Hair Loss.....and Chemo side effects

AngelBaby
AngelBaby Member Posts: 47
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I start chemo in about a week (after my port is "install"). I know that I will lose my hair. My question is: Will I lose all the hair on my body? I know that everyone is different with chemo but what can I generally expect? I'm really nervous about all of this. I can now think clearly since the shock is slowly wearing off. Just when you get used to one shock here comes another. Thanks, Karen

Comments

  • marysun
    marysun Member Posts: 39 Member
    #2
    Hello Angel. You are right that each of us is different in our reaction to the chemo, but losing our hair is pretty much a given. I had 4 rounds of A/C starting Dec 17 2002. On Monday 2 weeks later, the first strands began to come out. Each day after that the hair came out more and more, especially since I was so astounded at the effect that I tugged on it just see if it would hurt. Nope. Just handfuls of hair. That Thursday my girlfriend cut my hair real short (about an inch long), but even then it was uncomfortable. The hair just fell out. It was everywhere. And it was hard to sleep with that "dead" hair. Sunday, the day before my 2nd round, my husband and I shaved my head. That was somewhat of a relief, but then I was bald! I had gone to the Cancer Store and picked out a wig when I had hair. Now would be a good time to do that since you will have a couple of weeks before it begins to come out. I basically hated the wig, but I wore it for a couple of months in public while it was cold. My dear friend sent me 4 crocheted scully caps and I wore only those for the rest of my "bald" days. I found that Target carries the scully caps and now have quite a collection of little caps that I will probably never wear again.

    My hair loss began with my head hair, then my body hair -- legs, arms, cheeks, and yes That Hair, too! The last to go were my eyebrows and lashes. By the 3rd round I was hair-less, but by the end of March my head hair began to grow -- the softest hair! My lashes & brows came back first and looked pretty normal. Now, 3 months later, my hair is about 3/4 inch long and still real soft. Darn the luck, mine has not come back curly, so back to the hairdresser next year for a perm! And "That Hair" comes back new and soft, not anything like being shaved, so no discomfort there.

    One thing I did while I was bald was have my head painted with henna in a design that covered my whole head. It didn't last long, but we took pictures and had fun doing it. Although this whole journey is frightening and too awful, there are ways to have fun and thumb your nose at the cancer and the treatment by saying "You are not going to get me down. See, we are laughing and sharing and life is good."

    Good luck to you Angel and let us know how you are doing. ((hugs))

    p.s. Wear Big Earrings!!
  • blossomtime
    blossomtime Member Posts: 98
    #3
    I started losing hair on my head about day 10 after first chemo. Gradually lost body hair and lastly most eyelashes and eyebrows. So for first time in my life I used eyebrown pencil. My eyeliner helped cover up the fact I had no eyelashes. And just like marysun I also tried to have fun with it. For Halloween I had my sons girlfriend paint my head with designs appropriate for the holiday. My hair is starting to come back, kind of curly and soft. Unfortunately sometimes it looks like I stuck my finger in a light socket. But it is still in very early stages so will hope for the best. Best of luck to you. My suggestion is get a good wig before it starts coming out so you will be ready. I wore mine out all the time but at home wore little scully caps or baseball cap depending on the weather. Take care.
  • mci
    mci Member Posts: 7
    #4
    blossomtime said:

    I started losing hair on my head about day 10 after first chemo. Gradually lost body hair and lastly most eyelashes and eyebrows. So for first time in my life I used eyebrown pencil. My eyeliner helped cover up the fact I had no eyelashes. And just like marysun I also tried to have fun with it. For Halloween I had my sons girlfriend paint my head with designs appropriate for the holiday. My hair is starting to come back, kind of curly and soft. Unfortunately sometimes it looks like I stuck my finger in a light socket. But it is still in very early stages so will hope for the best. Best of luck to you. My suggestion is get a good wig before it starts coming out so you will be ready. I wore mine out all the time but at home wore little scully caps or baseball cap depending on the weather. Take care.

    I would like to say amen to the other relpies. My hair is so soft . I finished chemo may `02. Had my first perm a year last. That was a great day for me. I had a wig too,and some caps. Mind was not curly!!!!! good luck. mary
  • rizzo15
    rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
    #5
    Same experience as everyone else's as far as A/C chemo and Taxotere chemo. Surprisingly most of my eye brows and eye lashes never fell out. They looked a little thinner, but not even my husband thought they changed very much. The bad part was that I had A/C first, surgery, then taxotere. Lost lots of hair with A/C, it grew back a bit, then lost it again with taxotere.
  • momof4
    momof4 Member Posts: 56
    #6
    Hi Karen, I lost my head hair right on the 2 weeks mark after my first chemo, good thing i was prepared with a wig as for the rest of the hair on my body they just thinned out OOOHH and I thought i was the only one but by reading the replies i have to say (Glad not the only one ;)) but i lost THAT HAIR too LOL cant wait for everthing to grow back
    Hugs, Mariateresa
  • bunnie
    bunnie Member Posts: 233
    #7
    Hi karen.i did loose all of my hair everyone it has been nice not having to worry about shaving my legs and underarm.I have been done with chemo since Apirl 25th and iam starting to get hair back everywhere.In fact i just shaved my arms the other day.Good luck with the chemo.Bunnie(Amy)
  • DeeNY711
    DeeNY711 Member Posts: 476 Member
    #8
    bunnie said:

    Hi karen.i did loose all of my hair everyone it has been nice not having to worry about shaving my legs and underarm.I have been done with chemo since Apirl 25th and iam starting to get hair back everywhere.In fact i just shaved my arms the other day.Good luck with the chemo.Bunnie(Amy)

    A couple of people on the message board have mentioned little celebrations they have had for their family members and/or coworkers at the end of treatment..... champagne, for example, was nice. I was looking at your message wondering how to continue the momentum of celebration with haystacks for when hair grows back to be, say, half an inch..... then struggled to think of an appropriately inappropriate way to celebrate the return of armpit hair and, gasp, pubic hair. I have two more taxotere and radiation to go, but it seems I'm never going to lose my leggy hairs... no justice... I really like seeing the time frame information on how long it took for what to return because it gives me something to plan for. Love, Denise
  • bullfrog13
    bullfrog13 Member Posts: 213
    #9
    Dear AngelBaby
    Karen. I dont know which chemos you will be given. MOst of the "tradiation" chemos for BC do make your hair come out and I mean ALL of it. I guess I am wierd from very one else ""that hair"" (LOL as MarySun refers to it) was the first to come out on me about 6 days after my first treatment, which was on May 1st 2001. I was bald HEADED on mother days, a about two weeks later, started coming out in handfulls, the armpits, eyelashes and eyebrows came out last. I NEVER did completely lose all my leg hair and STILL had to SHAVE - LOL>> life is so UNFAIR some times... the ONLY positive thing about being ''hairless'' and I didnt even get to take advantage of it. LOL-I still have to shave my legs the whole time - GO FIGURE!! Anyway. I had chemo frist then surgery, then chemo again, then second type I was given did make me hairless ( I had it for a year -once a week) and grew back in the whole time I was taking it.
    MUCH LUCK TO YOU
    and God Bless you
    KEEP IN TOUCH
    Jerilynfrog13@yahoo.com
  • llange
    llange Member Posts: 54
    #10
    Everybody really is different in their reactions. I never lost all my body hair, it just thinned out a lot. The only place I lost all of it was under my arms, and unfortunately it came back. Even the hair on my head didn't completely come out - I had some fuzz the whole time. I had a great wig made before I started chemo (and insurance paid for it - check with yours), which I would recommend. When my hair started to come out I shaved it off. I found it very uncomfortable falling out all over the place and I was clogging the shower. Best of luck to you - we'll be thinking about you.
    Lisa
  • simmonsg
    simmonsg Member Posts: 33
    #11
    Angel: I have just finished my third and final round of A/C. I started losing my hair on my head the day after the second treatment. I had cut my hair really short before the treatment so that when it started comming out it would not be so bad. I also went and purchased a wig before so that we would match the color. When it started falling out I finally had it shaved off because it was comming out by the handfuls when ever I washed it or even touched it. I wear a wig to work and scarfs and little skull caps at home. I have lost the hair under my arms and "that hair" also. The hair on the legs has not completely gone but I only have to shave once a week versus daily. Eyebrow hair is thin. I start three treatments of taxol tomorrow. The nurses say I might lose the rest of the eyebrow hair and maybe even the eyelashes. Will have to come up with some pencils and alternate ways to put thoe back. Ask your chemo nurse about places/shops in your hometown that has wigs and all the hats and other stuff for chemo treatment. Most of the time the people in those shops have been where we are and they are so helpful. Also as you go though all your treatments keep checking this board for help and suggestions. I have found it wounderful.
    Good luck and you are in my prayers.
  • gjenvick
    gjenvick Member Posts: 4
    #12
    Karen,
    Ditto to all of the responses; they give you very good suggestions on "what to do", especially getting a wig ahead of time, and cutting it off all at once when it starts. But reading your post I picked up on "I'm really nervous" and "here comes another shock". One thing I wanted to add is, don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't be scared or anxious about the hair loss, because after all, "it's not important - why would you worry about THAT given everything else going on"; "it'll grow back" etc. While it may not be "rational" to put hair loss at the top of your "worry" list - who says you must be rational at all times when you have cancer ! Your emotions are REAL and VALID. Losing your hair is a very strange experience for most women and it is frightening.

    I am a 7 year survivor and still remember being TERRIFIED at the thought of losing my hair. Call it vain (I prefer to think of it as a positive self image !) but I really liked my natually curly hair and didn't want to lose it, no matter how temporary. It was the anticipation that was the worst: how is it going to happen - will I just wake up one day...and also WHEN is it going to happen. I was so preoccupied with it I was "testing" my hair several times a day. One day after my second chemo, my "test" produced a clump of hair. Talk about shock - but then another part of me said, well at least I know what's it like now. After a day or two of more clumps I decided to have my hairdresser take it all off. Best thing I could've done. (If you are shy about having it done in a salon, ask if you can have it done in the back or private room.) Again, it was a big shock seeing myself for the first time, but the horrible waiting was over. Much better than watching it happen day by day. Plus, I found "no hair" was less bizarre looking than "patches of hair"

    You may have seen women in public wearing nothing but a baseball cap, and no attempt to hide the obvious. I applaud their attitude, but I wasn't that brave. It made me more comfortable NOT being noticed, so 99 % of the time wore the wig. And believe me, YOUR comfort is what's important here - indulge it.

    I wish someone had said to me, "Hey it's o.k. if you're scared about losing your hair". Instead I had the opposite; one encounter I'll never forget: After starting treatment but before the hair loss, I was getting a test done and the technican was male and bald. I happened to mention my anxiety over my impending hair loss and his response was a cheery "Now you'll know how I feel !" Gee - that was helpful. I'm sorry - NOT the same ! I remember other people who I know meant well, telling me "how interesting it was" and "how it really shows off your pretty face". Not what I wanted to hear. What cheered me up, was wearing my wig in a store, and having the saleswoman who was helping me ask me where I got my hair cut. HA !

    Karen, it was a big deal to me and I can tell it is to you too. Everyone reacts differently and it's all valid. Please give yourself permission to be scared, sad, anxious, etc. about it. It is NORMAL. After the shock wears off (it will !) humor can help - but don't let anyone rush you !

    Thanks everyone for letting me "rant" in this long post, especially since I am a newcomer.

    Michele
  • cammie
    cammie Member Posts: 102
    #13
    gjenvick said:

    Karen,
    Ditto to all of the responses; they give you very good suggestions on "what to do", especially getting a wig ahead of time, and cutting it off all at once when it starts. But reading your post I picked up on "I'm really nervous" and "here comes another shock". One thing I wanted to add is, don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't be scared or anxious about the hair loss, because after all, "it's not important - why would you worry about THAT given everything else going on"; "it'll grow back" etc. While it may not be "rational" to put hair loss at the top of your "worry" list - who says you must be rational at all times when you have cancer ! Your emotions are REAL and VALID. Losing your hair is a very strange experience for most women and it is frightening.

    I am a 7 year survivor and still remember being TERRIFIED at the thought of losing my hair. Call it vain (I prefer to think of it as a positive self image !) but I really liked my natually curly hair and didn't want to lose it, no matter how temporary. It was the anticipation that was the worst: how is it going to happen - will I just wake up one day...and also WHEN is it going to happen. I was so preoccupied with it I was "testing" my hair several times a day. One day after my second chemo, my "test" produced a clump of hair. Talk about shock - but then another part of me said, well at least I know what's it like now. After a day or two of more clumps I decided to have my hairdresser take it all off. Best thing I could've done. (If you are shy about having it done in a salon, ask if you can have it done in the back or private room.) Again, it was a big shock seeing myself for the first time, but the horrible waiting was over. Much better than watching it happen day by day. Plus, I found "no hair" was less bizarre looking than "patches of hair"

    You may have seen women in public wearing nothing but a baseball cap, and no attempt to hide the obvious. I applaud their attitude, but I wasn't that brave. It made me more comfortable NOT being noticed, so 99 % of the time wore the wig. And believe me, YOUR comfort is what's important here - indulge it.

    I wish someone had said to me, "Hey it's o.k. if you're scared about losing your hair". Instead I had the opposite; one encounter I'll never forget: After starting treatment but before the hair loss, I was getting a test done and the technican was male and bald. I happened to mention my anxiety over my impending hair loss and his response was a cheery "Now you'll know how I feel !" Gee - that was helpful. I'm sorry - NOT the same ! I remember other people who I know meant well, telling me "how interesting it was" and "how it really shows off your pretty face". Not what I wanted to hear. What cheered me up, was wearing my wig in a store, and having the saleswoman who was helping me ask me where I got my hair cut. HA !

    Karen, it was a big deal to me and I can tell it is to you too. Everyone reacts differently and it's all valid. Please give yourself permission to be scared, sad, anxious, etc. about it. It is NORMAL. After the shock wears off (it will !) humor can help - but don't let anyone rush you !

    Thanks everyone for letting me "rant" in this long post, especially since I am a newcomer.

    Michele

    Right on Michele. I had so many people tell me how lucky I was to be alive, and not to be so concerned about my lack of hair. I understood where they were coming from, but it was so very hard. It still is, I only have about a 1/8 inch, it is just starting to come in soft not curly. I wear my beautiful wig 24/7 except in the confines of my house. Most people don't realize I have breast cancer, I prefer it that way. I did want to mention that the most strange experience Karen is the nose hairs gone. My nose would start to run and would just drop straight to the ground. I guess those nose hairs serve a purpose so we don't drip like dogs. Since I have allergies, I walked around with a hanky just in case of spontaneous drippage. What do you do? Laugh. Take care - I will be thinking about you. Smile Cammie

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