Hair loss with chemo

Options
rthornton
rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
It seems like I had been told that hair loss in not usually a side effect of chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of colon cancer. Yet, lately, my hair seems to be getting quite thin. I am on 5FU + Oxaliplatin + Avastin. Has anyone else experienced hair thinning or hair loss from these drugs? I'm wondering if my hair thinning may be from chemo, or stress, or just getting older (I am now officially in the second half of my 30s).

I'm thinking of shaving my head, just for the fun of it. In any event, I don't want to become one of those comb-over people!

Rodney

Comments

  • chynabear
    chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
    #2
    Options
    Here is what I was told when I asked my Oncologist, "You are talking about your life. Hair grows back." Here is what I was told when I asked my Oncology Nurse, "there is a small chance you will lose your hair. A bigger chance that you will be able to keep all of your hair. And an even bigger chance that your hair will thin to about half of it's thickness."

    On that note, I did see a few Semi-colons with thinning hair, so it isn't totally uncommon.

    I didn't go to the extent of just shaving my head, but the day before my first treatment I cut it very short. I was one of the lucky ones that kept all of my hair.
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #3
    Options
    Hi Rodney,

    I'm on similar treatment but without the Avastin. I wasn't expecting to lose hair because when I had chemo 2.5 yrs ago (5FU + leucovorin) I didn't. But this time, I am having some noticeable hair loss. It's still not clear to me whether I will loose "all" my hair or not. But, I have gone ahead and bought a wig -- just in case. When I asked my oncologist, he said some people do have hair loss on FOLFOX, but it is relatively uncommon. I have NO hair under my arms now and haven't shaved my legs for months -- so there is definitely something going on. Yes, it is just hair. And it will grow back. It's still hard.
    Tara
  • chynabear
    chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
    #4
    Options
    taraHK said:

    Hi Rodney,

    I'm on similar treatment but without the Avastin. I wasn't expecting to lose hair because when I had chemo 2.5 yrs ago (5FU + leucovorin) I didn't. But this time, I am having some noticeable hair loss. It's still not clear to me whether I will loose "all" my hair or not. But, I have gone ahead and bought a wig -- just in case. When I asked my oncologist, he said some people do have hair loss on FOLFOX, but it is relatively uncommon. I have NO hair under my arms now and haven't shaved my legs for months -- so there is definitely something going on. Yes, it is just hair. And it will grow back. It's still hard.
    Tara

    Well, it's just one more thing on top of everything else.

    Looking at the broad picture it shouldn't matter. But, when you are actually in the situation and your emotions and stress and body are already taxed it does make a big deal.

    I can remember every day when I would wash my hair, I would hold my breath and wait for some to fall out. My hair stylist was so caring and told me all of my options before I started chemo so I was at least prepared, as it sounds you are.

    On the positive side, I have always heard that people who lose some or all of their hair to chemo love their hair more when it comes back then they did before they lost it.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #5
    Options
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #6
    Options
    OK, Rodney...

    It's been about a year or more since I told my story - old semicolons please pardon the re-run...

    My oncologist told me that the chemo would not make me bald, but some of my hair would fall out. I told him that was cool... how about we just target the hair on my back to fall out. He said that it was "quite impossible to select which hair falls out"... (You have to understand that he is not an American and is still adapting to our national passtime: dry/sarcastic humor)

    Anyway... take it from a fur-ball - your hair will fall out. Although everyone is different, it tends to NOT fall out in patches as is so prevalent with other forms of chemo. It tends to "thin" but you won't get the Jean-Luc Picard look unless you want it.

    I'm a military guy so I just kept my hair cut slightly closer than regulations and nobody noticed. Although I did keep the liquid plumber close at hand for all the other body hair that ended up going down the shower drain - and I used it a LOT!

    Hope this helped.

    Cheers

    - SpongeBob
  • BusterBrown
    BusterBrown Member Posts: 221 Member
    #7
    Options
    Rodney:
    I'm doing the same treatment, minus avastin, and my hair thinned about 30%. When I went off the chemo for 2months during surgery, my hair grew back. My friends couldn't tell that my hair was thinning, and I have short hair.
    Buster
  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
    #8
    Options
    BusterBrown said:

    Rodney:
    I'm doing the same treatment, minus avastin, and my hair thinned about 30%. When I went off the chemo for 2months during surgery, my hair grew back. My friends couldn't tell that my hair was thinning, and I have short hair.
    Buster

    These are all interesting responses, and I thank you all for your input. Like I said, I just might shave my head for the fun of it. I'm not distressed about hair loss at all. I was more just curious about it. And I certainly like the idea of being able to target which hair might fall out. I hate the hair that grows on the back of my neck between haircuts!

    Rodney
  • HisJoy
    HisJoy Member Posts: 113
    #9
    Options
    Rodney,
    I cut my hair down to about 1/4 length and so it didn't fall completely out, but it DID thin noticeably....also my nose hairs thinned out causing some embarrassing dripping, and I notice that I don't have to shave my arm pits at ALL any more. Leg shaving is only about once a week, as opposed to every other day before chemo. Course, you won't care about shaving your pits or legs, but I just wanted to let you know that ALL my hair thinned out, but I never lost it all.

    Hope you're doing well!
  • runjlp
    runjlp Member Posts: 3 *
    #10
    Options

    I am starting chemo on Monday and am trying to decide between folfox and capox regimens. Anyone know if hair loss is worse with one regimen or the other? Also, I am cold capping. Has anyone done cold capping that has this type of cancer (stage 3b rectal)

  • davymarie
    davymarie Member Posts: 1 *
    #11
    Options
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/148192/hair-loss-with-chemo

    Hi Rodney, I had the same treatment way back 2019. I was diagnosed stage 4 colon cancer. I undergo chemotherapy, liver resection, and lung radiation. Few weeks after my chemo I noticed my hair was falling. I decided to cut it short and changed my regular favorite shampoo to baby shampoo. I think it helped! Because I noticed I never loss a single hair after that. And It became thicker, and instead of growing to my natural straight hair, I have curly hair now! But, because it so thick ( each strand became so thick also), I find it hard to style. So, i just cut it short every time it grows.

    Hopefully, my message helps. And I wish you to have strength, endurance, and peace in the midst of your battle and most specially complete healing.

Discussion Boards