Hair watch 2012

ktamp
ktamp Member Posts: 81
in Ovarian Cancer #1
I'm 3 weeks out from my final chemo treatment and I am anxiously awaiting the first sprout of hair. Every morning, I very carefully examine my head, legs, and pits for any sign of hair. I figure my leg hairs will come back first as my legs were the last hold out when my hair fell out. How long did you take for hair to grow back after you finished chemo?

Comments

  • lovesanimals
    lovesanimals Member Posts: 1,366 Member
    #2
    Hairy Question
    My head hair started growing back about five weeks after my last chemo treatment. My oncologist told me that generally, hair starts growing back one to two months after the last treatment. As I recall, my leg, arm and pits hair took longer to start growing back, which was fine with me. Your hair should start growing back soon and I'm sure you can't wait!

    Take care,
    Kelly
  • mopar
    mopar Member Posts: 1,972 Member
    #3
    HAIR COMING SOON!
    It's different for everyone, but in about a month there were definite 'sprouts' on my head. It seemed slow at first, but then it really took off! I only wore my wig to work, so that the rest of the time my head could 'breath'. I massaged my scalp lightly from time to time - don't know if that's what helped. As for the rest - brows, legs, underarms, etc. - that took a little longer. After first chemo my lashes came back soooooooo long it was unbelievable and fun! Second time, and to do this day, I don't have many lashes. That could partly be due to a thyroid situation.

    Anyway, it was great not having to shave my legs much! I wish you the best, and lots of hair!

    (((HUGS)))
    Monika
  • Gottalovelife
    Gottalovelife Member Posts: 45
    #4
    Can't wait for hair myself
    I finished chemo Oct. 2011, hair starting to grow pretty good, still not enough on top to go without wig, a lot of women talk about chemo curls, I have always had straight hair so of course mine came back fine and straight and of course more gray than before and they say you can't color hair for one year, but just glad to see hair, eyebrows still not growing back but eyelashes are starting to grow. Can't wait for eyebrows though, just a few would be nice. It is funny though the hair on my legs has never been thick and I thought that would be the last thing to grow back, WRONG, was in gyn. Onc. Office for checkup after my last treatment in Oct., feet in stirrups bright lights on and I look and the hair on my legs is like a half inch long and lots of it, just shook my head and laughed to myself thinking go figure hair would have to grow on my legs first. But after about 6 weeks I saw little sprouts of hair on my head, just get so anxious though want to throw wig in a closet and never look at it again, that's what I am praying for, I pray that for us all.

    Hugs and Prayers
    Cindy
  • Radioactive34
    Radioactive34 Member Posts: 391 Member
    #5
    Gottalovelife said:

    Can't wait for hair myself
    I finished chemo Oct. 2011, hair starting to grow pretty good, still not enough on top to go without wig, a lot of women talk about chemo curls, I have always had straight hair so of course mine came back fine and straight and of course more gray than before and they say you can't color hair for one year, but just glad to see hair, eyebrows still not growing back but eyelashes are starting to grow. Can't wait for eyebrows though, just a few would be nice. It is funny though the hair on my legs has never been thick and I thought that would be the last thing to grow back, WRONG, was in gyn. Onc. Office for checkup after my last treatment in Oct., feet in stirrups bright lights on and I look and the hair on my legs is like a half inch long and lots of it, just shook my head and laughed to myself thinking go figure hair would have to grow on my legs first. But after about 6 weeks I saw little sprouts of hair on my head, just get so anxious though want to throw wig in a closet and never look at it again, that's what I am praying for, I pray that for us all.

    Hugs and Prayers
    Cindy

    I finsihed chemo in Oct
    I finsihed chemo in Oct 2011, too. I got a decent bit covering my head. It just looks like a bad hair cut. Now my facial hair...that is growing indecently fast.
  • Gottalovelife
    Gottalovelife Member Posts: 45
    #6
    Radioactive34 said:

    I finsihed chemo in Oct
    I finsihed chemo in Oct 2011, too. I got a decent bit covering my head. It just looks like a bad hair cut. Now my facial hair...that is growing indecently fast.

    Know what you mean
    I forgot the facial hair, I did have a lot of facial hair took my husbands electric razor and shaved it and it doesn't seem to be growing back real fast either. It's funny how I never had much facial hair before or much hair on my legs and they were the first places to have hair grow back and a lot more than I used to have.
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #7
    Gottalovelife said:

    Know what you mean
    I forgot the facial hair, I did have a lot of facial hair took my husbands electric razor and shaved it and it doesn't seem to be growing back real fast either. It's funny how I never had much facial hair before or much hair on my legs and they were the first places to have hair grow back and a lot more than I used to have.

    My hair began growing
    in pretty quickly but it looked sparse and scraggly that I was tempted to shave it off again. Finally about five months after my last chemo I went in to have my hairdresser "shape" it up. I was pleasantly surprised to find it looked almost normal. I usually wear my hair very short anyway.

    I was not as happy to get back the facial hair!

    Karen
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #8
    kikz said:

    My hair began growing
    in pretty quickly but it looked sparse and scraggly that I was tempted to shave it off again. Finally about five months after my last chemo I went in to have my hairdresser "shape" it up. I was pleasantly surprised to find it looked almost normal. I usually wear my hair very short anyway.

    I was not as happy to get back the facial hair!

    Karen

    Yeah, the facial hair
    I was pleased as to how fast my eyebrows and eyelashes returned and less pleased about the amount of facial hair that appeared.
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #9
    Hair growth
    Don't forget the growth that happens underneath the scalp that you can't see. I never figured this out as it took a while for me to see any growth. My eye lashes seemed to appear overnight and once they had come back completely were luscious and long. Yes, bodily hair takes longer to appear which is great :)

    The thing that takes the time is allowing your hair to grown into an actual style. I am not trying make this sound like a bad thing, but it was something I had not thought about. Plus, the first hair will have "chemo fuzz" to start with and may not look like your orginal hair. Don't worry as your "proper" hair will follow it.

    Its been a year since my hair started growing back and I have kept it short so it will evenutally be one length and as soon as that happens I will grow it to my shoulders.

    Tina xx
  • ktamp
    ktamp Member Posts: 81
    #10
    My hair is coming back!! It
    My hair is coming back!! It hasn't quite broke the surface yet but my sister pointed out yesterday that I have a 5 o clock shadow on my head. I hadn't noticed that, I had been looking right at the scalp close in the mirror. I am so happy!
  • Sara2011
    Sara2011 Member Posts: 78 Member
    #11
    Mine is Growing Back Also
    I finished my last round in mid February. I would say that about a month to month and a half my hair started coming back. It was fun to see my eyelashes and eyebrows start reappearing! Yeah! My hair has really filled in on my scalp, but it is still very short. I've had several people encourage me to just go without my wig now. I do in certain situations, but not ready to go that way at work yet. The good news is....it does grow back! :]
  • kimberly sue 63
    kimberly sue 63 Member Posts: 421 Member
    #12
    Sara2011 said:

    Mine is Growing Back Also
    I finished my last round in mid February. I would say that about a month to month and a half my hair started coming back. It was fun to see my eyelashes and eyebrows start reappearing! Yeah! My hair has really filled in on my scalp, but it is still very short. I've had several people encourage me to just go without my wig now. I do in certain situations, but not ready to go that way at work yet. The good news is....it does grow back! :]

    yeah!
    I'm glad it is coming back!!

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