Hair Loss Day 16 +

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

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

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

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. 

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. 

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

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 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? 

 

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

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

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!