Chemo hair loss

I am on Carbo/ Taxol. I have had 7 treatments and have 3 to go. I have not lost my hair yet. It has thinned out but not enough to worry about. I washed my hair with cold water and baby shampoo. 

I remember crying when I heard I would lose my hair.  It was about day 10 after my first taxol/carboplatin when I just stood outside my house, shook my hair with my fingers and saw it fall and blow away gently in the breeze.  I hoped at least a bird would find it helpful when building their nest for their young!

A few days later my girlfriends and I all cried when my wig shop shaved my head.  A week or so later I was sitting in the church for a funeral for a 34 year old young man and all saw the very proud and BEAUTIFUL African American women with their closely shaved heads and asked myself, "Why I am I hiding under this wig?"  The following Monday I asked a bald man at work to get a few other of the bald (and secure) men to surround me in a picture of me without the wig.  It means the WORLD to me.  My mother loves it.  (BTW - I am the one wearing lipstick) and one of my great friends said he gave it to a man who put a copy on his desk because he didn't want to lose his hair and it helped him. 

I wore a wig thoughout this whole treatment though so others didn't view me as "sick".  Since there was a break in my chemo, shaving my head the second time was not as traumatic, and because I say my body got used to the poison, not all of my hair fell out the second round and I had wispy hairs around the sides and back, the "Larry Fine" look!  One year after surgery now and I have closed the wig shop in my second bathroom and since short hair is very hip right now, sporting the doo of the season! 

I agree with others here though, losing eye lashes was the most difficult thing.  I remember going to visit my mother and while washing my face saw some lashes in the sink and knew, sadly, these were next to go.

Everyone told me it would grow back, and while it did, it still really was devasting when it happened.  I hated that people would say that to me, and start to say it will grow back curly or something.  I had loved my hair and didn't want anything but what I had!  Maybe I wasn't as fearless as other in this area as others.  Let's just call it like it is:  IT SUCKS!   

I didn't like being bald but I knew it was because we were killing the demand who chose to take haven in my body.  If it meant killing the devil than I would sacrifice my hair!!

NoTimeForCancer said:

Hello, Canary.  I am sorry

Hello, Canary.  I am sorry you are having to go through this all.  I remember my head itching as my hair was falling out, which was a little maddening.  I also remember - and this lasted for years - it felt like my scalp like it was being pulled - like when I used to use a curling iron as a kid.  I would just press on my head when I had the latter, but it eventually ended.  Also, here is a video of using old t-shirts to make them in to wraps.  I loved these to run around in and for around the house.  My tip on this is:  get at least a Large, go to Goodwill (you need to inspect them) but look for a fashion designer t-shirt for better colors (Ann Taylor, etc), cut with scissors 15" from the bottom. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP2JyDgql_0

Thank you so much, NoTimeForCancer, for the link. A soft absorbent t-shirt sounds really good for a sweaty head. I tend to be warm natured and that sounds very comfy. I’ll head out tomorrow to get a shirt and try it out, or maybe just go look in my closet right now. 

NoTimeForCancer said:

Canary, I remember my

Canary, I remember my radiation techs wanting to see how I wrapped it and another woman in JoAnn Fabric came up to me and said she had never seen anything like it - so I showed her as well. I know the woman didn't show it in the video, but I would smooth it down over the back of my head.  Hers was a little wonky in the back, but if you play with it a little bit you will get the hang of it fast.   

Actually, it looked really great the first time. My shirt was an XL and i did an extra twist in the back and that took care of the extra fabric. I am a Christmas nut and had been looking for caps in a Christmas print for December. Now all i have to do is find a Christmas print tshirt and my problem is solved. I am on day 11. Thursday will be day 14 and i am leaving then on a short vacation. I will take my clippers with me in case that is when the hair starts falling. I feel ok about all this right now. I hope i can keep that positive attitude when it actually happens, but i think i can. 

ConnieSW said:

You'll be ok

When my hair came back, I discovered having it really short suited me. It's been 6 years now and I still like it and get compliments. Who knew. 

I keep mine short now too. It is so much easier to maintain, and cheaper!

Thanks, everyone. I have definitely been thinking about not shaving legs and armpits and plucking chin hairs. I have worn very short hair for most of my adult life so that part won’t be a problem.

ConnieSW said:

You'll be ok

When my hair came back, I discovered having it really short suited me. It's been 6 years now and I still like it and get compliments. Who knew. 

Same!

CheeseQueen57 said:

Chin Hairs

I have bad news. For some reason chinny chin chin hairs keep growing. But my leg hair never came back in full force. My head hair came back beautifully. I had a preference for turbines myself. 

Yes, Cheese the chin hairs were probably the first to come back and never stopped!! Underarm hair never grew back and very little on legs. If I ever have to have chemo again I won’t grow my hair longer again. That part ha been a pain, but I’m finally back to my shoulder length hair. I need to take a new picture:)

CheeseQueen57 said:

Chin Hairs

I have bad news. For some reason chinny chin chin hairs keep growing. But my leg hair never came back in full force. My head hair came back beautifully. I had a preference for turbines myself. 

I know what you guys are talking about, even without chemo. They are relentless 

I'm one of the unlucky ones whose hair came back very sparsely after chemo. My hair had been thinning for several years before I got cancer and I was used to wearing wigs for work or social events, although I went "natural" the rest of time. So I was actually hoping that I'd get back "different" hair as a few friends with cancer did.

But what grew back was exactly the same (texture, color) as I had before, just a way lot less, especially on the top of my head. It actually looks like male pattern baldness. I do have more hair on the sides and back of the head, so I just stick a hat on when I'm not wearing a wig. If I had looked better when I was bald I would just shave it all off again, but the bald look didn't really suit me as it does some others.

Fortunately I did get my eyebrows and eyelashes back, so at least I don't look as sickly as I did without them. I was especially happy to get the eyelashes back – I hadn't realized until they were gone how much junk they keep out of your eyes.

I realize that my hair loss is a very minor issue compared to the residual effects from treatment that other ladies have suffered. So I try not to dwell on it. And even if I had known about cold capping before I had chemo, I doubt that I would have pursued this anyway since I didn't have great hair to start with.