update hair comming out

Janaes, I think you are a week ahead of me in chemo treatments, so it helps me to hear what you're going through. I'm sure this must be upsetting even though we all know it's coming. I was told mine might not fall out until my second chemo treatment, so now I don't know what to expect! It's great that you already have a wig. I've been putting off ordering some caps and turbans from the ACS TLC site, but maybe I will go ahead. Hang in there.

I rather enjoyed not having to deal with hair during (and some time after) chemo other than having to wear something on my cold head at night as it was winter. At home I often went bald, but wore a comfortable blond wig (free from the ACS) when going out. Looking back, this was just another phase of my cancer journey. I am now 18 months with NED and going strong (and my hair is as good as ever.)

I had mine buzzed a couple weeks after my first chemo as t was coming out by then and I already had my wig. Most of the time when I go out I wear my wig which looks a lot like my own hair, but I have become braver all the time and sometimes just wear a hat.

OK ladies, so here's a secret: I'm actually looking forward to seeing what I look like bald! (No progress on that front so far, though.) I've always wondered, but just shaving my head for the fun of it is not something I've ever wanted to do. I do realize that being bald with no eyebrows is not the same as having an elegant bald head with natural brows. And I may well find out that I'm hideous.

Please don't think that I'm making light of anything anyone is going through, because I'm not. I know it could be worse than even I expect. Just saying--silver linings.

First I went to the wig shop and got a wig as close to my (fake) color and the same length.  Then I braided my real hair into two braids and had my hairdresser cut off both braids so I could save them in case I ever became famous and could sell them on EBay and make a fortune.  

She then cut my hair so it was an inch or so long.  I never had any kind of "hair pain" on my scalp like other ladies had. That's when I started wearing my wig.  A lot of people didn't even know I was wearing a wig.  I bought three more wigs all the same color and alternated wearing them.  

About a month or so ago I stored the wigs and came out of the closet....or bathroom with my new curly silver hair which feels like soft baby hair.  I've had long hair all my life and it's taken some getting used to sporting the short look.  I've thought about duct taping the braids back on but threw caution to the wind and went out into the world.  Now, I love my new look!!  The only drawback is I look like my mother! I'll pass by a mirror or window and it kind of startles me.  Yikes, Maryellen is back to haunt me LOL!

Love,

Eldri

It's day 15 after my first chemo treatment, and my hair is now coming out for real--not in fistfuls, but if I run my fingers lightly through my hair, 6-8 strands come out. My scalp is also tingling/burning.

Has anyone used particular shampoos or lotions to soothe the scalp? I've been looking online but haven't found specific advice about this.

Thanks.

Hi Becca, I'm just a week past my 3rd chemo and still haven't cut or shaved my hair yet. I've always had thin, fine, straight hair and somehow even though I see a lot of skin showing through now, I still feel like I can see the healthy me when I look in the mirror, so it's still hard to part from what's left. It is a pain to keep tucked in, though, when I do wear a wig. 

I feel a lot of heat at times on my scalp and have found an ice pack helpful....like I use when I have a migraine.  Maybe you'd find that helpful or at least temporarily soothing, too.

So the new profile pic is my first attempt at wrapping my head and going out in public. The scarf stayed on, so I count that a success! I still have hair under there, it's just shorter and thinner than it used to be. So messy! I'm glad to have the scarf to catch the hair as well as hide it. I have an appt. to have my head shaved, but it's not for two weeks.

Eldri where do you come up with these ideas.   After I read your funny posts the first thing that pops into my mind is your dog running with the wig in his mouth.   Gads girl thanks for the laughs and smiles.   I am surprised my husband doesn't come in the computer room and ask me what I am laughing about.  I remember when my hair was falling out I stopped in at Cost Cutters and asked the girl to shave the rest of it off as I was tired of cleaning the floor in the bathroom.  The idea or thought of my hair falling out didn't ever really bother me as I thought if I can get to NED sure would be worth the loss of my hair.  But it is surprising me how long it is taking to grow back.   It is doing so but not near as fast as I would like.  I have advanced from the scarves I would wear when going out of the house to a baseball cap.   Was just getting too warm with a scarf.  My hair color is dark gray to white in spots.  Don't necessarily like this look as I colored my hair before the loss.  Can't hardly wait for it to grow out so I can get my fake color back.   LOL

But you are sure right it is easier to take care of this way.

Love,

Jerri

I've been pulling a lot of mine out, too, so there's not so much all over the place. I thought I would still need to have it shaved later but maybe I won't.

I haven't colored mine since I was diagnosed with cancer, and I don't expect to go back to coloring it--I suppose that's part of some deeper change in how I see myself. I had wanted to stop coloring it for a while but wasn't quite ready to have the world see me that way. For the past couple of months I've had this awful two-tone effect as the color grew out, but I was preoccupied with other things, so I haven't even really cared. Now when it comes back in it will be clean, white, and natural.

I do love the feel of the softness of my new hair (what I have of it).  Maybe I'll take the daisy petal test (pull one petal out and say Color IT and pull another one out and say Leave It the way it is) Naaaaaaaaaa that doesn't work for me I think coloring will win that tug of war.

Wonder if anyone else has thought about that or actually done it?

May have to try that one....