"other" hair loss

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missyby62
missyby62 Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was totally prepared to lose my hair. Shaved it off 15 days after start of treatment without a second thought. Got an awesome wig. Pretty comfortable and I'm ready for work in 20 minutes. Thing is, with the wig I still feel normal. Nobody knows. Next round of Chemo starts the taxol. Am I going to lose my eyebrows and eyelashes? Doctor told me no, nurses give me a look that says otherwise. Thats going to be hard to hide.
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  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #2
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    Sorry to tell you, but yes
    Sorry to tell you, but yes taxol makes the body hair come out. Everyone is different. I lost mine after only 1 dose of taxol. There's a program called "Look Good, Feel Better" that helps with makeup and hair tips--all free of charge. Check with your cancer center to see when they're coming to your area.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
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    YUP!
    I didn't loose my eyelashes or brows on A/C but when started Taxol they were gone in a blink - well almost that fast.

    My suggestion is to start using an eyebrow pencil now and get the 'feeling' for where your brows are naturally so when you start having to draw them on it'll be easier to do by feel. The "Look Good - Feel Better" program is great but the points to use for brows taught in that class do not line up with where my brows grow. Loosing my lashes never bothered me as mine aren't that great anyway but you can use artificial ones if it bothers you - or if you don't usually use it anyway liner will define the area. The good thing - for me anyway - the first hair to come back was my lashes and brows.
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #4
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    Rague said:

    YUP!
    I didn't loose my eyelashes or brows on A/C but when started Taxol they were gone in a blink - well almost that fast.

    My suggestion is to start using an eyebrow pencil now and get the 'feeling' for where your brows are naturally so when you start having to draw them on it'll be easier to do by feel. The "Look Good - Feel Better" program is great but the points to use for brows taught in that class do not line up with where my brows grow. Loosing my lashes never bothered me as mine aren't that great anyway but you can use artificial ones if it bothers you - or if you don't usually use it anyway liner will define the area. The good thing - for me anyway - the first hair to come back was my lashes and brows.

    Yeah, like Rague said, the
    Yeah, like Rague said, the eyelashes and eyebrows come back in really fast...like 3 weeks...
    so...it's not like the hair on your head...I just used lots of eyeliner and eyebrow pencil in the grow back time.
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #5
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    dyaneb123 said:

    Yeah, like Rague said, the
    Yeah, like Rague said, the eyelashes and eyebrows come back in really fast...like 3 weeks...
    so...it's not like the hair on your head...I just used lots of eyeliner and eyebrow pencil in the grow back time.

    Same here, the taxol took it
    Same here, the taxol took it all. If you eye's start to water and bother you it's the taxol.Also taste can change as well. I also used a lot of eyeliner and eyebrow pencil. I lost the lashes and brows just about the time I was done with taxol. Mine took what seemed like a long time to come back, but they did come back before hair on head did. I am still working on that.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #6
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    Kat11 said:

    Same here, the taxol took it
    Same here, the taxol took it all. If you eye's start to water and bother you it's the taxol.Also taste can change as well. I also used a lot of eyeliner and eyebrow pencil. I lost the lashes and brows just about the time I was done with taxol. Mine took what seemed like a long time to come back, but they did come back before hair on head did. I am still working on that.

    HUMN
    I didn't have any eye watering on Taxol but did 'big time' on A/C which was before the Taxol. Also lost all taste and appetite on A/C - taste came back shortly after the end of Taxol but almost 5 weeks post rads apppetite still isn't back.

    To the OP - Remember - each of us is unique!
  • Sharon40
    Sharon40 Member Posts: 93
    #7
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    so sorry
    I thought I was in the clear . . . made it through 6 rounds of chemo (18 weeks) and didn't loss eyebrows or eye lashes. After my last treatment, I went back for a follow up 3 weeks later and my ONC said it will get worse before it gets better. I smiled and went home happy, only to wake up that week with NO eye brows and managed to keep 3 or 4 lashes!! It does get worse before it gets better, but it really didn't take that long for them to grow back enough that no one would notice! My hair is another story . . . months later and I am still waiting to get enough to comb!! Patience . . .
  • e_hope
    e_hope Member Posts: 370
    #8
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    i lost all my eye lashes
    i lost all my eye lashes after starting Taxotere,, Msty eye brows only got really thin.. I just wore fake eye lashes.. and still do bc they have not grown back enough yet to go without them... I found losing the facial hair even harder than the hair on my head

    Sharon... i feel your pain.. I am 7 months from chemo.. and still have little eye lashes, eye brows still thin, and hair is growing slowly but thin.. and top is taking much longer than back.. i could have a mullet if i wanted.. so i have to keep cutting the back while i wait for the top to grow back... and other "areas" are also not growing
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #9
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    e_hope said:

    i lost all my eye lashes
    i lost all my eye lashes after starting Taxotere,, Msty eye brows only got really thin.. I just wore fake eye lashes.. and still do bc they have not grown back enough yet to go without them... I found losing the facial hair even harder than the hair on my head

    Sharon... i feel your pain.. I am 7 months from chemo.. and still have little eye lashes, eye brows still thin, and hair is growing slowly but thin.. and top is taking much longer than back.. i could have a mullet if i wanted.. so i have to keep cutting the back while i wait for the top to grow back... and other "areas" are also not growing

    lost both with taxol. I felt
    lost both with taxol. I felt worse about the eyelashes felt naked. although I just let it be and didnt do anything. at about 6 weeks noticed eyebrows, and 8 weeks lashes . really happy
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181
    #10
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    Hair loss
    I lost all my hair.But still had to shave my legs.Go figuer.Good Luck to you.Hang in their,you can do this. Pat.
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #11
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    Sigh...and sadly, yes!
    Sigh...and sadly, yes! Anywhere we have hair ( and I mean ANYWHERE) chances are 99.9% good that we won't! Lashes, eyebrows, nose-hair, pubic, underarm and leg hair..buh bye! It is the same reason many of us can also get tender and even lose nails on our toes and hands. The tentacles of chemo are far-reaching in Killing The Beast!

    We become camoflague experts! Red lipstick and dangly earrings divert attention from a "multitude of sins!"

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • step@atime
    step@atime Member Posts: 17
    #12
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    You never know
    I had 6 rounds of chemo (taxotere was one of them). Hair in other places-very private-week 1. Hair on my head, gone in week 2. Eyebrows never came out! They did thin, but they looked like a great European wax! Eyelashes hung on until after the last treatment. They got very thin, but I kept a few. In the grand scheme of what all you are going through, remember that everyone has imperfections. I noticed myself looking at other women's eyebrows, eyelashes, hair, then it dawned on me...I had never really noticed their lashes and brows before! We are a lot more critical of ourselves than the people who see us. Our biggest critic is always the one in the mirror. You are a beautiful member of "the club." If you choose to use pencil and false lashes, you go girl! If you decide just to line and hope for the best, that will be perfect too. Anyone stares or makes a comment, offer to show them where else you've lost hair! That'll get 'em straight! :-)

    If you lose the lashes and brows, they really do grow back faster than head hair. The healthier you keep your body (especially focusing on that after the chemo is over) the healthier and quicker everything grows back. You're going to do great! Hang in there and remember, everyone is different. No two bodies are ever the same. Each journey is your own path. Find the beauty (no plucking little granny hairs from my chin was a great one!) and the hair will come..... Good luck.
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #13
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    Sharon40 said:

    so sorry
    I thought I was in the clear . . . made it through 6 rounds of chemo (18 weeks) and didn't loss eyebrows or eye lashes. After my last treatment, I went back for a follow up 3 weeks later and my ONC said it will get worse before it gets better. I smiled and went home happy, only to wake up that week with NO eye brows and managed to keep 3 or 4 lashes!! It does get worse before it gets better, but it really didn't take that long for them to grow back enough that no one would notice! My hair is another story . . . months later and I am still waiting to get enough to comb!! Patience . . .

    Wishing you good luck! It
    Wishing you good luck! It seems that your eyelashes and eyebrows do grow back quickly. Use lots of eye makeup and eyebrow liner.

    Leeza
  • heidijez
    heidijez Member Posts: 441
    #14
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    me too!
    i was prepared to lose the hair on my head, and was thrilled that i no longer needed to shave my legs or arm pits. but losing my eyelashes was another story! i have a few still hanging in there, but hear they may be on their way out. eyebrows thinned out a lot, but still look good. i am okay with the new me. . . for now. . .
  • missyby62
    missyby62 Member Posts: 3
    #15
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    step@atime said:

    You never know
    I had 6 rounds of chemo (taxotere was one of them). Hair in other places-very private-week 1. Hair on my head, gone in week 2. Eyebrows never came out! They did thin, but they looked like a great European wax! Eyelashes hung on until after the last treatment. They got very thin, but I kept a few. In the grand scheme of what all you are going through, remember that everyone has imperfections. I noticed myself looking at other women's eyebrows, eyelashes, hair, then it dawned on me...I had never really noticed their lashes and brows before! We are a lot more critical of ourselves than the people who see us. Our biggest critic is always the one in the mirror. You are a beautiful member of "the club." If you choose to use pencil and false lashes, you go girl! If you decide just to line and hope for the best, that will be perfect too. Anyone stares or makes a comment, offer to show them where else you've lost hair! That'll get 'em straight! :-)

    If you lose the lashes and brows, they really do grow back faster than head hair. The healthier you keep your body (especially focusing on that after the chemo is over) the healthier and quicker everything grows back. You're going to do great! Hang in there and remember, everyone is different. No two bodies are ever the same. Each journey is your own path. Find the beauty (no plucking little granny hairs from my chin was a great one!) and the hair will come..... Good luck.

    no more eyebrows?
    Thanks for at least a little hope. I know its such a small thing but I know it will really bother me. No more hiding it. Better plan for it I guess, since you are the only person who responded who didn't lose everything. I'll get over it just like everything else. Maybe I'll buy some stick on eyebrows.
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #16
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    heidijez said:

    me too!
    i was prepared to lose the hair on my head, and was thrilled that i no longer needed to shave my legs or arm pits. but losing my eyelashes was another story! i have a few still hanging in there, but hear they may be on their way out. eyebrows thinned out a lot, but still look good. i am okay with the new me. . . for now. . .

    Never
    I never lost my eyebrows or eyelashes through A/C or Taxol w/Herceptin. Some could not believe that I was going through chemo and hadn't lost the eyebrows and eyelashes. They thinned out but not enough that I had to use a pencil.

    I had one lady say to me that she shaved her head years ago to make a statement and loved the idea that I had done the same thing. I set her straight but she didn't believe me because I still had those eye hairs. She then went into the school and I heard her ask someone and then she believed it.

    Margo
  • Mariannemm
    Mariannemm Member Posts: 136
    #17
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    tommaseena said:

    Never
    I never lost my eyebrows or eyelashes through A/C or Taxol w/Herceptin. Some could not believe that I was going through chemo and hadn't lost the eyebrows and eyelashes. They thinned out but not enough that I had to use a pencil.

    I had one lady say to me that she shaved her head years ago to make a statement and loved the idea that I had done the same thing. I set her straight but she didn't believe me because I still had those eye hairs. She then went into the school and I heard her ask someone and then she believed it.

    Margo

    So Far....
    I have lost the hair on my head, under my arms and my legs. I had 4 rounds of AC and I have had 2 rounds of Taxol with 8 more to go. I still have my eye-brows and eye-lashes. Good to know that they might still come out. I thought maybe I was home free! Oh well, it can't be as worse as my hair coming out. That threw me for a loop, I knew it was going to happen and I thought I was prepared. I still freaked out! Glad I read this so I could be aware that it can still happen.
  • TawnyS
    TawnyS Member Posts: 144 Member
    #18
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    It's weird not having eyebrows!
    I didn't lose eyelashes/eyebrows with AC, but did with Taxol. I am 5 weeks out and I have 3 eyebrow hairs (that I am so proud of) and I just plucked all my eyelashes out last week. It was so strange....when I rubbed them they felt so sharp and I thought it was just because they were short. I got to looking at them and then plucked one and it was like a man's whisker! Then I plucked them all. Most came without incident, but I did have a few bleeders! OUCH! Now they seem to be on the right path. Fingers crossed. I don't feel anything sharp yet! It is weird to see yourself without the brows, but just rock it out sista! Own it! You'll look marvelous!
  • missyby62
    missyby62 Member Posts: 3
    #19
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    Other hair loss
    Ok, almost 3 weeks after my last taxol and eybrows/lashes still there! I lost some of the eyebrows but fill them in easily with an awesome eyebrow pen I got at a makeup store. Thanks for all the responses.
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #20
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    missyby62 said:

    Other hair loss
    Ok, almost 3 weeks after my last taxol and eybrows/lashes still there! I lost some of the eyebrows but fill them in easily with an awesome eyebrow pen I got at a makeup store. Thanks for all the responses.

    On taxol my hair grew back!!!!
    but I did lose about 50% of my eyebrows and 75% of my eyelashes. (and about 75% of the coochie/legs/underarms) Big deal... I was so glad to have the hair on my head I barely noticed the other.
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #21
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    "other" hair loss
    Being on taxotere, carbon and herceptin, I lost my hair and other body hair starting week 2 after 1st chemo. But still had my eyelashes and brows till after I finished with taxotere and carbon back in April. Didnt loss it all but might as well, had obvious bald spot on brows and lashes. but I do use the liner on my brows and above my eyelids. It does look almost normal and it makes me feel better. Here we are in the end of June, I have baby hair on my head, brows are starting to fill in a little, eyelashes too, just not as noticible.

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