Hair Loss?

JanJan63

I just saw my oncologist on Friday and forgot to ask her about this. I'm losing hair like crazy. I doubt it's chemo because I ended that in December. I'm not on any medications at this time. It's It's over four months since I was so sick and had all the medical stuff going on. But for the past month my hair is falling out to the point where it's noticably thinner. Has anybody else had this?

I wonder if it's still an after effect of the medical stuff. I also noticed that my nails are growing wonky. I used to be able to grow nice long nails and now they bend down at the ends. Having horses I know that if they've been ill it can show up in their hooves later on so why not people? The thing is that my hair loss is bothersome. I awlays have hair stuck on my clothes or falling off onto food or tables or whatever is in the way. It's embarassing. It's not to the point where anyone would notice that my hair is thin but it will be if this doesn't stop soon. My hair is fairly long and it's nasty to have hair all over me and everything else. I visited my friend last week for a few hours and she sat there with a sticky roller and just kept picking it off of me. If I got animated when talking it would start falling out, I could see it.

Cazz

Normal, I think

I had the same thing, finished chemo/radiation at the end of October last year and then all of a sudden in February my hair started coming out in clumps.  Any time I ran my fingers or a brush through it I would pull out about 20 strands and I shed all over the place.  It kept going for about six to eight weeks and I had to have it cut quite short because the ends were so thin.  Then it stopped, and when I went to get my color done last week my hairdresser was laughing at me because I practically have a mohawk where all the new hair is growing in but its too short and too fine to fall over yet.  So I would say, don't panic, its probably already growing back in and in a few months will be just as thick again.  I don't know if it was the chemo or the stress or what, but as long as the new hair is coming in, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Steve444

Nails

I was surprised that while on chemo my nails seemed to grow like crazy.  After being off of it for 5 months, my nails started getting all wonky.  Thinner than usual, growing less, became very brittle and I split a couple down the middle just doing things like opening a soup can or catching them on a thread from clothing.  Weeding in the yard became painful and I cringed in pain as they bent back.  I'm still so very tired and figured it's all either lasting effects from chemo or related to tumors growing back.  I'm bald and have shaved my head for many years, but I'm sure if I wasn't, my hair would be trying to run away as well in an attempt to find a healthier host.  

JanJan63

Steve444 said:

Nails

I was surprised that while on chemo my nails seemed to grow like crazy.  After being off of it for 5 months, my nails started getting all wonky.  Thinner than usual, growing less, became very brittle and I split a couple down the middle just doing things like opening a soup can or catching them on a thread from clothing.  Weeding in the yard became painful and I cringed in pain as they bent back.  I'm still so very tired and figured it's all either lasting effects from chemo or related to tumors growing back.  I'm bald and have shaved my head for many years, but I'm sure if I wasn't, my hair would be trying to run away as well in an attempt to find a healthier host.  

Thanks for your reponses.

Thanks for your reponses. It's a minor thing after everything I've been through but it's a lot of hair coming out and I'd really rather it didn't. I'll just try to ignore it and hope it stops soon.

Helen321

My hair got very rough and

My hair got very rough and dry, it didn't fall out but it stopped growing and felt awful for about three years.  Two years out and you'd never know I had a problem.  To get to some sort of normal, last year I conditioned it to death and I used a mix of mayo, honey and eggs and then I washed it twice and conditioned twice.  Now my hair is growing again.  My nails stayed fine.  I hope it gets better for you.

Phoebesnow

Helen321 said:

My hair got very rough and

My hair got very rough and dry, it didn't fall out but it stopped growing and felt awful for about three years.  Two years out and you'd never know I had a problem.  To get to some sort of normal, last year I conditioned it to death and I used a mix of mayo, honey and eggs and then I washed it twice and conditioned twice.  Now my hair is growing again.  My nails stayed fine.  I hope it gets better for you.

Shampoo

I suffered a lot of hair loss when I used Pantene moisture balance shampoo and conditioner.  Several years later I used Blonde shampoo and it occurred again..  The common ingredient was dimethicone which coats the hair shaft to make it look thicker.  

traci43

I have the curling nails too

I didn't have any problems with my hair, but definitely with my nails.  I've always thought it was because the Xeloda dries everything out, but I'm 15 months post-chemo and it's still there.  I checked with my dermatologist and nothing.  Hope your hair grows back.  Traci

DD3

traci43 said:

I have the curling nails too

I didn't have any problems with my hair, but definitely with my nails.  I've always thought it was because the Xeloda dries everything out, but I'm 15 months post-chemo and it's still there.  I checked with my dermatologist and nothing.  Hope your hair grows back.  Traci

My wife

hair thinned during chemo.  Funny thing is.... it's all back now but when she gets a perm it doesn't seem to "take" like it used to.  We blame the chemo....