew!

Mine was pretty much gone by day 19. I loved my chemo curls and kept them for over a year. I had always wanted curls.

Mine fell out at day 14 and i wore hats or went bald. The fear of losing my hair was so much worse than the reality of it. Good luck!

Definitely check with your insurance first. Some insurance companies require you to use a particular vendor. Mine said they didn't care where I got the wig. Unfortunately, they also tried to renege on paying for it and I had to get the State of Georgia Insurance Commissioner to hold their feet to the fire until they eventually paid the claim 15 months later. So, jump through all their hoops and keep notes of every conversation--dates, names, and content of the conversation. You never know when you might need that to justify your claim.

i recommend cutting your hair short ahead of time.

It will give you and the people around you time to get used to the new look.

Also, there was nothing worse for me than my hair falling out and into my face and mouth. I literally woke up at night feeling I have “hairballs” down my throat!

So, once ai buzzed the hair, I felt so much better!

I even rocked my haircut with some heels when i went for a lunch with my hubby.

You can totally do it

I purchased my wig prior to starting chemo. Took a friend with me and tried a variety of styles. The shop owner was great. My MO did write an Rx and the shop handled the insurance.

I noticed a lot of hair in my hands as I styled my hair two weeks after my first chemo. My hairdresser buzzed it that night (leaving about a 1/2"). I started wearing my wig the next day. What was left after the buzz cut was largely gone a few days later.

Being cold was the tough part. When I had hair, I washed my hair in the shower, put in conditioner, and then washed my face and body. When bald, I reversed because as soon as my head got wet I was cold! Rather than buying special cancer head wraps, I used my Buffs as beanies when I wasn't wearing my wig. Easy to pull off to accommodate a hotflash, very comfortable for sleeping, and I still use them today when running.

My radiation oncologist told me to expect hair to start growing back about 3 months after the last chemo. Mine started about 2 months after the last chemo. I stopped wearing the wig about 4-5 months after my last chemo. My hair was short! I'm about 11 months from the last time I wore my wig and my hair is super curly (almost 2x as long when wet than when dry) and I've had three haircuts to style it as it grows. No idea if the curls will stay or go - they are pretty strong now!

Stay warm.

When you buzz the hair off - it doesn't really matter what length it is. You just don't want to actually shave your head and risk infection or irritated hair follicles.

Any sensitivity or pain is usually experienced from the hairs loosening and the weight pulling on them. Buzzing it makes the scalp feel better.

My hair started growing back before the TCHP chemo was even finished! However - no one warned me that my eyebrows would fall out when it was almost done followed by my eyelashes. The brows were never completely gone - some were growing while others were leaving so they were just patchy. The lashes were completely gone quickly and took a long time to grow back.

hi clareco, I got a pixie cut yesterday too. I agree with notverybrave ( something tells me she is VERY brave🙂!) The weight of even bob length hair pulls on the scalp and I feel much better with the pixie. Now I can get ready quicker than my husband! I'm guessing my 2nd treatment will knock the rest of my hair out next week. I'm lucky I hung on to it this long. For me, so far it seems the fear of losing the hair was worse than it is so far. It seems the lashes and brows tend to go near the end or after Treatment?

ha ha, I was just going to post I hope I get the perk of not having to shave my legs. Good time of year for that I guess! Thank u

Keep in mind ladies that you may lose nose hair too! Without nose hair, a drippy nose REALLY drips cause there is nothing to slow it down.