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Has anyone experienced facial hair growth after treatment?
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Dec 07, 2008 - 9:16 pm
My sister stopped treatment in September and just now is growing hair back on her head...but unfortunately also on her face! Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks for any help on this. |
Joined: Jun 2008
Gail, yes!! I had a lot of very fuzzy white/blonde hair everywhere on my face. I'm sure it was the chemo affect on the hair follicles. I haven't ever done any research on it, but have heard this from several other women too. I shaved it off!
Kathleen
Joined: Jan 2004
Oh yes me too, and my sister said the same thing. I used nair for facial hair and removed it and then when it came back again it was normal. :-) Bonnie
Joined: Feb 2008
Hi BonnieR and All
I have had the hair facial and use a woman's small razor trimmer size of a big pen that Walmart sells for just that and it worked. As I type this I am taking carbo so if its a little mixed up sounding you know how that goes after they give you Benadryl. I am doing good. Have to take this carbo slow to desensitize me, takes about 7 hours and I am here 10 but plugging along. Count was 14000 in May and now 4500. Am shooting for below 100 again.
God Bless
Have a Wonderful Christmas
Sandy Green
Joined: Jul 2008
I look at this site eveyday. and learn something new everyday. I have fuzzy white hair all over my face. I just got done with carbo and taxol in october and am now just on the avastin or placebo. I think I will get a bottle of nair today. God bless everyone. Laura
Joined: Oct 2008
I just figured it was my age and no estrogen!!! Last treatment was August, hair on head is about 2 inches long, curly (was always straight) and black and white (not brown and gray). Hair on face is thicker and arms AND everywhere else!!
Love this group.
In His Grip,
Libby
Joined: Sep 2008
I had downy, darkish hair on the sides of my face and I was never a hairy person. But it went away. I didn't do anything. When the hair on my head came in it was black and grey, not brown and grey like it was. 18 months after chemo it is totally normal now. No frizz. From what other people have told me, all the hair on your body returns to normal eventually.
Joined: Oct 2008
That is good to know. Then I have a little time before I am "normal" again!! Actually I was thinking about coloring my hair, but know that is probably not a good idea. Who knows when I will be back on Hexalen again.
Have a great day in the Lord!!
Love,
Libby
Joined: Mar 2007
I stopped chemo in Sept. and have hair on my face too. Actually I went to the store and found a product for facial hair removal and got it off. It's white but got to be noticeable it was so thick. Think it grew faster than the ones on the head. Drat it all. :-0
I am on the anti-estrogen pill so this was expected. Saundra
Joined: Jan 2004
This is pretty common and should be given to all women as one of the post chemo side affects. :-)
Joined: Aug 2008
I agree! According to my onc. nurse, my hair should start coming back in about 6 more weeks and I would have been really wondering what was going on. My smart apple son offered to let me use his electric razor when I told him about this! : )
Colleen
Joined: Sep 2008
Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. My sister feels much relieved now that I've passed on all the info! You're all great.
Blessings to all of you.
Gail
Joined: Mar 2008
After my chemo was over, I noticed thick, downy soft, white hair on my face. I threatened to shave it off and my husband told me if I did that, I might have to continue to shave. I just left it alone and now it is gone. Everything is back to "normal" now.
My suggestion, just leave it alone and thing will be just fine.
Carol
Joined: Dec 2008
Hi everyone,
I'm new here...dx June 08 3c ovarian ca. I've finished chemo 6 wks ago and to my horror have also grown white soft facial hair! I was so relieved to read that this seems to be part of the side effects of chemo and quite common. I was really starting to worry if I should do the hair removal thing..to my whole face?...but I am now going to wait and see if it goes away by itself as a few of you have done.
Take care
Carolyn x
Joined: Jan 2009
I'm new too, and infact just registered once I knew I was not alone in the "Facial Hair" category. It was such a shock to see it all coming in, so I resorted to one of those hair removal creams, but by the next day it was coming back!!!!!! I can't believe how fast it's growing!!! I will now try to exert more patience. It just looks yukky when one tries to put the makeup on. Oh well, vanity will have to wait:-) I just finished chemo, Nov 17th, for ovarian ca. I am now waiting for a ct/pet scan to make sure I am 'all clear'.
Jules xoxo
Joined: Jan 2009
I see that you have experienced the baby soft facial hair after chemo. I also have this problem. I noticed a lot of women say the hair will go back to normal. My question is, how long does this take? I am back at work and this situation really bothers me. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!
Joined: Mar 2007
I removed mine with a facial cream for that purpose and it has not grown back as fast. Perhaps because I am on the anti estrogen pill. Sure glad to have you on this discussion site. Come back and share your experiences with the rest of us. Start a new subject or something. I don't know how you ever got thru the chemo without this group of ladies. Saundra
Joined: Jan 2009
Hi Saundra,
Like a lot of people, I think I just got through chemo because it was the next thing on the list to do to beat the cancer. I had SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much support from all the folks I work with, lots of shopping when I felt good, and lots of food:-) Not to say that I didn't have miserable days/weeks but I always felt blessed that the effects seemed to last a week at a time and then when I was off chemo my energy exploded. I tried to have fun being bald and going every where I could with my bald head on display. The guys do it, so why couldn't I??? Luckily it was summer....but, just a word of warning.....I was feeling very vain one day and I tried a self tanning solution on my almost bald head (still had a bit of stubble left) but it didn't work too well, everything looked orange'ish in color and somewhat patchy....I then panicked and used every kind of moisturizer to remove it....lesson learned....
Looking forward to visiting you all again soon...:-) Jules xoox
Joined: Jun 2009
I finished my Chemo in April. I too have noticed hair growth on my face. I called my doctor's office and was told that I could shave it off or wax if I wanted to. But I am glad I decided to research first and found this discussion.. I think I will wait a while to see if goes away by itself. The hair on my head is coming back grey and black. Was brown. It is growing quite fast, but my hair did always grow fast, hopefully it to will return to normal
Joined: Oct 2007
YES!! I think it's very common. I had mine waxed off last time, and it didn't come back. I am now finished with Gemzar, with no sign of the beard in site~ so far....
Joined: Jul 2009
I finished chemo in April, two weeks of radiation to go! my head hair is starting to grow -very silver with some black, and now lots of facial fuzz. thanks for the ideas on how to deal with this, I was wondering why and it's good to know that this is common after treatment.
Joined: Jan 2009
Finished chemo in May and Radiation in June...hair has begun to grow...kinda look like a snowy owl. Was not prepared for the 'peach fuzz' and am so happy to learn that it isn't such a rare thing.
After reading thru your comments, I'm going to wait before I try any removal techniques.
Have a happy week!
Joined: Oct 2008
But I try to keep everything in some kind of crazy prespective... LOL ... you know.... "Well at least I have hair now". But I absolutely have more on my lip as well as my chin now.... EEEwwww :)
Joined: Jul 2011
Thanks for this supportive site! I finished my chemo mid April - already have lovely hair - in fact much better than before! I used a herbal ointment I bought in London - coconut oil, rosemary and cedarwood. I have never had such long eyelashes! I'll now stop worrying bout the peachy fuzz on my face - and wait for it to get back to normal!
Joined: Feb 2011
Dear Wendy
Could you share the name of the eyelash ointment? I want to try it on my eyebrows.
Thanks,
Carolen
Joined: Jul 2011
The ointment I used on my head - and subsequently on my eyebrows and lashes is called Rosemary & Cedarwood Hair Treatment. It's a Neal's Yard product (I bought it in London - I am from South Africa!), but I see that it is available in the US. Go to NYR Organic.com. You'll find it there - it really worked - and no chemicals involved - all natural. Good luck!
Joined: Dec 2010
black down on my face. It was so awful I felt uncomfortable leaving the house. I can't remember how long it took but it did clear up eventually.
Joined: Jun 2011
I was finished with my chemo mid Feb. My hair on my head is finally starting to grow . Each day I seem to have a new experience of a hair do. I guess I have a few cow licks and they do not lay down very good with short hair. I do have lots of that fuzzy facial hair and I guess now I will let it return to normal. Cross my fingers.
Joined: Aug 2011
I'm also getting fuzzy hair on my face. Thanks to this site I now know I'm not the only one.
Joined: Aug 2011
Has anyone experienced numbness in fingers and feet during and after chemo and can you tell me how long that lasts after chemo has ended?
Joined: Sep 2010
I experienced very little of this, but have heard a number of things that may help alleviate it. L-glutamine, alpha lipoic acid, and B vitamins are said to help. Recntly I read that higher doses of melatonine (20mg) at bedtime is also supposed to help. If you search neuropathy and look at the more recent posts, you will find information there.
Joined: Jul 2012
WHAT A RELIEF!
Seems as though the oncologist should tell you about the excessive hair growth on the face! I finished chemo in May and my hair is growing like crazy. It is WHITE and super soft. It seems to be growing pretty evenly and very fast. I noticed the white hair on my face initially, but now it is growing soooo quickly that it is embarrasing. The radiation nurse told me to leave it alone, but I'm becoming very self conscious of it. For those of you that left it alone, how long did it take before it went back to normal? Did it just stop growing, fall out and regrow normally? Mine is pretty long and I'm not sure how much longer I can wait. It is WHITE and sooo noticeable in the sunshine! Those of you that did use Nair or other hair removal kits, did it grow back? Normal or thicker? HELP!
Joined: Jul 2012
I also experienced the numbness and tingling. I think it is Neuropathy. Take B vitamins and it should relieve some of the sypmtoms.
Joined: Jan 2013
I was so happy to read all the comments about the facial hair growth and to know it's going to go away. I, too, would like to know how long THAT will take.
I was diagnosed in May 2012 with stage 3c and, thankfully, after 2 cycles my numbers normalized and just kept dropping. This post chemo side effect is the worst thing I've experienced (sailed through chemo). I have hair in places I've never had hair. 16 years ago I went through a year's worth of drug treatment for Lyme which took off all the hair on my arms and legs. This morning I noticed a ton of hair on my arms, my hands and my fingers (in addition to all the monkey facial hair). It's all white blonde.
Thank you to all who have written about this. I hope all of you are doing well.
Joined: Jul 2012
I am in a funny point hair-wise (7 weeks since last chemo).
Hair on my head is slowly growing (about 1/4" long) and it is very fine and light compared to my natural dark coarse "afro". I don't really care if it grows, I like my wigs too much.
My eyebrows and eyelashes survived through chemo and are starting to fall out now, which pisses me off. Every morning I draw them back with brow pencil and brow powder.
A couple of weeks ago I got white peach fuzz on my face, even on my ears; I shaved it off and it did not come back.
However I am getting some dark facial hairs here and there. Plucking them out for now. A few years I go I had about 10 sessions of laser facial hair removal. Probably will have to repeat it.
I have no hair yet on my arms, legs, armpits and pubic area, which is a plus.
Joined: Jan 2013
Don't take it wrong - but reading this thread really made me laugh. Mainly because I was so glad to learn it wasn't just me! Mine was so bad after my second round of treatments with carbo and taxol that I even got my back across the top of my shoulders and neck waxed!
One morning we were gettting dressed and my husband said to my - "Don't take this wrong but have you noticed the hair on your shoulders and neck?" LOL! We were leaving on a cruise in a few weeks so off to the spa I went! I think they had to reorder wax after I left there!
But like the other ladies on here I quickly went back to normal in the hair maintenance department.
Joined: Apr 2012
I to got white, downy facial hair. I lightly shaved it. It was so soft, like I shaved a cashmere sweater. It has not regrown. I only have normaly light facial hair now. KIm