update on hair

ohilly

I've been writing about how obsessed and worried I am that my hair will not grow back, so here is an update: this past Friday was 7 weeks since my last Taxotere/Cytoxan infusion. I now have noticed little white hairs growing and can feel some stubble with my hand. Did other people have their hair grow back white? What is this white thing? Also, the white hairs and stubble seem to be growing most places, but not on my sideburns. Did other people have hair grow back in some places and not others? Just curious to compare my experience. Let me know. I am so sick of this wig/scarf thing. Ohilly

NorcalJ

Sorry, I'm still in the middle of chemo with the "turtle wax" look. But, my hairdresser shaved my head, but didn't "bic" it because of the chance of nicking me. So, I had irregular stubble that seems to be falling out in slowly---not all in the same place. Maybe that's how it grows back??

As for the white, it could change as it grows in. I figure something on top beats nothing!

Good luck and keep us posted. I like to hear the positive things happening at the end of all this "stuff".

Stormy8281

Hi, Ohilly.

I am a true girly girl, and my hair started growing back during my last chemo session. Now what was to be 4 treatments with 3 weeks in between, was once a week at a lower dose for 12 weeks, and I had Taxol. My hair used to be a dark blonde, and that's because I always colored it. My hairstylist told me that my hair was about 75% white. But it started growing back a snow white. All snow white. I had a lot of difficulties with my adult daughter so I assumed the extra 25% of white was due to my problems with her. My hair is thicker on my sides and back, and is growing slowly on top. I tell everyone that if this was Halloween I could go as **** Cheney or John McCann. Really. It did take a little longer for the hair on my legs to start growing back, and that was great! Since I'm normally very pale, and more so since my treatments, I bought a Roux rinse (found in drug stores, Walmart, Kmart, and some grocery stores), and I feel a little better. Don't worry once everything starts growing it will keep growing. I should mention that the hair on my head did grow back curly, but I understand it doesn't stay that way.

If you were not expecting a color change, it could be the chemicals in the chemo treatment. That's just a guess.

Congratulations on your last chemo treatment. (Assuming from your message, it was)

The best to you!
Gale

mmontero38

Ohilly: My hair came in totally white in the front and top and salt and pepper in the back. It will come in be patient. I also have to tell you that when it first came in it was totally curly. Now, 8 months after my last infusion, it is fuller and wavier then before chemo and totally white. I now color it and it looks better. Love, Lili

seof

Mine started white, patchy, and baby-fine. It has gotten thicker as it got longer. I trimmed it whith an electric trimmer so that it would come in evenly. Now it is about 1/2 inch all over and about the color and texture it was before, about 3 months after last chemo. I still wear hats, but I have decided part of the "new me" will be a "hat person".

Have patience, your body will do what it is supposed to in its own time. seof

Eil4186

mine grew back quite white at first and then more salt and pepper. I then colored it once I had about 2 inches. My eyebrows and eyelashes grew in slower. The hair on my legs still does not grow like it used to and its been over a year since I finished chemo. Be patient and it will happen. My hair grew in very curly and I eventually ended up keeping some of the curl. I really like it. Take care. E

Texylin

I did 8 rounds of taxotere also and my hair came back white and curly. It came in on the sides and back much faster then on the top. I was put on femara after the chemo and apparantly one of the side effects of femara besides a lot of pain is thinning hair, especially on the top. I don't color it since I am 61 and it was going white anyway. My last chemo was in Sept of 07 and I have cut my hair at least 6 times since then. Just give it some time.
Hugs, Linda

chenheart

Looks as if we all had the same experience with the hair growth~ white, curly, etc etc. Mine probably would have been white anyway~ but my natural hair color had not seen the light of day for YEARS! I was auburn at 20...so why not at 50? As soon as it was long enough to color, I was and am auburn again!

I too got the curls, which are now waves and body. I didn't get my eyebrows in as nicely as pre chemo--I did get a moustache. Go figure~ the signals to the body just got re-wired! My underarm hair did not come back in as much, and especially on the affected side. Thats a plus, as I am still numb under my arm, even 5 years after surgery and shaving would scare me. Can you imagine surviving cancer and bleeding to death from shaving my arm-pit??? Now THAT would be just soooo wrong!

Hugs,
Claudia

cabbott

chenheart said:

Looks as if we all had the same experience with the hair growth~ white, curly, etc etc. Mine probably would have been white anyway~ but my natural hair color had not seen the light of day for YEARS! I was auburn at 20...so why not at 50? As soon as it was long enough to color, I was and am auburn again!

I too got the curls, which are now waves and body. I didn't get my eyebrows in as nicely as pre chemo--I did get a moustache. Go figure~ the signals to the body just got re-wired! My underarm hair did not come back in as much, and especially on the affected side. Thats a plus, as I am still numb under my arm, even 5 years after surgery and shaving would scare me. Can you imagine surviving cancer and bleeding to death from shaving my arm-pit??? Now THAT would be just soooo wrong!

Hugs,
Claudia

One of the first things I did when I finished surgery was get an electric razor. It is rechargable, but only needs it about every 4 months or so. It protects you from the nicks and scratches that could cause lymphedema. The saleslady said she sold a lot of them to survivors for the same reason, not that we need to shave much on the "affected" side.