Hair falls out when?

Nat1000

Hi Everyone,

I'm new on here, and not really sure if I'm doing this right. I'm 60yrs. old, & today is 11 days after my 1st chemo treatment. When does my hair fall out? And, am I going to lose weight, because I only weigh 103 lbs. So if I lose anymore weight, I will just disappear!

Snowkitty

Welcome
Sorry we have to meet like this. Anyways, my hair started falling out about day 15. Would run my fingers through hair and come up with tons. On day 15, went and got it cut really short, week later got a buzz.

It won't just fall out at once. You might notice a bunch on your pillow, or on your comb. A lot of us here just took matters into our own hands and buzzed it.

Re weight loss, I wish. Gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks. That's gotta stop. Probably because I ate alot trying to find something with a decent taste.

Take care,

sausageroll

Snowkitty said:

Welcome
Sorry we have to meet like this. Anyways, my hair started falling out about day 15. Would run my fingers through hair and come up with tons. On day 15, went and got it cut really short, week later got a buzz.

It won't just fall out at once. You might notice a bunch on your pillow, or on your comb. A lot of us here just took matters into our own hands and buzzed it.

Re weight loss, I wish. Gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks. That's gotta stop. Probably because I ate alot trying to find something with a decent taste.

Take care,

Hi Nat
Hi Nat. Not everyone loses their hair. Mine fell out at about week two and it did all fall out within 24 hours. It bothers some people a lot, but for me it meant little and made the morning shower easier!!! Good luck with the chem Nat.

I did lose a lot of weight...approximately 35 pounds. It is all back..unfortunately!!!

Rague

Greetings
I noticed my hair starting to come out about day 12 in small amounts - by day 15 there were still a very few hairs there - literally almost all had left during the night - so Son took the clippers to it.

We're all so unique in how our bodies handle the 'poison' that there is no way to be sure rather or not you will gain or loose weight or just maintain. Some do gain - I lost 40 lbs while on Chemo and 5 more on rads and while I haven't gained any since the end of rads I haven't lost any more since then (I'm 5'6" and 135 now). Dr. T was not happy with me on the weight - he doesn't like for anyone to gain or loose more than 4 lbs throughout the chemo. I had no nausea at all - I just had no appetite and there was no taste to anything. During that time, Hubby called me several times a day to remind me to eat 'something'. He still asks me what I have eaten everyday when he gets home from work but doesn't call during the day anymore to remind.

If I'm remembering 'right' - more say they gained weight from the steriods than lost weight.

Thoughts and prayers

Susan

faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy

sausageroll said:

Hi Nat
Hi Nat. Not everyone loses their hair. Mine fell out at about week two and it did all fall out within 24 hours. It bothers some people a lot, but for me it meant little and made the morning shower easier!!! Good luck with the chem Nat.

I did lose a lot of weight...approximately 35 pounds. It is all back..unfortunately!!!

Where did all my colored hair go?
...long time ago.

I started losing handfuls the second week. I had cut it short when I started chemo and had my teenager shave my head after it started falling out.

I was warned that weight gain was likely, but I however maintained a consistent weight. I worked diligently to eat properly to make sure I stayed on course during chemotherapy. Sometimes eating when I really didn't feel like it. I did not want treatment postponed.

I finished chemotherapy 7 weeks ago. I'm sure it's just wishful thinking that I feel stubble on my scalp and legs.

*sigh*

Be patient and most importantly...take care of yourself!

Nat1000

Rague said:

Greetings
I noticed my hair starting to come out about day 12 in small amounts - by day 15 there were still a very few hairs there - literally almost all had left during the night - so Son took the clippers to it.

We're all so unique in how our bodies handle the 'poison' that there is no way to be sure rather or not you will gain or loose weight or just maintain. Some do gain - I lost 40 lbs while on Chemo and 5 more on rads and while I haven't gained any since the end of rads I haven't lost any more since then (I'm 5'6" and 135 now). Dr. T was not happy with me on the weight - he doesn't like for anyone to gain or loose more than 4 lbs throughout the chemo. I had no nausea at all - I just had no appetite and there was no taste to anything. During that time, Hubby called me several times a day to remind me to eat 'something'. He still asks me what I have eaten everyday when he gets home from work but doesn't call during the day anymore to remind.

If I'm remembering 'right' - more say they gained weight from the steriods than lost weight.

Thoughts and prayers

Susan

Thanks
I just wanted to thank all of you for answering me, & so fast. Your all so sweet. I don't really care if I lose my hair, I just wanted to know when. My main concern was losing any weight, because I'm 5'2 & 103 lbs., and since you all said I'd probably gain, that's good news. And Rague, I wanted to tell you my boyfriend has to remind me to eat also, because I just forget. My taste buds aren't messed up yet, I just don't get hunger. He's trying to gain any form of control back to our lives, that he thinks was lost, when I got cancer. So he cooks, clean, and makes me eat. Aren't we lucky to have men who care so much.

Thanks guys, & God bless us all
Nat

Rague

Nat1000 said:

Thanks
I just wanted to thank all of you for answering me, & so fast. Your all so sweet. I don't really care if I lose my hair, I just wanted to know when. My main concern was losing any weight, because I'm 5'2 & 103 lbs., and since you all said I'd probably gain, that's good news. And Rague, I wanted to tell you my boyfriend has to remind me to eat also, because I just forget. My taste buds aren't messed up yet, I just don't get hunger. He's trying to gain any form of control back to our lives, that he thinks was lost, when I got cancer. So he cooks, clean, and makes me eat. Aren't we lucky to have men who care so much.

Thanks guys, & God bless us all
Nat

Keeping hydrated is very important too. Even though I had problems with not eating -
I didn't have problems with getting enough fluids in. I think that it was habit that kept me drinking - I've always had a glass of ice water or iced herb tea or juice very close at hand so i think that it was habit/learned behavior that kept me drinking.

Yes there are great guys out there and it seems we're blessed to have them. In our case - my not eating really got to Hubby as he had seen the ravages of anorexia as Mom was a long time sufferer and he saw the last 4 years of her life and what it did not only to her but to all around her. During the worst of my 'times' last winter, he did almost everything at home in addition to working 20+ hrs most weeks OT. It is very nasty and cold here in the winter and even in 'good' years I freeze and have big issue with SAD, so he and Son had to take over a lot of the horse care also. He's a 'keeper' (after 34 yrs) but there are times that I'd like to #%&&$* him when he 'weed-eats' some of my Hollyhocks down. (LOL)

Susan

jackiejhm

Nat1000 said:

Thanks
I just wanted to thank all of you for answering me, & so fast. Your all so sweet. I don't really care if I lose my hair, I just wanted to know when. My main concern was losing any weight, because I'm 5'2 & 103 lbs., and since you all said I'd probably gain, that's good news. And Rague, I wanted to tell you my boyfriend has to remind me to eat also, because I just forget. My taste buds aren't messed up yet, I just don't get hunger. He's trying to gain any form of control back to our lives, that he thinks was lost, when I got cancer. So he cooks, clean, and makes me eat. Aren't we lucky to have men who care so much.

Thanks guys, & God bless us all
Nat

Hang in there Nat
Sorry to meet you this way. Welcome! I also took a trimmer to my head. Interestingly enough, Many of those little hairs kept on growing all through chemo! I kind of looked like I had a pin cushion on my head-lol! I think smoothies are your best bet. You can always add a protein powder to them to give 'em some oomph. Write down what you do manage to eat, it will help a lot. It's so easy to forget- your are under a lot of stress. Take care-please keep us posted.xo

BethInAz

Falling hair
Mine began falling out with taxotere/cytoxin on day 14 - mostly when washing it in the shower. A couple days later, it was getting rather annoying - everybody was finding hair in their food and I was shedding like a dog - so I had my daughters cut it short - and then a couple more days later (it was Christmas Day) we cut it down to 1/2 inch. Believe it or not, I'm now 6 months out of chemo - and I just got a trim yesterday - back to 1 inch in length! Everybody loves my new funky, short do. This is a whole new life!
Much love,
Beth

NDY2010

HAIR FALLS OUT WHEN?
Mine was day 14 but I was told it depends on your specific chemo cocktail. Mine was the so-called TAC (taxotere, adriamycin, & cytoxan). I wore headgear around the house & while cooking to prevent loose hair from falling everywhere (even a shower cap helps). Also, while taking a shower I used a plastic hair drain catcher (helps on the plumbing). Before it all fell out I would lightly brush it a coule times a day into a trash can--and definitely before showering too. Also, when you do become bald be sure to check all your scalp with a mirror for any redness, bumps, etc. You do want to catch any inflamation early to prevent any subsequent skin infection.

As far as losing weight I naively thought surely I would. I figured that would be the only "perk" I could extract from this ugly disease. Well, no, it seems that the steriods in the chemo cocktail cause just the opposite. I just want to eat everything in sight!! Before we all got cancer I think most of us here had that "emaciated cancer patient" picture in our heads. Yes I'm sure some people do have problems eating but supposedly the average chemo patient gains about 7 lbs per the cancer.org own web site.

Hope you have a easy time with the rest of your chemo. My 4th session is 17 Aug and so far I haven't had any "major" problems---just nausea on that dreaded 3rd day after (just like clockwork) But again everybody experiences different systoms.

Stay confident that this is helping,
Judy

linpsu

hair and weight
My hair just suddenly loosened on Day 14 with no warning ahead of time - I ran my hand through my hair and came away with a big handful, so I had a friend shave my head that night so I wouldn't be finding hair all over the place.
I lost a total of 25 pounds on A/C, then Taxol - I just had no appetite and my mouth was sore all the time - everything tasted horrible if it had any taste at all. I really didn't have much trouble with nausea due to the meds that controlled it.
Good luck to you.

Lighthouse_7

Hi Nat
Welcome, although we wish you didn't have to be here. Mine started falling out about 2 weeks in. I couldn't stand it falling in my cereal and I buzzed it. It also took away the pain on my scalp. As far as the weight, I gained weight. I heard it's from the steroids. At first I lost a few pounds but then steadily gained. All toll, 20 lbs.
Hugs and prayers,
Wanda

carkris

Lighthouse_7 said:

Hi Nat
Welcome, although we wish you didn't have to be here. Mine started falling out about 2 weeks in. I couldn't stand it falling in my cereal and I buzzed it. It also took away the pain on my scalp. As far as the weight, I gained weight. I heard it's from the steroids. At first I lost a few pounds but then steadily gained. All toll, 20 lbs.
Hugs and prayers,
Wanda

I was warned that my hair
I was warned that my hair would fall out day 14-16. there is a place in Boston that the woman takes you to a private room and buzzes your head, she also did my wig prior to this. All very discreet, no nonsense. I didn't cry . I also noticed hair coming out in other areas sooner. My husband was anxious for me and kept saying I needed to get the buzz "done" but I held out until I was ready, perhaps this is why I didnt cry. It took me a while to be bald even at home. I was never totoally shiny. I lost 70 pounds on chemo and another 10 after. I was ill, (atypical). and had no desire to eat. Ihad to keep telling myself to. now I am trying to keep it off, by eating well, small portions. and so far so good evenon the tamoxifen.

sea60

Mine was falling by the 2nd treatment
Nat, I had my treatments 3 weeks apart and they told me by day 16-21 I would start and sure enough, like clockwork, my hair started falling.

Like most of these strong minded women, I beat it before it beat me! I shaved it...so I showed my hair who's boss!

I didn't lose ANY weight. But I kept my appetite despite my pizza tasting like minted coins.

I think you'll be just fine.

Hugs and blessings to you.

Sylvia