Hair Loss Day 16 +

EPH56

I started chemo 10/2 and my scalp started hurting on Day 16. Today (10/20) I’m noticing ALOT of hair coming out and on my pillow in the AM. My hair has been thinning for a long time anyway - so I’m ready.  I do need to get some chemo caps ASAP though.

What have your experiences been?

 

 

Ethel - endometrial cancer stage 1A Grade 3

Hysterectomy 9/8/17

Chemo Round 1/6 - 10/2/17 

oldbeauty

Head shave

Hi Ethel, my hair started falling out in masses within 10 days of start of chemo.  I have short hair and I asked my beautician to shave my head with a number 2 blade.  I already had laid in a supply of "fashion" caps and one wig.  My "chemo lounge" was always stocked with free knitted beanies donated by kindhearted volunteers, and I helped myself.  I have one Raquel Welch brand wig and one Eva Gabor.  Each is mid-priced, about $150 tops.  I really don't care for either one; they are more "bouffant-y" than my real hair is (thick and fine and straight).  I would urge you to get your supply of scarves, hats, wigs--whatever you're going to use and then get your hair cut very short.  I found it dispiriting to pull out clumps of hair and to lose masses in the shower.  So I just got rid of it.  I am now 2 months post-chemo and my hair is starting to grow (along with some eyebrows and maybe 5 eyelashes).  It's much more white than I used to have and it's not growing evenly.  I'll see where I'm at in 6 months.  If I need a wig permanently, I think I'll explore a human hair wig to see if I can get something that looks more like my (former) hair.  Good luck.  I'd proceed quickly if I were you, especially if you are sensitive about going out in public with patchy hair.  Best wishes. Oldbeauty

TeddyandBears_Mom

Hey Ethel,

Hey Ethel,

If you have already, please read this thread: Ladies Going through chemo

There is a lot of detail about hair loss and how several of us dealt with it. Along with a lot of information on chemo impacts during and after.

I hope your treatments are tolerated well.

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

ckdgedmom

for Ethel

Oh I am so sorry about the hair loss...at this point I do not think cold capping will save it unfortunately...you really have to start it with your first treatment for it to truly be effective.

You can email wishcaps.com (find the contact info on the webpage) and ask them if they think it can save what you have...

I think the ladies here have great advice on hair loss...

xoxoxoxo

DottieDean

I began chemo yesterday and

I began chemo yesterday and had already gotten my wig which looks better than my real hair Did.  My insurance paid most of the cost, but believe it's worth it even if they didn't.  I have a couple of caps I wear at home but when I leave the house my wig goes on.

we had a grandma cutting party last night with pizza and a kitchen full of kids and grandkids

with my son in law and grown grandson cutting it with a number one so it's really short.  I too would have been dispirited in losing clumps of hair so I became proactive and got this taken care of early.  

 

When out out today I have admitted I am wearing a wig and got what I felt was honest feedback that it looked like my real hair.  From now on I won't be telling anyone because I'm satisfied it look s natural.

go to a wig shop that has some experience with chemo patients it will usually tell you in their ad.  They will style and fit for you and there is a wide variety of prices.  I got a more expensive one more than three hundred because when you look at it it appears like scalp, so get the best one you can afford so you are happy with it.

good luck.

DottieDean

Oh and by the way, my

Oh and by the way, my daughter and I saved my banags, so we are figuring out a way to add them to any caps I wear so it looks like I have some hair under the cap

survivingsu

Fast!

Oh my goodness, I lost mine super fast!  I had treatment 8 years ago, and I think it was all gone over two weekends, I remember being super surprised at how fast it went.  I had radiation and chemo, then surgery, then follow-up chemo.  My hair was starting to grow back by the time I had the follow-up chemo, so I lost it all again!  Then it grew back eventurally, but not as thick as I would have liked, but that might be due to age/herditary.  One of my sisters knitted some fabulous hats for me to wear during treatment, that really boosted my morale, I felt naked as a bald person.

Hang in there!

Cancer type:  Small cell undifferentiated uterine carcinoma 8 years ago

Treatment:  radiation and chemo, then internal radiation, then surgery, then follow-up chemo 

derMaus

I had mine cut super short

I had mine cut super short before I started chemo. I looked like Annie Lennox back in the '80's. That way it wasn't as traumatic when it started coming out; I wasn't really losing "my" hair anyway. It hurt and itched so I started going out on the deck several times a day and brushing it with a soft bristle brush. The birds in my yard had a field day with the leavings and I think my hair wound up in a dozen different nests. I never went cue ball bald and I never had it shaved, I just let it fall out. I started chemo on December 28th and by early March I looked like Golum with a few straggly strands. For some reason it started growing back before chemo ended in late April, so I had my last treatment with 1/4" of peach fuzz all over. Mine grew back very thick and much whiter than before, but later growth is a dark gray. I had the dreaded chemo curls but only around the perimeter, the top remained fairly stright. I looked like Harpo Marx so I had it all cropped back to about an inch and it's growing out much better now. You're fortunate that winter is coming on, as there are many cute hats and beanies out there. I looked much better dressed and more put together while I was in treatment, simply because I had to come up with outfits that the hats blended into. 

EPH56

Thank You

All - for your replies. I will check out the Ladies Going Through Chemo thread. I don’t know what cold capping is; but I imagine I’ll see it explain there. I have a Nov 21st Look Good Feel Good class & appt to chose a free wig through the ACS - I should have thought about caps sooner than later. Oh well.

It’s encouraging to hear your stories ladies. 

Hugs in return.

 

Ethel - Oswego, IL

CheeseQueen57

Eybrows

one of my main concerns was eyebrows. I thought nothing screamed cancer like no eyebrows And I envisioned Joan Crawford when I though I would have to paint on eyebrows. I got some special mascara like stuff for eyebrows that indeed did preserve a little bit of my eyebrows. It was pretty pricey though. I recall about $50/month but I was excited it worked. 

TeddyandBears_Mom

Cheese, losing my eyebrows

Cheese, losing my eyebrows was the hardest part of any of my hair loss. If I had it to do all over again (I hope not!) I think I would get them tattooed before they fell out. At least that way it would be a natural line.  Do you remember what product you used to preserve yours? I didn't know there was anything out there for that. It would be good to post for ladies that haven't had to deal with it yet.

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

CheeseQueen57

Brian Joseph’s Lash and Brow Gel

You want to start using it before you start chemo. I got it at my wig shop and I also bought it online. I didn’t bother with my lashes because they were really thin before. 

https://www.brianjosephs.com/html/lash_brow_conditioning_gel.html

ckdgedmom

eyebrows

I used Latisse to preserve my eyebrows...didn't help my lashes but it did the eyebrows. 

When I ran out of the Latisse I used a product called Neulash (I bought it on Amazon) and used it on my brows and lashes...I never lost my brows, just a few hairs but for the most part they stayed put. Neulash is about $50-60 on Amazon and a tube will last months and months...I used it to help my lashes grow back and they grew back so nice my bestie thought I had gotten lash extensions again!

Ethel you are such a pretty lady that hair or not you will still be lovely...

xoxo

Soup52

My eyelashes and eyebrows

My eyelashes and eyebrows seemed to grow back fairly quickly . Unfortunately, so did the chin hairs! I also spent extra to get a wig that looked like my own hair and most people, especially guys had no clue it wasn’t my hair:) It wasn’t human hair either. I purchase it at a spa where they ordered several different ones and kept what I liked the best.

EPH56

ckdgedmom said:

eyebrows

I used Latisse to preserve my eyebrows...didn't help my lashes but it did the eyebrows. 

When I ran out of the Latisse I used a product called Neulash (I bought it on Amazon) and used it on my brows and lashes...I never lost my brows, just a few hairs but for the most part they stayed put. Neulash is about $50-60 on Amazon and a tube will last months and months...I used it to help my lashes grow back and they grew back so nice my bestie thought I had gotten lash extensions again!

Ethel you are such a pretty lady that hair or not you will still be lovely...

xoxo

Thank You

so much -- you’re very kind.

 

I’m really not too worried. I tweezed my eyebrows so much - years ago - I haven’t had brows in decades. I will miss my eyelashes though. Does it feel weird? 

 

ckdgedmom

EPH56 said:

Thank You

so much -- you’re very kind.

 

I’m really not too worried. I tweezed my eyebrows so much - years ago - I haven’t had brows in decades. I will miss my eyelashes though. Does it feel weird? 

 

for Ethel

Losing my lashes didn't feel all that odd excpet when I put my contacts in or took them out.

I tried wearing false lases but it was too tedious so I just aimed my eyeliner pencil in the place where the lashes would grow and used liner...a couple of times when I wanted to look pretty I did the lashes but for the most part it wasn't all that noticeable. I'm very blonde so I look lashless unless I have mascara on. Once I was done with chemo I used the Neulash to help them grow back in and they did great. 

I've had friends that did not lose their lashes so you might keep yours...

the best part was not shaving my legs...I had a 4 month break from that!

xoxo

Anice

 

hopeful56

I started to have hair loss

I started to have hair loss around my 12-14th day from lst chemo.  Prior to those days my scalp felt sore, like sunburn.  I already bought a wig before I started my treatment. I am lucky to have a place right in town and they style the wig to you.  She also styled the wigs I bought on line.

I work full time so I wore my wig before the fair loss.  I was ready to have a hair cut/tint so when I started wearing my wig I got a lot of compliments on my hair cut!  I had to laugh.  I also have two other back up wigs that I'll wear after breaks - like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

When I come home I find the soft cotton caps feel good on the skin.  

I have my 3rd round of chemo next week with one more scheduled.

For me, the hair loss doesn't bother me.  I just feel it is a side effect of the treatment and I absolutely don't want this to come back.

Hope everything works out for you.

dgrdalton

Appreciate the topic

My first chemo was today and went well. I have an appointment to get my hair cut short in a week and donate it. It’s not been cut in over 30 years and is down to my hips. It seemed a shame to let it end up in the trash. But I agree, hopeful, I dont want this coming back if possible!

Donna

ConnieSW

Oh, Donna,

that appointment isn't going to be easy to keep but how generous and thoughtful of you. 

Hummingbird6

Hair Do's

My hair started falling out in cycle 2 and the biggest issue was honestly trying to get it off pillows/towels/soft caps because it was itchy.  It was hard to get off everything. I had cut it off to about an inch long too. It kept falling out for several cycles, but didn't all completely fall out. Looking back, I would have completely shaved my head at the start, just to not deal with the mess.

I found the cotton stretchy soft caps were soft and comfortable, and wigs too scratchy. 

Now that it's just starting to grow back it's an adventure seeing how different the color and curliness may turn out to be!

EPH56

Round 2/6 OVER

Hello All - Had my 2nd round of chemo this past WED the 25th. My hair is for the most part - all gone. I'll be having my SIL shave the rest this SUN. I ended up ordering two reversible caps through Headcovers.com and love love love them.  I only learned about TLC and what the American Cancer Society offers during my 1st treatment Oct 3rd.  I'm not able to chose a wig until Nov 21st (which be after my 3rd treatment); but I'm still grateful to be able to pick a wig - free of charge.  

I ended up cutting some of my excess length - although my hair has been thinning for a long while now - the weight of it did hurt.  As I said - around Day 16 - my scalp felt like tiny needles were poking into my head and it hurt to lay on my pillow.  Since most of the hair is gone now -that feeling has passed. 

A dear friend sent my a non-slippery halloween scarf which pair up perfectly with my new reversible black cap.

Just thought I'd do a quick check-in and wishing you all a great weekend!