CISPLATIN AND HAIR LOSS

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boardwalkgirl
boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I am currently taking 3 rounds of Cisplatin, one round down, day 1 of round two done today. Noticed a large amount of hair loss today at my neck which I am guessing is from the radiation rather than the chemo since it is only on the neck line. One nurse told me I shouldn't lose hair with the Cisplatin and then one today told me I very well could. So I am asking those of you who have taken Cisplatin what your experience has been. Just want to be prepared. Thanks
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  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
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    I was told I'd lose my hair with Cisplatin....
    so I got my hair cut short right before treatment...not a hair lost except that same band at the nape of my neck due to rads...I cut my hair for nothing, LOL.

    p
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #3
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    Hair
    My ONC told me I would not lose my hair from the Cisplatin but depending on the mask could lose some at the back of my neck from the radiation. I was 2 or 3 weeks out of radiation/chemo when I had noticeable amount of hair loss. It was not in big blotches and only lasted a week. While my hair is thinner now, it's nothing that needed to be addressed with a wig or scarf.
  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #4
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    Thanks for the info
    Thanks for the quick replies. I had already had my hair cut short just for the sake of being easy to care for but wasn't really prepared to lose it all. My husband says it is only hair but I haven't got my mind to that point yet. Hopefully I will be as lucky as you two. I just have to have myself prepared and I will deal with it if it happens. Already have a wig spotted.
  • Laralyn
    Laralyn Member Posts: 532
    #5
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    boardwalkgirl said:

    Thanks for the info
    Thanks for the quick replies. I had already had my hair cut short just for the sake of being easy to care for but wasn't really prepared to lose it all. My husband says it is only hair but I haven't got my mind to that point yet. Hopefully I will be as lucky as you two. I just have to have myself prepared and I will deal with it if it happens. Already have a wig spotted.

    Didn't lose hair either...
    ...at least not from the cisplatin. I lost quite a bit from radiation, though, underneath at the back. It's a small price to pay. :-)
  • nick770
    nick770 Member Posts: 195
    #6
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    boardwalkgirl said:

    Thanks for the info
    Thanks for the quick replies. I had already had my hair cut short just for the sake of being easy to care for but wasn't really prepared to lose it all. My husband says it is only hair but I haven't got my mind to that point yet. Hopefully I will be as lucky as you two. I just have to have myself prepared and I will deal with it if it happens. Already have a wig spotted.

    I had the same chemo
    But i think my hair loss was from the rads,it was around the back of my neck and face
  • ditto1
    ditto1 Member Posts: 660
    #7
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    nick770 said:

    I had the same chemo
    But i think my hair loss was from the rads,it was around the back of my neck and face

    Hair today Gone Tommorrow
    I guess it can go either way, I did loose my hair when I had my two cisplatin treatments 21 days apart, before beginning RADS. So I have to assume it was the Chemo. I to posted a blog a few weeks ago about loosing my hair and received various responses but many posted they to lost hair and believe it to be the chemo. But one thing I have learned in my 90 day journey and reading blogs everyone has different reactions. So heres to hoping you do not loose your hair, but if you do we all know it will grow back. Some say curly wow not sure how that will look on my old head.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #8
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    Hair loss
    My hair started to come out during chemo every 21 days: cisplatin-taxotore-5fu pump.After the last chemo I started 39 rads with 1 infusion of carboplatin for every week of rads. The gal that does my hair had me cut it short so it wasn't so bad when it started to come out. By the end of August last year I had her shave it all off...my eyebrows and eye lashes stayed until I started rads in Nov ...by Christmas day not a hair any where. Sometine in mid /late Jan it started to grow back...now while still short its come in thicker than ever.
    I didn't mind the bald look-never wore a wig but did wear a ball cap now & then. I know that hair loss can be traumatic, and we all deal with it differently and you will should you lose your hair embrace it in your own way.

    Linda
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #9
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    Nope, didn't lose any hair on Cisplatin
    My hair got very dry and brittle and I'm pretty sure it quit growing. It also appeared to get a bit thinner. I kept it trimmed very short. About three months after end of chemo, all the pre-chemo damaged hair shed out as new stuff grew in.

    Deb
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #10
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    Cisplatin Innocent for Me
    Doc told me the Cisplatin and 5FU wouldn't do it, but that the taxotere would surely take my hair - it did. the Radiation bald patch looks to be permanent for me (mid ear to mid ear, across the back of my head) - doc told me it would be permanent.

    I KNOW, though, that other folks have had their rads bald patch grow back.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
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    Cisplatin, Taxotere, 5FU, Carboplatin and Rads....
    Pretty much the same treatment as my buddy Linda above.

    I lost all body hair between the first and second round of Cisplatin, Taxotere, and 5FU.

    But then it started slowly growing back, light blonde and peach fuzz... I looked like a troll doll back in the day for those of you in my age group, LOL.

    It pretty much remained fuzzy during the next seven weeks of concurrent carboplatin and rads.

    I even lost all of my toes nails, my finger nails stayed, but were very thin and brittle.

    Then after it started growing back normal, other than the rads affected areas.

    I still have about an inch less on my neck line in the back, and basically no whickers under my jaw line on either side of my face.

    It's just hair, and it'll grow back...besides bald is the new hair style for we survivors.

    Best,
    John
  • Paintslinger
    Paintslinger Member Posts: 70
    #12
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    Hair Loss
    Boardwalgirl,
    I had a small tumor (HPV pos squamous cell carcinoma) that had metasisized into a lymph node in my neck (take a look at my profile). My entire neck was irradiated for seven weeks. A couple of weeks into the radiation treatments (they were given every day except Saturday and Sunday) I started noticing hair in the bathtub after showering but couldn't tell where it was coming from. Very strange experience. I thought someone was using my shower! My hair is very fine to begin with (notice I didn't write "thin" :)). I could eventually feel that it was coming out at the very base of my hairline at the back of my neck. It also thinned out a little on top. I didn't lose it all, however, and what I lost grew back. You really couldn't even notice it unless you looked for it.
    Funny thing is that my brother-in-law always joked with me that he hoped I never went bald because I have a head like a lightbulb! My girlfriend said that if I lost it all she was going to use a sharpie and draw the GE product label that you see on lightbulbs on the top of my head (100 watts, of course). Yes, a sense of humor helps.
    Hopefully, that's what's going to happen to you (i.e., not lose it all).
    Good luck and keep your chin up,
    Paul (Paintslinger)
  • Paintslinger
    Paintslinger Member Posts: 70
    #13
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    Hairloss (contd.)
    Boardwalkgirl,
    I forgot to mention (see previous post) I was also getting (as you are now)three rounds of cis-platen three weeks apart. The only hair that didn't come back was on my neck immediately under my chin. The docs told me that I'll probably never have to shave my neck again.
    Again, good luck,
    Paul
  • Mikemetz
    Mikemetz Member Posts: 465 Member
    #14
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    My hairy story
    I lost a lot of hair on the back of my neck and beard area from the rads. The neck hair grew back thin at first, but now it's as full as ever. Not so with the facial hair. I only shave about twice a week now, and have spots with no growth on them. I had a beard for 20 years before rads, but will never have one again.

    My hair is medium-gray and my beard was white, and my wife says I look 20 years younger without the beard.

    I am what I used to be!

    mike
  • robinleigh
    robinleigh Member Posts: 297
    #15
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    Mikemetz said:

    My hairy story
    I lost a lot of hair on the back of my neck and beard area from the rads. The neck hair grew back thin at first, but now it's as full as ever. Not so with the facial hair. I only shave about twice a week now, and have spots with no growth on them. I had a beard for 20 years before rads, but will never have one again.

    My hair is medium-gray and my beard was white, and my wife says I look 20 years younger without the beard.

    I am what I used to be!

    mike

    hair loss
    Andy had no hair loss from Cisplatin but definitely lost it on taxane chemo. Bald is cute...
  • QT314
    QT314 Member Posts: 5
    #16
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    Cisplatin and Hair Loss
    I didn't lose my hair either. I also lost a little on the back of my neck from the radiation but hardly noticeable (it just came out one day in shower). I have long straight hair and I was a little concerned about losing it, but all it did was thin a little bit. Anything I've lost has grown back and I have little frizzies popping up, but honestly you wouldn't know I had chemo unless I told you. The funny thing is I now don't have to shave my legs. Good luck, but I wouldn't feel it necessary to shave my head at least until you know what you are dealing with. Happy 4th!
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #17
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    QT314 said:

    Cisplatin and Hair Loss
    I didn't lose my hair either. I also lost a little on the back of my neck from the radiation but hardly noticeable (it just came out one day in shower). I have long straight hair and I was a little concerned about losing it, but all it did was thin a little bit. Anything I've lost has grown back and I have little frizzies popping up, but honestly you wouldn't know I had chemo unless I told you. The funny thing is I now don't have to shave my legs. Good luck, but I wouldn't feel it necessary to shave my head at least until you know what you are dealing with. Happy 4th!

    So you all are saying
    the lady beard will never return :-)No more plucking yipeee!
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #18
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    QT314 said:

    Cisplatin and Hair Loss
    I didn't lose my hair either. I also lost a little on the back of my neck from the radiation but hardly noticeable (it just came out one day in shower). I have long straight hair and I was a little concerned about losing it, but all it did was thin a little bit. Anything I've lost has grown back and I have little frizzies popping up, but honestly you wouldn't know I had chemo unless I told you. The funny thing is I now don't have to shave my legs. Good luck, but I wouldn't feel it necessary to shave my head at least until you know what you are dealing with. Happy 4th!

    Legs...
    I don't have to shave my legs either....thank goodness, LOL. But then again, I didn't shave them pre-treatment either.

    Welcome QT, just having a little fun with your post.

    Best,
    John
  • Paintslinger
    Paintslinger Member Posts: 70
    #19
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    hwt said:

    So you all are saying
    the lady beard will never return :-)No more plucking yipeee!

    ?
    How did you know about my "lady beard"?:)!
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #20
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    Paintslinger said:

    ?
    How did you know about my "lady beard"?:)!

    Gotee or Curled Moustache
    You're an artist aren't you......

    JG
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #21
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    hwt said:

    So you all are saying
    the lady beard will never return :-)No more plucking yipeee!

    Nope...
    all those pesky little hairs menopause happily delivered to my lip and chin are gone...no more plucking for me. I saw that as a hell of a trade off :)

    p

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